Weekly Assignment #69: Midterm Challenge [Sitemap]

Nikolai

Feb-28-2008, 10:54 PM

Yes, you heard correctly! :wink
There is no LPS2 yet, so we are to fill the void! :deal

This week, for the first time ever, we're going to have a little challenge.
Unlike any prior assignments, this one is in fact time limited and will end next weekend (not coming one, the nxt one, around March 8). When exactly - I'm not gonna tell ya... Maybe Friday March 7 night, maybe Sunday March 9 morning... So act at your own risk. :rofl

I promise a detailed C&C on each valid entry (WP style :wink )

I'll be the judge, the jury, and the executioner, but everyone is welcome to pitch in with their own C&C. :lust

The winner gets the bragging rights and a chance to select the topic for the WA#70 (which will be our regular class again)
The theme is .......
"Wisdom"

DA RULZ:

One entry per person.
Unlike LPS, no second thoughts are allowed - each entry is final.
Max dimensions 800x800 (EDIT: SM can use custom formatting, e.g.: .../photos/IMG12345_aBcD6-800x800.jpg, L and XL should be allowed)
No frames/borders.
Pictures should be fresh, taken during the challenge time.
EXIF is mandatory.
PP as you wish, but if you go too far - that's your problem, not mine:deal
If you're late - you're late. No C&C for you.Are you wise enough?

Moogle Pepper

Feb-29-2008, 01:54 PM

http://tednghiem.smugmug.com/photos/260275253_pRH6y-L.jpg

Exif (http://tednghiem.smugmug.com/photos/newexif.mg?ImageID=260275253&ImageKey=pRH6y)

Did I do ok??

Nikolai

Feb-29-2008, 02:34 PM

Exif (http://tednghiem.smugmug.com/photos/newexif.mg?ImageID=260275253&ImageKey=pRH6y) Did I do ok??
Congratulations on the being the first entrant! :thumb

I like the idea. Library/books translates into wisdom rather naturally.
I also like the color palette - the warm glow of the lamps, dark wood - very calm, quite.
However, I don't see enough books to make this impresison of a "knowledge storage" strong enough. I also don't see people using this knowledge, so the potential kinda dissipates into void...

Technically I think the image is a bit too contrasty. Lamps are partially blown out, some part of the image are totally dark. I think this would be a good target for an HDR-type photography. Espcailly considering the fact there are no people, so multiple shots from a stationary position/tripod would do just fine.
I also think it's too small. Remember, you have 800x800 box to fill, why save on it? XL version would be just fine...

HTH

Moogle Pepper

Feb-29-2008, 03:00 PM

Awww man!!

Thanks! I really didn't do that much PP on it. I upped the vibrance and saturation. That room is dark room, that is how bright it is with all the lights and lamps on. :dunno

Antonio Correia

Feb-29-2008, 04:08 PM

http://antoniocorreia.smugmug.com/photos/260328408_XKe82-M.jpg

EXIF (http://antoniocorreia.smugmug.com/photos/newexif.mg?ImageID=260324061&ImageKey=q3Bey)

Nikolai

Feb-29-2008, 05:53 PM

reading man EXIF (http://antoniocorreia.smugmug.com/photos/newexif.mg?ImageID=260324061&ImageKey=q3Bey)
Antonio, thank you for the entry! :thumb
Another good implementaion of the idea of associating wisdom with books (looks like we have a trend developing:-). More books, there is an author himself reading - very nice. Pertains to the action of extracting the knowledge from all those book, which IMHO *is* closer to "wisdom" than an empty library.
On the other hand, two white issues on the floor (on the attache case) create a major eye distraction. So do the light patches on the floor and the rug on the foreground.
And, just like in Moogle case - why is the image so small? :dunno
Looks like you have a great quite place to read, my friend!:lust

Antonio Correia

Mar-01-2008, 03:52 AM

Antonio, thank you for the entry! :thumb
Another good implementaion of the idea of associating wisdom with books (looks like we have a trend developing:-). More books, there is an author himself reading - very nice. Pertains to the action of extracting the knowledge from all those book, which IMHO *is* closer to "wisdom" than an empty library.
On the other hand, two white issues on the floor (on the attache case) create a major eye distraction. So do the light patches on the floor and the rug on the foreground.
And, just like in Moogle case - why is the image so small? :dunno
Looks like you have a great quite place to read, my friend!:lust

Nikolai, good afternoon. How do you do ? :D

The "white issues" on the floor are printing papers from Strobist and the 580 manual :wink:wink

The patches come from the light ...:dunno

Well, the rug... it has been there for quite some time now...:D

Can't I post another one ? Come on Nikolai .. be a good guy ...:D:rofl:rofl:rofl
:thumb

jeffmeyers

Mar-01-2008, 05:27 AM

http://jeffmeyers.smugmug.com/photos/260508447_qc7Hr-XL.jpg

Exif data (http://jeffmeyers.smugmug.com/photos/newexif.mg?ImageID=260508447&ImageKey=qc7Hr)

jeffmeyers

Mar-01-2008, 06:16 AM

Forgive me for editing my original post. But within a few minutes I realized that I had accidently posted the wrong version of my image. I hope that's okay. Obviously, my correction wasn't in response to anyone's criticism or critique. Thank you!

