A review of pictures in this week's gallery at http://www.rit.edu/%7Eandpph/gallery.html
Greg Fraser - Coaster
If less is more, this is too much. If intended as a graphic image accentuating line and form, there is too much of both. If I try to follow the tracks I'm distracted by the vertical white uprights, and they lead my eyes straight out of the top of the frame.
Cropped like this: http://www.richmason.com/fraserC.jpg the image works much better compositionally for me.
Are there people riding in the cars, or is it a dry run?
Shawna Hanel - Concern
I really like this one as an environmental statement. The slow shutter emphasizes how these windblown bags ended up in the tree, as well as what an environmental disaster they are. Communities around the world have taken action to ban these processed petroleum products. Read a good story here: www.juneauempire.com/stories/050503/sta_grocerybags.shtml
The only problem I have with this particular picture is the tree in the right background which could have been eliminated with a slightly different camera angle, or (Egad!) a little Photoshop work.
Fletcher Jernigan - Geometry
Balls! Balls, I say! Fuzzy balls. With sharp edges. And unsharp centers. What's up with that? I think the selection tool used when eliminating the background in the editing program could have had a little more feathering so the edges weren't quite so distinct and the rest of the picture sharpened a little. Other than that I like it, even if it does seem a little unnatural.
Dan Mitchell - Ascent
A look up some old stairs. Interesting that supports are used to keep the structure rigid. Too bad that these same supports detract from the geometric feeling of the picture. The mixed lighting is also confusing to me. The pincushion distortion so evident at the top of the frame is troubling as well--a tighter crop would disguise some of that as well as using a higher grade lens.
Would be a great subject for a view camera at dusk when the lighting was more evened out.
John Warner - Morning, between E. Harding and Cocking
Reminds me of a W. Eugene Smith photograph--minus the children. A pedestrian, or something silhouetted on the road, would have given this very pleasing photo that little extra something. Nicely seen, regardless.
Alan Zinn - "Mama" by Louise Bourgeois
An OPA picture (Other People's Art)
Well, let's hope you weren't in the Sculpture Gallery to make this one or the photo police might be after you:
"Visitors can photograph the beauty of the Gardens, but those taking photos should check at the admissions area for guidelines and policies. Professional photographers must comply with restrictions and fees when shooting photos for commercial use. Call 616-975-3146 for more information.
Photography is not allowed in the Sculpture Gallery."
http://www.meijergardens.org/generalinfo.htm
Scott Thurmond - Keeper of the Door
Another OPA picture. What can I say...
Bob Talbot - Cantona
Very nice. One so often sees pictures of boats with nothing but water or nautically related items in the frame--this picture is refreshingly different. I would be tempted to crop even further than Bob has here--a little off the right removing the shadow in the water, and a bit off the bottom removing most of the slack water and slightly soft focus in the foreground: http://www.richmason.com/talbotC.jpg I think this would help accentuate the scale of the land in the background.
Ideally, I would like to have seen this picture made from a slightly higher viewpoint with a little more water showing behind the boat, and the background fully under the shadow of a cloud, but how often do we get our ideals?
Thanks to contributors and the Gallery staff.
Rich
