Forumeers and Distinguished Collogues, Here are my thoughts concerning the PhotoForum member's gallery/exhibit space updated on 22 March 03, now on display at http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery.html . This was the best week in a long time, as ALL of the photographs touched me in some way. D.L. Shipman: “Herons, Venice rookery” http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/shipman.html What a wonderful shot! Shipman has created such a beautiful juxtaposition of the two herons. The cropping is almost perfect. The balance is perfect. The colors are very good. I really like this image. The square composition works really well. It gives the flavor of a medium format camera, which psychologically implies “professional image.” I was surprised to see that it was shot with a D60, other than it looks like D60 color. There is something very distinct about the outdoor color in Canon’s D30/60 series cameras. But it is something that I like. David Small: “Attack Gull” http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/small.html Evidently not wanting to be type cast, Small is venturing bravely out into the world of nature photography. And he does it with great success. This image has all the feeling of Hitchcock’s “The Birds.” Doubtless, drawing upon his years of experience where he learned, as Louis Pasteur said, “In the field of observation, chance favors the prepared mind," Small captured this gull beautifully as it was swooping down on some poor victim. The light was right, the gull was right, and Small was there. Bravo! Greg Fraser: “Sunflower” http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/fraser.html A master of composition, Fraser has done it again. This man seems to be able to find beauty wherever he looks. And he seems to always to looking. This image took guts! A black-and-white photograph of a flower is almost a 21st century anathema! What a creative inspiration Fraser is. This is a photograph that needs to be examined closely and appreciated on many levels. Peeter Vissak: “How syrreal is the World!” http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/vissak.html Continuing the theme of black-and-white, Vissak a strange, but aptly named photo. When I first looked at this image, I thought it was unbalanced. All the weight is on the left and the right seems strangely barren in comparison. But then it hit me. That’s the point! The silhouetted trees, unnaturally communicating with each other are purposely grouped and counterpointed with the emptiness on the right. Surreal. Remarkable. Bob Talbot: “St. Abbs Harbour” http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/talbot.html A study in color. A study in of three-dimensional display. A study in balance. An advertisement for St. Abbs Harbour. A beautiful picture. Talbot, ya done good. Lea Murphy: “Loic” http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/lmurphy.html What a cutie! Murphy has captured here one of those priceless expressions that everyone who has ever photographed children wishes they had done. And she has done it with technical finesse as well. A very good job! At least with this picture, the thumbnail did not lie about the camera used to define the image. Don Roberts: “Vase at Sunrise” http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/roberts.html Roberts presents us with one of the most interestingly beautiful images of the week. I love the shadows on the vase. They add interest to what was just an ordinary object. It’s not perfect, as I would like to see a little more space on the left, and perhaps on the top, but Roberts did well by seeing and capturing the image. Considering the difficulty he had in capturing and correcting the photo, this is a superb effort. Jim Snarski: “The Violinist” http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/snarski.html Another priceless expression. This is a family album keeper that parents and grandparents will appreciate for years. The cropping and background blur work very, very well. I don’t know what the original image was like, but Snarski, not content to let well enough alone, continued his artistry with post-capture tools to create what he saw when he looked at his granddaughter with her birthday present. Rand Flory: “The Flower” http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/flory.html Stupendous! Beautiful! Magnificent! A masterpiece! Oh…wait…it’s mine. Forget what I just said. A few things to note about the creation of the picture: First, it is a Canon D60 shot, but indoors the “D60 color” is not so evident. Secondly, the problem (or perhaps the beauty) of the Canon cameras (and perhaps all digital cameras as well) is the detail in the shadows, but that detail is only evident in print. For some reason, that detail is not well seen when viewing on a monitor. The shading on the left leg, under the arm and flower, is there on the print. It translates okay to the view screen, but it is more interesting in the actual print. Lastly, I took one shot over the model’s shoulder. Same flower, same legs, same arm. Boring, very boring. This is much more interesting. How come? I put this image in this week because no one at my class commented on it when I turned it in (but they are all over 40). Even if you don’t review the whole series, I would appreciate some kind of feedback. Gregory david Stempel: “Night Light” http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/stempel.html I like this one, even if it does look like it is upside down. It works better this way. I kind of wish the lights had not been cut off like they were, but it is still an interesting arrangement. And like Flory’s “The Flower” above, I suspect the print would show much more detail in the shadows. King/Arthur: “Close In” http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/kingarthur.html While King/Arthur’s “style” of Photoshop fixing is not usually my cup of tea, the strength of this image supercedes the post-imaging changes. The older lady on the left has become the object of the photograph by means of the lines of the buildings on the right, and somewhat on the left. She is also the point of focus. Now we have an object to focus our attention, rather than a blur of distracting color. Once that attention is focused, the rest of the image falls into place around it. This works really well. As my instructor is so fond of saying: very good work. I am now waiting for more. Jimmy Harris: “Tex-ASS” http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/jharris.html Now that’s what I call a “grab” shot. J Do those young fillies walk around that way, or do they just do that temporarily for effect? This is the kind of shot I would almost expect out of Small’s street collection. Thanks to everyone who submitted images for review this week. It was a most remarkable collection (with the possible exception of Flory’s image). Thanks also to Andy and his RIT crew who labored to put this week’s edition together. Peace, rand ferret@wyoming.com
