>>>LPS#14 Feedback Thread

Shay Stephens · October 15, 2007

The following feedback is from jdryan3:

My criteria? I just kept running the phrase "craggy/smooth" over and over in my head as I went thru them, making selections. I wrote some #s down, that I thought would be ones to HR or go back to. I still ended up with 27 my first pass.

Some I downloaded that fit craggy/smooth didn't make the cut because of 'technical issues': distracting elements, not sharp (out of focus), muddled shadows. Others were too similar to ones I selected. I also had some I thought were great shots/images, but it was a thematic stretch.

All said and done my top 6 came fairly easy, even if I did change their rankings a couple times. The next 2 also made the cut, but moved around. The last 2 were tough. I had 5, then 3 images for 2 slots. I actually liked them as thematically correct, but had some technical concerns. Comments are included.

#1 - 53 - drdane - Inner Truth Revealed
#2 - 32 - pemmett - Layers of Love
#3 - 09 - hamster - Spike
#4 - 40 - alex - Guadalupe Box
#5 - 13 - sherstone - leg liberation
#6 - 28 - The Curious Camel - Solitude
#7 - 57 - Leonardo - periodontosis for toothpaste
#8 - 36 - tlee - Rusted Blue
#9 - 23 - VisualXpressions - well ripened
#10 - 19 - Greensquared - The Ent

Comments/Feedback:

#1 Technically a great shot: sharp, great lighting, reflection is spot on. Thematically has the nice duality of both craggy & smooth, without seeming overly contrived.

#2 Technically very good. It reminds of white butter cream icing, something definitely very smooth!

#3 Thematically very craggy. Nice DOF and framing/composition. Color and saturation are good

#4 Like #1, has a nice sense of duality without being overly contrived. The best execution of several entries. Tonality is good. B+W allowed the contrast to stand out better than some color entries.

#5 Another duality. I know how hard it is to pull this off technically. Edges are very good, not overly sharpened. Use of color is nice

#6 To be honest, I'm not sure why I like this one. I just do. It is smooth, transitions are nice. Again, I liked this one best of several similar entries.

#7 Lighting and shadows are very good on the corn kernels, and the light shining on the toothpaste is good. A unique vision, with a lot of thought. Framing and composition are really nice. Ironically, this one was on my written 'other' list as I went thru the images the first time. But it not only made it into my honorable mentions group, but grabbed a decent spot on the finalists list.

#8 The first of the tough choices. Sharp, nice color, different sense of smooth/craggy. It made the cut, but easily could have been #12.

#9 I was surprised that there weren't more wrinkled hands/faces vs baby butt images, since that was the first thing that went thru my mind when I saw the topic. (Maybe I should have entered!). I liked this one's tonality & contrast, but I didn't rank it higher (and had taken it off at one point) because the ear & collar on the left side seem just a tad over sharpened. The transition is kinda of odd. It works on the face but should have been toned down on the edges.

#10 Great concept and it screams craggy. Brought a smile to my face when I first saw it. Definitely should be in B+W, but a little more work on the shadows of the bark and the transition to the background shadows could take this good image and make it great. Again I went back and forth between this, #9 and several others (#11 - #13).

Thank you jdryan3! More feedback to follow later.

sherstone · October 16, 2007

Thanks so much jdryan3 for taking the time to judge this round.

Your feedback is actually a pleasant surprise since I somehow never really realized the duality of the image and always just considered it smooth.

This is probably my favorite part of this contest in regards to learning how someone views and interprets your work.

Thanks again.

The Curious Camel · October 16, 2007

Thanks much jdryan3
I appreciate your feedback. I'm glad you liked my entry.:D

Peace, gail

Greensquared · October 16, 2007

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated!

jdryan3 · October 16, 2007

peterst6906 wrote:

ulrikft wrote:

I might be stupid here, but did I break some rule since I'm not even mentioned?

I don't think so, but typically, the only ones mentioned are the ones that scored points from the judges.

However, in the feedback thread, you should eventually (over the next couple of days) find some specific feedback on your photo. This is something that is optional and not all the judges do it, but it is always welcomed by all of us who participate.

