Photography Style:

When it comes to my style of photography I am unsure where to place myself. At this point, I don't feel that I am experienced enough in photography to have a true style. I have some basic ideas about composition that I like to incorporate in my photographs, but everything beyond this is a learning experience. I like photographs that focus on a single subject. Focusing on one thing appeals to me personally. I have more fun with a photograph of a cat than I do with a landscape with no clear single focus. The contrast of good black and white photography is something that interests me, and I will experiment more with black and white throughout this semester. I suspect that the more I consciously take and edit photos, certain themes may begin to appear. I can then take these themes in a direction that will hopefully lead to a style.

Reaction to critique videos:

This one is a straight forward simple explanation of how to critique a photo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2eCrS4ECdE:

I like this video because it is quick, easy to understand, and to the point. It is a good, basic guide for learning how to participate in a photography critique.

This one is a little long winded, but has a lot of good information.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7yNJpqan2E:

This is a fun video because of the environment. It has a modern feel, and the hosts appeal to me because of their expertise, and fondness for photography. There are clearly photos in this set that are better than others, and the guys are quick to point out what is good and what isn't. Having two hosts allows for different perspectives. This is beneficial, specifically, when the subject of black lines obscuring a cityscape is brought up. One host didn't like the lines, the other did. Both gave good reasons for their opinions, and I understood both sides. I think this instance comes down to personal preference, and shows that a good critique is done politely, even when there is a disagreement.

Wedding photography critique
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWNLg01ZHsY:

I found this video helpful because of the amateur photographer featured. This wedding photographer certainly has a lot to learn, as I do. There are many examples of poor technique pointed out by the host. While the amateur quality of the wedding photos is obvious, it's beneficial to see how improvement can be made. This is a great video for going over composition, light, and contrast basics. I'll be watching this video again to avoid basic mistakes in my own photography.

Critique of my own work:

In critiquing my own photographs, the major thing I notice (at this point) is that there are times when I am effectively using contrast, and times when I am not. As Kevin pointed out, my choice of using black and white for my "Kitty" photograph works against me. This is because the the cat blends into the environment too much. The cat's fur is too similar to the color or the ground/leaves, and in black and white, it is hard for the viewer to differentiate between the animal and the environment. In my "Cat" photo, I am able to use contrast more effectively because of the dark black color of the cat. The use of black and white works because there is nothing as black as the cat in the surrounding environment. The cat stands out, as it should, being the subject. Contrast is something that I am now more aware of, and I'll be sure to keep it in mind in my future photos.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/140059785@N05/