#59 why did you change from your “don’t squat with your spurs” portrait to this one, the later was much better!
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...drat! I must teach you how to send a PM!!! !
( I am pretty sure you met former.....).... was not sure it told enough "of a story"......and since both were the same day at the stockshow and the round was ending I did not have enough time to ask for opinions....which I had hope to do.
Oh well, thank you for your time and for the compliment of the other entry he was just one of the "cowboys" at the show who allowed me to take his picture.
You should have seen the one of the heavy set lady trying to get on a longhorn for a posed poloroid picture!! Had lots of people helping her but it was too soft....she was laughing so hard her face was oof barb.....I will be sending her that series tho'...she will enjoy them.
59. Concentration.... Nice capture with the tongue sticking out. This is what I notice so this one has sort of missed the theme for me. Shot seems a bit flat to me with the back ground being somewhat blah possibly to much brown here. This one needs something to make it pop out. I wonder on a bw conversion here but with the black horse this might not go over so well. I love the horses so this one of coarse I love it just wished it had a bit more punch to it.
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Thanks for the thoughts and time critiquing the shot, Dana. It was a blah wall in the background...and I did get some of the junk out and you are right the b&w did not work and the horse was such a beautiful color I decided to go with color....had potential but guess I did not quite figure out the "punch".
Great fun at the stockshow and got lots of fun pictures....and learrned a lot from the critiques.
"The point in life isn't to arrive at our final destination well preserved and in pristine condition, but rather to slide in sideways yelling.....Holy cow, what a ride."
LPS #20 entries which grabbed me...
These, apart from their individual merits, impressed me by being fresh, surprising and less predictable, while maintaining the necessary connection to the theme. Many of the other entries, while being very nice photographs by any standards, were for me too literal, too "straight", too generic, for the kind and quality of competition which LPS aspires to be. Without wishing to be obnoxious, interesting faces, children, pretty girls, closeups of hands, pets and other creatures are a-dime-a-dozen in the plethora of photo sites online. I want a photo to make me stop breathing for a moment. I want to be excited by things more layered, where the photo is the starting point not the destination. On a more congenial note, I am grateful to all contributors, both to the competition and the discussions, for creating the opportunity for me to ponder and learn and be inspired!
#9 tickleing the ivories
+ drama, excitement, dynamism, composition, technical tour de force. I want to HEAR it now!!! I want to click into the vid!!! I want to continue the experience!!!
- novel spelling of "tickling"
#16 The Collection
+ intriguing, stimulating to the eye, stylish, extremely well-achieved technically
- initial promise of a psychological story is not fulfilled
#17 One in a Million
+ brilliant conception, psychological and philosophical impact relating to our experience and ideas of childhood, especially for girls, pictorially beautiful
- right side eye has an unnatural look and placement
#51 Trust
+ lovely art media feel, tender, expressive, humane, a study of human attachment which invites meditation, post processing 100% successful. Congratulations!
- bordering on generic at first glance
#54 Got Virus
+ a contemporary gothic with associations to all the B-grade horror. Great!
- disease or dirt? Psychologically amorphous - what state is he really in? Is he the hacker or the hacked? Why does he need shades? Story is confused, can't go with it. Discomforting orientation to try to read the keyboard upside down.
#60 Heads
+ fresh conception, nice realisation of the dramatic finish to a decision left to fate, the coin has come to rest still zinging with the implications - HEADS! - they echo in our minds
- face and hand have too much of an equal value in the composition, the coin could be pushed more dominantly at us. Some motion blur might have added to the narrative.
#68 In your Face
+ the beginning of much greater possibilities and results. You are on a promising track which could lead to something unique!
These, apart from their individual merits, impressed me by being fresh, surprising and less predictable, while maintaining the necessary connection to the theme. Many of the other entries, while being very nice photographs by any standards, were for me too literal, too "straight", too generic, for the kind and quality of competition which LPS aspires to be. Without wishing to be obnoxious, interesting faces, children, pretty girls, closeups of hands, pets and other creatures are a-dime-a-dozen in the plethora of photo sites online. I want a photo to make me stop breathing for a moment. I want to be excited by things more layered, where the photo is the starting point not the destination. On a more congenial note, I am grateful to all contributors, both to the competition and the discussions, for creating the opportunity for me to ponder and learn and be inspired!
First off, want to make sure you know I'm not implying any criticism here of your view, I believe it is shared by a great many people and it has a lot of obvious merit. But, I also want to contrast it with how I look at photos in a critical sense because I think it may lead to a good discussion
Often, I think a good especially tasty glass of milk is finer than the most complex of wines
I think the search for novel and unique, and a lot of the shots I've seen, can get too gimmicky. Unique or novel is only a small part of what I look at, and not even the most important. A tried and true subject, well handled, can take my breath away just as surely as an explosive 'my god I've never seen anyone take a shot of THAT before' can. Sometimes, I think the highest form of photographic art is taking a familiar subject and infusing a certain something, call it soul for lack of a better description, into it through a subtle lighting technique, or change of perspective or detail that turns the ordinary into WOW
First off, want to make sure you know I'm not implying any criticism here of your view, I believe it is shared by a great many people and it has a lot of obvious merit. But, I also want to contrast it with how I look at photos in a critical sense because I think it may lead to a good discussion
Often, I think a good especially tasty glass of milk is finer than the most complex of wines
I think the search for novel and unique, and a lot of the shots I've seen, can get too gimmicky. Unique or novel is only a small part of what I look at, and not even the most important. A tried and true subject, well handled, can take my breath away just as surely as an explosive 'my god I've never seen anyone take a shot of THAT before' can. Sometimes, I think the highest form of photographic art is taking a familiar subject and infusing a certain something, call it soul for lack of a better description, into it through a subtle lighting technique, or change of perspective or detail that turns the ordinary into WOW
Hi KurtPreston! I respect and agree with what you have said. It is very true. I place no value on gimmickry or novelty or attention grabbing for its own sake. In fact, it is a big turn-off for me. I don't believe any of the images I have referred to in my post are this kind of thing, which proves my point. I didn't wish to diminish the other entries, but to place them in the context of what LPS aspires to be - not a collection of good photographs, but a collection of extraordinary images, with all the positive connotations of that word. The subject matter and the technique are not separable. One can drive the other into different territory, but for an image to be extraordinary the territory MUST be not just different but NEW, not only to the eye but to the mind and body behind the eye!
Thanks again to SHatch, Sherstone, Hawkeye, Visualexpressions, Neil, and CMurph for all of the time and effort that you spent taking on the monumental task of critiquing the entries. I must admit that I have found some renewed inspiration in your efforts. Your input has been greatly appreciated!
Thanks again to SHatch, Sherstone, Hawkeye, Visualexpressions, Neil, and CMurph for all of the time and effort that you spent taking on the monumental task of critiquing the entries. I must admit that I have found some renewed inspiration in your efforts. Your input has been greatly appreciated!
21: I think this is a fantastically creative idea. The composition hits the mark too. What I don’t like about it is that it seems over-lit to me. Making use of more natural indirect and softer light, like in number 27, would improve this. I have an idea how to do it, if you want to know.
22: A comical expression on the hound’s face. For the theme, I would have cropped in very tightly on the face to fill the entire frame with only face.
23: Sorry Aaron, but I can’t see this image..
24: I love this image. I love everything about violins, with several posters of them in my office. It was enough to discourage me from trying to improve on my own entry. I love that the dof tightly on the itty bitty pinky finger. The finish quality makes me think that it might have been a mannequin’s holding the instrument.
