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Mini Challenge #171 - the results
Alans Grin
Registered Users Posts: 346 Major grins
I would like to thank everyone who took part – I’ve really enjoyed seeing all the images and appreciate that “candid” photos of people, especially of strangers or those not expecting to be photographed, is not the easiest type of photography for some of us and certainly true for me. In that regard every submission deserves an award in my book. But alas, a winning image and two runners up must be chosen.
To make it easier, I down selected to 10 photographs including the winners. Trust me when I say I found that really difficult given the entries.
For those who have not yet done so – Judging is harder than you might think and there are many great shots outside my selection of 10.
Untitled-1.jpg
Before I present the final three, I would like to comment on two of the above that I’ve not selected as finalists simply and only because I feel the need to.
GrandmaR – The scratching the bum shot is very good, I love it and it is the kind of human nature shot I hoped would be included by someone. Although I hold to my original “content” more than quality statement, the head in the foreground is unfortunately very much part of the content. Nevertheless, and despite it being a semi-artificial situation (re-enactment, people expecting to be photographed etc), this photo showing some very basic human nature, i.e. the type of thing which we know we all do when no one is looking, provides a humorous image in which the setting and costume actually adds to it. It is just a shame like so many of these things you get an arm or a head in shot just at the wrong moment. However, in my view it is very well observed with a keen eye and great timing.
ShootingStar - Patience, Patience... she will get bored...
For me this is a lovely shot of the little girl and the dog together. It caught my eye immediately, but in particular the long suffering expression on this dog is absolutely fantastic and for me the dogs expression really makes this photo interesting and a delight. Priceless!
On to my first 3 selections …
3rd Place – Looking – By Billseye
Not only has this image got fantastic quality but I love the tranquil feel of what I believe to be a mother and daughter sat with a shared moment contemplating this work of art together. A tender parenting moment beautifully captured. Some might say this picture could be posed, but I know several excellent "candid" and "street" photographers that spot a location like this and sit and wait for the moment when the right people simply arrive to add to it. I suspect this may be the case here. Lovely shot.
2nd Pace – Lost Soul in Florence – by Pixelpeeper
The picture has several elements which I really enjoy and for me makes it strong both in terms of “candid” and “street photography”. It has the human nature aspect of getting lost, something we’ve all done at some time, but perhaps unexpected from a figure that many would associate with wisdom and providing guidance. The very friendly policewoman with the gun next to a man of the cloth provides a degree of juxtaposition somehow that I can't quite put my finger on. To an extent I agree with a recent thread poster that a picture should work without a title and I think this does, but I also have to say in this case the title also gels it into a story.
1st Place – Looking Goood! - by Earache
Firstly I must confess that possibly some will not like this image simply due to its fragmentation. I like the effect. I’m also intrigued as to how it was taken – I suspect into a panelled mirror reflecting a walkway with its mirrored backdrop. I think it adds extra interest. However this is not central to my choice. I love the photographer catching this guy checking himself in the mirror – possibly inspired by the attractive young lady in front. Human (or at least male!) nature exposed perhaps. He has notes which are important enough to try and read whilst walking, but not as important as checking himself out! Why? I like that fact (possibly) that the lady in front seems to have caught the photographer in the act – how does she feel about that? How does the photographer (Eric) feel about that? I also like that the whole thing is observed by the second lady at the back – what does she think? Small details add to it like the synchronised footwork links the leading pair a little. For me – and I stress “for me” this is a photo well seen and captured and asks questions of the viewer and the viewer asks questions of it. Too deep, perhaps – but I find it engaging.
My apologies to anyone not mentioned – there are many great shots.
Over to you Eric - well done.
Alan.
To make it easier, I down selected to 10 photographs including the winners. Trust me when I say I found that really difficult given the entries.
For those who have not yet done so – Judging is harder than you might think and there are many great shots outside my selection of 10.
Untitled-1.jpg
Before I present the final three, I would like to comment on two of the above that I’ve not selected as finalists simply and only because I feel the need to.
GrandmaR – The scratching the bum shot is very good, I love it and it is the kind of human nature shot I hoped would be included by someone. Although I hold to my original “content” more than quality statement, the head in the foreground is unfortunately very much part of the content. Nevertheless, and despite it being a semi-artificial situation (re-enactment, people expecting to be photographed etc), this photo showing some very basic human nature, i.e. the type of thing which we know we all do when no one is looking, provides a humorous image in which the setting and costume actually adds to it. It is just a shame like so many of these things you get an arm or a head in shot just at the wrong moment. However, in my view it is very well observed with a keen eye and great timing.
