FAQtoid

May-28-2007, 09:34 PM

Being a semifinal, and the stakes and expectations are higher, I am going to be a little more critical than usual, and since there are fewer entries, I can spend more time with each one too.

Post# - Photog - Title
2 - Dalantech - Spring
It's pretty, but lacks something unknown for me. I stopped to look at it but in the end decided to keep looking. It also looks as if too much shadow manipulation has taken place, stripping the photo of some visual dynamics. It is close for me, but needs a bit more.

3 - bgaras2001 - Sweeet
This had me stop in my tracks and vote for it. For just a visual display, consider a 10:4 horizontal crop or even a 3:4 vertical crop with the bee centered in the new crop. It would use the space with even more impact I think. And a minor point, the spoon is a bit unattractive. Twisting it so the viewer could see the bowl of the spoon would be more interesting and it would eliminate the reflection of the plate below.

4 - rddphotos - Cruisin the California Coast
A nice photo, I like it. I can't think of anything to say on the plus or minus side however. Maybe too much sky? I don't think a pano crop would fit. This is a tough one for me, it needs something, but I can't pinpoint it.

5 - Greensquared - Froggy Friend
Very cute scene. Consider a horizontal, centered, 3:2 crop. The top of the head is only partially cropped and needs more. The crop would give more prominence to the frog/child relationship too.

6 - seastack - Edge of Tides
Sweet mercy!

I am in awe!

7 - kingmamaof2 - In dew time...
The foreground of the rose is too dark and the background is too bright so the combination doesn't work for me. And remember, red is tough to shoot with digital, so make those exposures very carefully.

8 - pemmett - Sacrifice
I like the contrasty feel, but the ground feels overexposed and the markers seem too far away. A closer, on your belly shot would have more visual impact. Your are close to it being just right here, but need to do more

9 - adrian_k - Rgb
This was kind of boring. Nothing stood out other than the tryptic nature, and that alone can't carry a photo. You need to have a visual reason to use the split screens here and I don't think you found one with the marbles that was strong enough. I like the angle of the shadows, but the facing of the marbles feels haphazard

10 - davev - 27
Love the B&W and the focal length, both bold with an interesting subject. Well done. You could even get a little closer I think and add more visual pop.

11 - JimW - When I'm 96
This photo relies too much on the title to tell the story. If it were not for the title, few would want to stop and look at the photo. All I see is a man nearly done with breakfast. And nothing else make me wonder what is going on.

12 - richtersl - Mannequin Warriors
It may be time to diversify! You don't want to get in a rut visually and these mannequins seem like they need a new angle or something fresh to give them the same impact as when we first saw them.

13 - fashiznitsngrins - Allure
Watch the eye of the feather, it make the model look lopsided. Either put it at the eye point or far enough away that it won't be associated with an eye.

14 - vandana - "Soaring high"
Sweet mercy!

Wow!

15 - pyroPrints.com - Candid Glimpse
Love it. This could so easily be worked into an ad in a magazine for some kind of cologne or something. Very moody and emotional feeling.

16 - LiquidAir - Pair
Feels too empty for me, a vertical 2:3 crop has more impact for me. Nice play on words in the title! Nice studio feel to it.

17 - Swartzy - Metropolitan Mood
Very cool. Feels a tad too contrasty but good visual pop that stops one to take a look. Concider a 10:4 pano crop on the bridge for an even more dynamic look.

18 - ultravox - Fiat Lux.
Very cool, I love the vintage look of the shot, but something tells me I want to see the candle lit. You could enhance the look if the wick were cut down shorter so the hot spot where the "flame" is supposed to be didn't have the wick visible and was nothing but white.

19 - Nikolai - The Conductor
Could be on a cover of the concerts program!

20 - osoi - Prometheus' Gift
The color looks off in the green direction, the bowl is not visible enough, or if it was intended to be unseen, is too visible, and the expression on the face is blank and without a clue as to the emotion of the shot. Is this a show of power? Something awe inspiring? A threat? Painful? There is no way to tell based on the face.

21 - klphoto - Compassion
Visually it lacks impact. A 2:3 vertical crop would help some. But it feels like you are on the back side of the shot and need to be on the other side.

22 - Tessa HD - Just One More
Beautiful!

could probably use just a tad more brightness.

23 - lynnesite - My Mane Muse
This one isn't doing it for me. Not your best and feels more like a grab shot emotionally and compositionally. The face is too far from the viewer to take the main focus and no other details try to gain that attention. The viewer has to then try to see if that marking on the neck is a brand of some kind. Not being able to tell the viewer moves to the next photo.