25: Great separation from the background, something I’ve working on in my own work. The expression and hand position tells it all. The only improvement would have been to include the entire white glove at the lower left, and to crop more of the empty space off the top.
26: Intriguing. What is the little face looking at. You can see the brain working on something. I like that the top of the head isn’t separated from the background. Lighting on the face is perfect…
27: While other portraits entered in this stand out more in the contest, I can feel the natural and relaxed vibes in this portrait. I was also impressed with how clear it was, not sharp, when I first saw it, and wondered how to do it, so thanks for telling us.
28: I’m tainted by the words in the advice thread that you put out, and I agreed with how they guided you on it. Your finished image is precious, and the pink in the background rightly adds to it. Makes it actually.
29: The image intrigues from the first look, but I spent a lot of time figuring out what exactly it was. The message doesn’t hit me. Are we remembering things past, or are we trying to blot them out? It just looks like an eerie intro to a horror movie to me. Not sure if that’s what you inteneded.
30: Once again, Awais delivers the goods. I think he belongs on Chris Johns’ team over at NGM. You should enter the daily photo over there, as you might just get discovered.
Another big thanks to all of you for taking the time to critique these photos. An earlier post mentioned the lull that fell over the LPS after the delayed results round. I think we have also all felt the void since Shay last posted as well. This unofficial thread feels like the antidote to all of that. I commend each one of you for taking the time from your days to post these insightful comments.
E
#41 - tamplum - Face of Innocence
For me a photo about a face should include the eyes, the window into the whole essence of a person or child in this case. The composition of this is good but for some reason my eyes keep wandering to her hair - maybe this is too tight a crop for my liking?
#42 - cmurph - The time is near
When I saw this I just had to think... This round is turning into a creep show.
I love the lighting and textures in this one, even the background is quite cool. What I am not so sure about is the main focus is so far to the left that it almost de-emphasizes it.
#43 - ifocus - Strong Direction
I was convinced that this one would be in the top 10. The tonality and strong compositional qualities make this a hard one to stop looking at. If I had to complain about anything it would be that the nails seem freshly manicured and I envision this type of shot to have a less groomed set of nails.
#44 - jstan - Frozen in Time
Lovely texture - Light is good and you have a nice balance of both light and dark in the image. I like it quite a bit. I get a feeling of cold and loneliness from it. probably because I envision this as a tomb figure.
#45 - Swartzy - The Craftsman
I saw you post the color version of this before it was converted to a B&W - I much preferred the color version that had some nice bokeh in the background that you eliminated in this version. The background added to the DOF and gave it more dimension as well as an environment. I like the composition and the story it tells.
#46 - tinfish - "cleansing"
Nice lighting, very nice execution, the dirt or ink on the hand is very apparent - I really only have one main complaint and that is the position of the hand in relation to the arm, while compositionally good, just seems really awkward.
#47 - Jet - Shes moving tomorrow; our last day together
Full of emotion and story - it almost makes me want to cry I find it so powerful. This was most definitely in my top 10. I struggled with whether I like this one or the full frame version you posted better - I love wide aspect ratio but something about the other was just as compelling. In the end I think you chose well as this put more focus on the hands.
#48 - hawkeye978 - An Unusual Builders Upgrade
I think this visual statement works well - initially I look at the door and then am drawn back to the hands - this in my mind is good because it is a subtle shift. The lighting and shadows seem realistic enough but it falls apart for me where the arms meet the wall it just feels too cut and paste somehow.
#49 - PSDude - The Photographer
The eyes make this shot - along with all the negative space. I just plain like it. Its a dual theme shot and I'm not sure if together diluted things or not.
#50 - davev - Cold
I really like this one. its just plain cold !!!! - great eyes and the ice is perfect! - the pattern in the jacket is pulling my vision away from the face though. Very strong overall.
#51 - The Curious Camel - Trust
Part of what I like in an image is simplicity - the idea and non distracting composition work well here and I am immediately sure what I am looking at - hands - this one tells a story well I think.
#52 - JillG - Ent baby
Maybe because there are so many creepy images in this round I am struck quite hard with a feeling of ewww towards this one. That screwed up puckered mouth just sends it into a weird factor for me. This does mean I like the image you have shown us.
#53 - RBrogen - Our Future Is Bright
What a beautiful daughter you have! Lighting off to the side may have given this more dimension and I'm not sure if the flowers are necessary here - but if your comparing her to a flower and it's beauty then maybe they are?
#54 - Nikolai - Got Virus?
I love this - The one eye defined by the edge of sunglasses really works well here. I love the motion and all the blackness - because I like a wide aspect ratio so much I keep wanting to cut some of the top black off.
#55 - Red Dog - Slap me five
Cute idea - unfortunately I cannot get past the technical difficulties in this one, its has soft focus and has been over sharpened. More of the human in the shot may have strengthened it.
#56 - Michael Atkins - Little Sleeping Hands
I don't mind baby shots - in fact I am very sympathetic towards them as I can put myself in the place of the proud parent or grandparent and enjoy them for what they are. Not enough of the hands are showing for me to say that this is about hands. The out of focus foreground is hard to leap over and my vision is kept trapped at the bottom of the frame.
#57 - NeilL - blood on his hands...
I stared at this one for a very long time - dissecting each and every part of it you have successfully engaged my attention there is no doubt about that. I am struck with a feeling of saying -- Now thats just plain odd -- I'm not in total awe at the sight but I do find it very engaging. After reading your thoughts behind the vision I have a totally different appreciation for it.
#58 - darkdragon - Freedom?
Very well executed image. Composition is very strong. Probably my favorite part of this is the eyes and the ear. The expression is priceless.
#59 - NanaMo - Concentration
I am betting this horse is Black not blue -- the first thing I see is blue -- past the color temperature issue I look first at his toungue sticking out which works oh so well with the title then I look over at the gloved hands not so much because they are interesting but because they are so bright, easily the brightest thing in the frame. You have lost some detail in the hands and I wonder if better exposed I would like this better. You do tell a good story with the image so technicalities aside I do get an emotional response from it.
#60 - LiquidAir - Heads
I love your visual puns! - the look on your face is priceless, oh so serious. Wonderful lighting I probably would like this better in color.
#61 - getchphoto - A little scare
Fits the creepy theme we have going - does it fit face or hands? I don't really know. The lit word grabs all my attention and the skull is a secondary subject even though it is in a power position.
#62 - JonnyD72 - King Clock
Nice blue sky - I'm feeling constricted in this one again . I want to see more of the building, taken at a different time of day with some more moody shadows probably would have made this one work better.
#63 - ulrikft - Idle Hands
Great poeple shot! The blown highlights work well in this I think, except maybe for his head. I wonder if a vertical orientation of the camera would have worked better here?
#64 - David Williams - Please help me
I envision this one with the hands within the hands being in color. I quite like the idea behind this one but the hands get lost somehow. The watch did not go unnoticed and its a nice touch. Maybe if the chair was not in the background there would have been more separation of the hand from the background?
#65 - ultravox - Frost
You tell a good story here, even the color temperature says cold and dusk. I start with the matches and follow the line to the lantern stay there for a bit and then dart over to the hand, then go back to the lantern and pretty much finish there. Is this more about a failing lantern?
#66 - annnna8888 - Innocence
I love this perspective and those are wonderful blue eyes other than the color in the bottom left I like this a great deal.
#67 - jwear - Big John
The glint in his eye keeps me engaged enough to give it a second look - in the end though its just a statue and I'm not feeling anything except maybe a little blue ;-)
#68 - kwalsh - In your Face
LMAO - very cool - the glowing ears and halo lighting are very well done.
