November Photo Competition After Action Review

[lectrotext]

Per dozer's suggestion, is it time to reveal the authors of the photos that did not win?

[kleph]

i am down with that. and i would like to have a more technical discussion of the entries with the folks that took them, as well.

for my part i will confess that this was my entry...

http://members.optusnet.com.au/carpictures/November%20Photo%20Comp/thumb_nov_entry_02.jpg

needless to say, i did not do too well in this contest.

[Moses]

I like it Kleph, a vibrant mix of colours and a very busy scene. I was wondering what is in the top right corner..

[Thyraeus]

Tis Me with a mere 6 votes!
Me who was bold enough to go Black and White...
Me who incorporated Light and Shade,
Good and Evil,

Me who didn't win :grr:

http://members.optusnet.com.au/carpictures/November%20Photo%20Comp/thumb_nov_entry_07.jpg

[dozer]

http://members.optusnet.com.au/carpictures/November%20Photo%20Comp/thumb_nov_entry_15.jpg

twas me, taken in the gardens of the louvre paris, ive seen this pic on about 30 different monitors and it looks different every time.

[Thyraeus]

Obviously Dozer was bold (and Wise) also.

If it ain't clear - mine is PISA (hence the leaning tower)

[dozer]

bold and wise? dunno bout that.

i like kleph's due to the angle of the shot and the colours, could be framed better with the car door? in the background and confusion of subject in the top two corners, but that does add some fish eye effect.

thyraes is also good, ill be using b&w next hopefully. nicely framed the cherub looks to be stepping off the tower, and the effect of having the 2 people on the top, and then the two birds adds a great touch, critically it hard to see if the tower or the statue is the focus of the shot.

i voted for the firework pic as ive tried to take fireworks with limited success, i love the way you can see the windy trails the sparks make, almost perfect exposure. i also voted for the ladybug macro as the depth of field is great, a few mmm away some petals are out of focus, its very easy to see the subject of the shot.

[lectrotext]

This was my entry. I took Thanksgiving holiday in Taiwan to visit a friend. He took me by this abandoned condo development site.

[Thyraeus]

This was my entry. I took Thanksgiving holiday in Taiwan to visit a friend. He took me by this abandoned condo development site.

I thought it was a UFO Crash-landing site!

Rep++ for being fellow Entrant/Loser.

[lectrotext]

I liked Kleph's as well. Weird kitzch Chirstmas figurines. Good angle. No extra elements other than the subjects.

[Kyle]

Tis Me with a mere 6 votes!
Me who was bold enough to go Black and White...
Me who incorporated Light and Shade,
Good and Evil,

Me who didn't win :grr:

http://members.optusnet.com.au/carpictures/November%20Photo%20Comp/thumb_nov_entry_07.jpg

I have to say I voted for yours, I thought it was INCREDIBLE. In my opinion it was the best submitted...not like my opinion matters in the masses though :D

[metalhed00]

Mine. Only 3 votes! OUCH!!!!

[Kyle]

Mine. Only 3 votes! OUCH!!!!

Hehe no worries, there's always next month. Also, I like the colors and the water droplets in this a lot, just because it didn't win doesn't mean it's not good. :D

[dozer]

yeah its still a good shot, nice contrast. i think it may have got more votes if you got in closer on that centre leaf, theres a lot going on in that pic and its easy to get distracted.

any feed back on mine? dont be kind people i want the worst. i think it would have helped to lighten it a bit, the close cheek seems too dark, and thers not a lot of variety in shades.

[djcreedy]

Thyraeus, your shot was awesome...
Being bold doesnt mean it will win though.. i guess it depends on whos voting.
You didn't not (?!) win because it was bad... you could have taken a photo that would become famous and world renowned... but if the people voting dont like it it wont win.. Its not really a good area for posting deep shots with hidden meanings etc etc. people will just be like "oh i like that one" and vote.. not much thought goes into what the photographer has done to get the shot.

Its the same deal with most modern art.. i think alot of it is rubbish, but the only opinion that matters with votes is the viewer, you cant talk them into voting for you by saying what you did for the shot.

Good work with the b&w though, alot of my stuff i do in b&w, i find it gives stuff so much more meaning you know, being in shades of black if gives the eye better depth in the shot. You had awesome composition too!
Good work.

[lectrotext]

yeah its still a good shot, nice contrast. i think it may have got more votes if you got in closer on that centre leaf, theres a lot going on in that pic and its easy to get distracted.

any feed back on mine? dont be kind people i want the worst. i think it would have helped to lighten it a bit, the close cheek seems too dark, and thers not a lot of variety in shades.

