Hi again, everyone. For those of you who submitted photographs last week, please accept my sincerest apologies for not having the time to conduct a proper review. I am reminded once again that time has an intermittent, but nasty, habit of escaping. If you like, you can send me your posted photographs (off-list!) this week, and I will dedicate a few minutes for a critique. As for current events: ----- ------- ----- "Doc Watson" by Roy Miller Roy, I noticed right off that there is a certain amount of blur to this image. It doesn't look like a focus issue (no one point is sharp), nor does it appear to have been the "fault" of camera shake (non-directional blur); this leads me to believe there was condensation or some other "atmospheric" effect acting as a soft-focus or diffusing filter. That said, in the context of the subject matter, I think the blur lends a somewhat dreamlike or nostalgic feel to the image. The subdued nature of the overall scene reinforces this. As for Doc, he really stands out in the photo, as his skin tones as well as those of his guitar, look to have a higher saturation than the surrounding scene. The people behind the stage are a little distracting; the one directly behind Doc (in front of the bored little boy) elicited a giggle from me as I tried to figure out exactly where his head was. Looking back at Doc, I can see the emotion of the song in his face, and can almost hear the music. If you're game to a little digital treatment, I would suggest deselecting Doc and giving the background a little blur, then increasing the blur for elements which fall further from the camera... ----- ------- ----- "Horse Dreaming" by Rene M Hales The interesting thing about IR with regard to this image is that the horse probably wouldn't look much different if photographed using standard black and white. The background, however, changes drastically. In this case, it's a nice touch, giving the image an almost wintry feel. Particularly, I like the faraway look in the horse's eye and apparent demeanor. Exposure and contrast are spot-on. Composition is excellent. The slight blur works in this example to support the photo's mood. Well done, Rene! ----- ------- ----- "Looking out my back door" by D.L. Shipman What? ANOTHER infrared image? ;-) The generally diagonal striations of tones are what I first noticed, Dave. The composition in this context works well, as (going from the lower left to upper right) you have a dark area, then a bright one, then a middle-gray one, and the near-white sky. Exposure, focus, composition are brilliantly executed, but the lack of a single subject creates a need for a focal point for the image. ----- ------- ----- (untitled) by Robert Read Robert, welcome to PhotoForum and to the Gallery! You selected a great photo for a first submission. Personally, I like this crop. The slender aspect ratio (1:1.75) of the final image works well for the subject matter and placement of visual elements. The feeling of a room full of bubbles is well-conveyed. and the colors' saturation adds to this feeling. Whimsically, the girl playing with the bubbles seems to be the only one who notices them, even though they permeate the entire space. The ambient lighting works for this shot, and I can't tell if you used a supplemental flash (which means you handled the lighting right). Focus and depth-of field is right on the money; the amount of blur on the child in the immediate foreground to the left is perfect, as is that of the wall decorations in the back corner. ----- ------- ----- "Blue Ball" by Christopher Strevens What I find the most fascinating is the scale of this image. Objects depicted seem to be unexpectedly disproportionate to one another. The plate, the tray, the marbles. There is so much character in each: the tray with its unidentifiable food remnants, metal scoring picked up by the use of flash, the crimp in the right side; the plate's antique feel, stains, gilt edges, and print pattern; the swirls of color in the marbles. Of further interest, the "blue ball," the intended subject, is remanded to a corner of the frame and partially obscured, while its red counterpart takes center stage. Exposure and focus is excellent, though the highlights in my opinion, could stand to be muted just a little by use of a diffuser over the light source. Compositionally, it is pretty good, but I have always believed that a photograph's composition should either match the frame, or be so skewed out of alignment so as to appear intentional. Even so, this is an intriguing image, Chris, and I feel it would do well in a series of tight "details" of your surroundings, whether physical or otherwise. ----- ------- ----- "Braidentown Train Depot" by Linda Buttstead The perspective of this image is compelling, Linda. Overall, it's a great study in architecture. the styling appears to be fairly old, yet it looks like it has seen its share of fresh paint. The placement of the hedge suggests it has something (a little something, at least) to hide. The weeds running alongside the desolate tracks add to the "no trains" feel, and evokes an almost nostalgic mood, even in the face of a local world awash in color. The name change is interesting, and something I can relate to (some people on here remember when I was "Craig" a long while back, during the pre-"Qkano" years... but that's a different discussion entirely); I wonder if the "personality" of the town changed as well, as it did in my case. Either way, it's a good photo. Exposure and contrast are well-done, though I'd like to see a bit more gradation in the sky as it becomes blown out to the left, but that's nitpicking, IMO. Composition is good, too, although I'm tempted to wonder what a closer vantage point would have done for the finished image. ----- ------- ----- (untitled) by Marilyn Dalrymple OK, Marilyn. No matter how long I look at this, I can't avoid it shifting from a tree root into a girl on all fours. Maybe her name is Ellen, and she likes watching TV shows of high-stakes Poker while munching on stuffed cabbage and sipping Canadian beer... Anyway, it's a pity the site is empty now; that would make for a fabulous backdrop! An alternative would be to incorporate this image into a diptych. Wow, I'm deviating now. About this image: the texture is fantastic. Old but not rotten, and composed as well as could be. The raking light from the top of the frame works to enhance this quality, and in this case, the particular sunlight-to-skylight ratio creates the most beautiful lighting and counterlighting arrangement. Surrounding details are not distracting in the least, and actually complement the root in such a way that it provides just enough context for the mood. Any closer or farther from your shooting point would have diminished the image. Initially I thought it would work in black and white, but this is one of the few occasions when dealing with a monochromatic (slightly different than B/W) image where the color version looks better. On an unrelated note, I'm sorry to hear about Gypsy. Ideally, beloved pets would have the same life span as we do, but in the real world, perhaps it is enough to keep them happy while they are here. They do the same for us... ----- ------- ----- "Guardian Fence" by Emily L. Ferguson The horizontal boundaries in this image are quite appealing, at least from a design standpoint. Blue sky at the top, then dark green trees,then an area down to approximately mid-frame of brown with orange dots. Then more-or-less empty brown leading to the apparent starting point of the corn stalks, which are evenly spaced, of similar thickness, reaching to the top of the frame and effectively dividing it into an array 7 columns by 4 or 5 rows. As for the technical aspect here, I'd like to see it generally unsharp, with something specific in focus (the row of corn would be my recommendation, with the pumpkins slightly blurred so that they might be identified; an alternative would be a lone pumpkin brought to the foreground and focused upon, leaving all other elements to fall where they will. Exposure, saturation, and contrast look great, besides. It's nice to see a bit of autumn in the Land of Endless Summer. ----- ------- ----- Many thanks to those who commented on this week's Gallery, and especially for those who submitted images for review, as well as for Andy and staff, without whom it would never be seen. I'm pleased at the amount of discussion the Gallery has brought to the List so far this week, and I'm wholeheartedly looking forward to the continued discussion. Yours very truly, Darin Heinz Melbourne, Florida USA See my photographs online at http://www.darinheinz.com