#69 - KurtPreston - Furry, Lovable
Yes I agree - these critters are most certainly lovable - a face? ok I'll buy it - the green tuft in the bottom left is distracting. I wish I could see more of him/her but then any correlation to a face would be lost of course.
#70 - merriswell - untitled?
sorry, I don't get it... skin tones are flat. I do like the water being frozen into interesting shapes though.
#71 - Ed911 - Rocking to the hip...hip...hip di di hop
Composition is good. softness is a big detractor here. I end up looking at the monitor because that is where our eyes are directed. It doesn't fit the theme for me.
#72 - biotemp - Katie
Every time I looked at this I said to myself "I like this" - I wonder if cropping out the telephone poles on the left would strengthen things? The look on her face makes me wonder what IS she thinking?
#73 - Cuties02q - Peace
You are successful in making me look right into her eyes - something about it feels off balance to me.
#74 - Tooky - it's hammer time
I find myself noticing the photoshop filters and light vignette more than anything in this one. instead of enhancing the image I think the effects play a large role in drawing my attention away from the main subject.
#75 - Sunita - The mathematician
This is a make me smile shot - The look on his face is awesome. A little more light to bring out his eyes, (mostly the his right eye), would have been helpful.
#76 - Deboggy - "First Shoot"
Did you use a tripod here? Your shutter speed is very slow for a focal length of 100mm - ideally you would not want to be below 1/125. Increase your ISO in cases like this where you do not have enough light, your much better off with a little bit of noise than a blurry shot due to movement.
Nice smile and nice eyes, very pretty, a little wider perspective is what I am thinking here.
#77 - stirfry - Dad: An Armchair Quarterback Turned Legend in His Own Mind
Even though this one is soft, it seems intentional and works for me. I can just hear him saying go back go way back, but of course that is not going to happen.
#78 - fashiznitsngrins - Abuela Fanita
Very powerful portrait. I like the background except for the green. I am betting this was a unplanned shot so it would be impossible to plan the cloths she wore which unfortunately because of the pattern really pull my vision away from that wonderful face.
#79 - Ann McRae - Ice, Ice, Baby
I can tell its ice, If I did not know the theme I'm not sure I would see a face.
#80 - TPBinKC - Treasured moment
Overall I like this - The lighting is well done and you have captured the intended emotions quite well. Where I have issue is using a piece of art to create your own art, but thats a personal thing more than anything.
#81 - JFreeman - Dreaming the Night
You have a knack for capturing a specific mood in your images and this one is no exception. totally freaky - (Yes dolls freak me out)
#82 - pankajasundi - Temptation
I sense you are trying to hint at a story here - the areas of orange give this a very abstract and surreal feel, I just don't understand the significance of the chain.
#83 - entropysedge - Intensity
Oh yea thats intense! strange lighting and oddly enough I look at this and think -- that cat looks stuffed, even though I know a stuffed cat would not have such an intense look. I can almost see you pulling its tail to get that stare of defiance. - hehe.
#84 - bkatz - Old.....who me?
Great smile - It fits the theme but not as strongly as many of the other entries.
#85 - RBattis - The Fire Man
I am thinking there is something in this shot I am supposed to see that I do not - is there a face in the fire? in the shadows? If i treat this like watching clouds I can make out a face but thats because I'm looking for one.
#86 - Tessa HD - did you hear that?
No I didnt - what was it? I wonder if the focus is in the right place here - I want it to be on the index finger and mouth because thats where I end up looking and staying. Good B&W tonal qualities this is not flat at all.
#87-spicefish - cheers!
Yea I need a drink- thanks!
Sharper focus would have made this work better. I like the composition.
Thats about all there is...
If you have issue with anything I said then please remember I'm in no way the be all and end all of anything. I am learning things new every day and this exercise alone has helped me appreciate my own thought process and personal evaluation. Thanks for reading.
And a big thank you to all the other greatly energetic people who have selfishly contributed their own opinions.
#41 - tamplum - Face of Innocence
For me a photo about a face should include the eyes, the window into the whole essence of a person or child in this case. The composition of this is good but for some reason my eyes keep wandering to her hair - maybe this is too tight a crop for my liking?
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Thank you for a honest and kind critique. I love this process. It is showing aspects of the shot, I did not see. I am appreciating all the comments both positive and negative to help me improve not only my picture taking but also my post shot edits.
Again. Thank you to everyone who posted comments. For a beginner like me, this is invaluable.
Yea, she has amazing eyes.. coulda shoulda woulda.. lol
**Taking the moments one shot at a time**
~Working with my Nikon D80~
<My dream is to be the kind of mother, my kids already think I am>
#57 - NeilL - blood on his hands...
I stared at this one for a very long time - dissecting each and every part of it you have successfully engaged my attention there is no doubt about that. I am struck with a feeling of saying -- Now thats just plain odd -- I'm not in total awe at the sight but I do find it very engaging. After reading your thoughts behind the vision I have a totally different appreciation for it.
Your thoughts are a welcome harvest from the work I did. Thanks!
#57 - NeilL - blood on his hands...
I stared at this one for a very long time - dissecting each and every part of it you have successfully engaged my attention there is no doubt about that. I am struck with a feeling of saying -- Now thats just plain odd -- I'm not in total awe at the sight but I do find it very engaging. After reading your thoughts behind the vision I have a totally different appreciation for it.
Your thoughts are a welcome harvest from the work I did. Thanks!
I'm glad that this thread turned into what it has - a great dialogue! -- you are very welcome!
Thank you for your comments on mine I think because of your strong perspective on how you view this contest it makes it even more valuable.
While we are on the subject...
any way of clarifying this statement...
"- initial promise of a psychological story is not fulfilled"
Mainly I would like to know what would have given you fulfillment.
While we are on the subject...
any way of clarifying this statement...
"- initial promise of a psychological story is not fulfilled"
Mainly I would like to know what would have given you fulfillment.
Thanks
S
Let me first tell you some of the associations your image evoked for me:
the novel, The Collector, by John Fowles, in which a young man decides to add a young women he is fascinated by to his collection of pretty, petrified objects which includes butterflies, with the idea that if he keeps her captive long enough, she will grow to love him. After careful preparations, he kidnaps her and locks her up in the cellar of his house, where she eventually dies.
the character of Hannibal Lector in the novels by Thomas Harris, whose criminal signature is the systematic rounding up of his victims for their part in the cannibalisation of his family, and his dismemberment and eating of them - you have put your collection in food preserving jars and in a basement, where food is often put for long term storage.
and the novels Frankenstein, the starting point of which might have been a visit to the Castle Frankenstein near Darmstadt by Mary Shelley where a notorious alchemist named Konrad Dipple had experimented with human bodies - "the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together."
and Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, in which "basement" experiments lead to dismemberment of personality and social relationships.
So, your image, for me, has a pedigree!
The lack I was referring to is the balancing of the macabre with its context, the dark side with the light, the shocking with the normal, the placing of the subject in a story.
I can imagine in your image the inclusion of references to the collector of this collection, eg his coat draped somewhere, his instruments on the bricks, clues to who he is and his motivation.
Or snaps of his "victims" on the wall.
Or shifting and opening the perspective of the image to give a view into the rest of the room and building, other contents of the basement, a staircase, a view through a basement window...
