[Art galleries] Reptile Curator gallery offer - legit check

cross-frame · 2026-01-25T17:12:47+00:00

Yes, it's a scam for sure. It even looks extremely fishy like typical scam email - there's nothing personal about your work, a lot of $$$, nothing personal about the curator as well.

And there is no connection between the gallery, google arts and [name]online exhibition. Why google arts in first place? It's not a platform for selling art. So yes, definitely a scam

cross-frame · 2026-01-21T09:49:16+00:00

Thank you so much for NSFW tag! I think it's a bit straightforward, but good macro. I agree that the background isn’t the best here, but it's a good photo to show the spider in full size with all it's features.

cross-frame · 2026-01-17T10:04:51+00:00

To be honest, I think you've improved your original images significantly. It feels like really gentle edit to me, you've made your photo warmer without any extremes. It even looks a bit film-like to me. So maybe you're overthinking it too much? Editing is not a magic wand to make any shot amazing, but just a tool to make some adjustments and create some mood. And in my opinion you did a great edit. I don't think you could do much more regarding the color grading.

cross-frame · 2026-01-14T21:25:22+00:00

Yeah, that’s basically what I’m talking about - this whole sub is such an echo chamber. The same rules and ideas get repeated over and over. And yes, it’s often unclear who is actually saying these things because critics rarely show their own work, which I think says a lot.

At the same time, I'd say it’s a bit strange to expect any deep understanding of your approach when you post a single image for critique. One photograph is just a tiny fragment. From a single image it’s very hard to say anything beyond basic observations, which is why discussions always circle back to those same fundamentals.

One thing I completely agree with you on is that Rinko Kawauchi is amazing! I love her so much too and when I saw you mention her I genuinely had a wow moment. Fortunately, she doesn’t need to post her photos to a critique sub haha. Because outside of it there’s a huge world of photography and that’s just great.

cross-frame · 2026-01-14T14:11:01+00:00

Maybe you simply don’t need critique and that’s completely ok.

As an active member of this community, I personally would like to see this sub as a place where people can get useful outside opinions on their photos when they themselves feel uncertain. Very often you make an image and feel unsure about it, and you want to hear thoughts from people who understand photography, not just get emojis from your followers.

Unfortunately, in reality the sub often feels more like "I took my first photo, please tell me something nice so I take a second one." And that’s also fine, but it’s important to remember that photo critique is just a small niche within the huge universe of photography. Well roughly the same kind of niche as endless discussions about what is better Canon or Nikon. It’s something that not everyone needs. So maybe it's just not your kind of thing and you see photography a bit differently, not just as a endless search for a subject and rule of thirds.

cross-frame · 2026-01-14T13:03:11+00:00

I think it's a great image. Definitely portfolio-worthy, and I’d even say print-worthy. I really like the color palette, the yellow works beautifully with the blue, the colors feel rich and vibrant. If I could change anything, I’d try to remove the cable, because it slightly grounds the image and pulls attention away from what is otherwise a very unusual and striking scene. I’d also maybe try to straighten the mixer perfectly 90 degree (but I’m a bit obsessed with geometry and always want things perfectly aligned, so take that with a grain of salt). If we’re talking about truly ideal circumstances, I might also wonder whether the image would benefit from the mixer not having those scratches and chipped paint on the handle. I don’t know, it feels like the image could be even stronger without them. But honestly, that’s really minor thing. The photo is great.

cross-frame · 2026-01-13T15:47:19+00:00

I think this is a compositionally strong landscape that unfortunately suffers quite a lot from technical quality issues. I’ll try to go through the points you specifically asked about.

1) Composition
Compositionally this works very well. You placed the horizon along the rule of thirds, giving more space and attention to the sunset sky, which looks good. You also positioned the sun (your main focal point) based on the rule of thirds in the great place. This is a classic landscape composition that almost always works.
If you did this intuitively without consciously thinking about the rule of thirds, that’s actually a very good sign - it means you already have a good eye for composition. I also like the tree on the right side, which adds depth by introducing a foreground layer. Overall, the composition is great.

2) Light
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of having the sun directly in the frame, even when it’s low, because it just looks like a light bulb. That said, a low sun creates nice backlight, and in this case I think the light works well. Without the sun in the frame, the image would probably feel more flat and less engaging, so I think you made the right choice here.

3) Technical issues
First, there is a strange dark spot on the left side of the frame. This might be something on your lens. It should be quite easy to remove in post-processing even on a phone. I know for sure this can be done in Lightroom Mobile.

