The next best thing to being in the gallery this week was reading your review of the images. Thanks for taking the time; your positive comments are appreciated. Lea ----- Original Message ----- From: "rand flory" <ferret@wyoming.com> To: "List for Photo/Imaging Educators - Professionals - Students" <photoforum@listserver.isc.rit.edu> Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2003 12:01 PM Subject: Thoughts on PF members' exhibits 03-22-03 > 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 > > > >