hurricanesteve

Mar-01-2008, 07:54 AM

http://hurricanesteve.smugmug.com/photos/260291102_EXVyJ-800x640.jpg
EXIF (http://hurricanesteve.smugmug.com/photos/newexif.mg?ImageID=260291102&ImageKey=EXVyJ)

she's tailor made (or tailor named for this contest).

exif is squirrelly on aperture and focal length. this was taken with a SuperTakumar 105mm f/2.8 lens with a af confirm adapter on my rebel xt. shot wide open, converted from raw (white balanced mostly) in zoombrowser, and cropped in ps7.

WilliamClark77

Mar-01-2008, 09:13 AM

You couldn't have timed this any better! :ivar

There's already some great shots posted!

I already had my cam out and tripoded (is that a word?) last night and was waiting on his food to thaw while I checked the forum. I saw this assignment and, IMO, knew he had the look. It took about 15 minutes and lots of test shots, but I think I got one that fits the "wisdom" theme.

No cropping and the only ps done was unsharp mask and lowered quality for quicker uploading. He is MUCH smaller than he looks. A penny would cover his head.

http://WilliamClark77.smugmug.com/photos/260345773_GtQ9x-M.jpg

Basic
Date Modified 2008-02-29 19:56:56
Date Taken 2008-02-29 18:58:05
Camera Canon EOS Kiss Digital X
Exposure Time 2.5s (25/10)
Aperture f/22.0
ISO 200
Focal Length 100mm (guess: 106mm in 35mm)
Photo Dimensions 3888 x 2592
File Name IMG_9356.JPG
File Size 4.93 MB

Detailed
Flash flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
Exposure Program aperture priority
Exposure Bias 1/3 EV
Exposure Mode auto
White Balance auto
Color Space sRGB

Nikolai

Mar-01-2008, 09:26 AM

Nikolai, good afternoon. How do you do ? :D
meh, considering I have to work both days of the weekend...

The "white issues" on the floor are printing papers from Strobist and the 580 manual :wink:wink

It doesn't make them less distracting..

The patches come from the light ...:dunno

I understand that. Shaping the light in the whole frame is the ultimate challenge for any phorographer. :deal

Well, the rug... it has been there for quite some time now...:D

I understand. Maybe if the light on it was toned down it would be less distractvie...

All this is just my personal opinions, and I am known to be wrong on many occasions :wink
Can't I post another one ? Come on Nikolai .. be a good guy ...:D
The only reason I introduced this rule is to give me a fighting chance to fullfill my promise to come out with a sensible C&C on each image. The whole challenge was not designed for anybody to try to please yours truly. There is a theme and a promise of a hard and honest C&C. The rest is up to you.

Cheers! :thumb

Ann McRae

Mar-01-2008, 10:18 AM

Ha!!! It just so happens that I was touring MIT campus on FEb. 29.

Hallowed Halls:
http://canadian-ann.smugmug.com/photos/260564920_sTQqj-M.jpg

Antonio Correia

Mar-01-2008, 01:21 PM

Moogle Pepper

Mar-01-2008, 01:31 PM

For the owl, they have a reference of being wise! In Greek Mythology, the goddess Athena's symbol was an owl ... if I recall correctly. And also a lot of children cartoons of animals, the owl is always depicted as the wise and reverent of them all. Of course in real life it can be different...

I am not sure about the rest..

WilliamClark77

Mar-01-2008, 03:37 PM

Post for those who have posted the animals:

Can you please explain me your meaning for "wisdom" ? :dunno

As you can read, English is not my native language, so I would like to know the other meanings this word may have.

Thank you. :bow:D:thumb

In Greek mythology a serpent, Pythia, guarded the Oracle of Delphi. If I recall correctly the Greeks point to this as the center of the universe and all knowledge. That is what I thought of and the "look" I attempted. If I am wrong someone please correct me. It has been a long time since high school.

No hard feelings if Nik doesn't feel this fits and removes it. I need to expand my shooting since lately it's been 90% macro anyway. :beer

spb13

Mar-01-2008, 03:50 PM

My two cents...

http://spb13.smugmug.com/photos/260685182_29LRy-XL.jpg
exif (http://spb13.smugmug.com/photos/newexif.mg?ImageID=260685182&ImageKey=29LRy)

Antonio Correia

Mar-01-2008, 04:49 PM

Nikolai

Mar-01-2008, 07:33 PM

Merlin's Counselor
Forgive me for editing my original post. But within a few minutes I realized that I had accidental posted the wrong version of my image. I hope that's okay. Obviously, my correction wasn't in response to anyone's criticism or critique. Thank you!

