H2O (richtersl): Calmness, serentity, and a very nifty mirror effect despite the question of "what in the world is that bird standing on?" since it's so unusual. I really like this, but it's a bit of a stretch for the theme.
Thanks! That duck was standing on what appeared to be a tree branch or log. Regarding the theme interpretation-- water is composed of two elements: hydrogen and oxygen. It's also an element in astrology and in several ancient philosophies (Greek, Chinese, Japanese, etc).
17richters!H20, an Essential Component of Life Again, bad title. The image is so simple and peaceful, yet the title is so over-thought and wordy. Anyway, that's what I like about the image. Simple, peaceful, just enough.
Thanks, David!
I do agree that the title was on the hokey side. I thought about changing it, but plum forgot!
Some feedback
Congratulations to all on some fine work. This was not an easy theme, IMO. I found it interesting that vast majority chose to work with earth, air, fire and water rather than, say, carbon or helium. I probably would have done the same. Here's some fairly random feedback on a few of the shots. The number is the post and the order means nothing:
9 AaronNelson: What can I say? A new camera is the best feedback there is.
20 KurtPreston: The fire is exceptionally well exposed and the combination of colors and panoramic aspect give this shot a lot of punch. But the illusion of fire coming out of the dragon's mouth didn't work for me. A bit more work there and this would be terrific.
2 jeffreaux2: I'm fairly geeky, but I confess that I didn't get this one at first. I make it a point in themed challenges not to look at titles till later, since I think the images should speak for themselves. Nevertheless, I found the image intriguing, if enigmatic. Reading the title made it all fall into place. I like this image a lot and give Jeff kudos for stepping out of the earth, air, etc. concept.
21 Halite: Drop dead gorgeous. Lovely light, color and composition. The connection to the theme is a bit of a stretch.
16 VelvtRide: One of my favorites. Beautiful work--creepy and haunting. Another one that broke out of the mold. Given the title, I would have liked to seen a bit more lace.
19 Pemmett: The background is outstanding. I am ambivalent about the light on the girl, though I tend to think that a little less brightness would have helped. Creative interpretation of the theme.
13 Shatch: Fun shot. If you don't like the weather make some of your own.
3 eoren1: Joyous scene. Great color. Reminds me of Peter Max and Yellow Submarine somehow.
Congratulations to all on some fine work. This was not an easy theme, IMO. I found it interesting that vast majority chose to work with earth, air, fire and water rather than, say, carbon or helium. I probably would have done the same. Here's some fairly random feedback on a few of the shots. The number is the post and the order means nothing:
2 jeffreaux2: I'm fairly geeky, but I confess that I didn't get this one at first. I make it a point in themed challenges not to look at titles till later, since I think the images should speak for themselves. Nevertheless, I found the image intriguing, if enigmatic. Reading the title made it all fall into place. I like this image a lot and give Jeff kudos for stepping out of the earth, air, etc. concept.
Regards,
Thanks Richard. I can understand not making the connection at first. This was my biggest fear with this image. My first choice for title was "Dubya", but after an additional cropping decided that most would never make the connection without a title that hinted at the periodic table. More on that in the "behind the scenes thread".
Did you also notice that of ALL of my contest and challenge entries here on DGrin that this was the very first that does not contain a person?
That also was "stepping out" for me....and yes I avoided the earth air thing figuring it to be well covered by others.
16 VelvtRide: One of my favorites. Beautiful work--creepy and haunting. Another one that broke out of the mold. Given the title, I would have liked to seen a bit more lace.
Thanks, Richard! I appreciate your feedback and work during this challenge!
The lace was the one item in the picture that I had trouble with positioning! Drove me batty - I tried it on her head, in the bg, around her wrist - nothing looked 'right' and I was just happy to get it in the picture by that point as frustrated as I was.
21 Halite: Drop dead gorgeous. Lovely light, color and composition. The connection to the theme is a bit of a stretch.
Thanks for the generous feedback. Your comments about the weak connection to the theme echo the feedback from jeffmeyers, SciurusNiger and Nikolai. I hear you all. When I looked back at the results of my efforts for the shoot period, however, the images with a stronger theme connection just didn't pop.