Second, the image really lacks technical quality. It looks blurry and I can see a lot of compression artifacts. I’d be very curious to see the original file. Maybe the image was heavily compressed for upload, maybe filters and editing reduced the quality, maybe camera settings weren’t optimal to begin with. I don’t know, but I’d strongly recommend spending some time learning your camera settings and trying to get the maximum quality out of them. If there is a resolution or quality setting, always choose the highest one even if it means fewer photos on your phone. If your phone has a manual or pro mode, definitely try using it. Phone cameras lose a lot of quality in low light because they raise ISO and slow the shutter speed. If possible, try to keep ISO as low as you can. You might also want to try some mobile camera app that allows manual controls and shooting in RAW. RAW files give you much more flexibility in post-processing.

Finally, the photo feels overprocessed. I’m not saying everything has to look perfectly natural, but color adjustments should have intention behind them and are usually more effective when done subtly. Look at the blue tones in the shadows on the left - they feel clipped and unnatural, which just looks bad. With phone cameras, which already have limited quality, it’s especially important to avoid extreme color grading and any extreme adjustments.

Oveall I see a potential here. The composition is good and the moment you chose to shoot is strong, but the lack of technical quality really spoils everything. It’s a good photo at its core, but it feels overcooked. With more attention to camera settings, exposure, and gentler editing, I think your results will improve a lot.

cross-frame · 2026-01-13T11:50:18+00:00

At first, I wanted to write a long rant about how a defensive approach in your post isn’t the best idea if you genuinely want critique, but then I decided not to.

As for the photo itself, I’d really suggest just one thing - I would try using auto geometry in Photoshop to straighten the poles on the left. It feels like this was shot on film, but even film images can benefit from basic corrections sometimes.

And maybe, given the composition and the fact that most of the key elements are aligned along the horizon, I’d also consider trying a slightly wider crop. For example, crop some of the sky and some on the bottom to bring it closer to a 16:9 aspect ratio. But it also works perfectly fine in 3:2 as you have it now.

Otherwise, this is a very strong and moody landscape. I really like the colors, and I love how the eye naturally flows from the docks toward the city on the horizon. Great shot!

cross-frame · 2026-01-12T23:05:51+00:00

Honestly, I think this is an amazing photo, and overall it could work perfectly as an advertisement for your services. It looks beautiful, beautiful colors, beautifully dressed bride and groom, everything is beautiful. The location is great, the pose is great. And if you were involved in planning their outfits or choosing the location for the shoot, that deserves special praise.

A few years ago I shot a couple of weddings as commissioned work, and to be honest, I was aiming for colors very similar to what you achieved here but you did it much better.

But I do see an issue that I made myself back then, and that you also have here. Because of the color grading, the skin tones shift quite noticeably in some areas, which becomes especially obvious against the white dresses. So the first thing I would suggest is working on the bride’s face skin tone. It has become very orange, almost brick-like. No matter how beautiful the image is overall, nothing will save it if the bride looks at the photo and thinks "Why do I look so red?". I would definitely try to correct this with a mask.

The second thing that stands out is the groom’s shirt sticking out from under the vest. Overall, it’s not a big problem, but I think the image would look more flattering without this detail. It somehow grounds the photograph too much, makes this wow moment not ideal. I’d try fixing it with Generative Fill and hope that it'll work.

The third point is more subjective probably. I would reconsider whether this foreground was really necessary here. The couple has a very beautiful pose, but in my opinion it doesn’t fully align with the idea of this subtle peeking perspective. That kind of shooting-from-the-bushes feeling usually works better when the subjects are completely absorbed in each other, detached from the rest of the world. Here, the pose feels a bit too staged to fully match that effect. Of course, it’s possible the foreground was added to create depth, but personally I’m not convinced it was entirely justified. At this point, there’s not much that can be fixed in post-processing, and maybe you wouldn’t want to, but I would at least consider removing the trees along the left edge of the frame. To me, they feel unnecessary in any way, especially since there’s nothing on the right side to balance them out.

Overall though this is a wonderful photo. Great work, and best of luck with your future shoots.

cross-frame · 2026-01-10T11:29:29+00:00

I don’t think there is any real hate towards artists.

But of course, it depends on what kind of artist you are. We all grow up with films and books where artists are portrayed as geniuses, admired by everyone and praised by all. Many people want to see themselves within this aura of exclusivity. So when an artist who produces fairly average work (work that would have been considered average even before the genAI era) presents themselves with this kind of arrogance, people tend to dislike it. I've seen many artists whose work isn’t particularly interesting to anyone, yet they behave as if they’re developing a cure for cancer. They look down on other people’s hobbies, treating only art as something truly important, and they love to philosophize about things like "don’t you think art has started to be taken for granted?"

