Thread by @ScottWlaschin

Thread! I've watched 100s of hours of photography videos on YouTube. I've learned from the experts! From them, I've learned that being a good photographer is all about having the latest gear, having more megapixels, and knowing those cool Lightroom tricks.

So, thank you, YouTube experts! I now have the confidence to help other beginning photographers get better. In the rest of this thread I'll critique some photos that have been sent to me for review.

We'll start with one sent to me by "Henri". My critique: there's too much motion blur. Next time, up your ISO and use a faster shutter speed. And there's way too much sensor noise! Get yourself a professional camera, mate!

Here's another submission from "Henri". Nice snapshot, but it would be stronger without the distracting background detail and the half of an arm on the left. Henri, don't be afraid to crop your work! Crop crop crop! Also, let's not encourage underage drinking!

Here's a submission from "Robert". He says he took it at the beach. Well, I hate to say it Robert, but this is terrible -- way too shaky and blurry. I suggest that you invest in a camera that has proper image stabilization.👍

Here's a street photo from "Arthur". This poor person has dilated pupils and is demonstrating aggressive behavior. I really don't think it's ethical to take photos of homeless people like this ☹️

A studio portrait from "Mathew". My initial reaction: Why so glum? Pro tip: Make sure your subjects are relaxed in the studio. Maybe put on some theatre music?

A nice, if overly clichéd, shot of Half Dome by "Ansel". Ansel said he likes using film, but I'd recommend that he upgrade to a full frame digital camera with 15 stops of dynamic range to get some real detail in those shadows.

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This family portrait by "Dorothea" seems a bit rushed. The mother looks disheveled and the kids are too shy. Also, photoshop out those wrinkles for pete's sake! The healing brush is your friend! I recommend that the family come back to the studio for a reshoot.

"Irving" wants my opinion on this one. Well, the sitter looks too tense imo. Try to get your subjects to smile, Irving! Also, could you not find that poor man a decent chair?

Finally, an excellent portrait taken by a photographer who obviously knows exactly what they are doing! The subject is relaxed and smiling, and in focus with no distracting background. Irving and Dorothea, you could learn from this! This gets the top score of 10/10.

Dear "Cindy", I think you clicked the shutter at the wrong time. Try waiting until your subject is looking TOWARDS the camera. Look at the previous portrait to see how it's done.

I hate it when people overuse photoshop like this -- it's so fake and unbelievable. Dear whoever, instead of using a green screen you should pose these men in front of a real background. You're in NYC, so the Rockefeller Plaza would be a good outdoor location.

A lucky shot by "Sam", but I have to say that this was no time to get all hipster and arty with the black and white. Colour would have been so much more powerful -- a real missed opportunity! ☹️

This shot by "Jeff" is ok but could be much better. Start by shopping out the distracting street lights in the foreground. More importantly, the strong diagonal composition has been ruined by including a random passer-by with their groceries. Better luck next time!

"Nicéphore" (obviously a pseudonym🙄) sent me this. Appallingly blurry and low res. And it doesn't look like a very interesting composition, even if I could see it properly. Don't use a homemade camera next time! Even a cheap point & shoot would be better.

This snapshot by "Andreas" is technically good but not at all ready for instagram. In the future, if you want to take a photo of food, make it much more appetizing, like a close up of your lunch or something. No one is going to buy a print of this to hang on their wall.

This one by "Robert" is way too busy. Get a decent zoom and focus on one subject at a time. Also the focus is a little soft, so I'm guessing his camera doesn't have face detection -- I'd strongly recommend that as an upgrade.

The details in the background are very distracting. Personally, I would have gone with a wide open lens to emphasize the foreground and get some nice creamy bokeh.

I'm seriously concerned about the safety of this child. Where is this boy's mother?

This one, from "Roger", is just boring. A bunch of bowling balls scattered around? Pro tip: Add an attractive model to give it some human interest!

"Elliot" loves dogs. This doggo is obviously a good boi. I cannot say anything bad about this photo.

Overall, I'm disappointed in the quality of these submissions. I'm totally over this hipster trend for B&W and lots of film grain. I'd strongly recommend that the photographers I critiqued watch more YouTube videos, so that they can see what good photography is all about. /end