24 - Robert - sentimental bull
Too much relyance on the title to carry the photo. It looks more like a neck shot. Not a very interesting angle. If the photo had more eye contact, so that the bull was regading the camera then the title might pull more weight. But the bull is totally ignoring it and the viewer.

25 - PaulThomasMcKee - Homeless, Seattle
Too much reliance on the title. It looks like someone simply taking a nap in their backyard. The angle and obstructions don't give any visual context to the contrary.

26 - gefillmore - biker-
Looks like a farmer standing next to his barn. Where is the motorcycle or gear that would give the viewer the context that this was anything but a farmer? So here too, too much reliance on the title.

27 - sunione - Old Fashion Bouquet
A beautiful shot that could be a product shot in a catalog, but perhaps not enough 'tude to sway voters of a contest.

28 - BeachBill - Day's End
Cool time of day to shoot that shot! Looks great.

29 - photogmomma - In her eyes...
Fantastic! Frame this one big!

30 - sherstone - " Rail Meat "
Lean! hahaha I like to laugh and this let me do that

31 - JFreeman - Crystal Pier
Love the long exposure and the aspect ratio!

32 - Ann McRae - Pastoral
A 2:3 vertical crop would be more complementary to the tall trees. Could use a bit of sharpening.

33 - annnna8888 - Sunrise colors
Beautiful shot and time of day. But it could use a tad more contrast, specifically a bit more shadow density.

34 - Speck26 - On His Own
A cute photo, but looks like it suffers from camera shake, also consider a 2:3 vertical crop to put more compassion in the shot.

35 - clovisguy - White Sands: photographer @work
Very cool! I love the footsteps, the sun, and the silhouetted figure.

36 - NanaMo - Dos Suertes...
Not doing anything for me and I can't pinpoint anything in particular.

37 - cjkphoto - A bug's life.
Too hot, it makes me want to squint. And the view is too far away. If this is to represent a bugs view, we should see the scene from much closer to the flowers.

May-28-2007, 09:36 PM

This was sent in by irenelucier:
"Soaring high"
Iconographic.The elements work, background doesn't overwhelm action, important for a silhouette style image containing an active subject. The gesture of player's body is balanced by the hoop. Leading lines are dead on, my eye travels repeatedly through the image and never out. Photographer did well to ground the photograph by including, well, the ground.

Metropolitan Mood
I find myself enjoying just perambulating through the image and the longer I viewed it the more I appreciated what goes into capturing a night water/landscape image of this quality. The photographer has done an excellent job.

Sunrise colors
Don't know if you'll agree, but I was suprised by where this picture took me. Perspective emphasizes separateness within the image, makes each component very strong. Church atop a hill, with a hint of humanity below can be interpreted as a higher state of existence. The strongest 3 foreground elements produce a trinity of symbols church - spirit, well - wisdom, tree = peace.

Sweeet
Don't know about you, but I love an image that allows me to imagine the meaning & context. Blue is a mockery of flight (sky) since there's no chance of it. The title makes me think at first that the bee is totally happy with it's find. But the little guy is also totally doomed. The un-obscured reflection on the bottom of the spoon, gives details of how the photographer set up the shot & I don't know why I needed to see that.

Edge of Tides
The texture in the foreground rock relieved the trademark softness. Well composed, good colors, otherworldly.

Just One More
Children easily photograph beautifully, but this moment is worthwhile for it's honest treatment of a subject so often cliched.

Candid Glimpse
The contrasty boldness, compositional darkness gives a modern art feel. She's inscrutable, but even with his face in the shadows he easy to read. Moody. Painterly treatment works for this image, though I wonder if the tonality in the man's shirt and in the highlights on her legs could have been retained.

Mannequin Warriors
Lighting intrigues, although it leads me right out of the image at least once. Most mannequins in similar lighting are weirdly sinister. This image conveys something exotic & epic. There is almost a heroic feel to the posing, lots of dramatic potential. Big impact for dummies.

"Rail Meat "
This image is charged with a story and I find myself wishing I knew more about it.

White Sands: photographer @work
Last thing I'd expect is an apparently nude photographer in tennis! Sun flare leads the eye into the appealingly textured foreground, & I follow the tracks back to the figure. The little bit of details to the right side of the image make me wonder what's over there but that's really a minor distraction.