Thanks also to richtersl and KevXman for choosing my image in their favorites.
19 Pemmett: The background is outstanding. I am ambivalent about the light on the girl, though I tend to think that a little less brightness would have helped. Creative interpretation of the theme.
Richard, Thank you for your feedback. I was looking at the image again this morning and was also thinking about how I could have improved the shot. Your point about the brightness is spot on. Thanks/Peter
20 KurtPreston: The fire is exceptionally well exposed and the combination of colors and panoramic aspect give this shot a lot of punch. But the illusion of fire coming out of the dragon's mouth didn't work for me. A bit more work there and this would be terrific.
First I have to hit the books and find out how to do properly what I was trying to accomplish Thanks for the feedback, it is greatly appreciated!
More Critiquing Earth, Wind and Fire (PaulThomasMckee) - Paul, I'm sorry but I just couldn't get into this one. And have no idea how to make the concept work.
Four Parts of Nature (pyroprints) - I like each individual shot well enough, but there is no common enough visual tie in between the different parts. And that killed it for me.
Arsenic and Old Lace (VelvtRide) - Just a few personal nits, I would have prefered a little more light on the upper part of her face and the hand was a little too soft looking.
H2O - An Essential Component of Life (richtersl) - I love the water color and quality, and the silhouette is quite nice. I think this could have used a much tighter crop though.
Memory Loss from Exposure (puzzledpaul) - Love the composition, lighting and the BW treatment. I also really like the exposure to the elements take.
Rain, Rain Go Away (pemmett) - My favorite ... and I am ever so slightly like Nick in that I am very jaded and hyper critical of kid shots. But I just love the wistful feeling here and the overall mood.
Breathing Fire (KurtPreston) - Why shouldn't I critique my own? Dragon still looks a bit pasted on, the fire is excellent except used too low a shutter speed so some of the fine detail is lost through motion blur. So close and yet so wasted an effort
Just wanted to post my top 5:
1. AaronNelson - Trial By Fire
2. eoren1 - Summer's Last Breath
3. Llywellyn - Rekindled
4. puzzledpaul - Memory Loss from Exposure
5. shatch - So Much for Homework
There were many very nice entries. I'm glad I didn't have to judge.
Canon 40D : Canon 400D : Canon Elan 7NE : Canon 580EX : 2 x Canon 430EX : Canon 24-70 f2.8L : Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L USM : Canon 28-135mm f/3.5 IS : 18-55mm f/3.5 : 4GB Sandisk Extreme III : 2GB Sandisk Extreme III : 2 x 1GB Sandisk Ultra II : Sekonik L358
My Feedback
Sorry to have taken so long here with my feedback. You all worked so hard, and there were some fantastic entries for an extremely tricky theme.
#2 - jeffreaux2 - Tungsten No. 74
I totally appreciated the direction you went with this, and really thought there would be more entries along the same lines. Your composite work here is great and I love the earthy tones. For me it just wasn't quite there with visual impact. Maybe the close crop on the right, maybe the dead space to the left. A square crop might have made it stronger.
#3 - eoren1 - Summer's Last Breath
Love the colors in this one. Just a happy, fun image. I think a single row of pinwheels may have made the image cleaner and had more impact, but that is still very nice.
#4 - JAG - Broken for Humanity
I really like the message you were going for here. Unfortunately it felt as though you were trying to cram in too much to explain it. I think the bread and wine alone would have been enough. Nice clean shot though and the reflection is super nice.
#5 - jeffmeyers - The Human Elements
Neat idea, just not quite there technically. The lighting choice is what is throwing it off most, I believe. Perhaps a spotlight on the couple with the rest falling into darkness (but visible enough to identify) would add some drama.
#6 - davev - The Fifth Element
Lovely subject and great take on the theme. I think detail in the shadows of the hourglass would have helped and an aged (perhaps warmer) tone may have given this a little more feeling of "time".
#7 - Llywellyn - Rekindled
Excellent work weaving a separate story in with the theme. The only suggestion I have for this is that I would prefer to see more color in the flame. As it is, the large white area draws away from the ice heart. Really nice otherwise.
#8 - dlplumer - Sonoran Monsoon
Nice interpretation and a dramatic setting. I think a little more contrast may have helped here to give it more punch (overlay layer with reduced opacity perhaps). Even still this is a very difficult subject to really capture.