As it is, the contents of your powerful image are isolated, orphaned, handicapped to tell us more, their story.
you guys are awesome. this has been said before, but judging from shatch's initial hesitation it's worth reminding from time to time: feedback is for most people (or - ok, let me speak for myself) the main reason for participating. it does not matter who gives it, an image should create an impression on everyone, "specialist" or not. and one can learn something from ANY feedback. so, thank you. i think the reason why people dont say it more often is to not flood the threads with short thankyou messagess - it doesnt mean they dont think it, it is implicit.
and now a short reply to two comments on my humble photo, which made me smile:
#19 - explorish - Please shut up
subtle for sure - without knowing the theme I wonder if I would say this was about a hand - I tend to look at the horse first, probably because of the white on its nose which draws my eye straight there.
in my mind, the picture is about... hand (fingers) on the face . this is how i saw it fit the theme.
cmurph, motion blur it has indeed, as i caught it exactly in the last moment, when he was pulling his hand off .
thats it. thanks a lot all for your comments!
cheers!
The best thing about a photo is the journey that brought you to it.
#48 - hawkeye978 - An Unusual Builders Upgrade
I think this visual statement works well - initially I look at the door and then am drawn back to the hands - this in my mind is good because it is a subtle shift. The lighting and shadows seem realistic enough but it falls apart for me where the arms meet the wall it just feels too cut and paste somehow.
Thanks for hte comments, Sean, both here and in CCC. I think this whole exercise of critique has worked very well. I'm thinking it may be a good idea to put all the comments and pictures together in one document that people can review. I'm learning a lot comparing pictures and comments from everyone but its hard jumping back and forth. I'll see what can be done.
First thank you Shatch ,visualxpressions ,Hawkeye .Sherstone and Cmurph your comments on my shot were way to kind . I like others had lost some enthusiasm but this post has added much to the challenge . Most have said it much better than I can --so thank you once again . Jeff
... Or shifting and opening the perspective of the image to give a view into the rest of the room and building, other contents of the basement, a staircase, a view through a basement window...
As it is, the contents of your powerful image are isolated, orphaned, handicapped to tell us more, their story.
What do you think?
What do I think? - I think you have a window into my mind - Even though I am most certainly not as well read as you seem to be; when the image popped into my head it did indeed have more secondary information within it. In fact I had several other props ready at the sidelines. I agree with your evaluation and your insistence that the image should have pushed into that realm to complete the story.
I think why I chose not to go further is a two fold reason. First and foremost I was very careful to try and evoke a creepy and squirmy reaction but not so much so that the viewer was turned off by blood or the inclusion of instruments of torture etc... Secondly with secondary props the balance of background and subject was thrown into a place where the hands became a secondary player to the props and almost seem to upstage them, or at the very least dilute them enough to hurt the overall theme element.
Would I have been able to develop a composition to avoid the problems I ran into? Most certainly yes! Thank you for explaining and giving me even more inspiration in the process.
What do I think? - I think you have a window into my mind - Even though I am most certainly not as well read as you seem to be; when the image popped into my head it did indeed have more secondary information within it. In fact I had several other props ready at the sidelines. I agree with your evaluation and your insistence that the image should have pushed into that realm to complete the story.
I think why I chose not to go further is a two fold reason. First and foremost I was very careful to try and evoke a creepy and squirmy reaction but not so much so that the viewer was turned off by blood or the inclusion of instruments of torture etc... Secondly with secondary props the balance of background and subject was thrown into a place where the hands became a secondary player to the props and almost seem to upstage them, or at the very least dilute them enough to hurt the overall theme element.
Would I have been able to develop a composition to avoid the problems I ran into? Most certainly yes! Thank you for explaining and giving me even more inspiration in the process.
Questions for Improvement
So I seem to be getting the same feedback of my photo from everyone, about the Black and White conversion being too flat. I would like further explination as to how this happens, and how to fix it if you'd be so kind of offer up! Thanks guys!
So I seem to be getting the same feedback of my photo from everyone, about the Black and White conversion being too flat. I would like further explination as to how this happens, and how to fix it if you'd be so kind of offer up! Thanks guys!
You might try asking that question in the Finishing Shool. If you post both the color and B&W versions, I'll bet you'll get lots of help.
Your shot does lack contrast in critical areas. In particular, the water is not well separated from the face. Some of that you can take care of in the conversion, but to get really good separation in that shot you'll need to take more care in how you light the shot. Transparent object like water drops are particularly challenging to light well. To give the water drops better sepration, I would suggest relatively high contrast directional lighting on the face.
31: In the first two second after looking at this, the dominant subject is the sparks and the action that caused them, not at all the hands. It’s very hard to take an image that hasn’t been done before, but a shot very similar to this was part of one of the previous LPS Rounds, “explosive” I believe. Anyway, you might take a look in the Assignments to see if you can see some tips on how to really make great images of this subject. If Nik hasn’t done one, I think he might do one soon enough.
32: I’m glad you changed your concept to have the cards standing so they’d cast the shadow that these dastardly faces did actually cast. Makes the point. Perhaps a high contrast bw conversion would be even more forceful, making more of the good-evil of them.
33: How can we not be taken by the intent stare of those eyes? I like that you kept the fairly narrow range of tones across the image, which softens the feel.
34: This is sort of opposite of your avatar. Perhaps that was intentional? Even better had you had your mouth sort of gaping, then eyes not focused on the same thing, but not cross-eyed, and if you had scraped away less so that the edges of your face were still covered up a bit. But maybe that’s what you were going for?
35: Really, really, grabbing image. Using the dof to make such a definite choice of subjects, but leaving the face still discernible is what should have been done with the statue in entry 13. Did you do an image of the opposite choice? I’m looking forward to reading how you did this.
36: I get that it’s the face of a watch, but it just isn’t grabbing me.
37: this crop looks like a documentary shot from a castle tournament, but it doesn’t have to. You could have cropped in much tighter on some part of, or all of, the face. I’d have shot this late or early to get some shadows to accentuate the features.
38: Just like the sand shot in 37, this one is too evenly lit to give any feeling of pain that you are trying to convey. Without the title, I’m also just not sure it’s hitting home. The pose could be a bit more dramatic.
39: The title makes no sense to me. I actually looked at it a while to make sure I wasn’t actually looking at some sausage! I’m not sure if you were trying to convey the almost transparent nature of the skin, or if more contrast might show some character flaw in there.
40: I’m not sure if the haziness is your intended post-processing, or just the exposure. Neither the face nor the hand is conveying a message to me about anything or about themselves in this image. I could see her with both elbows on the desk, mouth in both hands, face up in a moment of anguish, and crop in tightly on that.
Wow this really cool. Thread seems to still be going strong.
VisualXpressions:
#46 Cool shot, I like it!
Thanks you.
cmurph
46. Cleansing - Wonderful light on this one I really like it. The composition on it is really nice as well and looks like you are off to a good second post. Congratulations on making to the semi.
I really appreciate the comments!
Sherstone
Nice lighting, very nice execution, the dirt or ink on the hand is very apparent - I really only have one main complaint and that is the position of the hand in relation to the arm, while compositionally good, just seems really awkward.
I see what your saying. I shot several images and actually most with a more neautral relaxed hand posistion. When it was said in done I just felt this image was the strongest. Although now I am not so sure. I feel the focus on fingers is too soft. After going back, that is what is bothering me the most.
Thanks for the comments...
I don't know what I was going for here... What I really wanted to show was the my take on Adam & Eve - hence temptation. Couldn't get my daughter to be Eve! hence the chain!!! And it was a late entry... The orange hue was to bring out this feeling of wanting to go get a bite of the apple, but in hindsight, which I am learning as I shoot the shot should have been as simple as I could have kept it...
Anyway, thanks to you and Sherstone who provided comments. I continue to learn everyday by hanging around this forum...