ShootingStar - Patience, Patience... she will get bored...
For me this is a lovely shot of the little girl and the dog together. It caught my eye immediately, but in particular the long suffering expression on this dog is absolutely fantastic and for me the dogs expression really makes this photo interesting and a delight. Priceless!
On to my first 3 selections …
3rd Place – Looking – By Billseye
Not only has this image got fantastic quality but I love the tranquil feel of what I believe to be a mother and daughter sat with a shared moment contemplating this work of art together. A tender parenting moment beautifully captured. Some might say this picture could be posed, but I know several excellent "candid" and "street" photographers that spot a location like this and sit and wait for the moment when the right people simply arrive to add to it. I suspect this may be the case here. Lovely shot.
2nd Pace – Lost Soul in Florence – by Pixelpeeper
The picture has several elements which I really enjoy and for me makes it strong both in terms of “candid” and “street photography”. It has the human nature aspect of getting lost, something we’ve all done at some time, but perhaps unexpected from a figure that many would associate with wisdom and providing guidance. The very friendly policewoman with the gun next to a man of the cloth provides a degree of juxtaposition somehow that I can't quite put my finger on. To an extent I agree with a recent thread poster that a picture should work without a title and I think this does, but I also have to say in this case the title also gels it into a story.
1st Place – Looking Goood! - by Earache
Firstly I must confess that possibly some will not like this image simply due to its fragmentation. I like the effect. I’m also intrigued as to how it was taken – I suspect into a panelled mirror reflecting a walkway with its mirrored backdrop. I think it adds extra interest. However this is not central to my choice. I love the photographer catching this guy checking himself in the mirror – possibly inspired by the attractive young lady in front. Human (or at least male!) nature exposed perhaps. He has notes which are important enough to try and read whilst walking, but not as important as checking himself out! Why? I like that fact (possibly) that the lady in front seems to have caught the photographer in the act – how does she feel about that? How does the photographer (Eric) feel about that? I also like that the whole thing is observed by the second lady at the back – what does she think? Small details add to it like the synchronised footwork links the leading pair a little. For me – and I stress “for me” this is a photo well seen and captured and asks questions of the viewer and the viewer asks questions of it. Too deep, perhaps – but I find it engaging.
My apologies to anyone not mentioned – there are many great shots.
Over to you Eric - well done.
Alan.
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Comments
Thanks for the mention and 3rd place, Alan. My shot was indeed a candid - caught while wandering around the Getty museum in LA. I've always wondered about the coincidence of the (as I also assume) mother and daughter wearing colors referenced in this wonderful piece of art.
Check out billseye photos on SmugMug
Great work participants! There are so many excellent entries this round (congrats to Bill and pixelpeeper) - I am surprised to be selected and I do appreciate it.
I will post the next topic ASAP - I want to study the list of previous mini-challenge themes to see if there is one worth re-visiting, or give thought to a
new idea that will hopefully interest y'all Dgrinners.
For anyone interested, and to answer some of Alan's questions, I'll relate the backstory:
The location of my entry and the following images is on the campus of the University of California - San Diego (UCSD),
on a day when transferring students were touring campus for orientation. The building is the Geisel Library.
There is indeed a "gauntlet" of parallel mirrored windows, seen at mid-ground below, and I was shooting from
the top of one side - where the shrubs are - it's a multi-level facility.
It was Saturday, and the Library actually was closed, but the visitors were curious and a few moments earlier they had tried to have a look inside.
I don't think they saw me, and I certainly feel dang-lucky to have seen them on that day!
Thank you also for the mention, but I think you give me too much credit as I didn't see the bum scratching until I got the prints back. When I'm taking pictures, I tend to not actually see what I'm taking the photo of because I'm concentrating on focus and framing and all that. I took a photo in a workshop once and my husband looked at the photo and said "How do they get to the upper room". They had built a storage room on top of another room, and there were no stairs - just an open door. (They used a ladder to get up there.) I had totally not seen that when I was there.
The other thing I'm sorry about WRT that photo is that it was taken with a film camera as I was just starting out with digital and was using both alterntely.