Lack of contrast killed that shot. The tree really distracted from the statue. I think a few more inches to the right and the seemingly foreheadless statue would have been framed by the sky a little more and thus "readable". Since you couldn't p-shop, I would do so now. Grab the statue and lighten so it stands out from the tree. Maybe controlling the depth of field so that the tree was a little fuzzy would help this shot as well. Question: was the head and tree supposed to "grow together"?

[dozer]

yah, that was the general idea, the head being the focal point and having no forehead the tree was supposed to give it some kind of 'thought' or maybe even hair from its branches, yet still have the tree trunk as the starting or controlling force.

seeing it on my screen looks good, but on a few screens at work where the contrast is down it almost looks completely silhuette. ill lighten it up at a later date and have a play round, depth of field is hard to do on my digital so next time i think ill try the slr.

[StygiaN]

Nice thread idea guys.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/carpictures/November%20Photo%20Comp/thumb_nov_entry_06.jpg (http://members.optusnet.com.au/carpictures/November%20Photo%20Comp/nov_entry_06.jpg)

That's my entry. Took it totally by accident while bush walking with a friend in early november. We were crossing a creek (I ruined a nice pair of shoes that day) and I was holding the camera and accidently press the button and whoah, it looks cool. Obviously not cool enough though :(

I really liked your photo kleph, it's so different from the others!

[lectrotext]

Mistakes are never mistakes. There is often something to manipulate in those mistakes or in your case just plain beautiful serendipity. Your entry was one of my favorites.

[metalhed00]

That's my entry. Took it totally by accident while bush walking with a friend in early november. We were crossing a creek (I ruined a nice pair of shoes that day) and I was holding the camera and accidently press the button and whoah, it looks cool. Obviously not cool enough though :(

I took a similar shot, I'll have to post it. Its real trippy. :hippy:

Thanks for the advice all you others. I kinda waited to the last minute and that was only because Stygian actually emailed me a reminder! Next month I'll try to be more attentive, but I'm slacking already because my work schedule has been pretty hectic with the holidays and all.

[StygiaN]

I can't wait Metalhed.

This month I am just going to take my camera to every party I go to and try and setup some fancy looking shot when I get a few spare minutes. I wish I took it to the work christmas party. I would have won with a single pic of the girl in the red dress ;)

Anyhoo. I was a huge fan of Entry 10 in this comp. So simple and easy to do, it just looks awesome. The hardest part I would assume would be finiding the right spot to take it.

[Deimos]

Nice thread idea guys.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/carpictures/November%20Photo%20Comp/thumb_nov_entry_06.jpg (http://members.optusnet.com.au/carpictures/November%20Photo%20Comp/nov_entry_06.jpg)

That's my entry. Took it totally by accident while bush walking with a friend in early november. We were crossing a creek (I ruined a nice pair of shoes that day) and I was holding the camera and accidently press the button and whoah, it looks cool. Obviously not cool enough though :(

I really liked your photo kleph, it's so different from the others!
From memory I voted for this one - I really liked it. It for some reason reminded me of a Van Gogh style painting, or perhaps Monet.

Perhaps like this:
http://e-softtech.com/photo/DSCN6008.jpg

Or this:
http://www.lib.usf.edu/tampa/mr/bigpics/monet.jpg

[Deimos]

This was mine:
http://members.optusnet.com.au/carpictures/November%20Photo%20Comp/thumb_nov_entry_13.jpg

They are some flowers outside my window that happened to look very nice so I quickly wandered outside and snapped a few photos. Unfortunately I didn't fare very well in the competition because I was running against a similar style of photo that was clearly superior (the one with the ladybird).

[kleph]

well, i think my picture suffered because i am very much a purist when it comes to my photography. it comes from my background as a journalist but i really have an instinctive urge to let the shot say something about the subject rather than be an expression of art in and of itself.

it was taken in the surquillo mercado near miraflores in lima. it is a collection of statues for nativity scenes on sale. this shot (http://www.kleph.com/images/adornos2_full.jpg)tells the story a little better.

i was trying to get an image with a lot of color which is the hallmark of south american life but, to keep the entry anonymous, without anything that would be an identifier - like a peruvian. the idea was to try and bring out the emotional element of the figurines rather than just seeing them as cheap and crudely made little trinkets.

i think i suffered in the contest (the only vote i got was my own) because the image does not come out as well scaled down and because it relies on the subject for appreciation. most of the other entries were good (and great) as photographs.

in any case... i knew that the "one vote" system would cause this problem of some pictures not getting the due they deserve and so i have been waiting for the identities to be revealed.

