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Forum Members, Here are my personal thoughts about the photos now on display at: http://people.rit.edu/andpph/gallery.html. John Retallack - http://people.rit.edu/andpph/gallery/retallack.html The picture is an interesting character study of a man and his dog. The shadows behind the man seem to run left and right across the picture, yet the man seems to be lit from the front. That's mildly confusing, but it still works. I personally do not care for where the photo cut through the feet of the man or the dog. The value of the photo however lies in the backstory contained in the "Additional details." For me, photos like this need an accompanying story to give them relevance. The photo itself doesn't tell a story, so an accompanying article brings life to the photo. The story/photo combination works well. It would make an interesting item for the "People" page of the local newspaper ... or for this forum. Not much is said, but you feel like you now kind of know George a bit. Dan Mitchell - The Great Clock http://people.rit.edu/andpph/gallery/mitchell.html Good composition in my opinion. I like the contrasting shapes of the tree and the clock tower, both complemented by the open sky in the upper left. It is a very pleasing presentation of a well-known object. The notes were very interesting and provided additional insight, which was great for those of us who don't get out of the US (or wherever) very much. The picture can stand alone, but I always appreciate this kind of additional note so that I can learn a bit more. In fact, I was so stimulated my the note that I looked up "Big Ben" on the Wikipedia to learn even more. Howard Leigh - Brighton Pier http://people.rit.edu/andpph/gallery/leigh.html A very interesting way to show a statue. The sun and low photo angle combine to give this photo a lot of power that would not otherwise be there in statue photo. I like this a lot. The effect of power (and interest) is further enhanced by the detail that remains in the horse and rider, where the rider seems to be female. I particularly like the progression of shape and mass from lower left to upper right. This was almost my fave of the week, but it was slightly surpassed by Palcewski's color study discussed below. Having been stimulated by "The Great Clock," I had to look up Brighton Pier in the Wikipedia to learn more. John Palcewski - Summer's End, Still Green http://people.rit.edu/andpph/gallery/palcewski.html Light and color: bright vs dark; green vs. yellow-green vs very dark green vs. brown & black. There is also the sharp vs blur of subject to background and foreground that pleases the eye. The leaves are not perfect, but they shouldn't be near the end of the summer and their life. Even the spider webs are not distracting. This is the photograph that I would like to see on my wall. Although the title suggests a possible story, I can appreciate the image just for the light and color. Walter Mayes - http://people.rit.edu/andpph/gallery/mayes.html For me this is a near miss. I love detail, and the frog has got it: a glisten to the leathery skin, sharp focus on the eyes, toes that stand out individually. The stone also has detail and a glisten. The water is visible in front and behind. But I like completeness. For me, the missing part of the frog leg on the right of the photo makes the frog look incomplete, and creates a feeling of wanting just a bit more. Speaking of wanting a bit more (and my love of detail), I really wish I knew what kind of frog this was, and where it was photographed. The aperture setting would also be an interesting point. The photo stands well alone, but the presentation of exotic-looking animals is enhanced for me by these kind of details. David Dyer-Bennet - Around Lake Calhoun http://people.rit.edu/andpph/gallery/ddbennet.html When I first looked at this photo, I liked the time of day it was shot, where the shadows are long and the glow is golden. I also liked the water touching a bit of countryside. The people were interesting, but slightly complicating a nature setting. Still, people are part of nature and I am beginning to feel that they are okay in this kind of setting. But the bottom half of the photo was black. I thought that strange in such an otherwise well-put-together image. Then I noticed two spots of brown near the center of the black region and thought there may be some unseen water there and the tree in the center of the top half of the photo was reflecting off of the water. As I stood up slightly to get a closer look, I was able to view my screen at a slightly different angle. There is grass, fence and sidewalk that was hidden by my viewing angle! My monitor took what was an excellent image and almost ruined it. Now that I can see the photo in toto, I love it. I really enjoy obscured, but present, detail in shadow. The only thing I don't care for is the lack of detail in the faces of the people. That bugs me. While it may give the people an anonymity and an everyman look, I personally find it detracting. Still, in all, this is a well done photo. Christopher Strevens - Dunnington Castle http://people.rit.edu/andpph/gallery/strevens.html An interesting ruin. I like the way the structure was isolated in the photo. The isolation gives a feeling of endurance despite the passage of time. For myself, I have never cared for funny-shaped edges, even though I have used them a lot in the past. Now I find them much more gimmicky than pleasing. Still, many others like the effect, or they wouldn't sell so many programs capable of creating the effect. Is that a flag pole or an antenna or what on the right tower? This is another photograph that piqued my interest enough to look up Donnington Castle in the Wikipedia. Trevor Cunningham - frangipani with death stain http://people.rit.edu/andpph/gallery/cunningham.html This photo is interesting. There is good texture, even though the focus is not quite pin-sharp. I definitely like the desaturated purple channel, the structure of the leaf, and the colored "stain" on the leaf. I don't understand the term "death stain" in the title. Is the leaf dying and the blue "stain" is the result? Or is there some sinister disease or poison that has been applied to the leaf that is causing its death? As I noted above, the photo is interesting. The title is haunting. I won't get this image out of my head for a while. Many thanks to Andy and anyone who may have helped bring the forum together together. It was indeed an enjoyable photographic journey. rand |
