Draft LRPS Panel

As in one of my other threads, I'm thinking of applying for a Licentiateship at the RPS, but need to brush up on some stuff first. Need some feedback/advice on some B&W photos, C&C welcome:

As you're going for a very difficult standard, I may seem harsh with these comments, but here goes:

1) Nice idea, but those burnt out patches of light on the ground kill it. It also needs more sharpness than we see here.

2) Much better, but do tone down those bright highlights top and left, they dominate the subject. So some more p[rocessing. I feel it also cries out for a whisker more space on the right - the figure is very tight up against the frame edge.

3) Almost half the image is blurred wall. The we have a totally blown out area beyond the figures. There are also distracting highlights top right. So a thumbs down for this one I think, although the basic concept is fine.

Hope that helps, to enter these sort of things we need to refine, refine, refine, until every defect we can possibly find is edited out. You have the core of some great images, but more work to be done.

Keep going!

Thanks for the quick response, John!

1) I tried to edit the patches but I shot these in JPEG (only took one card, was running out of space) and is proving quite difficult to recover

2) I agree with the space and the highlights, but I can't change the space issue since this was framed as is

3) Do we get a chance to explain these photos? Because part of the reason why I like it because the blurriness gives it a sense of movement

I'm not sure, but it seems unlikely. You need pictures that will speak for themselves, quickly and powerfully.

Hmm, I guess I should choose some others.. 10 sounds like a lot less than it actually is :O

amama, I believe a few members on here have done the LRPS. Use the search to check out their images. You'll see the standard of work that's required and it's pretty high. As John said "You need pictures that will speak for themselves, quickly and powerfully." They'll also need to be just about spot on straight from the camera with minimal amounts of PP. Unfortunately one of the curses of most digital cameras is there lack of dynamic range. I like these images, a good range of tones, could you just tease a bit more detail out of the blacks. For the reasons stated above by John, I don't think these'll quite cut it as they are but I like em.

Good luck on your quest.

Apart from the issues mentioned by John, don't forget the panel of ten have to work together without explanation, so it's hard to say whether these three are suitable, without the other seven.

As mentioned in the recent thread on the RPS, the day seminars on LRPS panels are very illuminating and worth attending.

No you don't get an opportuntiy to justify your pictures with the judges. They don't hold a debate with the people in the audience, they just discuss it among themselves and then announce whether you've been accepted or rejected.
As Lu said, you have to make the pictures speak for themselves.
If you get the chance try and attend a distinctions advisory day. It would be very helpful and you would get to chat to the experts about your panel should you take samples along.
David

PPG: http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/davidtrout

Yeah I wanted to go to an advisory day, but none of them are anywhere close to me/take place at suitable times =/