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May-28-2007, 09:34 PM #1
Shay Stephens ^OP Artist in Residence Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: New York Posts: 3,160	>>> Semifinal #1 feedback thread Being a semifinal, and the stakes and expectations are higher, I am going to be a little more critical than usual, and since there are fewer entries, I can spend more time with each one too. Post# - Photog - Title 2 - Dalantech - Spring It's pretty, but lacks something unknown for me. I stopped to look at it but in the end decided to keep looking. It also looks as if too much shadow manipulation has taken place, stripping the photo of some visual dynamics. It is close for me, but needs a bit more. 3 - bgaras2001 - Sweeet This had me stop in my tracks and vote for it. For just a visual display, consider a 10:4 horizontal crop or even a 3:4 vertical crop with the bee centered in the new crop. It would use the space with even more impact I think. And a minor point, the spoon is a bit unattractive. Twisting it so the viewer could see the bowl of the spoon would be more interesting and it would eliminate the reflection of the plate below. 4 - rddphotos - Cruisin the California Coast A nice photo, I like it. I can't think of anything to say on the plus or minus side however. Maybe too much sky? I don't think a pano crop would fit. This is a tough one for me, it needs something, but I can't pinpoint it. 5 - Greensquared - Froggy Friend Very cute scene. Consider a horizontal, centered, 3:2 crop. The top of the head is only partially cropped and needs more. The crop would give more prominence to the frog/child relationship too. 6 - seastack - Edge of Tides Sweet mercy! I am in awe! 7 - kingmamaof2 - In dew time... The foreground of the rose is too dark and the background is too bright so the combination doesn't work for me. And remember, red is tough to shoot with digital, so make those exposures very carefully. 8 - pemmett - Sacrifice I like the contrasty feel, but the ground feels overexposed and the markers seem too far away. A closer, on your belly shot would have more visual impact. Your are close to it being just right here, but need to do more 9 - adrian_k - Rgb This was kind of boring. Nothing stood out other than the tryptic nature, and that alone can't carry a photo. You need to have a visual reason to use the split screens here and I don't think you found one with the marbles that was strong enough. I like the angle of the shadows, but the facing of the marbles feels haphazard 10 - davev - 27 Love the B&W and the focal length, both bold with an interesting subject. Well done. You could even get a little closer I think and add more visual pop. 11 - JimW - When I'm 96 This photo relies too much on the title to tell the story. If it were not for the title, few would want to stop and look at the photo. All I see is a man nearly done with breakfast. And nothing else make me wonder what is going on. 12 - richtersl - Mannequin Warriors It may be time to diversify! You don't want to get in a rut visually and these mannequins seem like they need a new angle or something fresh to give them the same impact as when we first saw them. 13 - fashiznitsngrins - Allure Watch the eye of the feather, it make the model look lopsided. Either put it at the eye point or far enough away that it won't be associated with an eye. 14 - vandana - "Soaring high" Sweet mercy! Wow! 15 - pyroPrints.com - Candid Glimpse Love it. This could so easily be worked into an ad in a magazine for some kind of cologne or something. Very moody and emotional feeling. 16 - LiquidAir - Pair Feels too empty for me, a vertical 2:3 crop has more impact for me. Nice play on words in the title! Nice studio feel to it. 17 - Swartzy - Metropolitan Mood Very cool. Feels a tad too contrasty but good visual pop that stops one to take a look. Concider a 10:4 pano crop on the bridge for an even more dynamic look. 18 - ultravox - Fiat Lux. Very cool, I love the vintage look of the shot, but something tells me I want to see the candle lit. You could enhance the look if the wick were cut down shorter so the hot spot where the "flame" is supposed to be didn't have the wick visible and was nothing but white. 19 - Nikolai - The Conductor Could be on a cover of the concerts program! 20 - osoi - Prometheus' Gift The color looks off in the green direction, the bowl is not visible enough, or if it was intended to be unseen, is too visible, and the expression on the face is blank and without a clue as to the emotion of the shot. Is this a show of power? Something awe inspiring? A threat? Painful? There is no way to tell based on the face. 21 - klphoto - Compassion Visually it lacks impact. A 2:3 vertical crop would help some. But it feels like you are on the back side of the shot and need to be on the other side. 22 - Tessa HD - Just One More Beautiful! could probably use just a tad more brightness. 23 - lynnesite - My Mane Muse This one isn't doing it for me. Not your best and feels more like a grab shot emotionally and compositionally. The face is too far from the viewer to take the main focus and no other details try to gain that attention. The viewer has to then try to see if that marking on the neck is a brand of some kind. Not being able to tell the viewer moves to the next photo. 24 - Robert - sentimental bull Too much relyance on the title to carry the photo. It looks more like a neck shot. Not a very interesting angle. If the photo had more eye contact, so that the bull was regading the camera then the title might pull more weight. But the bull is totally ignoring it and the viewer. 25 - PaulThomasMcKee - Homeless, Seattle Too much reliance on the title. It looks like someone simply taking a nap in their backyard. The angle and obstructions don't give any visual context to the contrary. 26 - gefillmore - biker- Looks like a farmer standing next to his barn. Where is the motorcycle or gear that would give the viewer the context that this was anything but a farmer? So here too, too much reliance on the title. 27 - sunione - Old Fashion Bouquet A beautiful shot that could be a product shot in a catalog, but perhaps not enough 'tude to sway voters of a contest. 28 - BeachBill - Day's End Cool time of day to shoot that shot! Looks great. 29 - photogmomma - In her eyes... Fantastic! Frame this one big! 30 - sherstone - " Rail Meat " Lean! hahaha I like to laugh and this let me do that 31 - JFreeman - Crystal Pier Love the long exposure and the aspect ratio! 32 - Ann McRae - Pastoral A 2:3 vertical crop would be more complementary to the tall trees. Could use a bit of sharpening. 33 - annnna8888 - Sunrise colors Beautiful shot and time of day. But it could use a tad more contrast, specifically a bit more shadow density. 34 - Speck26 - On His Own A cute photo, but looks like it suffers from camera shake, also consider a 2:3 vertical crop to put more compassion in the shot. 35 - clovisguy - White Sands: photographer @work Very cool! I love the footsteps, the sun, and the silhouetted figure. 36 - NanaMo - Dos Suertes... Not doing anything for me and I can't pinpoint anything in particular. 37 - cjkphoto - A bug's life. Too hot, it makes me want to squint. And the view is too far away. If this is to represent a bugs view, we should see the scene from much closer to the flowers. __________________ Creator of Dgrin's "Last Photographer Standing" contest "Failure is feedback. And feedback is the breakfast of champions." - fortune cookie