That's OK, nobody saw it:-)

Now, to the C&C

Nice choice of a subject! AFAIK in Western folklore owls were always considered "wise". Cute title, too. ;-)
Good off-camera light! Solid black bg.
I like one-eyed compo!

Now, due to the very close distance I cannot stop thinking that this is not a real thing. And that spoils it for me. What I think would help to keep the "wise-owl-Hogwarts-Merlin" feeling intact is a different, more mysterious lighting and/or some special PP treatment.

HTH

Nikolai

Mar-01-2008, 07:45 PM

she's tailor made (or tailor named for this contest).

exif is squirrelly on aperture and focal length. this was taken with a SuperTakumar 105mm f/2.8 lens with a af confirm adapter on my rebel xt. shot wide open, converted from raw (white balanced mostly) in zoombrowser, and cropped in ps7.

Steve,
thank you for the entry!

Well, Athena was indeed considered "The Goddess of Wisdom" by the ancient Greeks, so that connotation is good.

It's also technically rather nicely done. Shallow DOF, nicely blurred bg.. Obviously overcast day, so the ambient lighting is smooth.

Now, if you remove the title any possible connection to the theme is going puff. And, in case you didn't know, I'm not a big fan of pets (or kids) pics, unless they are *exceptionally* done, which this one isn't... :dunno

HTH

Nikolai

Mar-01-2008, 07:59 PM

yellow snake
Thanks for the entry!

Nice choice of the subject. Snakes (like owls) were always considered to be some sort of "wise" animals. The fact this one's live only improves the image.

Interesting color, good DOF. Off camera light definitely helps.

Now, why is the image *so* small? I understand you wanted to upload quicker, but come on, making it to fit 800x800 would only add a few extra Kb to the image and a few extra seconds to the upload time even over the 56K modem... :dunno
I also can't say I like the pink background. What's wisdom have to do with pink? :huh
Finally, while the lighting is nice, I don't think it fits. Not dramatic enough. Come on, we're talking Slitherin here! A mega villain/sorcerer. Lighting from below would be my choice. Or, maybe, a candle light, since she could definitely hold still for a second or two... :wink

Nikolai

Mar-01-2008, 08:12 PM

Ha!!! It just so happens that I was touring MIT campus on FEb. 29. Hallowed Halls

Hello Ann,
so nice of you to join us! :lust
Glad you had a chance to visit the MIT, definitely a place I'd like to visit one day! :thumb

Nice BW! Good catch on the people entering, shows the scale of the building nicely. Also nice shadow patterns on the stairs.

Now, without the extra info about the MIT I'd have a hard time to figure out the relation between the image and the theme.
Temple? Yes. Grandeur? Definitely! Public place? Sure? Law? Maybe. Wisdom? What? :dunno
Rather noticeable keystone effect on the pillars makes it look like a snapshot. Key-stoning can be and often is used to emphasize the weight, but this one looks more like a technical mistake than a conscious decision. :dunno
And why oh why is the image so small? Whatever the pundits say, size does matter! :wink

HTH

Nikolai

Mar-01-2008, 08:23 PM

My two cents..
Sean, thank you for the entry!
Nice off-camera light!, albeit a tad sharp to my taste (incandescent light bulb?)
DOF is good, but a wee bit shallow (fingertips are OOF)
The well know saying helps with the theme relation, although it does require a certain mental effort to associate the two (at least for me).

Yet while all the technical points are adding up nicely, there is something je ne sais quoi that prevents me from calling it a good solid image. :dunno Softer light? Different light angle? Better DOF? Different WB? Different PP treatment (this one doesn't show any signs of it)? Dunno...:scratch

HTH

Antonio Correia

Mar-02-2008, 02:35 AM

In Greek mythology a serpent, Pythia, guarded the Oracle of Delphi. ..:beer

Clever association indeed.:D
Serpent (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpent_%28symbolism%29)
After all Greece is the birth of Occidental civilization ...:D
:bow:D

jeffmeyers

Mar-02-2008, 05:04 AM

That's OK, nobody saw it:-)

Now, to the C&C

Nice choice of a subject! AFAIK in Western folklore owls were always considered "wise". Cute title, too. ;-)
Good off-camera light! Solid black bg.
I like one-eyed compo!

Now, due to the very close distance I cannot stop thinking that this is not a real thing. And that spoils it for me. What I think would help to keep the "wise-owl-Hogwarts-Merlin" feeling intact is a different, more mysterious lighting and/or some special PP treatment.

HTH

Thank you for the critique. I'm fairly new to DG, so I appreciate you taking the time to analyze the image. Good idea about doing more PP to highlight the mysterious. I did some of that, but obviously not enough. And, no, the owl is definitely not real! ;-)

WilliamClark77

Mar-02-2008, 08:13 AM

Thanks for the entry!

