Walk-thruby
VelocityComment by indigo997: I wrote a really long critique that got lost somehow *sigh* so here I am trying to remember it.
First off. Always make sure that you meet the challenge because voters are very picky about that and will mark you way down. With this one, yes you have a bridge.
Secondly, composition is very important. Simplicity is usually best. You want to show the subject without a lot of distractions. Using elements such as strong color or strong leading lines (perhaps a nice diagonal to lead the eye into the shot) or using the "rule of thirds" to place the subject... all of these are good to keep in mind when composing the picture. With this picture, the dominant color is brown (not usually very appealing but typical of the season). The bridge gets lost in all the branches. The eye doesn't really know where to go. It also doesn't help that the bridge goes directly across the middle of the picture. Showing the entire subject at a straight-on angle is usually not the best way to shoot. Also, if color isn't really adding anything to the picture then you can always try it in black and white for a different effect. If you use photoshop, you can check out the different color channels to see how different it can look. Increasing the contrast with a black and white shot can also make it more dramatic and add a different look.
The lighting in this picture isn't the best. Shooting early in the morning or late in the day is the best. Middle afternoon shots are rarely as good.
I don't know if it is the lighting, but it looks oversharpened. Anything with a lot of small lines (like animal fur or these branches) will look oversharpened very easily. If you use PS, use the unsharp mask and a radius of 1. Then slowly raise the amount. Rarely will I go above 70% with any picture.
For now, just learn to compose strong photos. Creativity is very important. Being able to show an ordinary subject in an appealing and interesting way is tricky.
If you really wanted to use this bridge and didn't have a better option then you would want to find a different, more appealing way to shoot it. Maybe a shot from on top... looking across to the other side. You could use repetition - the repeating boards along the railing with the top rail used as a diagonal leading into the shot.
Look at the bridge pictures that you like and try to figure out whats appealing about them. Think about where the subject is placed, where the lines go, whether or not color is being used, etc. Eventually you'll start thinking about all of that when you take a picture of your own.
Good luck! Just take pictures that you like and don't be too concerned with the score or comments. There will always be those who are better and those who are worse.
