Hi everyone! I'm back in the swing again, hopefully for good. Many things have happened with me, some good, some bad, mostly wonderful. Here's my take on the 5 August 2006 gallery: Marty Kerins Jr. - Calm before the storm Marty, The first impression I got of this image was feeling like I was there. Not "out in a boat" there, but in more of a "house or other shelter looking through a window" there. Such is one of the many effects of panoramic photography; the high ratio of one side's dimension to the other tends to remove it from becoming a shared experience between the photographer and viewer. That being said, however, I will say I really like the composition here, which would be impossible, or at the very least difficult, to achieve with some other format of photography. All of the elements merge as strips: the cloud layer engulfs the top third of the image, the water dominated the bottom third. Clear-ish sky, mountains, and a point of land all vie for the middle. This clash/tension/all-out war among the competing elements adds to the feel of the looming and impending storm. Had you tipped the camera up or down even half a degree, it may easily have been a lost cause. Exposure looks great, and the only think I would have wished for would be a lighted buoy or some other small colored element to add a touch of color to a largely monochromatic pallette (none presented itself, and I commend you on shooting it as-is); barring that, I would be interested in seeing this as a b/w image. You did a great job with this one. Trevor Cunningham - So, now what? I like this, Trevor. "So, now what?" does fit the image. I wonder, though, if he's saying something like "five bucks says he's gonna try to trade the camera..." In all seriousness, though, I like the way you've caught this moment which went unnoticed by the vast majority of the world's population. Three main segments of the photograph: a wall and a window which could be just about anywhere; people hanging out on a short stone wall; a camel who appears to be dancing. Crop so only one of these segments is visible, and you have three very disparate images. Combined, though, they tell a detailed story. Of particular interest is the interpersonal relationships of the three people seated. The woman and boy look largely disinterested, but the man seems to be attempting to engage the boy in conversation, possibly futilely. Nobody seems to care that the camel, who dominates the frame more than anyone else, even exists. This photo works for me because it is both intriguing and amusing. Composition is great, though perhaps cropped too closely to the woman's foot, and the exposure looks good, despite a slight lack of detail in the shadows (under the man and on the boy's face). Also, you timed this shot well, something I myself have a hard time with doing. Nicely done! Guy Glorieux - Memento mori Guy, I was initially oblivious to the background elements; the figurine commanded all of my attention. I love the relief details (the pits and blisters), as they really drive home the feeling of great suffering and misery, and even of being forgotten. Even the apparently overcast sky lends itself to this feeling as well, something of an antithesis of sunshine and happy days; had it been a sparkling sunny day, a great deal of the feeling would have been lost. I am also looking at other elements of the image which may have gone somewhat unnoticed, like the ground surrounding the statue. It is hard and unforgiving. But there are trees, and flourishing life, but they are isolated from the immediate subject by cold lifeless stone. Whether this was intentional or not, I cannot say, but I certainly can appreciate it. Fantastic work here with the technical details; even though the background is overexposed a bit, I believe it works to promote the image rather than be a detriment. Cathy Morrison-Heinz - Cathy, my Love, I'm going to try to ignore the blatantly obvious bias here and discuss this image as objectively as I can. ;-) I believe you nailed the intensity of the moment wonderfully. The concentration on the trumpeter's face (OK, OK, yeah, that's me) creates a scenario in which the photograph can almost be heard. A moment before or after would have lost some of its tension. Depth of field is good; if I were the one shooting, I might have shallowed it up a bit, but it still works. The lighting went a little dark on the jacket, but at the same time, it is a good rendition of "the musician playing just outside the limelight", so it really depends on the statement you are trying to convey. Composition was well-done, just enough string to wrap the package; in the same breath I might suggest the bell of the trumpet be visible, just to see what it looks like... [insert priveleged insight comment here for the PF members] Cathy did a PhotoShopped version of this which really blows this one away. She punched up the edge lighting on the sleeves, and added some other highlighting and color; you'd swear I was in the middle of a concert... D.L. Shipman - Hi, Dave! This image is as foreign to me as is Trevor's! You've got colorful dancers in a rough circle and a piano player in the background, all of whom look like they should be on stage; instead they're in some sort of arena, as out-of-place as a swimsuit calendar in the church vestibule. Unless, of course, you know the context in which this story unfolds. You did a great job with the exposure and depth of field. Cropped just a wee bit too closely for my taste, it effectively portrays action and festivity. It's bold (bright colors, even a tattoo on the one woman's arm), yet reminiscent (century-old wardrobe, raw ground underfoot). I imagine this was an intermission-type setting, and quite possibly forgotten by those who attended the "outdoor sporting event" that day. A well-done photograph, indeed! Steve Shapiro - Odello Long Barn Steve, what jumps out at me the most with this panoramic is the uncharacteristically-likable converging of lines at the ends. Your composition works really well in providing the essence of the subject (yep, it's a lo-o-o-o-ong barn!). Inclusion of the farmhouse (?) at the far right really works well to establish exactly what it is I am looking at. Its placement and that of the other incidental objects works well, also. Of particular note is the flowering shrub in the foreground and the timbers to its left. They are far enough to the left in the image that they do not distract from the house, and at the same time break up some of the monotony of the repeating-image quality of the barn. On another note, the overall image looks a bit tinted to me (not exactly b/w), and upon seeing this, I have to wonder how it would look, alternatively, in sepia. Finally, I like the way that you signed the image, fairly small, and out of the way in otherwise dead space. This adds a touch of authenticity to its presentation, and would not be beneficial on every photograph in the world, but I believe it works very well in this case. ----- ------- ----- To those who submitted work this week, I would like to thank you. To those who keep the discussions going, thank you for your input. To those who just sit there viewing work and reading the conversations without getting involved, I want to say "What gives, huh? Get to it!" My 1/50 Quid. I look forward to your replies, and it's good to be back! Yours very truly, Darin Heinz Melbourne, Florida USA
