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| Group |
Round |
C/R |
Comment |
Date |
Image |
| 41 |
Nov 22 |
Reply |
Tom, You say that you are not trained in art and that most of your images are by gut feel. That is to be applauded and I would strongly recommend that you don't change your philosophy and approach to producing images. Photographers who take pictures from the heart generally produce better results that are stronger and work at multi-dimensional levels of feeling, emotion and mood. They rely for their success on using the 'Seeing Eye' of the photographer. |
Nov 12th |
| 41 |
Nov 22 |
Comment |
Tom, Having revisited your original image, I hadn't fully appreciated the fact that both subjects were standing on the concrete cross-member to avoid falling through the holes to the level below. This is a very powerful visual and I am surprised that I missed its significance first time round. This portrays well both the physical and emotional balance that they were trying to maintain. |
Nov 12th |
| 41 |
Nov 22 |
Reply |
Nadia, I wonder if there is any scope for introducing some Noise and Radial Zoom Blur on the darkness of the black hole. This would perhaps enhance the notion that the lady was being sucked into the dark abyss within the tree. Perhaps you could add some smoke to create a sense of mystery or intrigue. |
Nov 10th |
| 41 |
Nov 22 |
Reply |
Tom, Unfortunately, this iteration doesn't quite work for me. I would prefer if there had only been three versions of yourself at different opacities, evenly distributed over the back two-thirds of the right-hand wall and none on the left-hand wall. I like Brad's suggestion of putting a head-and-shoulders version of the model in the near left foreground, which would make the visual story much stronger and the viewer a greater part of it. |
Nov 10th |
| 41 |
Nov 22 |
Reply |
Tom, I think that works. I might have been inclined to position yourself slightly further away, perhaps mid-way between your current position and the Rochester skyline in the distance. |
Nov 10th |
| 41 |
Nov 22 |
Reply |
Nadia, Thank you for your kind words which are much appreciated. I quite like the illusion of the mini coming to an abrupt halt in the sea of blue and the white 'passengers' leaning out of the windows to see what has happened. The effect to which you refer is indeed the Oil Paint Filter in Photoshop. |
Nov 10th |
| 41 |
Nov 22 |
Reply |
Brad, I like the idea of adding vehicles or people to enhance the sense of 'journey' along the spiralling futuristic highways. However, care needs to be taken with the numbers and positioning of the added elements as I am a strong advocate of the old adage 'Less is More'. It's a bit like digital imaging and knowing when to stop. I also prefer not to give the viewer too many stimuli to encourage them to flesh out the bones of the visual story from their own life experiences. |
Nov 10th |
| 41 |
Nov 22 |
Comment |
Tom, I tend to agree with Brad that if you had placed yourself further into the picture then the visual story would have been much stronger with the lady looking over her shoulder and saying "Goodbye". Alternatively, you might like to add one or more copies of yourself at reduced scale and opacities to reinforce the sense of separation, distance and fading memory. |
Nov 9th |
| 41 |
Nov 22 |
Reply |
Brad, Many thanks for your kind words which are much appreciated. I like the way that we seem to be drawn into a spiral journey into the unknown. This seems to reinforce Tom's comment that it is a starting point and in this case we are swept along on the journey as it unfolds in the mind's eye of the viewer. |
Nov 9th |
| 41 |
Nov 22 |
Comment |
Nadia, I note from your bio that you live in Tasmania and I agree with you that it is a beautiful island. Some say that it reminds them of England. My wife Angela emigrated to Tasmania many years ago before we met and then of course after we met she returned to UK. Subsequent to that, we had a fabulous 2-month holiday initially based in Sydney and then driving round Tasmania staying with friends. I had to laugh at one of their comments "Tasmania is OK apart from the neighbours ... who live ten miles away! I can well see why you were drawn to the work of Brooke Shaden. One of her keynotes is 'Finding Beauty in Darkness'. This comes across in your image where you have the dark tones of the hole in the tree and roots, contrasted with the lighter tones of the background and the white dress. Normally, our eyes are eyes are drawn to the brightest part of a picture which in your case is the white dress. However, in this case, I find myself being drawn past the dress into the dark hole in the tree to mentally explore the dark, foreboding interior. Your image has a symmetrical feel to it, slightly broken by the tree trunks top left/right and the model's visible right hand. I quite like your choice of dark green toning which adds a sense of mystery and intrigue to the picture. Well done. |
Nov 6th |
| 41 |
Nov 22 |
Comment |
Tom, This is a compelling image with much in it to draw the viewer in. The demolished Rochester subway looks like a magnet for photographers with a myriad of graffiti, each of which would make a good subject in its own right. I love the way you have rotated and duplicated Original 2 and imported the sunset picture of Rochester into the distant square shape. This creates a surreal, out-of-this-world backdrop against which the two people can perform and say their goodbyes. The viewer is left wondering whether they are lovers and saying farewell to each other and/or to Rochester. Your image is very symmetrical and I suspect, judging by your October image, that symmetry plays a dominant role in your photography. I wondered whether we needed a hint of drop shadow beneath the subjects as the model on the left appears to be floating. I presume the model on the right is your good self, and to my new eyes, perhaps this is another keynote in your photography. Overall, I like your image as it is technically well-crafted and engaging in its visual story. Well done. |
Nov 6th |
| 41 |
Nov 22 |
Reply |
Tom, Many thanks for your kind words which are much appreciated. There is truth in the old adage that 'There are different ways to skin a cat' not unlike Photoshop where there are many ways of achieving the same goal. I have done another version of this image in which I have included the mini in the centre of the twirl effect to provide an added reference point. See below. |
Nov 6th |
 |
| 41 |
Nov 22 |
Comment |
Brad, As an exercise in blending tones and hues, this composite has worked well. You have retained a good range of tones from true black, through mid-tones to true white. The transitions are seamless and you have created an image that has romantic overtones and an aesthetic attraction. There is a peaceful tranquility to the picture which is quite appealing. I like the way that the ripples draw you in to the picture towards the three birds; a compositionally strong number as it creates a good visual triangle of interest. The image is very much like a layer cake with good recession through it. We start our journey at the bottom with the ripples and then we travel into the scene to the birds, horizon line, sunrise/set(?) and finally to the star trails to complete the progression. I like the left-to-right visual flow in the image and the way that the bird second left has its beak open, calling to the bird on the right, almost willing it to join the fold. Judging by the wakes behind the paddling birds, they are keen to become a group of three. I used the generic word 'birds' as I wasn't sure whether they were ducks, geese or swans? |
Nov 6th |
5 comments - 8 replies for Group 41
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5 comments - 8 replies Total
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