Fro Knows Photo fans

grandpaw

Senior Member
Jared. "Fro Knows Photo" posted what he called his "My most Mind Blowing landscape photos from the Grand Canyon". Well I looked at them and thought they were not very impressive along with other people. He has now picked out a few positive comments and posted them along with closing the comments on his pictures. I am really disappointed not only in the pictures which most had the horizon in the middle of the picture cutting the image in half but that he could not handle criticism about his own work. He frequently critiques others but doesn't seem to be able to handle it about his own images. I must say that I am very disappointed!!!!

Pictures can be seen here. Video about them My most Mind Blowing landscape photos from the Grand Canyon | Fro Knows Photo


Go straight to the pictures here. Grand Canyon — Jared Polin
 
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carguy

Senior Member
Can't comment on the critisism aspect as I dont' see any comments there.

Regarding the images, I find the centered horizon works well to show both the sky and the detail within the rocks.
 

Blacktop

Senior Member
The two shots of the milky way I can not comment on because I have not done it,(seen [MENTION=9753]Scott Murray[/MENTION] post more impressive shots) however the landscape shots are kind of disappointing coming from him. Then again landscape is not Fro's forte. Sports and concert photography is.
 

grandpaw

Senior Member
Can't comment on the critisism aspect as I dont' see any comments there.

Regarding the images, I find the centered horizon works well to show both the sky and the detail within the rocks.

I guess we all see things differently but two things that bug me are horizons cutting images in half and crooked horizons. If he really thought they were that good, I don't get why he closed the comment section. Maybe it's just me?
 

grandpaw

Senior Member
The two shots of the milky way I can not comment on because I have not done it,(seen @Scott Murray post more impressive shots) however the landscape shots are kind of disappointing coming from him. Then again landscape is not Fro's forte. Sports and concert photography is.

When you list them as MIND BLOWING LANDSCAPES it kinda sets expectations high and it just didn't get there for me! They look more like tourist snapshots to me and certainly do not come across as mind blowing!
 
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Blacktop

Senior Member
When you list them as MIND BLOWING LANDSCAPES it kinda sets expectations high and it just didn't get there for me!
Well yes. They're not exactly mind blowing. I missed that part @grandpaw. I don't know which cam and lens he used, but it could have been done with any DSLR and a sturdy tripod to tell you the truth.
 

Woodyg3

Senior Member
Contributor
I don't mind the horizon in the middle once in a while, and the first B&W shot is very nice, but overall I think these shots are not up to "limited edition signed print" quality. Landscapes are hard, even when you are taking pics at a beautiful place like the Grand Canyon. I agree, Jeff, that these are hardly "mind blowing." Jared drives me crazy with his "I shoot RAW" and "I don't crop" rants. If he believes his shots are mind blowing, maybe that's all that matters. :)
 

grandpaw

Senior Member
I am going to try and see if I can find some shots that Steven took while he was there with Jared. I have never seen any of his images but I have to believe they will be better if I can find some. If I do I will post a link to them here. I think he left the four positive comments and deleted the rest and then closed the comments. I know several others and myself also posted comments on the video and pictures that have seemed to have vanished.
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
I'd say the Grand Canyon shots are technically very well executed while aesthetically I'm a little back and forth on them. Granted I'm no critic and I will say there's some nice lighting going on in one particular but most of them don't do that much for me. As I'm fond of saying, taking a shot of something beautiful does not make a beautiful shot and some of those look like shots of something beautiful, but they're not beautiful shots.

I'm sure Jared Polin is just a super cool dude, an amazing photographer and probably calls his mother every Sunday just to see how she's getting along all that but, in all honesty, I've never really understood his popularity.
....
 

Blacktop

Senior Member
I'd say the Grand Canyon shots are technically very well executed while aesthetically I'm a little back and forth on them. Granted I'm no critic and I will say there's some nice lighting going on in one particular but most of them don't do that much for me. As I'm fond of saying, taking a shot of something beautiful does not make a beautiful shot and some of those look like shots of something beautiful, but they're not beautiful shots.

I'm sure Jared Polin is just a super cool dude, an amazing photographer and probably calls his mother every Sunday just to see how she's getting along all that but, in all honesty, I've never really understood his popularity.
....

I agree. Technically shooting landscapes is not exactly rocket science. What sets great landscapes apart from the average (IMO) is composition and light.
 

Elliot87

Senior Member
Personally I'd be very pleased if I'd taken those photos and I think the fourth one in the series I like very much. Saying that he has way, way over sold them and for someone who makes their name from photography they're underwhelming. I found some of his videos helpful when I first started out but got tired of him pretty quickly. I don't think he has a clue about wildlife and wildlife photography and as that's my main interest it bugs me when he critiques wildlife shots. He's always saying "I'd have shot it tighter" or he's being hyper critical because it's cropped. He's clearly never tried to shoot wildlife himself and seems to treat wildlife shots as though the photographer has the same control as someone who is shooting portraits.
 

Skwaz

Senior Member
I agree with most of what's been said , the star shots are at best interesting , compared to Scott though , not much of
a contest . The canyon shots I'm afraid don't do a lot for me
 

Pretzel

Senior Member
I'd have liked to see some "horizon variety" instead of everything centered. I like a nice centered horizon to catch the scope of earth and sky, but you've gotta mix it up some. I also wasn't impressed with the edits, persay, but then again, I was viewing them based on screen captures on a small youtube video. GOOD photos, yes. Mind blowing?

I'd be happy having taken those photos... I'll leave it at that.
 

Blacktop

Senior Member
This reminds me. I still have to process some mind blowing shots I took in Knoxville TN a few weeks ago. :excitement: I'll be sure not crop anything.
 

grandpaw

Senior Member
I myself believe that many of our talented members on this site could have taken much better images than these are. I think a lot of times people like the pictures because it is a place they have never been before or probably never will see. I am one of those people but I have to believe if given the opportunity and access to the same location many of our members would have brought back some more interesting images, we may never know.
 

AC016

Senior Member
Photography is subjective of course. He may have thought they were mind blowing and was arrogant enough to say so on the internet - self ego rub. I like the photos. But if he was criticized, he should be able to handle that and keep the posts up. Fro is the millenials KR.
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
My take is this. He's a decent photographer. He needs someone to "print" his shots.

The one thing I never hear Jared talk about is tools in post. He's a shooter, and that's fine. We can disagree on style, but they're pretty solid all around. We're so used to seeing the Jimmy McIntyre style composites that just explode that we've learned to dismiss something that doesn't.

I'm not a fan, nor am I saying his stuff is great. He's better with people than with landscapes, and a HUGE self-marketer. Were it not for the hair, personality and the internet he'd merely be making a living.
 
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Rick M

Senior Member
It helps to start with a mind blowing subject. I'm not a fan of the crops either, but I can appreciate the problem when faced with a great sky and foreground at the same time. Many here could have produced the same results, given the opportunity.

I'm off to Mount Rushmore and The Badlands later this summer, hopefully I can make the best of the opportunity.
 

SkvLTD

Senior Member
@grandpaw Agreed. Not mind-blowing shots at all. I used to listen to RAW talk to kill time, but eventually he ran out of new points to make and a beat on repeat I'd rather do via turntables than youtube talk show. As a businessman, he's great; as photographer within his areas of expertise.... he makes mad money, so doesn't matter how "good" or "bad" he is in front of us; as a persona you either like his style or you don't.
 
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