#9 - AaronNelson - Trial By Fire
As soon as I saw this image, I said "wow". I love it. There may be minor nits technically, but on the whole, this image had the strongest impact for me.
#10 - fashiznitsngrins - Water - controls fire, formed in air, and feeds the earth
Beautiful color and clarity. I love how the angles of each of the three background elements echo each other, resulting in a very clean image. Bang on theme and technically excellent.
#11 - Nikolai - An Element of Surprise
Innovative take on the theme and kudos for producing a story within the theme. The grain definitely works, although I think you could back it off a touch and still maintain the message. The content is just one I'm not personally fond of (I hate horror movies), but it is well done regardless.
#12 - NikonsandVstroms - Maculation
Very clever idea and layout. It's just missing something for me that I can't quite put my finger on.
#13 - shatch - So Much for Homework
Once again you've managed to impress me with your extraordinary creativity. I especially like the oob treatment. The light source and color temp on the girl just weren't believable enough for me (she seems lit from underneath).
#14 - PaulThomasMcKee - Earth, Wind & Fire
Clever idea and good execution. Just not as strong visually as some of the others.
#15 - pyroPrints.com - Four Parts of Nature
This was kind of the obvious set up that came to mind for this theme. Very well done, although your flame could use a little more kapow (filling the frame perhaps).
#16 - VelvtRide - Arsenic and Old Lace
Very nicely done and great take on the theme. Unfortunately for me, it's just one of those subject matters that don't appeal to me. I'll explain that a bit further, since I made a similar comment regarding Nikolai's image. Horror and death images/movies/songs for entertainment do nothing for me. Images that display or depict real pain, tragedy and emotion, I can connect with. Please though...never shoot to please my personal preferences. Shoot what you love!
#17 - richtersl - H20 - An Essential Component of Life
Lovely peaceful image, great color, love the duck's pose. You made a great team.
#18 - puzzledpaul - Memory loss from exposure
Strong message here and I thought you did very well interpreting "The Elements" by showing the effects of. The deep gouges in the stone I found disturbing or distracting. Maybe it's just my ignorance, but it seemed as though something other than weather had a hand in that (like poor workmanship perhaps).
#19 - pemmett - rain rain go away
Great pose, great concept, all very well done. The light just isn't working however. Too bright, cold and harsh for her solemn mood.
#20 - KurtPreston - Breathing Fire
Really neat concept. Looking at the exif though, I totally like the dragon itself in the original image better, tongue and all. The composite work is good. Just some other entries worked a little better here.
#21 - Halite - Water Lilies
Gorgeous serene image. I love the sunlight and the unopened blooms. This image just seems to be so much more about the Lilies than the water.
#22 - SciurusNiger - Primordial
Great message and the title works perfectly to push the message of the image. A little too centered, but still, nicely done.
#23 - The Curious Camel - Priceless
Another lovely, peaceful image. It seems maybe a tad over saturated though. And I think you could take a little off either the top or bottom to off-center the horizon. Still, really nice.
#24 - Povertybarn - Field of Electricity
I really like the mood in this. The grain works, but I'm finding the light in the trees to be a tad distracting.
#25 - photobrando - Earth, Wind, Fire and Water
Basil, right? I love basil. Anyway, The composition here is just a little too scattered. Perhaps setting the lantern next to your plant and actually showing some dirt may have made this one stronger.
Thanks, Em! Of all the things I painstakingly worked on, the color of the fire never even crossed my mind. That's pretty much SOOC and the one thing I didn't tweak! :giggle Amazing what a fresh perspective can bring. Thanks for bringing it my attention.
#23 - The Curious Camel - Priceless
Another lovely, peaceful image. It seems maybe a tad over saturated though. And I think you could take a little off either the top or bottom to off-center the horizon. Still, really nice
Thank you Emily. I have about thirty different versions of this with crops and different degrees of saturation. I tried crops but just couldn't get the crop I wanted. I also tried different processing all together but finally decided on this with the help of my brother.
Sorry to have taken so long here with my feedback. You all worked so hard, and there were some fantastic entries for an extremely tricky theme.