first thyreaus. great shot. i think it lost ground because it is black and white and because the subject is somewhat common. i do like that you took the unusual perspective and chose to make the most familiar part of the image as the backdrop rather than the subject. my suggestion would have been to look for a way to bring out the personality of the cherub statue which you clearly recognized.

dozer. another kick ass picture. i thought this one of the best in the bunch. there is a strange disjointed emotional tension in the picture despite its austere setting. using the tree as the backdrop really packs a punch. again, black and white probably played against you in the voting.

lectroma. you had everything right except for the lighting. the buildings are a great subject and between their strange shape and spooky emptiness it is a really compelling picture. but the flat light kills the effort. keep at it. i want to see more of your work.

metalhed00. your shot was technically great and shows a ton of promise but it just lacks that "umph." i love the color. i love the detail. i love the emotion of the thing. but it needs a unifying element that tickles the viewers curiosity. the ladybug shot is a good example of the type of element your picture needed to make it great.

stygian. this was the picture i would have voted for if i wasnt a wuss and felt the need to vote for my own pic. i thought this and the ladybug shot were the best in the bunch. it has great color and an almost impressionistic appeal while clearly being a regular picture. i noticed the monet similiarity as well (i have a subway poster of a detail from that painting). while i understand the appeal of the swan picture, i thought yours was much less of a cliche and deals with the view on its own terms.

demios. simply a great shot. there were several great floral pics and it was damn hard to choose which was best. the colors simply leap out and dare you to look at something else. there is also a hint of sexuality about the shot that is hard to explain but worked in it's favor. yeah, i think the popularity of this kind of shot played against you.

[StygiaN]

"You have given out too much Reputation in the last 24 hours, try again later."

Sorry Kleph, I will dish out rep when I can. Anyhoo I hope you can critique the entries like this next month, it was very cool to read mate.

[Lord_Phat]

Tis Me with a mere 6 votes!
Me who was bold enough to go Black and White...
Me who incorporated Light and Shade,
Good and Evil,

Me who didn't win :grr:

i liked your picture, it just lacked enough contrast to be a truly striking photo... you will notice you have lots of "meh" greys... i would assume that it was an overcast day?

nothing a quick trip to the digital darkroom won't fix ;)

[gaLdaB]

Thanks to all who voted for my shot. It took me hours to gte the lady beetle to co-operate. It played dead for about an hour the little bugger :)

Congrats to everyone on some fantastic photos especially Moses! I wish I got to go to places that looked like that!

[dozer]

thanks for all the comments, its the real reason i entered, lets discuss!

[StygiaN]

Have you got any more pics dozer of that thing you took a pic of in your entry? I'd like to see what it looks like from other angles.

:)

[dozer]

just one i think, will post it when i get home

[Deimos]

I was pretty pleased with my shot, mainly because of the amazing colour of the flowers and how accurately it was captured. I originally didn't think I'd enter the competition but I was reading the thread and looking at some of the other entries and then I looked out the window, saw the flowers and thought "What the heck?". It's really interesting reading other people's opinions about the various photos. I reckon I've learnt a fair bit from it.

[kleph]

galdeb. you took what i felt was, by far, the best picture in the contest. it had strong composition, excellent colors and an intriguing twist. the contrast of the red strawberry is what really makes this whole thing work. it is a really subtle element but it emphasizes the yellow and draws the viewer into the main subject - the ladybug.

excellent work. take more pics, please.

[dozer]

agreed, what camera you using?

[kleph]

it is an old nikon. i don't know the exact model off the top of my head but i will get that today. it is about 15 years old but it used to be the workhorse camera for photojournalists. it is still a great though.

the reason i like it is that it is completely manual. so i have had to teach myself everything about taking pictures with it. i can also force shots that a semi-automatic can't get.

the practical advantage is, being in south america, having a beat up looking old camera is much smarter than a spanking new semi-automatic or digital. thieves dont have much of a problem ripping a camera off your neck or slashing your camera strap with a razor if they want it bad enough.

the plan is to get good enough to actually make slapping down $5K for a nikon D1 (http://www.epi-centre.com/reports/9907cs.html) or D2X (http://www.parkcameras.com/nikon/digitalcameras/d2x.htm)

[dozer]

i was asking galdeb, but appreciate your responses, sounds like an f-1 from your description. would be good to know how many others are doing it all manually.

i have a nikon 601 but i only love it for the tamron 20-200 71mm lens. theres also an om-1 for b&w which is totally manual., the zuiko lenses are also nice.

the d1 is in my dreams also.

[lectrotext]

lectroma. you had everything right except for the lighting. the buildings are a great subject and between their strange shape and spooky emptiness it is a really compelling picture. but the flat light kills the effort. keep at it. i want to see more of your work.

