Challenge 23: miketaylor01's look at time

miketaylor01

Ok, this is my first challenge entry ever. I was having a very hard time figuring out what I wanted to shoot to show time. Everything I came up with was very abstract and didnt display time well enough I thought. Until I got this shot this morning which was a one time opportunity.

I was sitting on the roof of the building I live in looking around trying to find some good stuff to shoot. As I was scanning the skyline of the city I noticed ths young man sitting on the roof of his building also readin a book. Then it dawned on me that that would make a perfect shot to portray time in a way that is very important to every soldier here. Spending as much TIME as possible doing those little things that get your mind out of here. I know this may not seem to portray time as well as a shot of a clock, but to me I cant think of a better way that I could portray time where I am right now.

So the title of my shot is
Time Alone


By the way this is exactly what I pulled off my camera with no post work done to it except for cloning out a dust spot from the lens. Every time I tried to make changes to this in post I was never satisfied becaus the colors in the original really are exactly what I was seeing. Please let me now what you think.

An interesting side note is that the Mosque in the background is the Saddam Mosque in downtown Tikrit.

Mike

ginger_55

I noticed that shot at your site. I like it.

You never got CS, did you?

I would like to see some contrast in it. Great thinking, meaningful shot.

Over at the Sony site on dPreview they kind of define what they mean by time, it is quite broad. We just started sticking these "clocks" up.........

Time passes, everything is time, smile.

g

miketaylor01

How about this
At first glance I think the sky looks fake but the more I look at it the more I really like the effect on the whole image. What do you think? No I dont have CS yet.. still using elements 2.0.. but the software that came with the SD9 is awesome. Called Sigma Photo Pro.

miketaylor01

A little different look

ginger_55

I am leaving to see if the sun stays out, etc.

So, in a short note. I like the sky, don't remember the old one, but I don't think those chairs are blue, are they?

If not, can you do it without getting blue on the chairs? Or can you get it off?

g

miketaylor01

How about B&W




Mike

DJ-S1

I think this is a very good shot for the challenge. I really like the mood of it.

Just an opinion here, but I think the new sky you put in is too distracting and takes away from the mood. Maybe you could try something a bit more subtle? Looking at some of your other shots, it doesn't seem like a natural color for the sky in that area of the world.

Another thing that is distracting to me (and I realize this is just a pet peeve of mine), is all of the technology intruding into an old area like that. All of the towers and the portable sat dishes, etc seem very anachronistic (if that's a word). Not a criticism of your photo, just a general comment.

Glad you are enjoying your new camera, and I've really enjoyed looking at your photos from over there.

DJ-S1

HEY! You snuck in a B&W while I was busy posting!


Erm...not a big fan of that version. I might fool around with desaturating everything but the sky, just a bit, like 10-20. Just a thought.

miketaylor01

I think I am leaning towards the original at this point. As I said I think the sky just looks kinda fake and the B&W just doesnt really do anything for me. Also, Something that you cant really tell just from that one pic is that there was a black clowd that streched all the way across the horizon that is the result of some of the oil fires. Some mornings it is very noticable as it was this morning.

I am a believer in trying to make my pics look as much like the original scene as possible just because that is truly showing you what I was trying to do with the picture in the first place. Thats what post if for, in cas eyou screwed up taking to original. The sigma has just been awesome so far with having most of my pics be very true to the colors and lighting of the actual situation. Of course that only counts when I get the exposure right.

Plus, I dont really mind having the sky and background out of focus and not really standing out in that I was trying to make him stand out and keep the background blurry, even if just a little bit..

Mike

wxwax

Something needs to draw the eye to the lonely guy, if you ask me. I completely missed him at first. Am I the only one?

miketaylor01

How bout this

miketaylor01

I am going to submit this version of it. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for it or just what you think about it. Would love to hear some more comments.

Free Time

photocat

miketaylor01 wrote:

I am going to submit this version of it. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for it or just what you think about it. Would love to hear some more comments.

I like the first version the best. The black and white does not work for me, it has not eyecatcher.
The last shot is maybe a bit more subtil for the sky. I would enter the first or the last...

snapapple

miketaylor01 wrote:

I am going to submit this version of it. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for it or just what you think about it. Would love to hear some more comments.

Free Time

Hi Mike,
I liked the clear contrasty version of the shot, but it was harder to notice the man. This last one makes the man stand out. I think the title could say a little more about where it is. When I looked at the shot on the challenge, I had not read your comments. I would like to see a title like, "Quiet time in Tikrit" or "Free Time in Tikrit". It really helps to put it into context. Very nice shot. Good interpretation of the theme.

digismile

I agree with Waxy. I like the shot, but I think it would be improved if the background behind/beyond the the guy was softly blurred. Then he would be more of the focal point of the photo. This wouldn't be too hard to do. A careful selection, a slight gaussian blur and it will probably make a huge difference.

Regards,
Brad

miketaylor01

Thanks for the comments. I think technically that would definitely bring out the subject, the buy reading, out alot more in the picture but at the same time this I think this is not the effect I want to go for. I think , at least to me, that the subject of the picture include what is in the background as I was trying to show how that patrticular soldier chose to spend his free time in Iraq. I like how the whole background is just slightly out of focus but you can still tell what it is and can definitely tell where the shot was taken. to me the background and foreground together tell the story and not just the sldier reading. Just my opinion.