My review of this weeks exhibits; Bus 58 by Antonio J. Cid Vega I like this shot. I enjoy candids such as these although it can be considered an intrusion. The motion outside of the bus windows makes this image work, had their been even more blur, I think the affect would have been even more dramatic. I would have cropped the left frame a little tighter. '39 Chevy by Greg Frasier Another good image. Form is strong without any loss of continuity in the shapes. The title finishes the image, but is unnecessary. A few hot spots on the chrome in the grille, but this does not distract to much from the overall blending of shapes and line. Cropping choices appeared intelligent and effective. Lausanne, Place de l'Europe, October 2002 by Christiane Roh This is a nice image to view, there are several elements that draw your eye. Composition is working as well. I do not come away with a "focus" to the image, a street scene but no focal point to anchor your imagination. I do like the image, and feel it has beautiful quality. A slow shutter would not have worked although it would have been an interesting experiment. Exposure is surprisingly accurate and this for me, held the image together. Waterlillies by Scott Thurmond A fine art image that possesses a strong element of interest in the stark contrast of grays and reds and whisper of reality. I felt lost in the foreground, there was not enough complimentary areas of strength. A profound strength in the upper two thirds of the image but the lower third, on the left felt weak. The area provides the clues in the reflections that could have provided the support, but there was not enough impact in those reflections. I felt I was filling in the strength needed from my own desire to see the image continue to succeed. The right foreground is a good example of that support. Playing Dress Up by Marilyn Dalrymple Good exposures, no unwanted shadows. Eye contact is strong, comp is strong. I wonder what a solid and bold red hat would have done for this image as the one the model is wearing is lost. I also wonder what a little softness in the face would have added to the image? I must apologize, I have never been too interested in model photography and do not feel my contributions in this area have any real value but I did not want to simply say "no comment." Milko Chua This has potential, but I feel the image has several issues that weaken it. It is stark and the comp blocks the image from speaking to the viewer. The horizon is not straight, for me, a distraction when the subject is shot straight on such as this image. There should be purpose to the downward drift occurring on the left, I don't see one. The subject is strong, using the foreground reflection was good idea, but the photographer would have found more success by getting higher, rather than lower. This would allow some sense of completion in the reflection. Yet, this is not what my feeling suggests, the artist was trying to achieve, I get a sense of intent in the angle. This image would have lent itself quite well to format allowing tilts and rises. Piccadilly Circus by Andrey Ivanitsky Tilt down. The upper portion is allowing the viewer to become lost, forcing a return to the foreground. It appears the CCD was pushed beyond it's limits. The image is very busy, the car becomes the central point to expand from, but the bag pipe player or the pedestrian standing against the railing is where my attention wants to be. Ibex by Deen Hameed I am not sure if the color balance was intentional, it appears that it was, but only as a suggestion not as a clear aspect of the overall artwork. The comp feels good but the redness in the shadow area under the neck of the dominant animal seems odd, and the tail of the second Ibex appears more like a beard for the other. Hip Hop by John Lee A very cute image. It's unfortunate the background could not be softened more but the image works and the comp's central theme does not pose any distractions. I enjoyed the look of inquisitiveness of the rabbit. The image possesses a middle gray value over all and this could be considered the only real limitation of the image. Here is where the b/w is the problem. Had this image been color, the green would have filled the art's frame, and then there would have been a splash of gray to contrast the overall single color of the surrounding environment. The pathway the rabbit is "hip hop"ing on, may have added a third color for touch of variety. Don't Go To Sea, Daddy by Christopher Strevens There are some strong elements here and a little weakness. I think it's in the foreground, there is not enough for me to feel it's contribution. Maybe a tighter crop? I do enjoy the placement of the boat, hence the "think" part of my above comment. It's hard to place a boat, this shape that fills and then quickly comes to a point of finality into a frame and have the rest of the image contribute. Maybe moving to the left and having the people and the boat fill the image would have given more strength to the overall composition. It also would have given the viewer only the back of the young boy next to the boat, and for me, would have given more credence to the title of the artwork. Thanks to everyone of this chance to talk about your work. It's not easy. Take care, Gregory david Stempel FIREFRAMEi m a g i n g