/Pankaj
82. Temptation – Not sure on the pp here or the dog choke chain around the apple. I like that you are attempting this shot as you can see that you are trying to find something fresh but with the late entry it makes me wonder if this was more about getting a shot into the contest. With that said there is a lot you can learn from a shot like this one and it may be better as a test shot rather then a final end. There is a lot here distracts with the orange motion blur to what seems like a black cloth showing under his this persons chin. The theme seems to be overshadowed by the apple so it sort of lost the hands face idea you where going for. What appeals to you about this shot? What made this one the best for you? Was this a late entry stab in the dark?
A Few More.....
41: Not enough of the face in view to see any message conveyed, in fact, what expresson I can see on the face seems on the edge of not liking the scent of the rose, or perhaps not quite wanting to touch rose to nose. Cropping, cropping cropping. Cropping out most all but the lower right quadrant of the photo would accentuate the subject.
42: I think perhaps it’s your intent. Focus draws me to the hand, but the expansive rest of the image is constantly tugging me away from the hand, only to be annoyed that I can’t see what it is. In this image, I would like to see something else in focus to balance it our and reward my wandering eyes.
43: I’m tainted by the behind-the-scenes explanation already, but I was impressed first by the clarity and sharpness of the whole hand here, so the subject comes through, rather than “fingers.” I first thought of it as a coal miner’s hands in an artistic pose. I see the artistic posing of this image, but I would love to see your result all of this setup effort done to show a traditional clasped-hands pose, or single hand, with black background. Regardless, this shot was in my top 5 for the round.
44: Can’t see the image any longer.
45: I remember seeing the original post, which was in color, and in that one the motion of the fingers was more accentuated, able to be better part of the composition. The BW conversion falls short of that, as I find almost always in converting motion shots. Instead of showing motion it just shows blur. In the conversion the background comes out not quite black. This type of image is how I would interpret the theme, but the conversion killed it for me.
46: Perfect image in a lot of ways. The lighting provides great separation from the background, the hand is clear and sharp, the dropping water in line with the arm, splash is balanced. What it lacks to me is that it doesn’t convey any emotion or message, certainly not in line with the title, thought I do see the dirty arm and hand.
47: In my top 5. Of all the images that are not conveying motion, this was my number 1. The sense of love comes through very heavily to me. You could have titled this one a number of ways, each way giving a different clue to explain the scene, yet the emotion of love would have come through to me no matter what!
48: This is a neat idea and would have worked for me except for one small thing. Whenever I see a composite, believability has to pop out immediately, and the angle of connection between the middle arm and the wall make it look like it’s floating out there, not attached. The far arm a bit the same. But for that, the image is well lit and composed.
49: A GREAT portrait, self I assume, that makes me want to learn more about you. An unexpected crop that works well for me. The background enhances it. Label on the camera is a bit offensive.
BUT, this image just doesn’t express the theme to me.
50: Another well executed portrait. The expression on the face shows concentration on something “out there.” I suppose I expect to see some frozen ice on the hat as well, even on the clothes. If the clothes and hat don’t add to the image or the title/theme, why not crop it out? That’s all that’s out of place to me. I can’t find anything about the finishing that I object to. Very nice.
Back again later, y'all! Gotta go see a man about a horse...
Thanks to all that have critiqued all of our entries. It was thoughtful for you to take on such a task but everyone I'm sure has appreciated your honesty.
I have enjoyed reading every ones as well as my own. It's cool to compare what you have said as compared to what I thought and I feel grateful to have learned so much.
#69 - KurtPreston - Furry, Lovable
Yes I agree - these critters are most certainly lovable - a face? ok I'll buy it - the green tuft in the bottom left is distracting. I wish I could see more of him/her but then any correlation to a face would be lost of course.
Hmmm, If it's right on the edge where you want to see more of the squirrel, then maybe what I should have done is to crop in tighter to the face. I liked it's hand leaning against the deadfall and maybe let that overly influence my crop decision.
Comments
~~~~~
...drat! I must teach you how to send a PM!!!
Oh well, thank you for your time and for the compliment of the other entry he was just one of the "cowboys" at the show who allowed me to take his picture.
You should have seen the one of the heavy set lady trying to get on a longhorn for a posed poloroid picture!! Had lots of people helping her but it was too soft....she was laughing so hard her face was oof
Thanks again,
Maureen
59. Concentration.... Nice capture with the tongue sticking out. This is what I notice so this one has sort of missed the theme for me. Shot seems a bit flat to me with the back ground being somewhat blah possibly to much brown here. This one needs something to make it pop out. I wonder on a bw conversion here but with the black horse this might not go over so well. I love the horses so this one of coarse I love it just wished it had a bit more punch to it.
~~~~~
Thanks for the thoughts and time critiquing the shot, Dana. It was a blah wall in the background...and I did get some of the junk out and you are right the b&w did not work and the horse was such a beautiful color I decided to go with color....had potential but guess I did not quite figure out the "punch".
Great fun at the stockshow and got lots of fun pictures....and learrned a lot from the critiques.
Thanks again,
Maureen
www.achambersphoto.com
"The point in life isn't to arrive at our final destination well preserved and in pristine condition, but rather to slide in sideways yelling.....Holy cow, what a ride."
These, apart from their individual merits, impressed me by being fresh, surprising and less predictable, while maintaining the necessary connection to the theme. Many of the other entries, while being very nice photographs by any standards, were for me too literal, too "straight", too generic, for the kind and quality of competition which LPS aspires to be. Without wishing to be obnoxious, interesting faces, children, pretty girls, closeups of hands, pets and other creatures are a-dime-a-dozen in the plethora of photo sites online. I want a photo to make me stop breathing for a moment. I want to be excited by things more layered, where the photo is the starting point not the destination. On a more congenial note, I am grateful to all contributors, both to the competition and the discussions, for creating the opportunity for me to ponder and learn and be inspired!
#9 tickleing the ivories
+ drama, excitement, dynamism, composition, technical tour de force. I want to HEAR it now!!! I want to click into the vid!!! I want to continue the experience!!!
- novel spelling of "tickling"
#16 The Collection
+ intriguing, stimulating to the eye, stylish, extremely well-achieved technically
- initial promise of a psychological story is not fulfilled
#17 One in a Million
+ brilliant conception, psychological and philosophical impact relating to our experience and ideas of childhood, especially for girls, pictorially beautiful
- right side eye has an unnatural look and placement
#51 Trust
+ lovely art media feel, tender, expressive, humane, a study of human attachment which invites meditation, post processing 100% successful. Congratulations!
- bordering on generic at first glance
#54 Got Virus
+ a contemporary gothic with associations to all the B-grade horror. Great!
- disease or dirt? Psychologically amorphous - what state is he really in? Is he the hacker or the hacked? Why does he need shades? Story is confused, can't go with it. Discomforting orientation to try to read the keyboard upside down.
#60 Heads
+ fresh conception, nice realisation of the dramatic finish to a decision left to fate, the coin has come to rest still zinging with the implications - HEADS! - they echo in our minds
- face and hand have too much of an equal value in the composition, the coin could be pushed more dominantly at us. Some motion blur might have added to the narrative.
