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[OM] Re: Decisions, Decisions; Which Two Should I Send?

Subject: [OM] Re: Decisions, Decisions; Which Two Should I Send?
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 26 May 2005 15:11:33 -0700
John A. Lind wrote:

>I'm in desperate need of help (the Other Half has been telling me that for 
>years) . . .
>
First, what an enjoyable set of images!

Second, what is it with theses photo sites with no navigation aids. 
Without forward/next and back/previous buttons, it's a lot less fun to 
browse.

Third, vote totals to now:
55 - 3
56 - 0
57 - 3
58 - 3
59 - 4
60 - 5
61 - 0
62 - 2
63 - 7

Last, my thoughts if I were deciding which to enter for myself.

55 - I really like this one. Alluring, I just want to step into it. It 
is also just the thing I think I would want if I were a judge thinking 
about what would make the park seem attractive. I think the repeated 
easy diagonal lines of the benck, the pink flowers, the visible near 
side of the river and the green foliage give the composition a pleasing 
strength.

56 - To me, there is probably a strong image in here, but as presented, 
it has little impact. the composition makes perfect sense to me and I 
can see myself doing the same thing, but it ends up having litle visual 
impact. Much of theproblem is the lighting, and possibly the exposure. 
There are hints of interesting tonal texture in the concrete, but they 
are all too close together up at the top so the whole structure lools 
overexposed to me. I would also crop a lot of the foliage out. The 
monster didn't really work for me, so I would go for the contrast in 
form, color and texture between the man made and natural elements.

57 - This is another favorite for me. I seem to recall that part of the 
theme was about the unusual and unexpected. It just grabs the attention. 
You don't have a moment's question about what it's about: strong 
elements in a powerful combination. One definition of what "Art" 
photography is might be that it is about the image, not the subject. In 
that sense, this is a strong piece of art.

58 - A good idea done in by overly busy and unclear reflection and by 
blah sky through the grate. Nice blue sky would make a big change. Also, 
the gray, slightly blurry concrete combines with the grate to becoem too 
reminescent of a prison or ugly block apartment architecture. Again, 
maybe mostly the quality of the available light.

59 - Clever, colorful, compositionally strong, doesn't do it for me. I 
don't like the idea of a picture that needs one to read the title to 
make it work. For me, before reading the title, I wondered whn the 
photographer didn't wait until that guy with his back to us got out of 
the way. And again, the shadow at the bottom only works after "getting 
the joke". Fun, but I wouldn't submit it to a contest that must want to 
makt the park look good, as it's about the photographer, not the park.

60 - I really like the idea and composition. For me, there should be 
either less DOF, so the background gets really abstract, or more, so the 
trees are relatively clear. As it is, the slightly busy bokeh puts me off.

61 - If it were mine, I'd crop bottom and left. The very blurry lower 
left bit is too aggresssive and distracting for me. In the end, it's not 
very pleasing to me because of the washed out look from the harsh light.

62 - Much better background color and bokeh and the light is apparently 
softer than 61. I like it in many ways, but it somehow doesn't 'grab' 
me, so I wouldn't submit it.

63 - Strong composition, lovely background colors. Bokeh a little busy 
(Oh how many of my shots do I say that about, swearing I'll do better 
next time!) If the film has some more detail in the highlights that can 
be recovered compared to the sort of flat, blown out look of a lot of 
the main subject flowers, this could become a winner.

Everybody admires flowers, pays attention to them and takes pictures of 
them. I probably take as many pictures of flowers as everything else 
combined for some periods, at least. Also, these flowers could be 
anywhere and have no 'place' in the park, so I wouldn't enter any flower 
pics without context.

I would submit 55, Bench because it says so much about the park, quiet, 
leisure and natural beauty along a river, in an image that is familiar 
and comfortable, yet without being what everyone would take.

I would also submit 57-Refelctions 1 for a couple of reasons. First, 
it's just a really strong, interesting photo that deserves to be seen. 
Second, maybe the really mean it when they say they say they want 
something really different and unexpected.

Just one man's set of opinions.

Moose


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