Hi, everyone! I'd like to take a minute to apologize on behalf of my ISP... After ten days of being in the dark, I finally regained my Internet connection. As such, I totally missed last week's exhibit. I invite all who submitted work to the gallery last week to send me their photos as an attachment via my personal e-mail so that I may be able to critique, as the PF Exhibit does not feature a picture archive of any sort... I will then post my comments to the List. This week looks like another full collection. Here goes... ----- ------- ----- "A Naifa in concert" (Mário Filipe Pires) Mário, even though I minored in Anthropology, I don't know what "fado" is... nonetheless, the image is what I'm after. And this one looks great! Specifically, I love the way you portrayed the tension in the musicians symmetrically; they are both stretching back, obviously feeling the strains reverberating through the air. Catching the moment like that, the blue light on his face and edge-lighting her back, the warm glow over both, his hand illuminated in dazzling highlight, this image really works for me. I can almost hear the music! The only thing I wish was different about this image is the high contrast created by the deep shadow from her shoulder down. Other than that, the composition is perfect, and the dark background does well to simplify the image and keep me focused on what is really going on. Superb! ----- ------- ----- "Twin bridges over the "La Cure" - A negative view" (Guy Glorieux) Guy, at first glimpse, this looked like a straight print. I am familiar with Loengard's book, and you have done well to emulate his style. Structurally, the image is well-balanced, even though it is off-center, and the intrigue created by the negative image is enough to keep me gazing, looking for all of the details presented. As a proponent of chemical-based photography (as opposed to digital), and paper negatives in particular, I can appreciate this image all the more, whether it is a product of digital means or not. A strikingly good photograph (which, by the way, looks better, IMO, than the positive version). Well done. ----- ------- ----- "... like ski slopes..." (Renate Volz) Renate, I'm having difficulty matching the image to the title, but then, I'm a Florida boy. Never been skiing in my life, except on water... as for the photo itself, it's clean. It's sharp. It's up-close and personal, as they say. But for me, it is a little lacking in originality. Had you been able to implant a skier of some sort into the image, preferably seamlessly, it would have made a more powerful statement visually than it does in this case, which relies heavily on the title in order to make a connection. Otherwise, the technical aspects are dead-on; exposure and focus (including depth of field) cannot be improved upon, although the lighting may be just a tad harsh, easily correctible by the use of a low-density scrim. Composition is great, too, as the camera angle and viewpoint are right where I'd put them, were I commissioned to making this image. ----- ------- ----- "Tower" (Qkano) Bob, all I have to say (initially) is "What in the world?" Abandoned fort? Abandoned by whom? The Lilliputians? The depth of field, the incongruent textures, and the well-defined regions of color all work to make this an interesting, if not incomprehensible ,image. This is really well done; I find myself being pulled back in to look at it, to make some sense of it. Reminiscent of the "Eyeball Benders" feature in every issue of "Games" magazine, I'm feeling a headache coming on as I wrack my brain trying to figure it out. So, in the interest of circumventing undue cranial pain, I concede to just looking upon it in a fit of childlike wonder, and tell you that you nailed this one in a technical sense. And ended up producing something I'd like to see as part of a series, possibly entitled "What the hell is it?" ----- ------- ----- [untitled] (Emily L. Ferguson) Emily, I really like this image. Perhaps it is the allure of the dreamlike combination of water, wind, and sailcloth which brought me back home to this coastal town that makes me feel like part of the photograph. Or it could be your mad skills with regard to exposure and timing. The slow billowing of the sail in conjunction with the obviously rapid motion of the boat makes this photo work really well. The patch of sunlight adds a gossamer feel to the tactile qualities here, along with smooth sky, and rippled water. Exposure is near-perfect, and the close cropping should bother me, but it doesn't. A "wicked good" photo! ----- ------- ----- "Judgement at Pebble Beach Concours" (Steve Shapiro) Steve, all I can say is that it's a good thing these aren't fashion-show judges. The car looks fantastic; a great capture of the reflective quality of the fenders, and the overall otherworldly look of the automobile. It is a somewhat humorous photo; these guys are gawking at this beauty like it's some surgeon's convention... The weather wasn't working for you this day. the sky is a blown-out white, and the lack of contrast created by the overcast sky lends nothing but heartache to a detailless hood (bonnet for you in the UK) and cowling, which could probably use a bit more contrast. Depth of field seems to be a problem here, too, as the "noisy" crowd, structures, and trees serve as little more than a distraction from "where the action's at". ----- ------- ----- "Flame" (Laurenz Bobke) Laurenz, although the contrast/exposure/focus is right on the money, this image falls a little short for me. Had you not mentioned it was Fukuoka, I'd have thought it was shot in your living room. Or mine, for that matter. If there's something intrinsically fascinating about the image (doesn't have to be exotic; remember Weston's peppers?) that's fine. In this case, you've cropped in so tightly, the sense of place is gone, and my initial reaction is to think "OK, cool. Candle from Pier 1 Imports. Move on..." ----- ------- ----- "Industrial" (Jeff Spirer) Jeff, there's something seriously haunting yet beautiful about this image. Three thoughts come to mind immediately, but separately: 1) Orwellian Big Brother; 2) adolescent memories of being afraid that the Soviets would invade and this would become my world; 3) a ribcage, skeletal fragments, and neurons running chaotically, but precisely. This is really a wonderful juxtaposition of disparate but connected objects. The curvature of the fencetop, stout poles, delicate but taut wires, and a mottled sky. The components of the image are repetitive, but individual, and the lack of detail in silhouette pull the viewer into a sense of foreboding, of being trapped by the artifacts of modern society. But then, the convergence of the elements somewhere off the bottom of the frame help to think escape might be possible... Great job! ----- ------- ----- "Going Out Tonight" (Morley Roberts) Morley, although I like the uninhabited (no sign of life anywhere, not even in the sky) yet anticipatory (hatch is open) feel of this image, as well as the exotic locale (rocky wharf, mountains in the distance), there seems to be something missing. Perhaps an air of mysteriousness could have been lent to the image by shallowing up the depth of field and getting in closer to the boat rather than shooting it broadside from something of a distance. Capture the feeling of not knowing what the night has in store, and/or portray the flurry of activity as deck hands work furiously to prepare for the evening's work. Unfortunately, for me this image says less about "going out tonight" than it does "Available now on Ebay, fishing boat, currently $18,001. Bid now!" ----- ------- ----- Disclaimer: the views expressed in this e-mail message are opinions of Darin Heinz based solely upon years of experience among the photographic community. Don't worry, Darin likes you even if he verbally trashed your work. ;-) Looking forward to continued discussion about this work and photography at large. Yours very truly, Darin Heinz Melbourne, Florida USA
