#31 - Opening moves

MarkR · August 19, 2009

So the challenge made me think of "opening moves", and after spending waaaaay too much time setting this up, I got the shot, but I'm not sure about the treatment. :dunno (Sorry about the wonky numbering scheme -- I'm going by the export file # to keep them straight.)

#5 The Sicilian Defense

#9

#8

#10

Tango · August 19, 2009

I prefer #1

.. I dont go for the plural in your title.... "moves"

but you are using "The Sicilian Defense" right?

MarkR · August 19, 2009

AaronNelson wrote:

I prefer #1

.. I dont go for the plural in your title.... "moves"

but you are using "The Sicilian Defense" right?

By #1 do you mean #5?

Yeah, I like "The Sicilian Defense" as a title, even if it is slightly obscure.

Tango · August 19, 2009

yes....

dlplumer · August 19, 2009

I think you should have used a Ruy Lopez opening vs. the Sicilian defense. Of course that would require you to play white.

Katmitchell · August 19, 2009

Hi Mark..

My vote is for #9 in your series..

It gives us more contrast

The yellow and brown are not contrasting well, and the monochrome shot has too much grey and not enough contrast either. The shadows in #9 are less distracting too..

You might consider some selective blur on #9 with the blur brush to direct our eyes to the finger and piece that it is on by further blurring the outer areas and pieces that are already blurred.,...

You might also selectively sharp with the sharp brush on the tip of the finger and the piece it is on too... Just a little to add emphasis..

It may or may not look good, but you might try it...:D

Kat

Tylwydd · August 19, 2009

Another vote for #9 here... Much prefer the tones and the contrast in this one.

adbsgicom · August 19, 2009

+1 on #9.

whiterice · August 19, 2009

Nicely done Mark. I struggle between #9 and #10. Though I agree that #10 doesn't have as much contrast and a whole lotta grey midtone.....something about it just seems more classic, more fitting to chess. Maybe just a slight curves adjustment??

My favorite part about these images.....the angle you shot from, creating the angled chess board and squares.

MarkR · August 19, 2009

Submitted for your approval, #9 version two (31-9v2, for those following the nomenclature)-- upped the contrast, tried to draw more attention to the black piece being moved, and added the vignette for #5.

@whiterice -- you're right about the angle. It took me a long time to find one that looked natural and dynamic AND suggested what was going on, all at the same time. Actually it took me a long time to figure out that for this to work I needed to turn the board around ...

@Kat, there is now subtle sharpening on the finger and the piece, perhaps too subtle

but I think the vignette draws the eyes to the action better, I hope?

@Dlplumer, my Chess game is reminiscent of Holly's from the TV show Red Dwarf. You know, "prawn takes horsie."

Katmitchell · August 19, 2009

So not fair Mark,,, We gotta keep scrolling back up to compare it to the one without the vignette

Can ya post em side by side pretty pleazzzzzzzzz..:D

MarkR · August 20, 2009

Katmitchell wrote:

So not fair Mark,,, We gotta keep scrolling back up to compare it to the one without the vignette

Can ya post em side by side pretty pleazzzzzzzzz..:D

Well, since you said "pleazzzzzzzzz":

#9

#9v2

divamum · August 20, 2009

I really love the concept behind this shot; I saw it in the gallery before you posted it as a thread, and it made me think for a second before going "AHA!! OPENING MOVES!" and is a brilliant take on the theme (word play geek... moi??!!)

In any case of these two I prefer the one with the vignette (I also like the BW version).

Great job!

Katmitchell · August 20, 2009

Thanks Mark..

I have a question.. Why in the one with the vignette did the finger get blown out on the tip? Just wondering what caused it..

My vote is with the original due to the finger blowout... I dunno, the vignette helps to draw our eyes to it, yes, but then it also brings out the strength in all of the other shadows too, and I am not sure that is a good thing because those shadows distract from the main subject...

so original for me..:D but perhaps others will disagree,

I dunno.....but that's my best take on it....

Kat

MarkR · August 20, 2009

Katmitchell wrote:

Thanks Mark..

I have a question.. Why in the one with the vignette did the finger get blown out on the tip? Just wondering what caused it..

My vote is with the original due to the finger blowout... I dunno, the vignette helps to draw our eyes to it, yes, but then it also brings out the strength in all of the other shadows too, and I am not sure that is a good thing because those shadows distract from the main subject...

so original for me..:D but perhaps others will disagree, I dunno.....but that's my best take on it....

Kat

I also increased the contrast somewhat which caused the finger and the white pieces to get lighter and darkened the shadows. I'm of two minds about it -- I think it gives it a sort of film-like look, but also miss some of the details in it.

Here's one with a vignette but without the added contrast: (31-9v3!)

Katmitchell · August 20, 2009

Ya know what?

Now that you brought my attention to it.. I see where the added contrast blew out some of the detail on some of the white pieces too..

I would say be careful on the contrast boost.. You can selectively add contrast with dodge and burn and a light pressure brush if you get to missing it too much..? but I think the finger getting blown out is not good.

In the end you may have to go with your gut on this Mark. Such subtle changes, but they sure can make all the difference sometimes huh?

Kat

Katmitchell · August 20, 2009

I say go with this one 31-9v3 or the original

Kat

MarkR · August 20, 2009

@Kat,

I am absolutely awful at judging my own work after a certain point. Like Prufrock of the poem,

"And time yet for a hundred indecisions/ And for a hundred visions and revisions/ ... For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse."

