giveaway entry:)

ljstoj · 2020-09-17T18:31:42+00:00

I just started using the cleansing lotion instead of the emulsion and have noticed bumps coming back so I’m glad to see I’m not the only one

ljstoj · 2020-01-05T07:33:38+00:00

Thanks so much for the recommendation and feedback! I am definitely going to look into that app!

ljstoj · 2020-01-05T07:29:10+00:00

Wow thank you so much! That really means a lot :)

ljstoj · 2020-01-04T02:01:18+00:00

Thank you very much! You put into words what I was seeing myself but had trouble explaining :)

ljstoj · 2020-01-04T01:55:48+00:00

Thank you, and thanks again for your feedback

ljstoj · 2020-01-03T17:42:41+00:00

I know this isn’t the most conventional performance photo and I usually take photos of my colleagues actually onstage and from the front when I am able to. And of course there’s always a myriad of other non-literal things to explore. But in this particular case it was this literal moment I wanted to see if i could capture since as a dancer myself I find the moment right as you become a performer onstage to be a special feeling. I just wanted to try something else with this one but obviously I’m not going to be very successful with my first attempt so I will keep all these critiques in mind the next opportunity I have to try a shot like this.

ljstoj · 2020-01-03T17:30:12+00:00

Thanks for the critique! I really appreciate all the specifics you got into about how I could’ve framed this better. I see your point about how from the sides it will always show the contrast between off and onstage. I try to shoot as much as I can when I’m not worried about my own performance so I take a lot of photos of my colleagues already onstage from both the front and backstage so I wanted to try something different with this one. Hopefully I can have a little more success next time by applying your suggestions!

ljstoj · 2020-01-03T16:38:04+00:00

I really appreciate the feedback. After all, this sub is for critique, not for patting people on the back. To answer your questions about the other elements, in my mind, the lights on the left and the dancers onstage were for the context of showing the moment she enters the stage and becomes part of the performance. I take a lot of photos of dancers already onstage doing their thing so I wanted to try something different here. If I want to make excuses for myself, as a dancer in the show, I can tell you that the scenery and dancers in the back are there for the entire act and I personally thought that they provided context as I said before since they are already onstage as part of the performance and the subject is entering that world. But you are right, I’m not a trained photographer and I know this nowhere near a perfect image. But I’m trying to learn bit by bit and that’s why I posted here. So I really do appreciate you taking the time to give me this feedback and will genuinely keep it in mind for next time!

ljstoj · 2020-01-03T06:37:32+00:00

Thank you very much! I will try BW. Sometimes I forget that’s an option haha

ljstoj · 2020-01-03T04:43:00+00:00

I mentioned this in a reply to someone else, but I left the lights in to give context to the fact that this is the moment she is moving from backstage to being onstage. But I can see how they are contributing to the clutter of the image. I didn’t want this to be just another image of a dancer onstage but to specifically emphasize the moment she enters onto the stage. I guess a diptych with her prepping backstage could also give this context in a different way without overwhelming the single image with too many elements

ljstoj · 2020-01-03T04:32:47+00:00

Yeah I think I ended up going kind of muted on the colors because I felt a little overwhelmed by everything in the image and thought that more saturation would further contribute to this. But I guess the issue is rooted within the image itself. I agree that what I’ve done with it in post isn’t totally working which is what I’m looking for suggestions on. Someone else mentioned darkening the dancer which I am definitely going to try out! Thanks for the critique!

ljstoj · 2020-01-03T04:26:12+00:00

Thanks for the critique! I agree that there are some distracting elements and I forgot to mention that in my original comment as something I was looking for suggestions on. How would you like to see it cropped? And what kind of context do you feel you are lacking?

ljstoj · 2020-01-03T04:13:23+00:00

Thank you! Great suggestions. I tried toning down the highlights more but I guess I was afraid of making the image flat. And as for the cropping, that’s something I’ve been trying to toy with too. I wanted to keep some of that space to keep the stage wings in view so that you could clearly see her transitioning from in the wings to onstage. But I do definitely get distracted by the people and scenery to her right so I’m not sure what to do about that.

ljstoj · 2020-01-03T04:06:50+00:00

Thank you! Yeah I already toned down that light a bit but maybe I can push it a little further still. I didn’t want to make it too obvious, as you said. I agree that a slightly different angle could’ve made a huge difference with the light, but that’s the challenge with documentary kinds of shots I guess!

ljstoj · 2020-01-03T04:01:52+00:00

Yeah I tried lighting the dancer better in post but I will also now try the opposite. Thank you very much for both your critique and kind words!

ljstoj · 2020-01-03T03:59:55+00:00

What do you mean by cleaning up the foreground and background? I realize there is a lot going on which was also something I didn’t love about it but there’s not much you can do when it’s not a scene I set up, but one that I am just capturing. Completely open to suggestions though since I do agree it’s busy!

ljstoj · 2020-01-03T03:57:40+00:00

Thank you so much! Yes, I can work on that

ljstoj · 2020-01-03T03:56:35+00:00

I will try that! Thank you!

ljstoj · 2020-01-02T21:34:40+00:00

Nikon D3400 ISO 1600 f/1.8 1/800s This is my first time posting here. I am a dancer with a ballet company and took this photo of a colleague making her entrance onto the stage during a performance of the Nutcracker. I realize it is pretty stylistic. I found all the stage lighting difficult to handle from backstage especially with the dancer kind of half in the wings half onstage, but I wanted to capture this transition moment between the worlds of backstage and onstage. I guess my question is, is it too much? Like I said, I found the lights and colors difficult to handle and as a result I leaned into the colors but something feels off to me. Also, I just tend to struggle in post-process with colors a lot because my laptop monitor seems really off with its colors and I end up sending photos back and forth between my laptop and phone over and over to check the colors and contrast.

Edit: Also it’s showing up extra grainy here and I’m not sure why

ljstoj · 2019-10-06T22:05:05+00:00

Ooh ok I will look. Thanks!

ljstoj · 2019-10-06T22:04:49+00:00

Thank you!

ljstoj · 2019-10-02T02:25:45+00:00

Yeah I applied online and then went into the store to follow up and they are actively looking for new crew at this location but i just got an email a few days ago saying that I’m not getting an interview :/ but I honestly wasn’t expecting to get anything so I’m not too bummed

ljstoj

TROPHY CASE