Nice choice of the subject. Snakes (like owls) were always considered to be some sort of "wise" animals. The fact this one's live only improves the image.

Interesting color, good DOF. Off camera light definitely helps.

Now, why is the image *so* small? I understand you wanted to upload quicker, but come on, making it to fit 800x800 would only add a few extra Kb to the image and a few extra seconds to the upload time even over the 56K modem... :dunno
I also can't say I like the pink background. What's wisdom have to do with pink? :huh
Finally, while the lighting is nice, I don't think it fits. Not dramatic enough. Come on, we're talking Slitherin here! A mega villain/sorcerer. Lighting from below would be my choice. Or, maybe, a candle light, since she could definitely hold still for a second or two... :wink

Thank you so much for your time giving an in depth critique! I didn't even think to light from below. Where were you when I had everything set up and he was actually posing? :wink

Oh, and the pic is actually uploaded to SM at 3888x2592 and 4.93mb. I just lowered the quality to 7 (from a full 10 in dpp) in the RAW conversion to drop it down from 11mb. I posted it at the medium size. Should I use L instead when posting here? :dunno

Nikolai

Mar-02-2008, 08:28 AM

Should I use L instead when posting here? :dunno
L for "landscapes", XL for "portraits", or simply use custom (as in .../img12345_aBcd6-800x800.jpg) and let SM do the job for ya:-)
EDIT: I updated the lead post with this info, maybe new entries will be larger:-)

Joe M

Mar-02-2008, 08:53 AM

Even with Wisdom and Faith you need security bars on the stained glass.

http://NC-BlackandWhite.smugmug.com/photos/260961827_xR3uP-XL.jpg

EXIF (http://nc-blackandwhite.smugmug.com/photos/newexif.mg?ImageID=260961827&ImageKey=xR3uP)

vandana

Mar-02-2008, 12:27 PM

"Bookworm"

http://vandana.smugmug.com/photos/261052525_rasnP-XL.jpg
exif (http://vandana.smugmug.com/photos/newexif.mg?ImageID=261052525&ImageKey=rasnP)

Elaine

Mar-02-2008, 01:17 PM

http://e-heasley.smugmug.com/photos/260993796_LEryy-XL-1.jpg

EXIF (http://e-heasley.smugmug.com/photos/newexif.mg?ImageID=260993796&ImageKey=LEryy)

Stagehand

Mar-02-2008, 03:58 PM

exif (http://jasona.smugmug.com/photos/newexif.mg?ImageID=261134688&ImageKey=nPw7a)
http://jasona.smugmug.com/photos/261134688_nPw7a-800x800.jpg

:D:D:D

Hopefully I got this to the right size-

JayMitch

Mar-02-2008, 04:31 PM

Okay, here is my humble effort.

http://JayMitch.smugmug.com/photos/261161976_S7MgH-800x800.jpg (http://JayMitch.smugmug.com/photos/newexif.mg?ImageID=261161976&ImageKey=S7MgH)

--Jay

Nikolai

Mar-03-2008, 09:08 PM

Even with Wisdom and Faith you need security bars on the stained glass.

Joe, thanks for the entry!

Love the bold colors, I'm also such a sucker for a good old masonry.
Good usage of almost square format for presentation purposes (finally, somebody listens to the size suggestions :wink ;-)

Now, why is that power wire still in there? 5 min in PSE/PS would deal with it for good. The top of the brick roof is cut, kinda decapitated. I know you were shooting for bars, but you gotta watch the whole image, too.
A normal human eye is extremely sensitive even to the slightest horizon tilts, and that is especially true with the architectural shots. Yours is tilted CW, just a tiny notch, but it immediately makes me feel a bit nauseous...

Finally: whoever build that church made it his top priority to hide the bars, using the stained glass background as a natural camouflage. You were trying to undo his disguise and present those to the world.
Guess what: he won...:dunno Without the title I wouldn't even pay an attention to them (unlike the darn wire).
And no, neither they nor the whole image do not convey wisdom for me. Fear - maybe, uncertainty - possible, religion - totally, but wisdom - no, sorry...

HTH

Nikolai

Mar-03-2008, 09:19 PM

"Bookworm"
Hi Vandana,
thank you for joining us!

While I'm not always associating science with wisdom (saw my fair share of "scientists" who were as unwise as it gets), this image is a nice representation of a common sense idea that reading books makes you wiser:-) Title is cute and suits the image nicely. I would assume getting this shot set up took some time, those nooks look heavy:-)

Now: what's with the matchbox size? :scratch You of all people should not be afraid of showing off your work, Ms. First Ever LPS Winner! :-) :lust

And of course, the books themselves... They are totally blown off. :dunno Why, oh why not the off camera flash? :rolleyes Or some other light source?

Bottom line: very good idea, but the execution is sub-par... :dunno

Nikolai

Mar-03-2008, 09:30 PM

there is no try
Elaine, thank you for your entry!

