Assignment #2: One

Nikolai

Now that our first assignment (Simple Shapes and Lines) is almost over, time for another one.

I mean, One.

One dominating object. Or one dominating color (I can see grass and sky shots forming - try to be more creative than that:-). Or one dominating idea of being The One. Or just plain being lonely.

Since the goal of our class is actually do something, not just search the archives, which many of us have plenty - fresh pictures only, please.

Moderate post-processing is welcome and appreciated - we do want end up with a presentable picture regardless of the subject, don't we? - but please don't go nuts. We all know how to use color overlay or how to clone out undesirable extras, but the idea is to go look for One and frame that One correctly right off the bat, be it shape or color.

As before, please post your entries as the replies to this post, so we keep everything in ONE place :-)

Let's go get them, tigers! :

Rules, index, etc.

Nikolai

A Lone Plant

Antonio Correia

Nikolai's inspirated photography
I will try something better ...
Meanwhile ...

Stustaff

I love the assignment idea, heres mine.
Tried to capture the focus on ONE of something there are many of, although they are all almost identical each one is still ONE.

What do you think?

flyinglphoto

Which one?
Here is my take on it...I took a few but I couldnt decide between these 2. Same subject matter but different perspectives.
Which one is more fitting? I would love some C&C I am just really getting into still-life photography.

Nikolai

Stustaff,

Stustaff wrote:

I love the assignment idea, heres mine.
Tried to capture the focus on ONE of something there are many of, although they are all almost identical each one is still ONE.

What do you think?

Call me an orthodox, but this - otherwise very nice - image does not strike me as carrying an idea of "One". It rather cries "many"...

If you crop out the sky and live the field only it may play on a "one color" field, but yet again, it's not a pure color, so...

I would imagine something like "the last hay roll" laying forgotten on the endless field could be a very nice "one" representation...

Let's try it again :-)

Nikolai

Lindee,

flyinglphoto wrote:

Here is my take on it...I took a few but I couldnt decide between these 2. Same subject matter but different perspectives.
Which one is more fitting? I would love some C&C I am just really getting into still-life photography.

Thank you for the entry. I think #1 fits "one dominating color" requirement nicely.

As to the C&C - I was hoping to keep the assignments thread very basic, otherwise it will be very easy to lose the primary goal of each class.
For the deep C&C I'd recommend The Whipping Post or just make an independent entry in whatever forum you think is adequate, including Technique and ask for it, I'm sure you'll get plenty :-) :

Cheers!

Stustaff

Nikolai wrote:

Call me an orthodox, but this - otherwise very nice - image does not strike me as carrying an idea of "One". It rather cries "many"...

If you crop out the sky and live the field only it may play on a "one color" field, but yet again, it's not a pure color, so...

I would imagine something like "the last hay roll" laying forgotten on the endless field could be a very nice "one" representation...

Let's try it again :-)

interesting thoughts, to me "one" means one of something. to be one there must somewhere be more than one! thats what I am trying to show.

a photo of one pure colour would be a coloured slide!

one hayroll on a field whilst being "one" could also be "all" as there would be no others to make it "one".

for example as well nikolai your shot of a "lone plant" still has many plants around it in the shot, yet because "one" plant stands out it is "one" just the same as although the haybale is amongst others the focus is on "one".

did that make any sense?

btw flyinglphoto I like your shots one comment would be that the light seems a little 'harsh' to my eyes the coulour you have captured away from the harsh white spots are lovely.

juliejules

I'm not sure this is a good example of "one", but I'm ppsting it anyway, for the feedback. The block is lit by the sun setting behind the boat. No post processing.

ISO 400, 1/160 sec, f/3.5, shutter priority, 75mm. Used the 70-200 f2.8L IS lens on my 20D.

Nikolai

Stustaff
Well, it's all subjective anyway
MHO means MHO, and nothing more.
But you're not gonna stop on just one entry, do ya?
Cheers!

Nikolai

Jj,

juliejules wrote:

I'm not sure this is a good example of "one", but I'm ppsting it anyway, for the feedback. The block is lit by the sun setting behind the boat. No post processing.

ISO 400, 1/160 sec, f/3.5, shutter priority, 75mm. Used the 70-200 f2.8L IS lens on my 20D.

To my personal taste this image is a little bit too cluttered to carry the idea of One properly. But, as I mentioned to Stustaff already, it's only an MHO...
And, we have the whole week, so plenty of time to try several ones... :

rjpat

A Single One

douglas

Remote Control

Nikolai

And a cool one it is!

rjpat wrote:

one dollar

Looks like the coin is a tad OOF, but the idea is great!

Nikolai

Douglas,

douglas wrote:

Just like with the plethora of the haystacks, IMHO this picture does not deliver the idea of oneness

Let's think of it this way: show your entry to your SO/GF/BF and ask her/him what is her/his gut idea of the title for the picture could be. If the suggestion carries at least some notion of one - bring it on! Otherwise it's probably too far fetched.. Remember, we're trying to learn the basic ropes here, not level five analogies...

HTH

Jeffro

Nikolai wrote:

This doesn't really convey one to me...IMHO. The weeds seem OOF too. I like the concept of learning, but isn't this "Assignment" thread the same as the "Challenge" thread in a weird sort of way? Both are to help us think about shooting something, ONE or MOTION, both are assignments, and challenges.