Peter

ulrifkt~
Peter is right, and no you aren't stupid. I purposely did not read any of the early posts, or the unofficial feedback until I was done. I even tried to avoid seeing who posted an image as I critiqued, and only cross-referenced my choices back to the list after the fact.

Your image not only made my first cut, but my second. But as I stated in the comments Shay posted above, I got down to 5 for my last 2 slots. It was a good shot but not technically outstanding, met the craggy theme, but didn't jump out at me for that. I felt the 2 I picked for the last 2 slots were closer.

But obviously the other judges agreed with me on only one of those. Which I think is great.

Hope that helps a little.

jdryan3 · October 16, 2007

Balanced Judging
I'm not sure how the actual points are calculated but probably some form of weighted ranking, or an average of that across the 4 judges. The reason I mention this is that while there were 10 'finalists', there were 17 across 4 judges that didn't make the top 10 - an average of 4/judge. Coincidentally (or not) 6 of my 10 made the list, 4 didn't. And of the 4 that made it that weren't in my top 10, 2 were in my 11-15 'honorable mention' list, and 2 didn't even make my first cut.

Maybe I do way too much statistical/trend analysis in my 'other' life :crazy , but that seems very well balanced, especially when you look at the points for the top 3 compared to the bottom 4. If you substract 2 points from the top 3, they are still the top 3. If you subtract 2 points from the bottom 4 and add them to the next guys down, you end up with actually 12 finalists with a 4-way tie for 10th.

I realize not making the finalists list is like being the second choice for the one job slot at a company you want to work for. You can say :fu to the boss, tell yourself he/she was a**hole and the company actually sucks and you didn't really want to work there anyway. Or you can say 'thank you', step back and listen to what they really said and find away to prepare for the next opportunity. Your choice ...

pemmett · October 16, 2007

jdryan3 wrote:

I realize not making the finalists list is like being the second choice for the one job slot at a company you want to work for. You can say :fu to the boss, tell yourself he/she was a**hole and the company actually sucks and you didn't really want to work there anyway. Or you can say 'thank you', step back and listen to what they really said and find away to prepare for the next opportunity. Your choice ...

Thanks for this last comment. I've done both of the above, but founf that only the latter lets you move forward. The former just makes you walk around in ever declining circles of insanity and bitterness - which apparently isn't that good for your health (or quality of photography).

I think that the feedback from the judges helps a lot in the "healing process". From the photos that I submitted that haven't scored any points I have always felt sad (because I tried my best), but the feedback from the judges helped me relaize why I didn't get points, and that even though I didn't get points my photo was still be quite good (or in one of my cases made them laugh - for good reasons). This feedback has helped me to try harder and (I hope) become a better photographer.

Shay Stephens · November 13, 2007

I hope this isn't entirely too little too late territory, but here goes anyway ;-)

2 - MarkTodd - Breakfast Paradise
If Kelloggs were to make a TelliTubbies cartoon it would look like this! A lot of fun to look at. Well done. Kind of a mix of smooth and craggy-ish, but still works for me.

3 - fashiznitsngrins - Hills of gold
Very silky looking. Watch those edges where they interface with the background, they can break that suspension of disbelief for the viewer.

4 - DaddyO - Baby Eights & the Old Pro
The reflections standing in as eyes is a great touch that puts a life in the balls. I do wonder though at the scene and what it is trying to convey. It has a more sinister feel to it than a bunch of younglings. The unblinking eyes all staring straight at the viewer is the stuff of horror movies ;-)

5 - Cuties02q - Where's The Bacon
The face has potential. Perhaps a closeup of the face from a lower angle would personalize it more and give more opportunity to really showcase the craggy type skin on display here.

6 - Scott Boy - Through the screen door
I am having difficulty seeing the smooth, and the texture of the screen is not craggy enough for me to go in that direction. I feel stuck in the middle.

7 - ccpickre - Peace tree wishes
Lovely texture on that paper. Would love to see it even closer with perhaps a crop that minimizes the upper left.

8 - Tentacion - Eye See You
Very Scifi looking! Cool.

9 - hamster - Spike
If I had a craggy itch before, it was satisfied with this gem of a texture! Love it.