Interesting choice of implementation. Yoda portrait does suggest wisdom. Good light and contrast on the shirt. Bold tilt!

Now, the rest of the image looks soft :dunno . Very soft. If it was not for a human face I wouldn't worry too much about that, but it is the face, and we naturally want it to be in focus - or boldly out. In this case it looks like the poor lighting commanded the shallow DOF of f/2.8 (along with ISO1600 and 1/13s exposure), but it came at a price of "losing the face". Which, in addition to all this, does not, IMHO, contribute to the idea of "wisdom", since the subject tries to look mean, which is usually not a wise thing to do:-)

All in all I think this image would deliver a much stronger impression of "wisdom" if you'd just cropped (or zoomed in) to the Yoda image itself, or would have made the guys' face completely, boldly blurred/OOF.

HTH

Nikolai

Mar-03-2008, 09:52 PM

pearls.
Hopefully I got this to the right size-
"Pearls of wisdom", I guess? ;-)
Yes, size is totally fine. BW treatment could have been a bit less bland, but it's fine too, make the whole picture looks less snapshotty..

Now, the jewelry has always been a very hard subject to photograph properly, especially doing for the first time and not having the proper lighting set up (work-lights? I tried them at first too, they simply don't work well enough on their own, more technique needed, like a diffuser, far longer exposure, ect....). :deal

Very shallow DOF (f/3,5 according to EXIF), rather sharp/low shooting/viewing angle and a very close distance makes pretty much 95% of picture OOF. My eyes are constantly going over the whole image trying to find a single sharp spot - and can't rest anywhere. :dunno

The lock on the right and the centerpiece (or watchyacallit;-) on the left create noticeable distractions and turn the original "pearls of wisdom" idea into "hey, I took a picture a pearl necklace for my ebay auction".

As I mentioned above, the BW is rather bland, no strong blacks, no inteeresting grays, thus bringing no character into the image... :dunno

All in all, good idea, but you've picked an extremely technically tough subject as pearls...

HTH

Nikolai

Mar-03-2008, 10:02 PM

Okay, here is my humble effort.
Hi Jay,
thank you for your entry!

Good choice of primary subject! it definitely communicates with me on several layers, wisdom being one of them.

Nice light, too - I suspect a little HDR/blending work, but it maybe just naturally overcast sky.

You've managed to keep the horizon even, even though your shooting angle was far from the optimal. I actually think that a bolder keystoning (lie on the floor, use WA lens) would make it even better.

Now, this is probably the one that would look better in a god BW. As of now, the blue line in the middle and the sunset on the far right create a distraction. Simply desaturating them, may be not even for a 100% would make the primary idea much stronger, IMHO.

HTH

Joe M

Mar-04-2008, 06:11 AM

Now, why is that power wire still in there? 5 min in PSE/PS would deal with it for good.

HTH

Thanks for the comments Nikolai.

One of the first things I did when I got the image in CS3 was try and get rid of the power line. I couldn't do it on the brick background and make it look natural. I would love someone to show me how to do it in 5 minutes. Is there some technique other than the obvious tools?

Stagehand

Mar-04-2008, 06:25 AM

"Pearls of wisdom", I guess? ;-)
Yes, size is totally fine. BW treatment could have been a bit less bland, but it's fine too, make the whole picture looks less snapshotty..

Now, the jewelry has always been a very hard subject to photograph properly, especially doing for the first time and not having the proper lighting set up (work-lights? I tried them at first too, they simply don't work well enough on their own, more technique needed, like a diffuser, far longer exposure, ect....). :deal

Very shallow DOF (f/3,5 according to EXIF), rather sharp/low shooting/viewing angle and a very close distance makes pretty much 95% of picture OOF. My eyes are constantly going over the whole image trying to find a single sharp spot - and can't rest anywhere. :dunno

The lock on the right and the centerpiece (or watchyacallit;-) on the left create noticeable distractions and turn the original "pearls of wisdom" idea into "hey, I took a picture a pearl necklace for my ebay auction".

As I mentioned above, the BW is rather bland, no strong blacks, no inteeresting grays, thus bringing no character into the image... :dunno

All in all, good idea, but you've picked an extremely technically tough subject as pearls...

HTH

Wow! Cool, OK- thanks-

Man you have set yourself up for a tough job- critiqueing all these, but I appreciate your honesty and thoughtfulness...and you seem to be very astute so here's to you :bow:thumb
I'm new here, and am looking forward to contributing and learning...

In my defense- I didnt have enough pearls to do the job justice. Also, due to my noobness- I was excited, and wanted to get the product "out the door." Ligting was kitchen lighting- I was holding both the camera and the subject simultaneaously up to the light...

Truthfully, once I saw all the the little faces smiling at me, I could no longer resist. :D

Do you think I could have gotten better focus by shooting from farther away and then cropping to fill the frame? :ear high angle shots were looking very flat, and extremely low angle shots seemed to lose the idea...