#68 In your Face
+ the beginning of much greater possibilities and results. You are on a promising track which could lead to something unique!
http://www.behance.net/brosepix
First off, want to make sure you know I'm not implying any criticism here of your view, I believe it is shared by a great many people and it has a lot of obvious merit. But, I also want to contrast it with how I look at photos in a critical sense because I think it may lead to a good discussion
Often, I think a good especially tasty glass of milk is finer than the most complex of wines
I think the search for novel and unique, and a lot of the shots I've seen, can get too gimmicky. Unique or novel is only a small part of what I look at, and not even the most important. A tried and true subject, well handled, can take my breath away just as surely as an explosive 'my god I've never seen anyone take a shot of THAT before' can. Sometimes, I think the highest form of photographic art is taking a familiar subject and infusing a certain something, call it soul for lack of a better description, into it through a subtle lighting technique, or change of perspective or detail that turns the ordinary into WOW
Hi KurtPreston! I respect and agree with what you have said. It is very true. I place no value on gimmickry or novelty or attention grabbing for its own sake. In fact, it is a big turn-off for me. I don't believe any of the images I have referred to in my post are this kind of thing, which proves my point. I didn't wish to diminish the other entries, but to place them in the context of what LPS aspires to be - not a collection of good photographs, but a collection of extraordinary images, with all the positive connotations of that word. The subject matter and the technique are not separable. One can drive the other into different territory, but for an image to be extraordinary the territory MUST be not just different but NEW, not only to the eye but to the mind and body behind the eye!
http://www.behance.net/brosepix
My Images | My Lessons Learned and Other Adventures
T
www.studioTphotos.com
"Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons."
----Ruth Ann Schubacker
21: I think this is a fantastically creative idea. The composition hits the mark too. What I don’t like about it is that it seems over-lit to me. Making use of more natural indirect and softer light, like in number 27, would improve this. I have an idea how to do it, if you want to know.
22: A comical expression on the hound’s face. For the theme, I would have cropped in very tightly on the face to fill the entire frame with only face.
23: Sorry Aaron, but I can’t see this image..
24: I love this image. I love everything about violins, with several posters of them in my office. It was enough to discourage me from trying to improve on my own entry. I love that the dof tightly on the itty bitty pinky finger. The finish quality makes me think that it might have been a mannequin’s holding the instrument.
25: Great separation from the background, something I’ve working on in my own work. The expression and hand position tells it all. The only improvement would have been to include the entire white glove at the lower left, and to crop more of the empty space off the top.
26: Intriguing. What is the little face looking at. You can see the brain working on something. I like that the top of the head isn’t separated from the background. Lighting on the face is perfect…
27: While other portraits entered in this stand out more in the contest, I can feel the natural and relaxed vibes in this portrait. I was also impressed with how clear it was, not sharp, when I first saw it, and wondered how to do it, so thanks for telling us.
28: I’m tainted by the words in the advice thread that you put out, and I agreed with how they guided you on it. Your finished image is precious, and the pink in the background rightly adds to it. Makes it actually.
29: The image intrigues from the first look, but I spent a lot of time figuring out what exactly it was. The message doesn’t hit me. Are we remembering things past, or are we trying to blot them out? It just looks like an eerie intro to a horror movie to me. Not sure if that’s what you inteneded.
30: Once again, Awais delivers the goods. I think he belongs on Chris Johns’ team over at NGM. You should enter the daily photo over there, as you might just get discovered.
More pages later!
www.HoofClix.com / Personal Facebook / Facebook Page
and I do believe its true.. that there are roads left in both of our shoes..
E
My site | Non-MHD Landscapes |Google+ | Twitter | Facebook | Smugmug photos
Lets see if I can finish off tonight.
#41 - tamplum - Face of Innocence
For me a photo about a face should include the eyes, the window into the whole essence of a person or child in this case. The composition of this is good but for some reason my eyes keep wandering to her hair - maybe this is too tight a crop for my liking?
#42 - cmurph - The time is near
When I saw this I just had to think... This round is turning into a creep show.
I love the lighting and textures in this one, even the background is quite cool. What I am not so sure about is the main focus is so far to the left that it almost de-emphasizes it.
#43 - ifocus - Strong Direction
I was convinced that this one would be in the top 10. The tonality and strong compositional qualities make this a hard one to stop looking at. If I had to complain about anything it would be that the nails seem freshly manicured and I envision this type of shot to have a less groomed set of nails.
#44 - jstan - Frozen in Time
Lovely texture - Light is good and you have a nice balance of both light and dark in the image. I like it quite a bit. I get a feeling of cold and loneliness from it. probably because I envision this as a tomb figure.
#45 - Swartzy - The Craftsman
I saw you post the color version of this before it was converted to a B&W - I much preferred the color version that had some nice bokeh in the background that you eliminated in this version. The background added to the DOF and gave it more dimension as well as an environment. I like the composition and the story it tells.
#46 - tinfish - "cleansing"
Nice lighting, very nice execution, the dirt or ink on the hand is very apparent - I really only have one main complaint and that is the position of the hand in relation to the arm, while compositionally good, just seems really awkward.
#47 - Jet - Shes moving tomorrow; our last day together
Full of emotion and story - it almost makes me want to cry I find it so powerful. This was most definitely in my top 10. I struggled with whether I like this one or the full frame version you posted better - I love wide aspect ratio but something about the other was just as compelling. In the end I think you chose well as this put more focus on the hands.
#48 - hawkeye978 - An Unusual Builders Upgrade
I think this visual statement works well - initially I look at the door and then am drawn back to the hands - this in my mind is good because it is a subtle shift. The lighting and shadows seem realistic enough but it falls apart for me where the arms meet the wall it just feels too cut and paste somehow.
#49 - PSDude - The Photographer
The eyes make this shot - along with all the negative space. I just plain like it. Its a dual theme shot and I'm not sure if together diluted things or not.
#50 - davev - Cold
I really like this one. its just plain cold !!!! - great eyes and the ice is perfect! - the pattern in the jacket is pulling my vision away from the face though. Very strong overall.
#51 - The Curious Camel - Trust
Part of what I like in an image is simplicity - the idea and non distracting composition work well here and I am immediately sure what I am looking at - hands - this one tells a story well I think.
#52 - JillG - Ent baby
Maybe because there are so many creepy images in this round I am struck quite hard with a feeling of ewww towards this one. That screwed up puckered mouth just sends it into a weird factor for me. This does mean I like the image you have shown us.
#53 - RBrogen - Our Future Is Bright
What a beautiful daughter you have! Lighting off to the side may have given this more dimension and I'm not sure if the flowers are necessary here - but if your comparing her to a flower and it's beauty then maybe they are?
#54 - Nikolai - Got Virus?
I love this - The one eye defined by the edge of sunglasses really works well here. I love the motion and all the blackness - because I like a wide aspect ratio so much I keep wanting to cut some of the top black off.
#55 - Red Dog - Slap me five
Cute idea - unfortunately I cannot get past the technical difficulties in this one, its has soft focus and has been over sharpened. More of the human in the shot may have strengthened it.
#56 - Michael Atkins - Little Sleeping Hands
I don't mind baby shots - in fact I am very sympathetic towards them as I can put myself in the place of the proud parent or grandparent and enjoy them for what they are. Not enough of the hands are showing for me to say that this is about hands. The out of focus foreground is hard to leap over and my vision is kept trapped at the bottom of the frame.
#57 - NeilL - blood on his hands...
I stared at this one for a very long time - dissecting each and every part of it you have successfully engaged my attention there is no doubt about that. I am struck with a feeling of saying -- Now thats just plain odd -- I'm not in total awe at the sight but I do find it very engaging. After reading your thoughts behind the vision I have a totally different appreciation for it.
#58 - darkdragon - Freedom?
Very well executed image. Composition is very strong. Probably my favorite part of this is the eyes and the ear. The expression is priceless.
