Helpful Critiques #2

Fearless Photographers founder Huy Nguyen and Tyler Wirken share their thoughts on anonymous work submitted by photographers in the Fearless community.

[ Huy ] The first thing I do is scan the edges of the photo. How can we make the edges better? Can we reframe this photo? Can we shoot from a different angle? In this situation, we probably could have done a different angle to get rid of the stuff on the ceiling and the hand at the top right. We can probably burn it down to be a little bit darker but you don't want to burn into black for competition. Also, think about cropping just so we have the center of the photo. That is what we need. 


[ Tyler ] I certainly agree with all that. I want to try and start off with the things that are working. This is a reaction photo nine times out of 10. In that regard, it's very effective. It works. And the good thing about this is that alcohol or that liquid is coming out of the shoe in that super clean area that shirt back there. That's really helpful.

Now let's think about how it could be better. You talked about the stuff on the ceiling and that hand on the right. All that stuff's a little bit distracting. Let's talk about angle and how that guy's looking up. I don't know how tall this photographer is, but on situations like this, I'm kind of like that photographer in the background. See how that camera is above that head? That's always a bit of a risky move because you don't know if you're going to get it in focus or not. But when something like this happens, you throw that camera so far up above your head and try to shoot down on this scene. That would really give drama and action because you get more of that guy's face and not so much of his cheek.

And you'll be able to potentially see those guys in the background because the shoe would then be lower in the frame. And the guys in the background would be framing him. And then you might actually get some of that hand on the right or you would crop that out. Ultimately that angle should be up and down as much as possible. In this situation, I just start shooting it to get it and then maybe I'd throw my camera up for the end. And then maybe somebody would knock the guy and all the liquid go on the guy's face or something like that, who knows? But that angle I think would really take this to another level.

[ Huy ] I'm thinking about treating this mathematically. We have three different factors to think about - one is the shoe, one is the guy getting the drink and the last factor is the crowd. So if I have a mathematical mind and I want to weigh how important things are. Are they all equal? Should I shoot them all equally? Like a third, a third, a third, or should I give the shoe more importance since it might be something unique - something distinctive, something funny, something out of the ordinary?


If it's not important, I give it a smaller number. And if the guy is the groom, then he has more importance and he gets a higher priority. If it's really important person then it becomes cool. Then I can make him big. The last one is the crowd. Is having the crowd around them super important? So in my mind, I quickly give each of these a value and that's how I approach the shot. What's the most important thing here? Then I work on from there. 


If I'm looking at this picture and I see equal importance between the shoe, the guy and the crowd, I'm not really seeing what the photographer is thinking except just reacting and shooting. I just want to give that thought and encourage you to think about what's important in your photo. Ask what's the most important thing and make a viewer understand that too.

[ Tyler ] That's interesting. What if it was a clown shoe?

[ Huy ] Because the photographer is there and the photographer knows the history of the family and the photographer is in the position to make this decision. For us, the shoe is kind of strange. We've never seen it. Well, we've seen a lot of photos with bottles before but we haven't seen a shoe. But then maybe in that country, it's no big deal.

[ Tyler ] Basically what you're saying is within split seconds, you have to assess what's important, what's interesting and what's unique about this. So that way you can decide how you're going to shoot it. Am I going to shoot it close to get that guy? Am I going to put the people in the background and focus? Am I going to put him in focus? Am I going to just focus on the shoe? That's your mathematical equation. You're trying to figure out how to do it rather than just shoot straight at it. Right?

[ Huy ] Maybe it's just me. Maybe it's not necessary. I'm thinking as I go along the day, I'm thinking how important are these things? How important is that house to the scene to the bride at this time, right? How important is this getting-ready room? How important is this bridesmaid or this sister? To me, if I know then I can make decisions.

[ Tyler ] It guides what you shoot and how you shoot it.

[ Huy ] Exactly. Because otherwise, if I don't, then what's guiding me? Nothing, right? I'd just put the camera in front of me and just shoot at everything. I'd just go towards the best light. And if the light goes towards unimportant people all day I'd keep shooting the best awesome pictures of people who are not significant to the bride. But that's where the best light is. But anyway...


[ Tyler ] This is a on-camera flash, right? If you're going to throw a light in there and you had a two light system that could backlight that liquid, then it becomes even one step higher potentially for that wow factor.

[ Huy ] If you can add another light or remote flash to the crowd by someone holding your flash or someone shining a video light on the crowd, that would made this photo better. If the guys right behind them were just lit in a little bit more - but not to be distracting to him - just a little bit more.

And if you can tone this picture by burning down the hand holding the shoe, that whole arm, and the white shirt. Now we can see the face more on the guy drinking. Those are the things you can do to improve this photo as you have it right now.

Watch the original unedited session:

May 29 Fearless Critiques Double Shot from Fearless Photographers on Vimeo.

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