#4 - JAG - Broken for Humanity
I really like the message you were going for here. Unfortunately it felt as though you were trying to cram in too much to explain it. I think the bread and wine alone would have been enough. Nice clean shot though and the reflection is super nice.
Thanks Emily. It was a really tough theme and so many interpretations. I have learned alot from it though.
Broken for Humanity (JAG): Interesting choice of "elements" and very creative means of presenting them. I'm not thrilled with what feels a somewhat cluttered result, but honestly not sure how to better arrange so many items truly effectively.
Thank you for taking the time to post critiques! They help tramendously
<< #18 - puzzledpaul - Memory loss from exposure Strong message here and I thought you did very well interpreting "The Elements" by showing the effects of. The deep gouges in the stone I found disturbing or distracting. Maybe it's just my ignorance, but it seemed as though something other than weather had a hand in that (like poor workmanship perhaps). >>
Thx for this, Emily - appreciated.
I'm no stone mason, but am used to working with other materials like metal / wood - and (to my inexpert eyes) the workmanship on the non-eroded sections was very good - easy to see on some on the full-res frames.
Imo, a major contributing factor - apart from the angle of repose, allowing water to collect / freeze / thaw etc - was the use of material that was something less than ideal?
I saw no obvious evidence of 'tampering' - and thus thought it an excellent example of an object that'd been 'exposed to the elements'.
Comments
Spassiboh!
Thanks, David!
I do agree that the title was on the hokey side.
http://lrichters.smugmug.com
Tell your knee to hurry up and heal.
http://lrichters.smugmug.com
Congratulations to all on some fine work. This was not an easy theme, IMO. I found it interesting that vast majority chose to work with earth, air, fire and water rather than, say, carbon or helium.
9 AaronNelson: What can I say? A new camera is the best feedback there is.
20 KurtPreston: The fire is exceptionally well exposed and the combination of colors and panoramic aspect give this shot a lot of punch. But the illusion of fire coming out of the dragon's mouth didn't work for me. A bit more work there and this would be terrific.
2 jeffreaux2: I'm fairly geeky, but I confess that I didn't get this one at first. I make it a point in themed challenges not to look at titles till later, since I think the images should speak for themselves. Nevertheless, I found the image intriguing, if enigmatic. Reading the title made it all fall into place. I like this image a lot and give Jeff kudos for stepping out of the earth, air, etc. concept.
21 Halite: Drop dead gorgeous. Lovely light, color and composition. The connection to the theme is a bit of a stretch.
16 VelvtRide: One of my favorites. Beautiful work--creepy and haunting. Another one that broke out of the mold. Given the title, I would have liked to seen a bit more lace.
19 Pemmett: The background is outstanding. I am ambivalent about the light on the girl, though I tend to think that a little less brightness would have helped. Creative interpretation of the theme.
13 Shatch: Fun shot. If you don't like the weather make some of your own.
3 eoren1: Joyous scene. Great color. Reminds me of Peter Max and Yellow Submarine somehow.
23 Curious Camel: Lovely, peaceful. Wonderful light.
11 Nikolai: Not lovely or peaceful.
Regards,
Thanks Richard. I can understand not making the connection at first. This was my biggest fear with this image. My first choice for title was "Dubya", but after an additional cropping decided that most would never make the connection without a title that hinted at the periodic table. More on that in the "behind the scenes thread".
Did you also notice that of ALL of my contest and challenge entries here on DGrin that this was the very first that does not contain a person?
That also was "stepping out" for me....and yes I avoided the earth air thing figuring it to be well covered by others.
Thanks again.
Jeff
-Need help with Dgrin?; Wedding Photography Resources
-My Website - Blog - Tips for Senior Portraiture
Thanks, Richard! I appreciate your feedback and work during this challenge!
The lace was the one item in the picture that I had trouble with positioning! Drove me batty - I tried it on her head, in the bg, around her wrist - nothing looked 'right' and I was just happy to get it in the picture by that point as frustrated as I was.
Mmmmm, pain meds.
My Site, My Book
Thanks for the generous feedback. Your comments about the weak connection to the theme echo the feedback from jeffmeyers, SciurusNiger and Nikolai. I hear you all. When I looked back at the results of my efforts for the shoot period, however, the images with a stronger theme connection just didn't pop.