#59 - NanaMo - Concentration
I am betting this horse is Black not blue -- the first thing I see is blue -- past the color temperature issue I look first at his toungue sticking out which works oh so well with the title then I look over at the gloved hands not so much because they are interesting but because they are so bright, easily the brightest thing in the frame. You have lost some detail in the hands and I wonder if better exposed I would like this better. You do tell a good story with the image so technicalities aside I do get an emotional response from it.
#60 - LiquidAir - Heads
I love your visual puns! - the look on your face is priceless, oh so serious. Wonderful lighting I probably would like this better in color.
#61 - getchphoto - A little scare
Fits the creepy theme we have going - does it fit face or hands? I don't really know. The lit word grabs all my attention and the skull is a secondary subject even though it is in a power position.
#62 - JonnyD72 - King Clock
Nice blue sky - I'm feeling constricted in this one again . I want to see more of the building, taken at a different time of day with some more moody shadows probably would have made this one work better.
#63 - ulrikft - Idle Hands
Great poeple shot! The blown highlights work well in this I think, except maybe for his head. I wonder if a vertical orientation of the camera would have worked better here?
#64 - David Williams - Please help me
I envision this one with the hands within the hands being in color. I quite like the idea behind this one but the hands get lost somehow. The watch did not go unnoticed and its a nice touch. Maybe if the chair was not in the background there would have been more separation of the hand from the background?
#65 - ultravox - Frost
You tell a good story here, even the color temperature says cold and dusk. I start with the matches and follow the line to the lantern stay there for a bit and then dart over to the hand, then go back to the lantern and pretty much finish there. Is this more about a failing lantern?
#66 - annnna8888 - Innocence
I love this perspective and those are wonderful blue eyes other than the color in the bottom left I like this a great deal.
#67 - jwear - Big John
The glint in his eye keeps me engaged enough to give it a second look - in the end though its just a statue and I'm not feeling anything except maybe a little blue ;-)
#68 - kwalsh - In your Face
LMAO - very cool - the glowing ears and halo lighting are very well done.
#69 - KurtPreston - Furry, Lovable
Yes I agree - these critters are most certainly lovable - a face? ok I'll buy it - the green tuft in the bottom left is distracting. I wish I could see more of him/her but then any correlation to a face would be lost of course.
#70 - merriswell - untitled?
sorry, I don't get it... skin tones are flat. I do like the water being frozen into interesting shapes though.
#71 - Ed911 - Rocking to the hip...hip...hip di di hop
Composition is good. softness is a big detractor here. I end up looking at the monitor because that is where our eyes are directed. It doesn't fit the theme for me.
#72 - biotemp - Katie
Every time I looked at this I said to myself "I like this" - I wonder if cropping out the telephone poles on the left would strengthen things? The look on her face makes me wonder what IS she thinking?
#73 - Cuties02q - Peace
You are successful in making me look right into her eyes - something about it feels off balance to me.
#74 - Tooky - it's hammer time
I find myself noticing the photoshop filters and light vignette more than anything in this one. instead of enhancing the image I think the effects play a large role in drawing my attention away from the main subject.
#75 - Sunita - The mathematician
This is a make me smile shot - The look on his face is awesome. A little more light to bring out his eyes, (mostly the his right eye), would have been helpful.
#76 - Deboggy - "First Shoot"
Did you use a tripod here? Your shutter speed is very slow for a focal length of 100mm - ideally you would not want to be below 1/125. Increase your ISO in cases like this where you do not have enough light, your much better off with a little bit of noise than a blurry shot due to movement.
Nice smile and nice eyes, very pretty, a little wider perspective is what I am thinking here.
#77 - stirfry - Dad: An Armchair Quarterback Turned Legend in His Own Mind
Even though this one is soft, it seems intentional and works for me. I can just hear him saying go back go way back, but of course that is not going to happen.
#78 - fashiznitsngrins - Abuela Fanita
Very powerful portrait. I like the background except for the green. I am betting this was a unplanned shot so it would be impossible to plan the cloths she wore which unfortunately because of the pattern really pull my vision away from that wonderful face.
#79 - Ann McRae - Ice, Ice, Baby
I can tell its ice, If I did not know the theme I'm not sure I would see a face.
#80 - TPBinKC - Treasured moment
Overall I like this - The lighting is well done and you have captured the intended emotions quite well. Where I have issue is using a piece of art to create your own art, but thats a personal thing more than anything.
#81 - JFreeman - Dreaming the Night
You have a knack for capturing a specific mood in your images and this one is no exception. totally freaky - (Yes dolls freak me out)
#82 - pankajasundi - Temptation
I sense you are trying to hint at a story here - the areas of orange give this a very abstract and surreal feel, I just don't understand the significance of the chain.
#83 - entropysedge - Intensity
Oh yea thats intense! strange lighting and oddly enough I look at this and think -- that cat looks stuffed, even though I know a stuffed cat would not have such an intense look. I can almost see you pulling its tail to get that stare of defiance. - hehe.
#84 - bkatz - Old.....who me?
Great smile - It fits the theme but not as strongly as many of the other entries.
#85 - RBattis - The Fire Man
I am thinking there is something in this shot I am supposed to see that I do not - is there a face in the fire? in the shadows? If i treat this like watching clouds I can make out a face but thats because I'm looking for one.
#86 - Tessa HD - did you hear that?
No I didnt - what was it? I wonder if the focus is in the right place here - I want it to be on the index finger and mouth because thats where I end up looking and staying. Good B&W tonal qualities this is not flat at all.
#87-spicefish - cheers!
Yea I need a drink- thanks!
Sharper focus would have made this work better. I like the composition.
Thats about all there is...
If you have issue with anything I said then please remember I'm in no way the be all and end all of anything. I am learning things new every day and this exercise alone has helped me appreciate my own thought process and personal evaluation. Thanks for reading.
And a big thank you to all the other greatly energetic people who have selfishly contributed their own opinions.
Thank you for a honest and kind critique. I love this process. It is showing aspects of the shot, I did not see. I am appreciating all the comments both positive and negative to help me improve not only my picture taking but also my post shot edits.
Again. Thank you to everyone who posted comments. For a beginner like me, this is invaluable.
Yea, she has amazing eyes.. coulda shoulda woulda.. lol
http://www.behance.net/brosepix
http://www.behance.net/brosepix
http://www.behance.net/brosepix
and now a short reply to two comments on my humble photo, which made me smile:
in my mind, the picture is about... hand (fingers) on the face
cmurph, motion blur it has indeed, as i caught it exactly in the last moment, when he was pulling his hand off
thats it. thanks a lot all for your comments!
cheers!
Thanks for hte comments, Sean, both here and in CCC. I think this whole exercise of critique has worked very well. I'm thinking it may be a good idea to put all the comments and pictures together in one document that people can review. I'm learning a lot comparing pictures and comments from everyone but its hard jumping back and forth. I'll see what can be done.
Website: Tom Price Photography
Blog: Capturing Photons
Facebook: Tom Price Photography
Cheers,
Sunita
“PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE ‘JAZZ’ FOR THE EYES…”
http://jwear.smugmug.com/
What do I think? - I think you have a window into my mind - Even though I am most certainly not as well read as you seem to be; when the image popped into my head it did indeed have more secondary information within it. In fact I had several other props ready at the sidelines. I agree with your evaluation and your insistence that the image should have pushed into that realm to complete the story.
I think why I chose not to go further is a two fold reason. First and foremost I was very careful to try and evoke a creepy and squirmy reaction but not so much so that the viewer was turned off by blood or the inclusion of instruments of torture etc... Secondly with secondary props the balance of background and subject was thrown into a place where the hands became a secondary player to the props and almost seem to upstage them, or at the very least dilute them enough to hurt the overall theme element.
