Mini Challenge #199: Glass - The results
Alans Grin
Registered Users Posts: 346 Major grins
Firstly, I would like to thank and congratulate everyone who has taken part. Not only for making my job very difficult, but also because in setting the theme I said “I’m hoping to see a collection of photos celebrating glass in its many diverse forms and usage.” This has been more than delivered and in my view this is a delightful collection of glass images!
I have a couple of comments on some of the images – not because they are better or worse than any others, but simply that I have something to say and it perhaps makes these competitions slightly more interesting. Important as always, I claim no sense of expertise or “correctness”, just expressing a view point – and your opinion of your own work is worth 10 times mine. Please do not take any critique I say too seriously! I only deal in suggestions, not absolutes.
Glass worker thinker? – by grandmaR
Thank you again for showing us glass production – a very worthy entry into this themed collection, an interesting human moment captured (what is he thinking?) and it added a dimension to this glass collection otherwise not present. I get that it personally makes you smile too!
I also appreciate two other photographs that I think have more of a “story” – “Ex rearview mirror” by DonRicklin and “Still Waiting” by pixelpeeper. These also added a different dimension in my view.
“Candlelight” by Tony.
If I had not been judging would have joined in the discussion at the time …
I think giving feedback on photos and alternate ideas is a really, really good thing and I welcome it on any of mine. I think the alternate ideas expressed on this shot were valid, however I think Tony’s open mindedness and approach of taking on these ideas with a marvellous Photoshop version and then deciding his original is better was absolutely spot on. Unless commercially shooting, we must foremost produce images to please ourselves; to do otherwise might diminish our own passion for our photography, potentially constrain or doubt our own creativity and possibly lead to a loss of diversity of photography – trying to please everybody is a mistake! I will not say which version I prefer.
In this regard, I have enormous respect for Tony’s approach on a number of levels. Just my take, and nice shot by the way!
I also really enjoyed the lightbulb shot – if mine I would explore (and I only mean explore) fully including the rivet or taking it out. I think I like it being there, but might prefer fully included.
Church Window at Night – sdways01
This is a superb image and very well taken – a truly lovely thing. It is however slightly tilted down on the right, and for me the straight bottom edge of the window relative to image edge catches my eye. It is so slight I doubted my eyes given the quality of this work, so I loaded it into Lightroom to check. Unless you intended the tilt, it is easily corrected in most applications - auto lens correction in LR 5 did an excellent job in my view. Unfortunately for me, once noticed, I always see a very beautiful image sitting not quite right in the frame.
St Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Chinese Camp – by Cavalier
A really nice shot. I think I might prefer it with the all of the window sill light included and not leading out frame – like the lightbulb shot I’m less keen on breaking the edge of frame on “clean shots”. Nevertheless, a very nice shot.
Subtle Reflections – by BaileyBear.
Well seen and well taken. Again (for me) I have “edge of frame” concerns. I find the bright green object top left hand edge slightly intrusive and pulls my eye immediately there to try to determine what this is. I get stuck there. If mine, I would explore alternate crops, perhaps down and in from top left corner and brighten a third of the right side of the image – it’s where the detail / interest is. If you are interested I will post an alternate interpretation in this thread. The leading lines are great and I really do like the rest of the image. Your “Inverted Reflection” is a very, very intriguing image.
....
Enough of my waffling on, there are six images I consider fantastic – not that the others are not good and there are several more in the chase, but once a level of technical excellence (in my judging view) has been achieved I am now into the realms of personal engagement and best fit for the theme.
Capture.jpg
It breaks my heart to have to choose from the above, but here goes.
3rd Place - United Terminal in Chicago O'Hare Airport - by sapphire73.
A stunningly beautiful image which I could easily imagine hung on a wall (mine at least). It does the theme proud, holds my interest well. Contrary to a previous image and my comment, I think the slight tilt adds rather than detracts as it creates a little dynamism and motion. A truly minor point is that I would prefer the person to have been to the right hand side of centre. Regardless - a wonderful image.
2nd Place – Old Window – by sdways01
I love the rustic simplicity of this. The window slightly ajar, and the single pane of glass just hanging on is priceless. A well seen and lovely shot.
1st Place – The Dancers – by Earache.
Not only is this a stunning image of a beautiful statue, taken with great expertise, but it really does the theme glass proud. It shows the versatility of glass as a material and also demonstrates its properties in terms of refraction and reflection. I cannot tell if it is a composite, but I don’t care. The backdrop is lovely, the bokeh wonderful and the way the blues fall (on the faces and chests) within the glass is perfect. I think you might be able to tell I like this photo alot! A well-deserved winner.
Well done, and over to you Eric.
Alan
I have a couple of comments on some of the images – not because they are better or worse than any others, but simply that I have something to say and it perhaps makes these competitions slightly more interesting. Important as always, I claim no sense of expertise or “correctness”, just expressing a view point – and your opinion of your own work is worth 10 times mine. Please do not take any critique I say too seriously! I only deal in suggestions, not absolutes.
Glass worker thinker? – by grandmaR
Thank you again for showing us glass production – a very worthy entry into this themed collection, an interesting human moment captured (what is he thinking?) and it added a dimension to this glass collection otherwise not present. I get that it personally makes you smile too!