10 - Annie222 - First Blooms
Beautiful, and the spiky pods above don't trigger a craggy response from me, interesting, the overall impression I have is one of smoothness.

11 - thebigsky - Laughter Lines
Fantastic subject. But I have to say the title is working against you here. Laugh lines make me want to see the eyes, and they are not very prominent here. The skin in the rear is great, but it's way back there. The biggest thing here is the horn and some cheek.

12 - SunsetSailor - Beach Litter
What a tangle! Love it.

13 - sherstone - leg liberation
Operation smoothie underway! The overall impression I get is one of smooth, but there seems to be something missing. I don't know if the photo feels too simple or if there is too much unshaved surface or just what it is, but something...I am torn.

14 - Vette74 - Color Profusion
I like the color and texture, but it doesn't reach the top for me. Perhaps it is not craggy enough or smooth enough, but a kind of mixture that does not suggest on way or the other.

15 - Nikolai - Verboten
Cool, and I like the title too!

16 - vandana - "Sail through the skies"
I want to say something about the texture, but the people shadows just make this photo really stand out for me. Super cool!

17 - awa1 - Respect
Great shot. It doesn't speak to me in a smooth or craggy way, probably the shallow DOF mixing my visual signals. Maybe I am just secretly afraid of snakes? hehehe

18 - RBattis - A Kansas Sentry
Lovely texture, nice side lighting to make it pop too.

19 - Greensquared - The Ent
Sweet!

20 - nikos - Like father, like son
Beautiful!

21 - mwgrice - Fence Posts
I do like the wood grain, but it doesn't really trigger my craggy response. Maybe some side lighting on the wood might have drawn it out more.

22 - bfjr - The 1st Cut
The blade is smooth, and the teeth are not, making the first cut would signal my attention on the material being cut or the object doing the cutting. Since I can't see much of the material being cut, that leaves the object doing the cutting. And it looks kind of smooth, sort of. I feel confusion.

23 - VisualXpressions - well ripened
Perfect!

24 - HoofClix - Breaking Glass
Very nice, if not a bit sparse. My brain tells me that is the bottom of a horse, but my non brain parts are saying "no way". But they are usually never right, so I am going with my brain on this one ;-)

25 - Llywellyn - Dream of the Dryad
Very cool!

26 - jwear - Into The Blue
Beautiful!

27 - Strikeslip - Whiteface Mountain
Officially Wow! But I have to add that the person on the ridge totally rocks the casbah!

28 - The Curious Camel - Solitude
I don't care how you did this, but this is awesome!

29 - NanaMo - King of the hill.
Very regal. It works for me, but I am wishing for more craggy.

30 - Nomanizan - Shasta Waits
More pattern for me than texture. The paws confuse me, but it is late, and I startle easily hehehe.

31 - Red Dog - Rear Cross
Good action, though the alignment is a bit odd. How that dog is attached to the shorts is beyond me, but it looks like the person will be able to jump the low barrier, so the dog should be safe. Not feeling the theme myself, but good action!

32 - pemmett - Layers of Love
This could be on a box of moisturizer!

33 - SouthernRoad - Balancing Act
Photo not showing up

34 - BitterBaldGuy - PHOTO INELIGIBLE
Remember no frames and 800 pixels on the long side max. Cool shot otherwise.

35 - nelsonstuff - Good Foundation
It works for me, but might excite me more if it were closer to that rock to get some of that texture is hints at.

36 - tlee - Rusted Blue
I don't know what this is, but it looks fascinating. Beautiful!

37 - DJ-S1 - Plugging the Dyke
Great scene, but at this distance the rocks texture is pretty smooth and only the gaps between rocks are suggesting craggy for me.

38 - Robert - "The Burren"
Very nice, the only thing I think that might have enhanced the craggy feel is to have one of those cracks closer to the center.

39 - snr - Soft
I like the concept, but might suggest a bit of fill to soften the shadow transitions as this would be in keeping with the soft title. The flower is soft, but the lighting is hard.

40 - alex - Guadalupe Box
The water has the attention, but the rocks have the detail. I feel torn between smooth and craggy.

41 - samsplace - With Age Comes....
Beautiful wear on the wood and metal. Might even be able to get closer if the lens allows it.