May-28-2007, 09:36 PM #2
Shay Stephens ^OP Artist in Residence Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: New York Posts: 3,160	This was sent in by irenelucier: "Soaring high" Iconographic.The elements work, background doesn't overwhelm action, important for a silhouette style image containing an active subject. The gesture of player's body is balanced by the hoop. Leading lines are dead on, my eye travels repeatedly through the image and never out. Photographer did well to ground the photograph by including, well, the ground. Metropolitan Mood I find myself enjoying just perambulating through the image and the longer I viewed it the more I appreciated what goes into capturing a night water/landscape image of this quality. The photographer has done an excellent job. Sunrise colors Don't know if you'll agree, but I was suprised by where this picture took me. Perspective emphasizes separateness within the image, makes each component very strong. Church atop a hill, with a hint of humanity below can be interpreted as a higher state of existence. The strongest 3 foreground elements produce a trinity of symbols church - spirit, well - wisdom, tree = peace. Sweeet Don't know about you, but I love an image that allows me to imagine the meaning & context. Blue is a mockery of flight (sky) since there's no chance of it. The title makes me think at first that the bee is totally happy with it's find. But the little guy is also totally doomed. The un-obscured reflection on the bottom of the spoon, gives details of how the photographer set up the shot & I don't know why I needed to see that. Edge of Tides The texture in the foreground rock relieved the trademark softness. Well composed, good colors, otherworldly. Just One More Children easily photograph beautifully, but this moment is worthwhile for it's honest treatment of a subject so often cliched. Candid Glimpse The contrasty boldness, compositional darkness gives a modern art feel. She's inscrutable, but even with his face in the shadows he easy to read. Moody. Painterly treatment works for this image, though I wonder if the tonality in the man's shirt and in the highlights on her legs could have been retained. Mannequin Warriors Lighting intrigues, although it leads me right out of the image at least once. Most mannequins in similar lighting are weirdly sinister. This image conveys something exotic & epic. There is almost a heroic feel to the posing, lots of dramatic potential. Big impact for dummies. "Rail Meat " This image is charged with a story and I find myself wishing I knew more about it. White Sands: photographer @work Last thing I'd expect is an apparently nude photographer in tennis! Sun flare leads the eye into the appealingly textured foreground, & I follow the tracks back to the figure. The little bit of details to the right side of the image make me wonder what's over there but that's really a minor distraction. __________________ Creator of Dgrin's "Last Photographer Standing" contest "Failure is feedback. And feedback is the breakfast of champions." - fortune cookie