I also appreciate two other photographs that I think have more of a “story” – “Ex rearview mirror” by DonRicklin and “Still Waiting” by pixelpeeper. These also added a different dimension in my view.
“Candlelight” by Tony.
If I had not been judging would have joined in the discussion at the time …
I think giving feedback on photos and alternate ideas is a really, really good thing and I welcome it on any of mine. I think the alternate ideas expressed on this shot were valid, however I think Tony’s open mindedness and approach of taking on these ideas with a marvellous Photoshop version and then deciding his original is better was absolutely spot on. Unless commercially shooting, we must foremost produce images to please ourselves; to do otherwise might diminish our own passion for our photography, potentially constrain or doubt our own creativity and possibly lead to a loss of diversity of photography – trying to please everybody is a mistake! I will not say which version I prefer.
In this regard, I have enormous respect for Tony’s approach on a number of levels. Just my take, and nice shot by the way!
I also really enjoyed the lightbulb shot – if mine I would explore (and I only mean explore) fully including the rivet or taking it out. I think I like it being there, but might prefer fully included.
Church Window at Night – sdways01
This is a superb image and very well taken – a truly lovely thing. It is however slightly tilted down on the right, and for me the straight bottom edge of the window relative to image edge catches my eye. It is so slight I doubted my eyes given the quality of this work, so I loaded it into Lightroom to check. Unless you intended the tilt, it is easily corrected in most applications - auto lens correction in LR 5 did an excellent job in my view. Unfortunately for me, once noticed, I always see a very beautiful image sitting not quite right in the frame.
St Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Chinese Camp – by Cavalier
A really nice shot. I think I might prefer it with the all of the window sill light included and not leading out frame – like the lightbulb shot I’m less keen on breaking the edge of frame on “clean shots”. Nevertheless, a very nice shot.
Subtle Reflections – by BaileyBear.
Well seen and well taken. Again (for me) I have “edge of frame” concerns. I find the bright green object top left hand edge slightly intrusive and pulls my eye immediately there to try to determine what this is. I get stuck there. If mine, I would explore alternate crops, perhaps down and in from top left corner and brighten a third of the right side of the image – it’s where the detail / interest is. If you are interested I will post an alternate interpretation in this thread. The leading lines are great and I really do like the rest of the image. Your “Inverted Reflection” is a very, very intriguing image.
....
Enough of my waffling on, there are six images I consider fantastic – not that the others are not good and there are several more in the chase, but once a level of technical excellence (in my judging view) has been achieved I am now into the realms of personal engagement and best fit for the theme.
Capture.jpg
It breaks my heart to have to choose from the above, but here goes.
3rd Place - United Terminal in Chicago O'Hare Airport - by sapphire73.
A stunningly beautiful image which I could easily imagine hung on a wall (mine at least). It does the theme proud, holds my interest well. Contrary to a previous image and my comment, I think the slight tilt adds rather than detracts as it creates a little dynamism and motion. A truly minor point is that I would prefer the person to have been to the right hand side of centre. Regardless - a wonderful image.
2nd Place – Old Window – by sdways01
I love the rustic simplicity of this. The window slightly ajar, and the single pane of glass just hanging on is priceless. A well seen and lovely shot.
1st Place – The Dancers – by Earache.
Not only is this a stunning image of a beautiful statue, taken with great expertise, but it really does the theme glass proud. It shows the versatility of glass as a material and also demonstrates its properties in terms of refraction and reflection. I cannot tell if it is a composite, but I don’t care. The backdrop is lovely, the bokeh wonderful and the way the blues fall (on the faces and chests) within the glass is perfect. I think you might be able to tell I like this photo alot! A well-deserved winner.
Well done, and over to you Eric.
Alan
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it quite difficult to pick a first place choice. Earache's shot deserved
it, though.
Regarding your comment about the rivet in my light bulb photo,
I was totally baffled when reading this. I couldn't imagine what
you meant.
I had to go to the image and search for a rivet. It's there, and
as bothersome as a pimple on the nose on prom night. I never
noticed it before. I would have cloned it out.
It just shows that we often don't see our own photos as others
see them. That's why a forum like Dgrin is helpful.
http://tonycooper.smugmug.com/
Your comments, as always, are thoughtful, instructive, and diplomatic... you're a hard act to follow sir!
But, I will try, and I will get the next-one up soon.
I too, enjoyed the diversity of images in this Mini - turns-out, glass is all around us... nice work folks!
United Terminal in Chicago O'Hare Airport - by sapphire73 really stood-out for me.
My image is not a composite (not that there is anything wrong with that), although I agree that it might seem so due to the DOF - I actually anticipated your question ;-)
This was just a lucky find at our local outdoor Flea Market - a sunny, blue-sky day with a table of colored glass pieces far enough behind to create the bokeh (f5.6)...
You can kind-of see the other tables and piles of stuff in the refractions... Sometimes, I regret not buying the piece... but, I do have the image
Thanks again Alan!
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"You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." Mark Twain
Congratulations, Eric! The Dancers was my favorite as well.
Alan, many thanks to you and Eric for your kind words about my United Terminal in O'Hare image.
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