Hi, everyone. It has been a while since I did one of these. In the meantime, I not only met a photographer I felt was on equal par with me, I married her! And then, we were blessed with a (hopefully) future photographer named Natalie. OK, enough about current events. Here's my views of this week's Gallery. And a grain of salt to take it with. --> . ----- ------- ----- "Brasilicereus Phaeacanthus" - Marilyn Dalrymple Marilyn, I really like this image. The muted colors, the obvious grain, the composition. It is a well-done emulation of film photography, whether or not that was the intended effect. The black space comprising the background is just enough, not too much, not too little, to provide a ground against which the figure resides. I only wish the tips of the leaves of the foreground flower were included, in which case the entire composition could have been rotated just slightly in order to achieve balance. Great job here! ----- ------- ----- "Live Oak" - Don Roberts This is a very interesting shot, Don. Like you, I prefer multiple exposure in the camera. Perhaps the availability of such a feature among digital cameras will become more prominent in the near future; it is one of the reasons why I still prefer film when I shoot in the studio. Of note in this photograph is the starkness of the near-black trunk set against the pale grass and foliage dominant in the background. My initial response is to suggest the inclusion of the entire tree, but on second thought that seems like it would detract from the "solidness" depicted in the image you have posted. Keep experimenting with this technique! This isn't quite a masterpiece, but I think you're on the right track. ----- ------- ----- "MIT entrance" - Emily L. Ferguson Emily, this is a refreshing change from what I've seen from you over the last few segments of time. While your previous submissions seemed to be less about photography and more about "what do you think of this as a branding tool?", this photograph is really well done, steeped in structure and balance. Correcting the pillars' tilt (an operation invisible to me) may have been a saving grace, as it provided the tension the image needed. With the perceived "heaviness" delicately balanced around the frame's center, all it needed was some element of fragility around which to rotate. Add the human figures at the image's nexus, and you have it. Bravo! ----- ------- ----- "Down Stairs" - Mark Harris I could fill a book with all of the spiraling staircase photos I've seen. While this example is technically good, and while I am particularly fond of the Ponce Inlet lighthouse, I feel like it falls short somewhat as an innovative image. Perhaps it could have been improved by the use of some form of human element in different places to give a sense of scale, or, for example, as a color photo with different color gels used on each level to provide some visual interest. Tripod the camera and have someone ascend carrying a lantern over a 2-minute exposure... You have done good work, Mark, but unfortunately this one isn't among your best. ----- ------- ----- "Solo" - Jim Snarski Jimmy, the only real nit I have to pick is that I feel the image would be greatly strengthened by the transposition of the plane and foliage; the aircraft is flying out of the frame, which causes a great deal of unbalanced tension in my mind. The otherwise barren landscape is ideal for this kind of shot, though, and you have managed to get an accurately exposed photo out of it. As an alternate to the image... I would have liked to see the biplane closer to the camera, so that you could see the details and contours of its planforms. But I'm just talking with a keyboard here. The idea of a small plane against such an empty space speaks volumes on its own. So in that respect I'm going back and forth, without any definitive conclusion. But I would still like to see the plane and foliage transposed. ----- ------- ----- "Abandoned Factory Beacon" - David Small Wow, David! This is really a great photograph! Reminiscent of August Sander's work, you have incorporated the human form and machinery in such harmonious contrast that I have to admit I am duly impressed. I have no complaints about the image. Exposure and composition are immaculate. I can't believe I am so enthralled at seeing an image which features another guy's butt. Cathy and I assure you it's completely aesthetic. ----- ------- ----- (untitled) - D.L. Shipman Dave, this is the type of image which ultimately coerced me into moving back to Florida, my native state, in 2002. I would have liked to see a bit more saturation in the colors of the sky in the background; that would have made this photo really pop. The composition works well, although the right side of the palm tree being cut off sort of bothers me. The starfield looks pretty good, but there are a few areas where a more pointillistic effect would work wonders, in lieu of the "jpeg-blur" evident in the posted version. ----- ------- ----- (untitled) - Linda Buttstead The intermingling of background and foreground elements creates a strong visual dance, if you will, in this image, Linda. I'm not sure how much post-processing went into this, but it seems to suffer a little from an overall lack of sharpness. There are three main competing forces here: foliage, rock, and water, but none seems to claim an advantage over the other two. I think that may be the only downfall of the photo; should one be granted the privilege of being the (capital-S) Subject, the strength of the final image would be greatly increased. ----- ------- ----- "Squaw Rock Wall" - Bob Sull Welcome to the gallery, Bob. As far as I know this is the first time I've been given the honor of critiquing one of your images. In this case, it is a fine depiction of texture; a sign of a good photograph is one that evokes one of the other four senses, in which case this does, at least for me. I can actually feel the rocky surface just by looking at it. From a purely visual standpoint, though, it isn't really that intriguing. Had there been some singular point of interest (a frozen spring's icy stalactites, for example) punctuating the image, it may have been more visually arresting. Outside of the scope of this gallery, I can visualize all kinds of possibilities (e.g. I could see this as one-third of a triptych) for this photo. As a stand-alone image, however, there seems to be something missing, despite the arduous trouble you went through to acquire it. ----- ------- ----- "grinnin tuloum" - Trevor Cunningham A whimsical nod toward the personification of inanimate objects. I like it, Trevor. Did you place the palm frond there, or was it already in place? Either way, the photo is as the photo is, and it is done well. I might have liked to see a touch more contrast in this one. Composition is nicely done, and the exclusion of societal or atmospheric context was well managed. I'm sure there are those who would find all sorts of political "meaning" or otherwise statements in this, since it happens to be a mosque. But for me, the image is what it is. And I would certainly give this one approval. And a smirk of my own. ----- ------- ----- I want to thank all who participated in this week's Gallery, whether by contributing images or by offering critiques. Looking forward to the ensuing discussions, I remain Yours very truly, Darin Heinz Melbourne, Florida USA
