Photo Critique: Landscapes and Cityscapes

In this live critique show, Karl looks at landscape and cityscape images submitted by members.

He offers his feedback and advice, including some top tips for taking better landscape images. Karl covers composition techniques, the importance of narrative, how to guide the viewers eye and he also demonstrates some simple post-production techniques for enhancing images.

In this class:

  • Landscape and cityscape photography
  • Tips for taking better landscape and cityscape photographs
  • Composition techniques for landscape photography
  • The best time of day to photograph
  • Planning tips for landscape and cityscape photography
  • Post-production techniques for landscape and cityscape photography

To learn more about upcoming critique shows, visit our Live Shows page.

Questions? Please post them the comments section below.

Comments

  1. I find these critique shows as useful – if not more so in some ways, than the tutorials. The irony of having started watching the tutorials and critiques is that I am now finding it more difficult to go out and find good scenes to shoot where as previously I would quite easily find pleasing scenes. Thanks for the great, informative content.

  2. I can’t open my course here in China,please see if you can compress the file and send it to me by personal email.Tank you! I am very very eager to learn the course content.

    1. Hi, We can’t do that but if you use a VPN you should be able to access the videos this way. We have many Chinese customers who use a VPN browser.

  3. Thanks Karl for the feedback on my black and white shot of the Doha skyline. It was taken from the Doha Corniche and what’s interesting for me is that after 6 years of living here, we only have conditions like this, perhaps 2 days of the year (dramatic stormy weather) – a bit like the rarity of sunshine in the UK 😉

    Both I and the camera gear took a bath as 2 meter waves were created as the ocean hit the corniche wall. I think my behind the scenes shots are perhaps more dramatic than the final image!

    Appreciate greatly, your honesty and I enjoy camera ‘rants’ from time to time – they are informative and entertaining!

  4. Great critique Karl, however, you never mentioned anything about the horizons being straight. A few of the pics could have done with some straightening in my opinion. Loved the Millennium Dome picture.

  5. Thank you for critiquing our images. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire show! Your insights for the making of a great photo are extremely helpful. Your observations are spot-on. The photo I submitted of Burney Falls was in fact taken on a dreary cloudy winter afternoon. I had planned to shoot a different subject, Mt Lassen, but it was engulfed in cloud so I drove an hour to the falls. I made several images from different angles and exposure times. This one was my choice for it’s composition even though it was one of the shorter exposures. I have other angles taken with a 9-stop ND filter resulting in 15-second exposures. They have a nice creamy/dreamy appearance, but the shooting angle and flat light muted the color in the pond. I’ll have to try again when the sun is out.

  6. Thanks for the critique, Karl. It’s most helpful to receive your feedback in these sessions and to get an expert viewpoint to see my work from another angle. The pathetic, spindly tree was my planned subject that came alive for a brief moment when the sun’s rays fell on it. I saw the opportunity and waited a long while for the tree to perform in the light rays. I call it my Dancing Tree.

    Another good show …

    1. Thanks Barry, it certainly was a beautiful light and location. My interpretation of the shot was that the light and scene was so dramatic that the small tree didn’t feel grand enough in that situation, hence why my wish for a large strong tree trunk on the forest floor, but I think you got what I meant! 🙂

      1. You’ve given me an idea, Karl. Next time I’m off to the woods I’ll dump the fancy primes and load up my Lowepro with an axe so I can make adjustments on site. Who says Karl Taylor Ed. does not give lots of inspiration ;-).

        Looking forward to the next critique. I’m already planning for it …

        Cheers

  8. Thanks Karl for the very positive critique of my Manhattan skyline image, it was very uplifting to hear what a real pro’s view was on the image. Came at a time when I was getting a bit down on myself so thanks for that. Andrew.

  9. Thanks for taking a look, I would have loved the sky to be more interesting as well, but first it hardly ever rains in Richmond, Virginia and I was only there for that evening, so I suppose it doubles up as a travel photo as well 🙂

    1. Thank you Carl for your positive critique of my pic from the lighthouse of Cap Fermentor in Mallorca. This shot I planned in advance and had an idea of how it should look. I’m satisfied with the result and it came out just about like my vision. Maybe a couple of interesting clouds would have helped

  10. I really like your inputs, Karl. Nowadays, You can’t get a real professional, well explained criticism and tips because what people really like on Instagram for example, is not professionally evaluated and rather a specific look.

    You say exactly what is missing and give specifics we can learn from and improve. It’s not a “Great photo/Bad photo” kind of session, But rather goes to specifics and you don’t save criticism when it’s needed. As they say “My mom says everything is beautiful. I pay someone to say what needs to be improved”…

    I absolutely agree on your points about Photoshop: I use LR/PS/C1 to “Develop” the photograph. Not make composites and fake the image. on the flip side, Today everyone either thinks “Photoshop’ing” also relates to basic light/color correction in LR, or believe that the RAW files are enough – Just export them to JPEGs. I find myself explaining to both ends: I need to work a bit on the photos, And “have you used Photoshop?” is not a bad thing… Depends what.

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