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Critique Me – Scott at Scott Fairbairn Photography
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Remember:
Read How to Critique a Photo
Make a critique sandwich – something positive, something you would have done differently, something positive
My rule: no improvement tip = deleted comment
This will benefit the person leaving the photo critique just as much if not more than the person receiving the critique.

Thanks to Scott at Scott Fairbairn Photography for submitting the following image.
Settings: ISO 200, f/4, SS 1/1000
Scott Fairbairn Photography

21 Comments
  • September 30, 2013 at 11:32 AM

    I love the blurry sky with the sharp details of the hay and the man. I would have maybe tried to get a bigger picture of the field instead of filling up the whole frame with the man. This picture looks great in B&W.

    Emma

  • September 30, 2013 at 12:00 PM

    Wow! This is a fantastic picture! Caught my eye immediately. I love the pieces of hay you see flying in the background. I really love B&W pictures, but I would be interested in seeing it in color, just because I think with the blue sky and yellow hay it might look great with bright colors. I agree with the comment above that maybe pulling back a bit would have been good to see the larger landscape. Maybe so you could at least see what he’s standing on so the bottom of the leg isn’t cropped. But it’s really a great photo. Such a good moment in time to capture!

  • Amy
    September 30, 2013 at 12:09 PM

    The realness of this portrait makes it really stand out as an amazing shot. The only thing I would suggest is pulling back slightly so as to not crop the feet and add a bit more of the “story” by seeing more of the surroundings. The b&w conversion is bold and edgy and just perfect for this image. Fantastic!

  • Chelsea
    September 30, 2013 at 12:10 PM

    Wow! I love this! It captures the true life of a farmer! Maybe you could have pulled back the camera a bit to show more of the pile & feet. But really, this photo is fantastic! I really do like it in black&white! Well done!

  • meghan
    September 30, 2013 at 12:14 PM

    Love the specs of hay flying in the background. Perhaps more of the name? Working boots, his sunglasses more? Love the clouds in the background! Looks like a beautiful day.

  • rene hermosillo
    September 30, 2013 at 12:26 PM

    This picture captured my attention right away! A man working caught in action & in B&W, very nice. B&W photos just capture more raw emotion. I would like to see a bit more of the field myself, however I do love the detail in the hay & bits flying in the air. I am absolutely fine with the way it is, I love it

  • September 30, 2013 at 12:35 PM

    Great image.
    Like the background, the dust in the air and the B&W.
    If I would make one minor change and that it the image is to tight to the man. I would pull off a little and put him left of the center more and revel the feet.

  • Lysa
    September 30, 2013 at 12:52 PM

    This caught my attention right away! Amazing detail. I love the dust flying in the air. I’d love to see the color of the sky. His clothing has a silver shine to it that seems strong assuming it is denim. You really did a great job capturing how labor intensive farming can be! Great Job!

  • Rick Decorie
    September 30, 2013 at 1:44 PM

    The subject of the photo makes it very interesting. I don’t see many photographs of people at work. I would have added more grain to the photo to emphasize the black and white. I really like the symmetry of the shot.

  • September 30, 2013 at 2:20 PM

    I love this picture! It is such an interesting glimpse at what is probably the daily life of this gentleman. I think it would be slightly better if you had stepped back a foot or two to get his entire body in the frame. I love the black and white! So beautiful!

  • Tray Wilson
    September 30, 2013 at 2:59 PM

    I absolutely love this picture …. Great detail on a hard working man. My only comment would be to reduce the contrast (darkness) in the sky as it would, I believe, lessen the impact of the bright bits in the sky to the mans sides. I would still keep the contrast in the foreground and on the main subject as I think this aspect of it is awesome.

  • September 30, 2013 at 3:57 PM

    I love the sharpness you got in the image, and I think it looks great in B&W. I would like to see a bit more of the scene, if you step back just a few steps so we could see the rest of his foot and a bit more of the hay pile he’s working on. I also love the intensity you caught in this photo, you can tell he’s working hard. It’s a great image!

  • September 30, 2013 at 6:06 PM

    This is a great B/W picture! I love the clarity of the man and the hay/pitchfork. I don’t care for the background, just my personal preference though. It looks like clouds but the angle (straight on) doesn’t seem to match the perspective. Either way, this is a beautiful picture and I think it exemplifies farming beautifully.

  • October 1, 2013 at 1:32 AM

    I love this image, and don’t usually critique, but this one moved me. I think being ‘in tight’ brought great view to the specks of hay in the air (beautiful). The man is amazing, I love the contrast and detail. I would have liked to see more of that similar contrast and detail in the hay on the pitchfork. All in all, a beautifully powerful piece of art!

  • October 1, 2013 at 6:51 AM

    I truly love this image! Even down to the round tobacco container in his pocket! I agree with others, possibly pulling back on the image slightly so he doesn’t quite look like he’s working in the clouds. Just love the B&W contrast too. Beautiful shot all together!

  • October 1, 2013 at 6:18 PM

    I love this photo! Great lighting, I love the way we can see the little particles of hay floating in the air. The only thing I would suggest is to pull back a bit more so we can see both his feet. If they both sink into the hay having a bit of hay in the foreground tells that story more. This is a great action shot his bent arms and the chew container in his shirt pocket really tell the story well.

  • October 1, 2013 at 9:36 PM

    Great picture! I love how the full sun can make a B&W have so much more punch! I think the only thing I might play around with is the color of the sky to see if you can put a smidge more contrast in the photo. love the dust flying from the grass too. This picture has a ton of character! Love it!

  • Hannah
    October 2, 2013 at 3:09 PM

    Wow. This picture is so amazing. Great job on the sharpness and detail. My only bit of advice is that I would have pulled back just enough to see his feet, perhaps. Otherwise, great job! The black and white adds some drama and emotion.

  • October 2, 2013 at 3:56 PM

    I looked at this yesterday and I still can’t get over it. It’s a great picture. I love the clouds and the texture of the hay. I bet this picture wasn’t planned, but if we could see more of his face or have the sun on his face to continue the amazing black and white drama there, that would be awesome. I checked out your store on etsy and all of your pictures are beautiful. The black and white pictures are very special, especially the Yellow Rose image.

  • October 7, 2013 at 8:11 PM

    Great picture! I would love to know what you already did in post processing… the man in the picture is a bit bright and I’m wondering if you lightened him or if the clouds behind him and such make it look as though you did. I would probably use curves to sharpen the contrast a bit more to get a more defined black and white, but this photo is amazing, as is. Again, I wish I knew what your post-processing was like. Another thing that might be cool: add a red photo filter before the black and white layer. Just some fun suggestions for playing with the picture and trying to reach perfection! Great pic! I wish I had taken it!

  • October 7, 2013 at 11:12 PM

    This is great in black and white! It really shows the definition and crispness of the details. I would have pulled back a little bit so you weren’t cutting off his leg. Other than that, I really love the small stuff about this photo like hay flying in the air and the wrinkles in his shirt.

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