42 - Havelock - And guess, what's waiting up there...
Mmmm, love the vintage look! Sweet!

43 - MrsCue - As smooth as silk
Photo not showing up

44 - richtersl - The Red Door
Ohh yah!

45 - hawkeye978 - The Beginnings of Fall
Beautiful scene, but too much of a buffet of texture for me, it all starts to taste the same.

46 - stirfry - Batter Up.
Very nice.

47 - pyroPrints.com - Colorful Colorado
I like the smooth coin and surface it is sitting on, but the rockies make me think of craggy too. So I kind of get pulled both direction and wind up going nowhere.

48 - ulrikft - Calling the kettle black ...
Wow, that is too cool. The framing is a bit sloppy looking for me, but that kettle is wicked cool!

49 - imax - Where's Sammy?
I don't know who sammy is, but I like what you did with the lighting, it brings out the texture very nicely The reflection gives me a second view and I don't get a sense of smooth, so I feel as if the subject is still craggy.

50 -Felicia - Pidgeon Toed
Are you sure that is not the foot of a velociraptor? Either way, I like the texture, it looks rough and craggy.

More to follow tomorrow night.

DaddyO · November 13, 2007

Appreciate the feedback Shay. Its never too late. Many thanks for your time.

Michael

imax · November 13, 2007

49 - imax - Where's Sammy?
I don't know who sammy is, but I like what you did with the lighting, it brings out the texture very nicely The reflection gives me a second view and I don't get a sense of smooth, so I feel as if the subject is still craggy.

This is Sammy

Very uncooperative that day. A gel covered SB26 snooted from behind him worked out well for the color in my entry, but he did not want to come out to play.......

samsplace · November 13, 2007

Review of Work - 41 - samsplace - With Age Comes....
Hi Shay

Thank you taking time to review my photo

Gil

pemmett · November 13, 2007

Shay Stephens wrote:

32 - pemmett - Layers of Love
This could be on a box of moisturizer!

Shay thnaks for the time and effort. Let me know if you hear of any moisturizer companies in need of an image :-)

Cheers/Peter

richtersl · November 13, 2007

Shay Stephens wrote:

44 - richtersl - The Red Door
Ohh yah!

Thanks!

I hope things have slowed down for you a bit because you've been missed!!!

Robert · November 13, 2007

Shay Stephens wrote:

38 - Robert - "The Burren"
Very nice, the only thing I think that might have enhanced the craggy feel is to have one of those cracks closer to the center.

Thanks for the comment Shay. Much appreciated. Maybe I picked the wrong one for the entry, again.

Would you have given any of those full marks?

hawkeye978 · November 13, 2007

Thanks for the feedback, Shay. All comments appreciated greatly.

Greensquared · November 13, 2007

Never too late for feedback, Shay. It's always appreciated!

sherstone · November 13, 2007

Never Ever (I was told not to say such things)

Thank You! Shay

tlee · November 13, 2007

Thanks for the feedback. I did not make the cut, but I'm glad to hear what people think of my image.

hamster · November 13, 2007

Shay Stephens wrote:

9 - hamster - Spike
If I had a craggy itch before, it was satisfied with this gem of a texture! Love it.

Thanks for the lovely comment, and all your time spent. I appreciate it!

Cherie

thebigsky · November 13, 2007

It's never too late Shay, thanks for the input, I'd loved to have posted a larger image as it was actually the craggy skin on the face that I was going for, man did it have some skin issues

Charlie

The Curious Camel · November 13, 2007

Thanks

28 - The Curious Camel - Solitude
I don't care how you did this, but this is awesome!

Thanks for the feedback Shay, I'm really glad you liked it:D

Shay Stephens · November 14, 2007

Robert wrote:

Thanks for the comment Shay. Much appreciated. Maybe I picked the wrong one for the entry, again.

Would you have given any of those full marks?

Those are sweet! They have more character and playfulness for me than the one posted.

Shay Stephens · November 14, 2007

51 - clovisguy - Droplets
My first impression is that a 10:4 pano crop on the top would look awesome. Love the droplet.