Thanks also to richtersl and KevXman for choosing my image in their favorites.
Richard, Thank you for your feedback. I was looking at the image again this morning and was also thinking about how I could have improved the shot. Your point about the brightness is spot on. Thanks/Peter
My images | My blog | My free course
First I have to hit the books and find out how to do properly what I was trying to accomplish
Earth, Wind and Fire (PaulThomasMckee) - Paul, I'm sorry but I just couldn't get into this one. And have no idea how to make the concept work.
Four Parts of Nature (pyroprints) - I like each individual shot well enough, but there is no common enough visual tie in between the different parts. And that killed it for me.
Arsenic and Old Lace (VelvtRide) - Just a few personal nits, I would have prefered a little more light on the upper part of her face and the hand was a little too soft looking.
H2O - An Essential Component of Life (richtersl) - I love the water color and quality, and the silhouette is quite nice. I think this could have used a much tighter crop though.
Memory Loss from Exposure (puzzledpaul) - Love the composition, lighting and the BW treatment. I also really like the exposure to the elements take.
Rain, Rain Go Away (pemmett) - My favorite ... and I am ever so slightly like Nick in that I am very jaded and hyper critical of kid shots. But I just love the wistful feeling here and the overall mood.
Breathing Fire (KurtPreston) - Why shouldn't I critique my own? Dragon still looks a bit pasted on, the fire is excellent except used too low a shutter speed so some of the fine detail is lost through motion blur. So close and yet so wasted an effort
More in a bit ...
1. AaronNelson - Trial By Fire
2. eoren1 - Summer's Last Breath
3. Llywellyn - Rekindled
4. puzzledpaul - Memory Loss from Exposure
5. shatch - So Much for Homework
There were many very nice entries. I'm glad I didn't have to judge.
dak.smugmug.com
... looks like I'll be nipping into my workshop and turning up a wooden spoon for myself as they weren't part of the DG prize package
pp
Flickr
Sorry to have taken so long here with my feedback. You all worked so hard, and there were some fantastic entries for an extremely tricky theme.
#2 - jeffreaux2 - Tungsten No. 74
I totally appreciated the direction you went with this, and really thought there would be more entries along the same lines. Your composite work here is great and I love the earthy tones. For me it just wasn't quite there with visual impact. Maybe the close crop on the right, maybe the dead space to the left. A square crop might have made it stronger.
#3 - eoren1 - Summer's Last Breath
Love the colors in this one. Just a happy, fun image. I think a single row of pinwheels may have made the image cleaner and had more impact, but that is still very nice.
#4 - JAG - Broken for Humanity
I really like the message you were going for here. Unfortunately it felt as though you were trying to cram in too much to explain it. I think the bread and wine alone would have been enough. Nice clean shot though and the reflection is super nice.
#5 - jeffmeyers - The Human Elements
Neat idea, just not quite there technically. The lighting choice is what is throwing it off most, I believe. Perhaps a spotlight on the couple with the rest falling into darkness (but visible enough to identify) would add some drama.
#6 - davev - The Fifth Element
Lovely subject and great take on the theme. I think detail in the shadows of the hourglass would have helped and an aged (perhaps warmer) tone may have given this a little more feeling of "time".
#7 - Llywellyn - Rekindled
Excellent work weaving a separate story in with the theme. The only suggestion I have for this is that I would prefer to see more color in the flame. As it is, the large white area draws away from the ice heart. Really nice otherwise.
#8 - dlplumer - Sonoran Monsoon
Nice interpretation and a dramatic setting. I think a little more contrast may have helped here to give it more punch (overlay layer with reduced opacity perhaps). Even still this is a very difficult subject to really capture.
#9 - AaronNelson - Trial By Fire
As soon as I saw this image, I said "wow". I love it. There may be minor nits technically, but on the whole, this image had the strongest impact for me.
#10 - fashiznitsngrins - Water - controls fire, formed in air, and feeds the earth
Beautiful color and clarity. I love how the angles of each of the three background elements echo each other, resulting in a very clean image. Bang on theme and technically excellent.