I agree, but since the only photoshopping allowed was brightness/contrast I was very handcuffed. The shot was taken on an overcast day and that's essentially what was wrong with the photo. It needs some saturation to really bring out the colors and tones.

While this photo was taken with a digital camera, I almost always shoot SLR (Canon AE-1 Program and Canon A-1). I prefer the control I have with a manual program style camera. Plus film selection can also produce startling results. I am most unhappy with the digital experience thus far.

[dozer]

would this have won? we shall nevar know

[kleph]

i dont think so, dozer. the transposition of the two elements is what gives your entry so much more punch.

i know the light sucked when you shot, lectroma. you should have gone back when it was better. but everything else was great, so you are clearly on the right track. keep after it.

[dozer]

thanks mate, thats what i wanted to hear and why i chose the other one.

[kleph]

just caught this on the movie channel here and was pleasantly surprised. good acting, nice plot great charactarization. the soundtrack was excellently selected and i had a great time.

not the best movie i have ever seen but damn enjoyable. and that is often a much more special experience. kind of like when i happened upon Flirting the first time.

anyone else see this one?

: : EDIT: : umm... please go here (http://forums.zgeek.com/showthread.php?p=432819#post432819).

[StygiaN]

erm what's with the last post there kleph, a bit random ;)

I so wish I had an SLR (or a D-SLR) though I would have no idea how to use it at all. Lectorama, not happy with digital photography? You can't beat being able to check your photo just after it's taken and not having to get them developed. Plus it's so much easier to take pictures of yourself nude with a digi and post them on the internet. I can't wait to start www.solodave.com

[kleph]

nah. i'm just stuck on a computer at an internet cafe that has trouble with multiple windows. i'll leave it here to live on as an exemplar of my horrible plight/abject stupidity...

[gaLdaB]

galdeb. you took what i felt was, by far, the best picture in the contest. it had strong composition, excellent colors and an intriguing twist. the contrast of the red strawberry is what really makes this whole thing work. it is a really subtle element but it emphasizes the yellow and draws the viewer into the main subject - the ladybug.

excellent work. take more pics, please.

Thanks for the compliment! I'm using a 2MP Kodak piece of junk that I got years ago. You could by the equivilant now for around 99 bucks :( They came out with a lens kit which included the macro ones so I grabbed them along with the camera. There is absolutely no user control, it's just a point and click camera so you have to take heaps of shots in the hope that they aren't blurry. Stupid auto focus

[StygiaN]

ps. all the photo's (and who took what) can be found here

http://gallery.zgeek.com/categories.php?cat_id=7

[Keyser Söze]

I'd Just like to thank all the entrants.

Stygian, I voted for yours. I found the colours fascinating and it just seemed a bit different to all the others.
Deimos, Your picture is currently my Windows background. Really vibrant colours.
Dozer, I would have voted for you if you'd have entered your second picture.

I can see why Moses and his Swans might win as it's an incredibly pretty picture.

[kleph]

while it is nice to know who did what. i am reserving comments on particular photos to the entrants who comment in this thread. the reason is i am trying to be objective in my criticism and i don't want to offend someone by making a harsh critique they haven't invited.

which isn't to say i feel any of the photos are bad. i thought all the entries, including the dog one, were great. but i want to know what people think i did wrong in mine so i can get better. that's what i am trying to say for the folks who have expressed an interest in this thread.

[Moses]

I also really liked the lady beetle shot, and was damn nervous towards the end there.. Do you have comments on my photograph, I read in an earlier thread that the contrast was poor - is this something I could fix up with photoshop?

[lectrotext]

Moses, yes you can adjust the contrast in photoshop. However, I felt that that comment was not valid. Yes, the palete of colors were all similar, but that just helps make the photo more artistic than a simple landscape shot with some subjects in the foreground. I found it to be a lovely shot. Dream-like, in fact.

[dozer]

you were a well deserved winner, maybe people were talking about the 'whiteness' of the shot but there is a lot of difference between the tones in the water to the sky. its also an excellent scene, made all that more interesting with the swans (like the ladybird shot). being ultra-critical there are a few small spots in it, maybe dust on the lens? the captured water reflection i also really liked.

[Moses]

it was fricking freezing, that's for sure. we walked about 8km that day - up to the castle, down then around the lake before going into town for some Slovenian hot chocolate which is so unbelievably thick you have to spoon it out of the cup!

[Urban3300]

Castle Bled in the middle of the lake Bled am I right?

[Moses]

Castle Bled in the middle of the lake Bled am I right?
nah, the Church is in the middle of Lake Bled, the castle is on the hill to the left