First photo post

Spotzo · March 10, 2012

Hi, y'all. This is the first picture I've submitted for review:

Any comments?

David_S85 · March 10, 2012

Nice B&W conversion, but... what is it? Why did you shoot it? And what is in the background?

Spotzo · March 11, 2012

David_S85 wrote: »

Nice B&W conversion, but... what is it? Why did you shoot it? And what is in the background?

It's a view upwards into an old windchime. I shot it because I thought it might be interesting image, and maybe engaging as the viewer tried to figure out what it was.

Snowgirl · March 11, 2012

Spotzo wrote: »

It's a view upwards into an old windchime. I shot it because I thought it might be interesting image, and maybe engaging as the viewer tried to figure out what it was.

Yep - it was a challenge trying to figure out what it was for sure. Welcome to DGrin!

goldenstarphoto · March 11, 2012

Tried to figure out what it was for a couple minutes before I scrolled down and saw the answer. So you were successful in engaging my mind. Which my wife would say is definitely a challenge.

Spotzo · March 11, 2012

Thanks!

Moving Pictures · March 11, 2012

Reading the other responses, it seems that my own reaction was the same - I had no clue what it was. I think that while you had the right idea in trying to make us think, the answer was less than obvious, and therefore you may have missed your mark. Solution here, then, is a bit more aperture to give a better depth of field.

Spotzo · March 11, 2012

Moving Pictures wrote: »

Reading the other responses, it seems that my own reaction was the same - I had no clue what it was. I think that while you had the right idea in trying to make us think, the answer was less than obvious, and therefore you may have missed your mark. Solution here, then, is a bit more aperture to give a better depth of field.

Thanks! Maybe a little TOO much mystery.

bbjones · March 11, 2012

It really ends up functioning as an abstract, which can be great. I like the contrast of the fine detail in the lower circle with the smooth bokeh of the upper circles. To me, the upper circles are pretty bright, which keeps pulling my eye up there. I think bringing them down in intensity a little might help -- probably the Lightroom gradient tool or brush would pull that off nicely, though there are certainly other ways, too. Also, to make the most of the contrast, the texture in the lower circle should be super sharp. A tiny bit deeper DOF would get that whole circle in good focus, while keeping your bokeh.

For reasons that I do not understand but tend to believe, odd numbers of things in composition generally seem to make good pictures. You've got that pretty well, with the one central lower circle, and the two smooth light areas at the top. Pulling that extra chime (I'm guessing that's what it is, based on the comments) on the right side out of view might make the composition even stronger.

Good stuff! I like the originality in what you are looking for!

billseye · March 11, 2012

Some background: I'm not a professional photographer. Don't even play one on TV. Just a long time enthusiast. There's a thread going on over in the Dgrin Challenges forum about what "constructive critique" can/might/should look like. Your post was presented by one paricipant as a place to demonstrate/practice meaningful critique.

So... My opinion may not be worth the pixels it's displayed with, but FWIW...

Count me among those who couldn't identify it (beyond the mysterious wooden disc).

I'm generally attracted to abstract images and B&W conversions. Particularly because an abstract image can focus attention on aspects of composition and technique without the bias sometimes created by the context of the subject matter.

In this shot I think the tonal range of the conversion is good. Not too much or too little contrast. The OOF areas are interesting and capture my attention, although I'd say there's a lot of non-descript highlight area in the upper right. The wooden disc provides an interesting ambiguous context (if you don't know what it is related to the windchime). To the extent that it's a mystery, it's a bit large and central in the image for my taste. I wonder what moving it a bit more left might do. It's also just a bit soft (perhaps from it moving in the breeze during the exposure?).

I think overall the photo is an intriguing, but slightly flawed, image with the potential to be improved with a few tweaks. Welcome to the forums. Check out the Challenges forum - there's lots of learning and cool stuff in that forum with a friendly and diverse group.

Richard · March 12, 2012

Welcome to the asylum

. There are some interesting elements in this but for me, it doesn't quite come together as a whole. I see a piece of wood, but I don't know what it is. The sphere in the upper left looks disconcertingly like an eyeball to me, which gives a creepy feeling to the whole image. The bright area on the right is completely unrecognizable though, and because of its brightness, it commands attention without really contributing. To work as an abstract it would need a tighter composition.

I hope you'll take all this as helpful advice. Keep shooting and keep posting.

Spotzo · March 12, 2012

Thanks for the feedback. In looking over my own picture with what has been said in mind, I think they're some very valid points. It should have been cropped tighter, or maybe abandoned and something else chosen. Oh, well...

Rob Douglas · March 12, 2012

I was thinking along the lines of the end of a base ball bat. Nice concept, definitely engaging.

First photo post

Comments