Would I have been able to develop a composition to avoid the problems I ran into? Most certainly yes! Thank you for explaining and giving me even more inspiration in the process.
http://www.behance.net/brosepix
So I seem to be getting the same feedback of my photo from everyone, about the Black and White conversion being too flat. I would like further explination as to how this happens, and how to fix it if you'd be so kind of offer up! Thanks guys!
You might try asking that question in the Finishing Shool. If you post both the color and B&W versions, I'll bet you'll get lots of help.
Your shot does lack contrast in critical areas. In particular, the water is not well separated from the face. Some of that you can take care of in the conversion, but to get really good separation in that shot you'll need to take more care in how you light the shot. Transparent object like water drops are particularly challenging to light well. To give the water drops better sepration, I would suggest relatively high contrast directional lighting on the face.
31: In the first two second after looking at this, the dominant subject is the sparks and the action that caused them, not at all the hands. It’s very hard to take an image that hasn’t been done before, but a shot very similar to this was part of one of the previous LPS Rounds, “explosive” I believe. Anyway, you might take a look in the Assignments to see if you can see some tips on how to really make great images of this subject. If Nik hasn’t done one, I think he might do one soon enough.
32: I’m glad you changed your concept to have the cards standing so they’d cast the shadow that these dastardly faces did actually cast. Makes the point. Perhaps a high contrast bw conversion would be even more forceful, making more of the good-evil of them.
33: How can we not be taken by the intent stare of those eyes? I like that you kept the fairly narrow range of tones across the image, which softens the feel.
34: This is sort of opposite of your avatar. Perhaps that was intentional? Even better had you had your mouth sort of gaping, then eyes not focused on the same thing, but not cross-eyed, and if you had scraped away less so that the edges of your face were still covered up a bit. But maybe that’s what you were going for?
35: Really, really, grabbing image. Using the dof to make such a definite choice of subjects, but leaving the face still discernible is what should have been done with the statue in entry 13. Did you do an image of the opposite choice? I’m looking forward to reading how you did this.
36: I get that it’s the face of a watch, but it just isn’t grabbing me.
37: this crop looks like a documentary shot from a castle tournament, but it doesn’t have to. You could have cropped in much tighter on some part of, or all of, the face. I’d have shot this late or early to get some shadows to accentuate the features.
38: Just like the sand shot in 37, this one is too evenly lit to give any feeling of pain that you are trying to convey. Without the title, I’m also just not sure it’s hitting home. The pose could be a bit more dramatic.
39: The title makes no sense to me. I actually looked at it a while to make sure I wasn’t actually looking at some sausage! I’m not sure if you were trying to convey the almost transparent nature of the skin, or if more contrast might show some character flaw in there.
40: I’m not sure if the haziness is your intended post-processing, or just the exposure. Neither the face nor the hand is conveying a message to me about anything or about themselves in this image. I could see her with both elbows on the desk, mouth in both hands, face up in a moment of anguish, and crop in tightly on that.
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and I do believe its true.. that there are roads left in both of our shoes..
VisualXpressions:
Thanks you.
cmurph
I really appreciate the comments!
Sherstone
I see what your saying. I shot several images and actually most with a more neautral relaxed hand posistion. When it was said in done I just felt this image was the strongest. Although now I am not so sure. I feel the focus on fingers is too soft. After going back, that is what is bothering me the most.
Thank you for the critiques.
"Life of Riley" Photography
www.lifeofrileyphotography.com
I don't know what I was going for here... What I really wanted to show was the my take on Adam & Eve - hence temptation. Couldn't get my daughter to be Eve! hence the chain!!! And it was a late entry... The orange hue was to bring out this feeling of wanting to go get a bite of the apple, but in hindsight, which I am learning as I shoot the shot should have been as simple as I could have kept it...
Anyway, thanks to you and Sherstone who provided comments. I continue to learn everyday by hanging around this forum...
/Pankaj
82. Temptation – Not sure on the pp here or the dog choke chain around the apple. I like that you are attempting this shot as you can see that you are trying to find something fresh but with the late entry it makes me wonder if this was more about getting a shot into the contest. With that said there is a lot you can learn from a shot like this one and it may be better as a test shot rather then a final end. There is a lot here distracts with the orange motion blur to what seems like a black cloth showing under his this persons chin. The theme seems to be overshadowed by the apple so it sort of lost the hands face idea you where going for. What appeals to you about this shot? What made this one the best for you? Was this a late entry stab in the dark?
http://asundi.smugmug.com
41: Not enough of the face in view to see any message conveyed, in fact, what expresson I can see on the face seems on the edge of not liking the scent of the rose, or perhaps not quite wanting to touch rose to nose. Cropping, cropping cropping. Cropping out most all but the lower right quadrant of the photo would accentuate the subject.
42: I think perhaps it’s your intent. Focus draws me to the hand, but the expansive rest of the image is constantly tugging me away from the hand, only to be annoyed that I can’t see what it is. In this image, I would like to see something else in focus to balance it our and reward my wandering eyes.
43: I’m tainted by the behind-the-scenes explanation already, but I was impressed first by the clarity and sharpness of the whole hand here, so the subject comes through, rather than “fingers.” I first thought of it as a coal miner’s hands in an artistic pose. I see the artistic posing of this image, but I would love to see your result all of this setup effort done to show a traditional clasped-hands pose, or single hand, with black background. Regardless, this shot was in my top 5 for the round.
44: Can’t see the image any longer.
45: I remember seeing the original post, which was in color, and in that one the motion of the fingers was more accentuated, able to be better part of the composition. The BW conversion falls short of that, as I find almost always in converting motion shots. Instead of showing motion it just shows blur. In the conversion the background comes out not quite black. This type of image is how I would interpret the theme, but the conversion killed it for me.
46: Perfect image in a lot of ways. The lighting provides great separation from the background, the hand is clear and sharp, the dropping water in line with the arm, splash is balanced. What it lacks to me is that it doesn’t convey any emotion or message, certainly not in line with the title, thought I do see the dirty arm and hand.
47: In my top 5. Of all the images that are not conveying motion, this was my number 1. The sense of love comes through very heavily to me. You could have titled this one a number of ways, each way giving a different clue to explain the scene, yet the emotion of love would have come through to me no matter what!
48: This is a neat idea and would have worked for me except for one small thing. Whenever I see a composite, believability has to pop out immediately, and the angle of connection between the middle arm and the wall make it look like it’s floating out there, not attached. The far arm a bit the same. But for that, the image is well lit and composed.
49: A GREAT portrait, self I assume, that makes me want to learn more about you. An unexpected crop that works well for me. The background enhances it. Label on the camera is a bit offensive.
BUT, this image just doesn’t express the theme to me.
50: Another well executed portrait. The expression on the face shows concentration on something “out there.” I suppose I expect to see some frozen ice on the hat as well, even on the clothes. If the clothes and hat don’t add to the image or the title/theme, why not crop it out? That’s all that’s out of place to me. I can’t find anything about the finishing that I object to. Very nice.
Back again later, y'all! Gotta go see a man about a horse...
www.HoofClix.com / Personal Facebook / Facebook Page
and I do believe its true.. that there are roads left in both of our shoes..
I have enjoyed reading every ones as well as my own. It's cool to compare what you have said as compared to what I thought and I feel grateful to have learned so much.
Thanks, and peace to all. gail
Hmmm, If it's right on the edge where you want to see more of the squirrel, then maybe what I should have done is to crop in tighter to the face. I liked it's hand leaning against the deadfall and maybe let that overly influence my crop decision.