52 - RogersDA - Love is a like a rock
Hmm, I like the photo, but don't get a feel for the theme. I do get some smooth vibe, but I get pulled toward craggy with the carving. I feel stuck in the middle.

53 - drdane - Inner Truth Revealed
Sweet nutty goodness.

54 - ifocus - Photosynthesis
This looks beat up enough to slide into the craggy zone, but it feels a bit of a stretch.

55 - awmphoto - Going With The Flow
Cool, the logs, rocks, and water all share a similar smooth look to them. I like the mix of cool reflection and warm leaves too.

56 - Ann McRae - Plumage
Soft, but doesn't hit me with smooth. Textured, but to soft for craggy to start dancing with me. Beautiful photo none the less.

57 - Leonardo - periodontosis for toothpaste
Hehehe, this is priceless! Love it!

58 - urbanaries - Kountry Kitsch
Love the scene! There does seem to be a imbalance with the full wheel and the cropped window. If the wheel were cropped a bit on the left, there might be a balance to the force. It might also through it into chaos for decades, so experiment with caution hehehe.

59 - nicoleshilliday - Don't Touch!
It looks soft enough to touch, but I sure know better. Thematically, I don't get a sense of smooth or craggy. So it doesn't push my button. I get more a sense of sharp, or soft from the photo.

60 - Peter Dumont - pretty gangsta'
Love the street scene and the B&W treatment. I don't understand how it relates to the theme, but it looks great.

61 - staypuffinpc - finding strength in adversity
Great scene! The lower left portion of the photo has a lot of craggy goodness.

62 - LiquidAir - Cherry
Sweet! Why do I get a feeling of velvet? I don't know, but I gotta go put on some Barry White now, I'll be right back.

63 - fmkjr - Celebrating 29 years together!
Very sweet, congratulation :-)

64 - noniknam - It all stems from the pun'kins!
The stems have a lovely roughness, and the pumpkins have a nice smooth skin, but the combo doesn't work for me theme wise. Maybe highlighting one or the other would push me off the fence.

65 - martinh - Loose Knot
It's a beautiful photo, I don't understand the theme connection, but I like how you have the frayed bit in there and lighter than the background cord.

66 - mr peas - "Petals In Bloom"

A bit hot, if it were a little darker it would better show the flowers color. Red can be a challenge with digital cameras.

67 - mycaptures - Impending
Ominous movie clouds, love it. Craggy? I am torn. A quick glance satisfies me, but if I stop to think about it it doesn't.

68 - PaulThomasMcKee - Ice Maker
The funnest and most dealy part of the skating session hehehe.

69 - Steve from LaPoc - Ice breaker!
I must admit I don't understand the photo. I like the lighting though :-)

70 - zweiblumen - River Silk
The lower half of the photo is quite strong in the smooth category to my eye.

71 - annnna8888 - Oily Reflection
The water is smooth no doubt, and the abstract nature of the photo looks cool. I just am having a hard time with the photo trying to think of how this affects me.

72 - eoren1 - In the land of pumpkins
Good texture, and I like how you are highlighting it. Maybe a bit more stem to fill the frame with its roughed up goodness. The smooth looking skin in the background, while blurred out, still has a prominent place in the photo.

73 - peterst6906 - A Surfer's Worst Nightmare
Sweet mercy!

74 - Travis - The Edge
The knife seems to be too bright, it's close, but maybe the blade is reflecting too much light. I get a squint reflex.

75 - HarleyPugs - Smooth data flow
Like buttah! Beautiful.

76 - stuffjunkie - Gonna Need Some Milk!
I like your lighting, it brings out the texture very well in the cookies. I feel a bit of a stretch for craggy, but it's nice.

77 - Remember47 - Two Tomatoes
Tomato skin is a good example of smooth, and the scene looks very nice. The art treatment texturizes the smoothness a bit though, so I loose the feeling once I start examining the image.

78 - Shudderz - Three Generations
Hmm, I like this. The older flute in the background has the hint of age and texture, and it contrasts well with the newer flutes in the foreground. Adding the paper is another nice smooth touch. I like it.

79 - kisi - knitting needles
It's smooth, but without the title I would have said they were drum sticks or something like that. Perhaps a bit deeper depth of field for more visual clues might help viewers who are not in the know understand the photo.