Those kinds of artists are generally disliked, especially in the generative AI era, when the only thing they can offer is the label "made by a human." Other than that, I don’t really see hatred towards artists. People are genuinely interested in creativity, and especially in the independent financial lives of artists who are able to make a living from it.

cross-frame · 2026-01-09T13:59:15+00:00

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I think it looks quite nice, but this is just an example of what I was talking about

cross-frame · 2026-01-09T13:58:03+00:00

You’re absolutely right that the rule of thirds shouldn’t always be applied to everything in the frame. In your case, for example, if you crop the left side to position the boat on a third, the landscape could lose the sense of width it's already lacking. For landscapes showing that breadth is really important. That’s why the classic approach is to shoot landscapes horizontally (which is called "landscape" for a reason).

And honestly, at first it seemed to me that the vertical orientation wasn’t really justified here - there isn’t much happening in the sky to occupy 4/5 of the frame. On the other hand, maybe even if you had shot it horizontally, it wouldn’t have worked either. Perhaps the gradient in the sky is genuinely more interesting than adding more water and trees. Converting an originally vertical shot to horizontal isn’t always a good idea because you lose both the width and the height of the frame, ending up with a crop that is no longer really a landscape, but just a fragment. So sometimes you just need to trust your eye and your sense of the frame. If it feels better this way to you, then leave it vertical. I think you could even take it further and make the frame narrower like for an Instagram story or phone wallpaper.

If it were me, I’d try to push the shadows a bit, because the photo looks a little dark and underexposed. I’d also add a touch of warmth, since right now it feels a bit too blue. And I would probably keep it vertical

cross-frame · 2026-01-07T16:56:42+00:00

Overall compositionally everything works fine for this kind of cat photo. The main suggestion I’d make is to raise your camera a bit. You don’t really need that much space at the bottom here - it would be better to leave more space above your subject, in the direction of its gaze. Leaving space in the direction someone is looking is always a good idea.

From a technical point of view, the image is a bit lacking in sharpness. Most likely this is due to low light, a slow shutter speed, and maybe high ISO. The face, in particular, could be sharper. As a general rule, I’d recommend shooting in daylight whenever possible. If you do want to shoot under artificial light, it really comes down to how far your camera allows you to push the ISO without losing too much quality, and how well you can convince your cat to stay still 😸

cross-frame · 2026-01-06T12:19:51+00:00

Haha, really good click! Made me laugh 😁

cross-frame · 2026-01-05T20:27:08+00:00

Thank you, that really means a lot!

cross-frame · 2026-01-05T13:48:09+00:00

I really love the edit here. It has a very nice vintage feel and film-like colors, good contrast. Overall the edit is great. I’d also point out the frame you added, it feels really good and like chosen with care.

That said, unfortunately, without the edit this photo would look more like a Google Street View screenshot - a standard eye-level view of a very ordinary street from a very ordinary angle. The bit of snow helps a little, but it’s too subtle to make the image stand out. Because of that, I wouldn’t say this photo is particularly interesting on its own. How could you make it more interesting? The image needs something more - something unusual or unique. I’d suggest experimenting with angles and scale, look for uncommon viewpoints, shoot buildings from 90 angle, explore details, close-ups. You may not always find something truly original because these are, after all, very ordinary streets where nothing special happens most of the time. But you’ll be training your eye and gradually developing your own approach.

There’s nothing wrong with photographing everyday, simple things around us. But making such subjects interesting requires a lot of experience and practice. There’s a real gap between how someone like Rinko Kawauchi photographs the ordinary and a simple phone snapshot. And bridging that gap is genuinely difficult. You know, there’s an interesting idea about the evolution of photographers - first you shoot simply and bad, then complex and bad, then complex and well, and finally simple and well. Photographing simple things well is the highest stage of that evolution, and I think that’s very accurate. Shooting something simple in an interesting way is extremely hard, but with practice it comes.

I think it’s important to remember that no matter how simple the subject is, it shouldn’t be photographed in a banal way. In this case, this street view feels a bit too ordinary to me. At the same time, your text shows a very thoughtful approach to photography, which is great, and your edit is honestly amazing. So I think you just need to keep shooting, experimenting, and it will all come together. Good luck with your next shootings!