Thanks for your time. This is fun. :ivar

-edit- as usual, I do Zero in terms of PP. (very little in the way of pre-anything also :lol2)

Nikolai

Mar-04-2008, 07:40 AM

Thanks for the comments Nikolai.

One of the first things I did when I got the image in CS3 was try and get rid of the power line. I couldn't do it on the brick background and make it look natural. I would love someone to show me how to do it in 5 minutes. Is there some technique other than the obvious tools?

You're welcome!

In your particualr case the wire is easy... I'd use a two-step process
1) using any of the fixup tools (clone, patch, healing brush - your choice) and a lighten or ligter colors blending mode paint it over using the very close an area exactly one brick layer off as a source. This should take care of ~90% of the wire in one sweep
2) for each of the areas that produced noticeable artifacts repeat the process locally under greater zoom.

HTH

Nikolai

Mar-04-2008, 08:03 AM

Do you think I could have gotten better focus by shooting from farther away and then cropping to fill the frame? :ear high angle shots were looking very flat, and extremely low angle shots seemed to lose the idea...

For a greater DOF you need to step down (f/8? f/16?) and prolly step away (if you have enough space) to increase the focusing distance and hence DOF. This would naturally require much longer exposure, so a good tripod is a must, and probably a longer lens. Macro 100mm would be my weapon of choice, but others should do, too.

As to the treatment - this is a tough one, pearls are both reflective and almost colorless. Need to play more to check out different options...

HTH

JayMitch

Mar-04-2008, 09:02 AM

Hi Jay,
thank you for your entry!

Good choice of primary subject! it definitely communicates with me on several layers, wisdom being one of them.

Nice light, too - I suspect a little HDR/blending work, but it maybe just naturally overcast sky.

You've managed to keep the horizon even, even though your shooting angle was far from the optimal. I actually think that a bolder keystoning (lie on the floor, use WA lens) would make it even better.

Now, this is probably the one that would look better in a god BW. As of now, the blue line in the middle and the sunset on the far right create a distraction. Simply desaturating them, may be not even for a 100% would make the primary idea much stronger, IMHO.

HTH

Nikolai,

Thanks for your thoughtful comments. There was no HDR involved (I don't actually know how to do that), but I did add contract via curves in LR to make the carving in the stone more distinct. I did try to emphasize the keystoning for effect but didn't go as far as you suggest. Good thought.

What you say about the colors, and color vs B&W, is interesting. In retrospect I think I kind of fell in love with the colors in this image and failed to step back and consider how they added to or detracted from the overall effect. I even selectively brought up the level of the blue stained glass because the repeated star of David pattern was not that prominent at first and I didn't want that element to be missed. But, I think I could have done that and still toned down the color. I want to go back and work with that and try a B&W version as well (for my own education - I know I can't resubmit the image).

Thanks again. I like this type of assignment. I hope you do it again sometime.

--Jay

Nikolai

Mar-04-2008, 10:39 AM

Nikolai,

Thanks for your thoughtful comments. ...
I like this type of assignment. I hope you do it again sometime.

--Jay

Jay, thank you for playing! :thumb
I'm sure we will! :wink

nstam

Mar-04-2008, 02:45 PM

i hope you can accept this as an entry. there has been some slight sharpening, colour adjustment and the picture has been cropped.

i wanted to actually think about wisdom and what it means... thought about the typical elderly man teaching a tot, or something that has seen some time... but thats to classic. So I chose this. I'm thinking this is going to be a hard one to accept, but I'll try anyways. Theres some things that could have made the photo better, but this is how it is.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2324/2311388826_b5f0b6906d_o.jpg (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2324/2311388826_b5f0b6906d_o.jpg)

heres exif:
Exif IFD0

* Camera Make = Canon
* Camera Model = Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT
* X-Resolution = 72/1 = 72
* Y-Resolution = 72/1 = 72
* X/Y-Resolution Unit = inch (2)
* Last Modified Date/Time = 2008:03:04 15:40:51
* Y/Cb/Cr Positioning (Subsampling) = co-sited / datum point (2)
* Custom Rendered = normal process (0)
* Exposure Mode = auto exposure (0)
* White Balance = auto (0)
* Scene Capture Type = standard (0)

Exif Sub IFD

* Exposure Time (1 / Shutter Speed) = 1/800 second = 0.00125 second
* Lens F-Number/F-Stop = 56/10 = F5.6
* Exposure Program = aperture priority (3)
* ISO Speed Ratings = 100
* Exif Version = 0221
* Original Date/Time = 2008:03:04 15:40:51
* Digitization Date/Time = 2008:03:04 15:40:51
* Components Configuration = 0x01,0x02,0x03,0x00 / YCbCr
* Shutter Speed Value (APEX) = 632020/65536
Shutter Speed (Exposure Time) = 1/800 second
* Aperture Value (APEX) = 325770/65536
Aperture = F5.6
* Exposure Bias (EV) = -1/3 = -0.33
* Metering Mode = average (1)
* Flash = Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
* Focal Length = 170/1 mm = 170 mm

Nikolai

Mar-04-2008, 04:01 PM

i hope you can accept this as an entry. there has been some slight sharpening, colour adjustment and the picture has been cropped.

i wanted to actually think about wisdom and what it means... thought about the typical elderly man teaching a tot, or something that has seen some time... but that's to classic. So I chose this. I'm thinking this is going to be a hard one to accept, but I'll try anyways. There's some things that could have made the photo better, but this is how it is.