#11 - Nikolai - An Element of Surprise
Innovative take on the theme and kudos for producing a story within the theme. The grain definitely works, although I think you could back it off a touch and still maintain the message. The content is just one I'm not personally fond of (I hate horror movies), but it is well done regardless.
#12 - NikonsandVstroms - Maculation
Very clever idea and layout. It's just missing something for me that I can't quite put my finger on.
#13 - shatch - So Much for Homework
Once again you've managed to impress me with your extraordinary creativity. I especially like the oob treatment. The light source and color temp on the girl just weren't believable enough for me (she seems lit from underneath).
#14 - PaulThomasMcKee - Earth, Wind & Fire
Clever idea and good execution. Just not as strong visually as some of the others.
#15 - pyroPrints.com - Four Parts of Nature
This was kind of the obvious set up that came to mind for this theme. Very well done, although your flame could use a little more kapow (filling the frame perhaps).
#16 - VelvtRide - Arsenic and Old Lace
Very nicely done and great take on the theme. Unfortunately for me, it's just one of those subject matters that don't appeal to me. I'll explain that a bit further, since I made a similar comment regarding Nikolai's image. Horror and death images/movies/songs for entertainment do nothing for me. Images that display or depict real pain, tragedy and emotion, I can connect with. Please though...never shoot to please my personal preferences. Shoot what you love!
#17 - richtersl - H20 - An Essential Component of Life
Lovely peaceful image, great color, love the duck's pose. You made a great team.
#18 - puzzledpaul - Memory loss from exposure
Strong message here and I thought you did very well interpreting "The Elements" by showing the effects of. The deep gouges in the stone I found disturbing or distracting. Maybe it's just my ignorance, but it seemed as though something other than weather had a hand in that (like poor workmanship perhaps).
#19 - pemmett - rain rain go away
Great pose, great concept, all very well done. The light just isn't working however. Too bright, cold and harsh for her solemn mood.
#20 - KurtPreston - Breathing Fire
Really neat concept. Looking at the exif though, I totally like the dragon itself in the original image better, tongue and all. The composite work is good. Just some other entries worked a little better here.
#21 - Halite - Water Lilies
Gorgeous serene image. I love the sunlight and the unopened blooms. This image just seems to be so much more about the Lilies than the water.
#22 - SciurusNiger - Primordial
Great message and the title works perfectly to push the message of the image. A little too centered, but still, nicely done.
#23 - The Curious Camel - Priceless
Another lovely, peaceful image. It seems maybe a tad over saturated though. And I think you could take a little off either the top or bottom to off-center the horizon. Still, really nice.
#24 - Povertybarn - Field of Electricity
I really like the mood in this. The grain works, but I'm finding the light in the trees to be a tad distracting.
#25 - photobrando - Earth, Wind, Fire and Water
Basil, right? I love basil. Anyway, The composition here is just a little too scattered. Perhaps setting the lantern next to your plant and actually showing some dirt may have made this one stronger.
Thank you Emily. I have about thirty different versions of this with crops and different degrees of saturation. I tried crops but just couldn't get the crop I wanted. I also tried different processing all together but finally decided on this with the help of my brother.
Peace, gail:D
Thanks Emily. It was a really tough theme and so many interpretations. I have learned alot from it though.
Thank you for taking the time to post critiques! They help tramendously
Thanks, Emily.
http://lrichters.smugmug.com
E
My site | Non-MHD Landscapes |Google+ | Twitter | Facebook | Smugmug photos
Strong message here and I thought you did very well interpreting "The Elements" by showing the effects of. The deep gouges in the stone I found disturbing or distracting. Maybe it's just my ignorance, but it seemed as though something other than weather had a hand in that (like poor workmanship perhaps). >>
Thx for this, Emily - appreciated.
I'm no stone mason, but am used to working with other materials like metal / wood - and (to my inexpert eyes) the workmanship on the non-eroded sections was very good - easy to see on some on the full-res frames.
Imo, a major contributing factor - apart from the angle of repose, allowing water to collect / freeze / thaw etc - was the use of material that was something less than ideal?
I saw no obvious evidence of 'tampering' - and thus thought it an excellent example of an object that'd been 'exposed to the elements'.
pp
Flickr