80 - Elaine - sowing seed for spring
Hmm, I like this, not smooth in texture but in action. I like the direction you took this. The pano crop is very complimentary to the scene too. There is room for the man to have come closer and be between the boy and the sun, but that is a minor detail. Lovely scene.

81 - TPBinKC - Flash Flood
In its frozen (photographically) state this has a great sense of craggy with all the nooks and crannies. But subject matter, I still know this is water, and my brain is now in a full out slap fight with itself. Kind of a mental "less filling, tastes great" type of thing.

82 - davev - Clean Machine
Holy macaroni!

83 - chertioga - eyes of the fire dragon
Hey, I see it! Sort of smooth, but a better dragon ;-)

84 - Mitchell - Farewell flight
I get a good feeling of smooth after looking at the photo a bit. At first glance I don't though. But it grows on you.

85 - bch2300 - Bad Facial
I can has moisturizer? hehehe Nice rough texture, but I don't get a feeling of craggy from it.

86 - GREAPER - Michigan Shoreline
I love the scene. It might not have been possible, but the shoreline rocks look like a good target. If the water could have been minimized more, maybe a lower camera height or different angle it might play to the rocks stronger.

87 - SciurusNiger - A Simple Matter of Perspective
Delightfully disorienting.

88 - D the Shadowman - "Rough Terrain"
Sweet! I keep wanting to look down to see more of that rough cut out. The smooth

89 - sunita - What's a kiss without a tickle...
Cool, a bit of surreal. If the one side were not shaved I would not have the word smooth strolling through my brain while viewing the photo. And then I get the whole why is the half shaved, and then I start seeing melted clocks and flying cats and forget what it was I thinking hehehe. I love it.

90 - OneWayMule - Sleek Operator
Holy high-tech-aroni!

91 - scas - disqualified
I feels like it has too much sky, my attention is drawn away from the smooth metal structure. A 10:4 pano crop helps some, and there are at least two possible crops there that look interesting. And if you want to keep the original aspect ratio, consider a crop that makes it look as if the tube goes on forever.

peterst6906 · November 14, 2007

Thanks for taking the time Shay. Much appreciated.

Regards,

Peter

PaulThomasMcKee · November 14, 2007

peterst6906 wrote:

Thanks for taking the time Shay. Much appreciated.

I really love to read your comments on each of the photos.

-paul

Robert · November 14, 2007

Shay Stephens wrote:

Those are sweet! They have more character and playfulness for me than the one posted.

Thanks Shay, that’s because I took those for myself and not for the comp. I’ll get it right some day, yet.

eoren1 · November 14, 2007

Thanks for the additional reviews Shay. Greatly appreciated.
E

urbanaries · November 14, 2007

Thank you Shay for the feedback, it's much appreciated, it's never too late!

Shudderz · November 14, 2007

Shay Stephens wrote:

78 - Shudderz - Three Generations
Hmm, I like this. The older flute in the background has the hint of age and texture, and it contrasts well with the newer flutes in the foreground. Adding the paper is another nice smooth touch. I like it.

Much thanks for the feedback. After shooting my first wedding this past weekend, I completely understand the slight delay in feedback.

It may not have gotten me into the semi-finals...but an "I like it" from you adds a bit of brightness into a rather dull day.

An "I like it" for my first entry, I made several unofficial top tens in my second entry.....now for round three.......if I can score at least 1 point from the judges..........I think I can, I think I can, I think I can............it's all about getting better.......

Thanks again.....

Travis · November 14, 2007

Thanks for taking the time Shay. Your feedback is much appreciated.

TPBinKC · November 14, 2007

Shay Stephens wrote:

81 - TPBinKC - Flash Flood
In its frozen (photographically) state this has a great sense of craggy with all the nooks and crannies. But subject matter, I still know this is water, and my brain is now in a full out slap fight with itself. Kind of a mental "less filling, tastes great" type of thing.

I think if I can get your brain into a slapfight with itself I can declare success.

I was trying to find an unusual take on craggy/smooth and I think that worked, now if I could just have made it a better photo.

Thanks for the feedback. I do appreciate it more than I can express.

Thad