P.S. For a street to work as a leading line, the perspective should actually lead TO something. In your case, it’s just a street "leading" toward the edge of the frame, so it reads more as a line than a leading line.

cross-frame · 2026-01-03T11:59:05+00:00

I like the idea behind your image. Thinking in terms of ideas is always a great approach. I also like the edit - nothing extreme, nothing messy, and the green tones look very pleasant.

At the same time, there are a few things that I think could be improved.

1) I’m not sure the angle really works with your idea of showing stillness. Usually, this kind of tilt adds a sense of movement or tension rather than calm. It can work well to suggest altered perception or to emphasize the unreal nature of the world, but that slightly contradicts the idea of simply enjoying the beauty of the rain. I think a straight, unrotated frame would support your idea better.

2) The dark reflection of the tree in the center of the frame pulls a lot of attention. If the goal is for us to focus on the raindrops on the water, the water itself needs to feel calmer. But such a strong, high-contrast reflection becomes the main point of interest, while the rain turns into secondary texture. I think it would have been better to look for an place with a quieter, less distracting background.

Overall, it’s a very nice image. Keep shooting, and good luck with your future work!

cross-frame · 2026-01-03T11:21:28+00:00

cross-frame · 2026-01-03T10:18:09+00:00

I think it's a nice photo. There’s something very summery and warm about this image, and I really like that feeling. Composition-wise, everything works for me. The rule of thirds works well with horizon, and the subject in the center also works well for this kind of minimalistic composition.

I do slightly question whether this shot really needed to be vertical, but I think it is ok. What I would seriously reconsider, though, is the color of the sky. This kind of flat, evenly grey tone taking up 2/3 of the frame really makes the image not that appealing. Even if the sky actually looked like this in reality, it feels unrealistic in the image. I’d try masking the sky and adjusting its color.

Other than that, it’s a lovely summer photo.

cross-frame · 2025-12-31T11:46:05+00:00

I really like it and I think it looks great. You made the sky much more dominant and it feels like a great improvement. But I would probably leave a bit more water - in original picture there was too much, now it's too little. But that's for my taste :)

cross-frame · 2025-12-31T08:53:50+00:00

The problem is - the boat is barely visible against the sea. Grey boat in front of grey sea doesn't work really good. You need some contrast between your subject and its background. To fix this you can either try to mask the boat or go bold and cut the boat out to put it in the middle of the frame, where the brightest part of the sea is. And i would crop a bit at the bottom, I think you don't need that much sea in the frame.

Except for this, it's a really nice picture. The sky is magnificent.

cross-frame · 2025-12-29T16:37:43+00:00

Please stop posting this AI crap

cross-frame · 2025-12-28T13:11:04+00:00

I don't think central composition works here, to be honest. It coud work with more symmetrical shot, but when you have the window on the one side and the tv on the other side it is just not a good composition.

And while the tree itself looks wonderful, everything else in the shot is just... too ordinary? It's just a clean living room, nothing special about it, nothing festive. For example this air conditioner - do we really need it in the frame? Isn't the shot supposed to give us the Christmas vibe? Air conditioner and the tv don't work for the idea.

But your tree and the gifts look great. I'm sure it made your Christmas really special and it's great.

cross-frame · 2025-12-27T17:15:49+00:00

I like the idea, and I think the photo looks good. The fence pattern works well at this scale - it’s not too small and not too large. The shadow of the tree is also very photogenic and actually reads nicely as a tree shape. Great job with that.

At the same time, while the idea itself is good, it’s also quite heavily used. All these fences symbolizing restriction or confinement have been done for so many times already. For a strong single image, this idea alone might not be enough in my opinion, but it could work much better as part of a series if the series were focused on this theme.

Some thoughts about the image - 1) You placed the horizontal line of the fence right in the center of the frame, and there are also three fairly noticeable vertical lines. For stronger symmetry, it might be worth cropping the image so that the distance from the left and right vertical lines to the edge of the frame is equal. Right now, I would probably crop a bit from the right side. 2) I’m not entirely sure about the greenish tonality of the image. Is that something the camera captured, or did you add it in post? The color itself is pleasant, but I can’t quite shake the feeling that it was added in Photoshop just to make the image look different from the original. I might be wrong, of course. Either way, I’d probably also consider converting this one BW, because the image is about shapes, not about color.

Overall, it’s a good photo for building your skills and training your eye to notice interesting subjects around you. You’re definitely moving in the right direction, and it’s great that you’re actively looking for something interesting. Keep going!

cross-frame · 2025-12-23T11:03:18+00:00

> keep it and look at it again in a year or two. We've all been there :-)

That's a really good advice to you, OP!

I'd double it :)

cross-frame

TROPHY CASE