Hi everyone. I apologize for my absence of late; there have been some really good works in here, and I regret that I was unable to spend enough time to write reviews which would be worthy of the images. But now I've cracked the knuckles, rolled up the sleeves, and poured a fine strong cup of coffee. Here goes. ----- ------- ----- "Time" - Jeff Spirer Jeff, first off, I'd like to commend you for an outstanding photograph. Everything works well here. The four gentlemen are seen as a team, yet all exhibit some sort of exclusivity, whether by age, demeanor, or wardrobe. >From a technical standpoint, contrast here seems a little high, but it adds to the gritty feel of the photo's context. Even the title alludes to journalism (the magazine), the timeless quality of the image, possibly even the manner in which the intervals of the contest's segments/rounds are defined. As a side note, I believe this to be a highly marketable photograph, whether as stock or decor. Nicely done! ----- ------- ----- "Foggy Morning" - Renate Volz The tranquility of the locale is further underscored by the presence of fog. Everything is heavy here: the moisture in the air, the Spanish moss pulling the tree branches down, the riverbank apparently sliding into the water. The overall image is somewhat reminiscent of an Impressionist painting. The composition looks pretty good; even with the framing device (branches), there is really nothing to frame. The empty space is a little too big. Otherwise, everything looks good: proper exposure, depth of field, etc. Thank you, Renate, for submitting this. ----- ------- ----- untitled - Herschel Mair Herschel, there are so many things I like about this one. The shallow depth of field and composition promote this from a portrait to a story. The man and goat are sharply focused, and it is almost possible to see his history in the lines of his face. By including the heads of the men talking to him, the viewer is less of a voyeur (of sorts) and becomes included in the group. The desaturated color add to the feel; had this been shot on Velvia, for example, the sense of unfolding story would probably be lost. It's too bad for the goat, however. Then again, the poor creature attained what so many others never will: the fifteen minutes (or in this case a week) of fame... ----- ------- ----- "Night over the city" - Guy Glorieux Ahh, Montreal. A great city, full of diversity, progress, and culture. Guy, you selected a wonderful, albeit logistically difficult vantage point. Composition is as near to perfect as I would ever want, and you nailed the window of opportunity of the time of day. There's enough blue light in the sky to keep it from swallowing up the top of the frame, but dark enough to warrant the dizzying array of lights. Mercury vapor, sodium vapor, tungsten, fluorescent, neon... they all contribute to an endlessly unfolding patchwork of color. The broad reflections on the water form a good balance to the point lights throughout the rest of the image. I'm somewhat curious about the delineation in the sky and again in the water about 40% of the way from the left of the image to the center, and am thinking that it was residual from the stitching process. Just a little distracting, that's all. I am unsure why I am wanting to see the full version; this could mean either it's so alluring I want more; on the other hand maybe I feel like the small version isn't satisfying some visual need. Again, unsure why... ----- ------- ----- "Olive Trees" - Andrew Brooks Andrew, the visual interest in this is unending. The repetitive image of squiggly trees reminds me of Van Gogh or Dali, and is hauntingly beautiful... The sun burning through the tree to the left is an interesting touch, as it prevents the photo from flirting dangerously close to monotony. The down side to that, however, is that it blew the contrast between branches and sky, which is what really strengthened the image. This might or might not look better in b/w with a bit more contrast added. A great shot, nonetheless. ----- ------- ----- "Dark Edges" - Mark Harris The wonder of this photo, Mark, is in the identification process. You've incorporated a high level of abstraction, yet the tangibility of the image is such that you have, in essence, also bridged the gap between reality and imagination. On a technical note, I believe this would have been better with more attention to contrast. It's overall a muddy gray; the background could be pushed to a solid black, and the highlights raised a bit to provide more of a sense of texture. ----- ------- ----- "Fall racing" - Emily L. Ferguson Emily, you managed to capture the action well here. The splash of water, the lines of tension in the pilot's body and in the boat's rigging. My initial reaction was that the sepia seems a little out of place, though, at least in my mind (possibly because I have always equated sepia with slower times), and created a somewhat adverse effect on the contrast. But after looking at it again, I kind of like it. The pinpoint highlights in the water make this magic, and it was really well framed. Something about the horizon persists on bothering me, and I think that if it weren't parallel to the bottom of the frame, it should be so skewed as to be obviously intentional. Besides all of these considerations, I like the (quasi-?) handwritten signature at the bottom of the frame. Your signature style is stretched out, at a tilt, and goes linear at the end; all of this complements the subject matter (concept) and angularity of the elements (tangible). Nice job! ----- ------- ----- "I'm Leaving" - Jim Snarski What first struck me, Jim, is the composition in this one. Very nicely executed, especially given the brevity of the moment at hand. Of particular note is the negative space created by Alice's raised wing and Ralph's back and neck (I always imagined at some point Alice would have had enough and left Mr. Kramden all alone). The visual positioning of the two leaves nothing to be desired, and the diagonal created by the tops of the pilings provide just the right amount of balance with the two pelicans. The lack of background clutter (clouds, trees, etc.) define the subject(s) perfectly. Plus, the title, although not part of the image, per se, adds a touch of humor, which is certainly welcome in my world. On another note, I'd like to point out that this is a god example of why all those arguments (Film vs. Digital, Nikon vs. Canon, etc.) are pointless. It's not the equipment that makes the difference; it's the operator's ability to use what s/he has to work with. Outstanding! ----- ------- ----- OK, that's about it for this week. Thanks to all contributors (verbal and visual) and I look forward to the next exhibit. Yours very truly, Darin Heinz Melbourne, Florida USA