Nikolai

Jeffro,

Jeffro wrote:

This doesn't really convey one to me...IMHO.

IMHO and to me, it does...:):

Jeffro wrote:

The weeds seem OOF too.

It's called "shallow DOF", I did it on purpose.. Besides, it was in a heavy mist, it softens the image... Also please see my "Second" point below...

Jeffro wrote:

I like the concept of learning, but isn't this "Assignment" thread the same as the "Challenge" thread in a weird sort of way? Both are to help us think about shooting something, ONE or MOTION, both are assignments, and challenges.

No, sir, they are not the same.
First of all, there are no prizes here, hence there is no voting :-)
Second, there is no requirement of technical excellency, which is implied in Challenges. I often do not enter the challenge since I don't think that I have a picture that would do the challenge justice. Here it's more like a sandbox, where only few things matter.
[EDIT]
Third, and very important: there is no competition, neither between same person's entries, nor between the participants. This, IMHO, brings the Assignments into a totally different psychological niche compared to the highly competitive Challenges.
[/EDIT]

Will we see your entry?

01af

Nikolai wrote:

Now that our first assignment (Simple Shapes and Lines) is almost over, time for another one.

I mean, One.

One dominating object. Or one dominating color (I can see grass and sky shots forming - try to be more creative than that:-). Or one dominating idea of being The One. Or just plain being lonely. [...]

Moderate post-processing is welcome and appreciated ...

Okay, so here is mine.




Shot in the parking lot where my car parks virtually every day. It jumped right out at me, thinking of the current Dgrin assignment.

Konica-Minolta Dynax 7D, AF-DT 18-70 mm (D) kit lens at 40 mm, f/8. Some post-processing was applied: leftmost part cropped away, blueish colour cast (due to less-than-perfect white-balance) removed, some unsharp-masking applied.

-- Olaf

Nikolai

Welcome, Olaf!

01af wrote:

Okay, so here is mine.

Shot in the parking lot where my car parks virtually every day. It jumped right out at me, thinking of the current Dgrin assignment.

Konica-Minolta Dynax 7D, AF-DT 18-70 mm (D) kit lens at 40 mm, f/8. Some post-processing was applied: leftmost part cropped away, blueish colour cast (due to less-than-perfect white-balance) removed, some unsharp-masking applied.

-- Olaf

U r l337, /\/\4/\!:):
Very nice entry, I say

Stustaff

Im sorry Nikolai I really found shooting an image enjoyable but your responses to numerous images here make me wonder how anyone is supposed to achieve not "one" or what shouts "one" to us but what shouts "one" to you and you alone, I think you need to loosen up a little and accept that "one" can mean different things to different people.

for example you suggest "one" to be-
"One dominating object. Or one dominating color (I can see grass and sky shots forming - try to be more creative than that:-).

then as your example you post what is basically a grass and sky shot!? that has numerous plants in it? which for the life of me I cant see as representing "one" of anything.

when challenged you assert that in your opinion it does... and thats fine! thats the point we will all have different interpretations of "one", right now you seem very clear that only your opinion of "one" is the right one.

you say-
"Just like with the plethora of the haystacks, IMHO this picture does not deliver the idea of oneness"

but you missed "to me" from the end of that it doesnt represent oneness to YOU!

but it did to the poster of the image, try to think about that because for me what is a great ide could easily become bogged down by your nitpicking!

Hope you can take this in the friendly hopefully constructive way its intended.

Stu

Vich

I'll offer this attempt.

Nikolai

Stu,
I'm not gonna even argue..:):
The idea is to go out and shoot. Multiple entries are welcome.
Peace!

Nikolai

Is this a eucaliptos?

Vich wrote:

I'll offer this attempt.

A nice one
Are you in Oz or in SoCal?

Vich

All right then, how about the lone jogger.

So Cal. Isn't Oz a bit cold now?

Nikolai

I don't see why not:-)

Vich wrote:

All right then, how about the lone jogger.

I would only think that cropping the fence out would increase the idea of a "lone man on an emty road". What do you think?

Vich

Nikolai wrote:

A nice one
Are you in Oz or in SoCal?

Yes, eucaliptos.

Newport Beach back bay.

Vich

Nikolai wrote:

I would only think that cropping the fence out would increase the idea of a "lone man on an emty road". What do you think?

Like this. Good point.

Nikolai

Yay!

Vich wrote:

Yes, eucaliptos.
Newport Beach back bay.

Another fine SoCal neighbour!
Check out the LAShooters (in my sig), I recently joined them, they get together weekly, it's fun!

Nikolai

Kewl!

Vich wrote:

Like this. Good point.

As to the temp in Oz - I honestly don't know, may as well ask Skippy or Gus...

Stustaff

Nikolai wrote:

I'm not gonna even argue..:):
The idea is to go out and shoot. Multiple entries are welcome.
Peace!

Sorry wasnt shooting for an argument just trying to give some honest feedback that i thought may improve the Assignment idea, apologies that you didnt see it that way.

lets move on.

devbobo

Vich wrote:

Yes, eucaliptos.

Newport Beach back bay.

you mean, eucalyptus