Since this is far easier than matching photos in the 'Personal Style' gallery, I will attempt a gallery review of the images found at http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery.html. Dan Mitchell (Mill and Pond) - The trees in this image are so long and slender that a quick glance makes me think the aspect ratio of the original image has been altered but closer observation shows a normal aspect ratio. Interesting effect though. I find the composition interesting in that on the left the trees, foreground foliage and clouds are bigger than on the right. If you cover half the image and flip the cover between the two halves, you get really different images. Perhaps this is the two sides of Dan like when you cover half a portrait. Or is it Dan's subconscious portrayal of his love/hate relationship with East Anglia and the way corporate society has cleared away the old to make room for the new. Veli Cigirgan (A view from Sirkeci Train Station, Istanbul.) - What I find interesting is how the person in the photo prevents my eyes from traveling back towards the vanishing point. If there was no person and pile of backpacks (aside from making a dull photo) my eye would have been led back into the photo. The walls are topped with repeating round windows and the walls themselves are lined with doors and squares made up of rectangular bricks. All the repeating patterns tend to break up the strong perspective and also go well with the bunch of backpacks which are also repeating shapes. I also like the lighting and how it forms highlights on the woman's arms and legs. Nice photo. Greg Fraser (Los Thomas Tea Room) - This scene is from a restaurant in which I normally have Sunday breakfast. It was recently renovated and this diamond shape is a porthole in an interior wall. On the wall behind the diamond (and just below it) is an exterior window. Through the window one can see the life size statue of Jumbo the Barnum & Bailey circus elephant who was struck and killed by a train in my town way back when railways were important. This was shot with ASA 3200 film which produced the abundant grain. Motti Heller - Aaaaaaaaaa! Motti I really like an image that has a strong effect on me and this one takes the cake. I can only look at it for about 4 seconds before I start falling into the monitor. Jeff Spirer has an awesome image that splits my eyes apart when I look at it but this effect is faster. I like the simple composition though. Dan Reeves - The road in the woods is quite a common subject but this was has rich, velvety color that I like. Also there is an 'X' formed where the left side of the road goes up to meet the tree line of the trees on the right. The right side of the road does likewise with the trees on the left except instead of the tops of the trees its the light/shadow line. The sky is also an interesting shape. This is a lot more than a shot of a road in the woods and I can imagine the print is spectacular. Pini Vollach (Santorini) - Love the shapes and the cool colors. They remind me of the set of 'Pingu' the penguin. The lighting is fabulous but I'm wondering about the thick black border. Why such an oppressive frame around such a light image? It makes me feel sorry for the photo like a beautiful caged, wild animal (the photo, not me). I don't know what kind of frame or border I would put on it. Ernst-Ulrich Schafer - There are so many little splotches of leaves and most of them are out of focus almost giving this image an impressionistic feel. I wonder if I would prefer it to all be out of focus. I have to ask myself why does the blue equipment on the right have the richest color of anything in the image? It, and the white tent(?), are certainly distracting me from the lavender and I prefer to look at the wheelbarrow. I get the feeling I'm missing some glaring point as I often do. John Edwin Mason (Abandoned Drive-In Theater, Bardstown, Kentucky) - Are you sure that's a drive-in and not a ship? Either way I like the image very much. The soul of a once mighty ship rolls on waves of trees. Lines that strained under yards of sail, hang free in Virginia breeze. Her day has come and gone. Now jets soar o'er her bow. Alan P. Hayes (Burning Bush) - This past week I have been trying to understand your images. This one appears to be rather simple technically speaking (and I may very well be way off on that) and it looks similar to many of the images you have entered in the gallery. Then there are the technically very complex images like your family self portrait. The two seem to be opposite ends of some spectrum. This image reminds me of a night shot of some large predator with glowing eyes. Perhaps its the red sign warning me to stop. What feeling or impression do you get from this image Alan? Richard Cooper (I Lost It) - I found it. It was in last week's gallery wasn't it? Is this a gallery error? Was last week's image a gallery error? Can I no longer trust the gallery? Can I trust anyone? When will the voices in my head LEAVE ME ALONE! King/Arthur (Chance Encounter) - Another 'X' picture although this 'x' is more pronounced than Dan's what with the placement of the people and the paths. At first I wasn't too impressed with this image but then I noticed the horizontal stripes at the right edge of the image that direct my attention towards the left and the vertical stripes along the top whose 'v' shaped bottoms lead me to the child playing in the dirt. Then I noticed the people at the left seem a bit out of place since they're not looking at the cherub playing below them but the I noticed I can easily follow their gaze to the couple at the right who lead me down to the boy who plays at the center of the cosmic 'X' that pervades this image. The second child is carefully hidden to draw attention from the 'X' boy. A very clever combination of elements that almost traps me into this bright, almost Polaroid photo. Jay Abriam (All weapons ready!) - Sunday warriors eh? Or perhaps Saturday. The light standards don't really help me enjoy this photo - specially the part one on the right. The riders seem kind of dark. Are you sure the flash fired? You notice the person under the flag is looking opposite to everyone else? I would prefer to see more of him. To me, his looking back while everyone else is looking forward is the most interesting aspect of the image but as it is there is too much non-rider stuff like the lights and the second flag that water down the image. Thanks to all contributors this week - Greg Fraser http://users.imag.net/lon2251/Gallery