Thank you for your entry!

Interesting concept! I agree, it's a stretch, and without a long explanation it's not obvious what you had in mind. My primary interpretation would be "old and new" or something to that extend - which in my book does not necessarily translates into "wisdom"..:dunno Anyway...

Good focusing on the old stub. Side lighting also shows a good technique. Judging by the settings (ISO100, 1/800s, ~f/5.0) you had plenty of light to work with.

Now, only the old stub is in focus. The young pop is hopelessly OOF, which kinda removes it from the focal point and makes the whole idea rather moot.
Some OOF debris in front of the stub (on the left) also do not help.
I understand your intention to remove your subjects from the dead center. Unfortunately, in this particular case you ended up with gobs of negative space that brings nothing interesting to the theme and only makes the whole image look muddy.
I have mentioned the light already... While the amount is plentiful, I really don't like the quality, it's rather sharp :-(
BTW, it's been a while since I saw and analyzed an image taken in full auto mode :wink You seem to have a nice dslr, why don't use it to its full potential?

HTH

ifocus

Mar-04-2008, 04:46 PM

http://Ifocus.smugmug.com/photos/262062449_tnxxZ-L.jpg

EXIF (http://ifocus.smugmug.com/photos/newexif.mg?ImageID=262067913&ImageKey=EpdYZ)

Noun1.sapience - ability to apply knowledge or experience or understanding or common sense and insight
Cheers

Jean-Yves

Nikolai

Mar-04-2008, 05:03 PM

Noun1.sapience - ability to apply knowledge or experience or understanding or common sense and insight
Cheers
Jean-Yves

Hi Jean-Yves, thank you for the entry!

I like your "in your face" approach.
Nice dynamic range, from totally black shadows through the warm flesh tones to the bright white (yet not blown) of the paper
Nice light.
Good quality image overall.

Not many things to critique, except I do not necessarily relate "sapience" to "wisdom". I get "knowledge", "planning", "resolution" from it, but "wisdom" is a pretty far stretch :dunno

ifocus

Mar-04-2008, 05:26 PM

Hi Jean-Yves, thank you for the entry!

I like your "in your face" approach.
Nice dynamic range, from totally black shadows through the warm flesh tones to the bright white (yet not blown) of the paper
Nice light.
Good quality image overall.

Not many things to critique, except I do not necessarily relate "sapience" to "wisdom". I get "knowledge", "planning", "resolution" from it, but "wisdom" is a pretty far stretch :dunno

Thanks for your feedback, Nikolai, your time investment to the community is amazing. As for the theme, here is my interpretation. "Wisdom is having gained knowledge, experience, and intuitive understanding, along with a capacity to apply these well."

This image represent "gained knowledge" as the plan is a symbol of applying this knowledge into a construction. I hope I am helping to sell my case ! :D Once again thank you. Jean-Yves

Greensquared

Mar-04-2008, 05:47 PM

http://greensquared.smugmug.com/photos/262087703_ci5iP-L.jpg (http://greensquared.smugmug.com/photos/newexif.mg?ImageID=262087703&ImageKey=ci5iP)

nstam

Mar-04-2008, 06:53 PM

Thank you for your entry!

Interesting concept! I agree, it's a stretch, and without a long explanation it's not obvious what you had in mind. My primary interpretation would be "old and new" or something to that extend - which in my book does not necessarily translates into "wisdom"..:dunno Anyway...

Good focusing on the old stub. Side lighting also shows a good technique. Judging by the settings (ISO100, 1/800s, ~f/5.0) you had plenty of light to work with.

Now, only the old stub is in focus. The young pop is hopelessly OOF, which kinda removes it from the focal point and makes the whole idea rather moot.
Some OOF debris in front of the stub (on the left) also do not help.
I understand your intention to remove your subjects from the dead center. Unfortunately, in this particular case you ended up with gobs of negative space that brings nothing interesting to the theme and only makes the whole image look muddy.
I have mentioned the light already... While the amount is plentiful, I really don't like the quality, it's rather sharp :-(
BTW, it's been a while since I saw and analyzed an image taken in full auto mode :wink You seem to have a nice dslr, why don't use it to its full potential?