Thank you for your input!

I'll make a decision eventually ...

Katmitchell · August 20, 2009

You and your theater.. you always loose me when you talk poems HA:D
I kind of gloss over..ya know..

Sometimes, when in doubt, and if your just not loving it right off the bat, then a re-shoot can help, that is what I always do anyways, even if it is just to give myself options when I am stuck...

After all, at least you can "rest easy" that you have a "finished entry" right here already that looks good....

I have to say I am accustomed to seeing several entry options from ya.. your usually a rebel without cause shooting a little bit of everything..:D and we gets lots of diverse choices from ya..:ivar

Kat

Kinkajou · August 20, 2009

I vote no vignette.

I do like the shot a lot, and I think that the vignette just darkens it too much... The shot has a little bit of a natural vignette and adding a vignette feels like it's cramping the space in a way. It almost makes it so that there is almost too much going on in the shot, but I can't see everything that's going on because it's dark, and I know there's stuff there so I want to see it!

Don't know whether that any makes sense at all, but I guess I'm just trying to say that the vignette stresses me out

The shot is great. Bonus points for creativity!

MarkR · August 20, 2009

@All: Thanks everyone for the feedback

My final entry is up. And I'm not changing it again, despite my "hundred indecisions."

@Kat -- took LOTS of different pictures, but this was the only one I ended up liking.

I'm not THAT indecisive. Although I do think that the next challenge should be a SOOC poetry interp of J. Alfred Prufrock.

whiterice · August 20, 2009

Kinkajou wrote:

I vote no vignette.

I do like the shot a lot, and I think that the vignette just darkens it too much... The shot has a little bit of a natural vignette and adding a vignette feels like it's cramping the space in a way. It almost makes it so that there is almost too much going on in the shot, but I can't see everything that's going on because it's dark, and I know there's stuff there so I want to see it!

Don't know whether that any makes sense at all, but I guess I'm just trying to say that the vignette stresses me out

The shot is great. Bonus points for creativity!

No vignette. Not needed here....your composition very nicely focuses the viewer without the vignette - no need for that trick in this case.

divamum · August 20, 2009

MarkR wrote:

@All: Thanks everyone for the feedback My final entry is up. And I'm not changing it again, despite my "hundred indecisions."

@Kat -- took LOTS of different pictures, but this was the only one I ended up liking. I'm not THAT indecisive. Although I do think that the next challenge should be a SOOC poetry interp of J. Alfred Prufrock.

Oh, dude, bring it ON ("I have heard them singing each to each...." muahahahahahaha)

Katmitchell · August 20, 2009

MarkR wrote:

@All: Thanks everyone for the feedback My final entry is up. And I'm not changing it again, despite my "hundred indecisions."

@Kat -- took LOTS of different pictures, but this was the only one I ended up liking. I'm not THAT indecisive. Although I do think that the next challenge should be a SOOC poetry interp of J. Alfred Prufrock.

Good Luck Mark, wishing you all the best on your entry..

Alfred Prufrock? HAHA.. you lost me there..

You really get into this poetry stuff.. so do you write?

Come on, lets here you put the stress of editing a photo into poetry

Katmitchell · August 20, 2009

divamum wrote:

Oh, dude, bring it ON ("I have heard them singing each to each...." muahahahahahaha)

Now this is no surprise..

rofl

I think we have a drama Queen and King on our hands now.. oh help us..

huh

MarkR · August 20, 2009

Kat,

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, by TS Eliot, is one of the greats ... and like all great poetry you don't have to understand it to enjoy it.

Of course, what'd be really fun is a poetry interp of a piece I woo'd my wife with: Richard Brautigan's Romeo and Juliet.

travelways · August 20, 2009

I personally think that #5 and #8 are the closest to the natural colors.

- Your entry is one of my favorites - wonderful idea and interpretation of the theme!

I see that you changed it already and yes, in the second one the white balance is better
than the original (on my screen)

- Well, I don't know exactly what tone of white is the "white" (light) wood, but looking
at the finger, the skin looks natural on both you current entry and the #8
(maybe even better on #5 which I think it's actually your current entry...)

divamum · August 20, 2009

MarkR wrote:

Kat,

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, by TS Eliot, is one of the greats ... and like all great poetry you don't have to understand it to enjoy it.

Of course, what'd be really fun is a poetry interp of a piece I woo'd my wife with: Richard Brautigan's Romeo and Juliet.

How very Brautigan...

J Alfred is one of my very faves. The Waste Land wears me out (or makes me laugh - the footnotes in particular are always good for humour value), and the Quartets never quite resonated with me, but I do adore Prufrock.

But not as much as I adore pretty much the entire output of John Donne...... There ya go: we can have a Sonnets challenge (illustrate your favorite sonnet as a photo... or would it have to be fourteen photos?!

)

MarkR · August 20, 2009

photo-bug wrote:

I personally think that #5 and #8 are the closest to the natural colors.

- Your entry is one of my favorites - wonderful idea and interpretation of the theme!

I see that you changed it already and yes, in the second one the white balance is better
than the original (on my screen)

- Well, I don't know exactly what tone of white is the "white" (light) wood, but looking
at the finger, the skin looks natural on both you current entry and the #8
(maybe even better on #5 which I think it's actually your current entry...)

Tatiana, #5 is probably closest to "correct" colors, but #9 I find more pleasing. Given the choice, I'm going with more pleasing.

#31 - Opening moves

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