HTH

the focus is supposed to be on the old stub... the idea is the old showing the young. kind of like what i was saying in the post... but i wanted to take a different approach.

whenever i see thorns i think of the crown of thorns.... but couldnt figure out how to interpret that with this picture so i left out the story to go with the picture. again old teaching young...

the space was left for people to open up and think about what is going on... and be drawn back to the subject... the stub lol

too much explanation! it was a hard a concept for such a interesting photographic topic.

i must admit, this topic made me think alot about photography and the right scene. i thought i found the right scene, but i think the angle and intrepretation was off... oh well. i learned lots! and lots about my new lens! thanks for the critique, it really does help. i cant wait for next topic!
~n8

addition: i was also going for the rule of thirds... on the thorns. have you tried breaking the old thorns off? very tough... where as the young thorns snap off easily.... toooooo much explanation :'(
was fun though! =)

Nikolai

Mar-04-2008, 06:58 PM

Proverbs 4
Hi Emily!
I'm so glad you decided to play with us! :clap

I must say, the salt of LPS was not used in vain by you. I have always been a big fan of your entries, and this case is not an exception.

Great theme interpretation! Not blatant, but easily understandable.
Magnificent lighting (you are a Light Fairy after all:-). Top notch treatment - I like both sepiish look and the grain, both relevant to the theme.

My tiniest "but" is the amount of blur on the foreground: it looks a bit unnatural and unnecessarily PS-ed (I can be wrong at that, but that's how I feel).

All in all - a great image!

Greensquared

Mar-05-2008, 04:12 AM

Hi Emily!
I'm so glad you decided to play with us! :clap

I must say, the salt of LPS was not used in vain by you. I have always been a big fan of your entries, and this case is not an exception.

Great theme interpretation! Not blatant, but easily understandable.
Magnificent lighting (you are a Light Fairy after all:-). Top notch treatment - I like both sepiish look and the grain, both relevant to the theme.

My tiniest "but" is the amount of blur on the foreground: it looks a bit unnatural and unnecessarily PS-ed (I can be wrong at that, but that's how I feel).

All in all - a great image!

Thanks Nik! :lust

For anyone interested, this was shot purely by a small candle. No crop. A touch of blur tool was used in the top left corner as the sharp words on the prayer book were drawing attention. Graphic pen tool filter added, then reduced opacity. No other adjustments.

Thanks for the assignment. For guaranteed critiques, I may play more!:D

Nikolai

Mar-05-2008, 06:52 PM

School of Hard Knocks

Thank you for your entry!

Good solid image. Funny. Great composition. Interesting treatment. Good DOF.

Now, while I understand the concept of "learning from mistakes", this one is a far strech on a suggested theme. Considering the fact this situation could kill, I find it hard to believe it's real. I cannot see "wsidom" here, no matter how hard I try...:dunno

Stagehand

Mar-05-2008, 07:04 PM

May i interject - I was originally thinking along similar lines for a subject- That of setting some kind of scene that would show that there was some knowledge of causality, and the wisdom to avoid a certian path- I just couldnt pull it together.. This one may be a stretch, but does a good job of navigating a tenuous channel..

Could be titled "Not Again" :D

shatch

Mar-05-2008, 07:08 PM

http://tesseract.smugmug.com/photos/262493066_diLtY-L.jpg

Exif (http://tesseract.smugmug.com/photos/newexif.mg?ImageID=262493066&ImageKey=diLtY)

Thanks Nikolai for doing this contest. This is a non-composite image with minimal post.

Nikolai

Mar-05-2008, 08:00 PM

Thanks Nikolai for doing this contest. This is a non-composite image with minimal post.

Steven, thank you for playing!

Another LPS veteran joins in - and with another hit! :clap
Very impressive composition! Theme is pwned! :-) Great costume. Exquisite lighting - most on the book, which reflects to the face and make it visible under the deep hood. Non-distinguishable dark bg which adds to tranquillity/magic of the image. Dynamic pose. Bold and very appropriate BW treatment!

The only thing than strikes me as a minor gotcha it the few light streaks alongside the boy's figure, especially top and right. And why is the copy so small? We have 800 box rule here...

Other than that I would call this flawless! :thumb

ChatKat

Mar-06-2008, 07:12 AM

A new father's wisdom....

http://www.flashfrozenphotography.com/photos/262557168_hg6TG-M.jpg

Exif: f18 - 1/160 - iso200 - Canon 5d 24-70 40mm
Shooting date 3/4/08
Processed with Nik Color Efx IR and Noise added

Moogle Pepper

Mar-06-2008, 08:13 AM

He's got big hands..

ChatKat

Mar-06-2008, 08:57 AM

He's got big hands..
That and a 10 day old baby

Nikolai

Mar-06-2008, 10:42 AM

A new father's wisdom....
Exif: f18 - 1/160 - iso200 - Canon 5d 24-70 40mm
Shooting date 3/4/08
Processed with Nik Color Efx IR and Noise added

Hi Kathy, thank you for your entry!

Lovely shot. The client must be proud. I remember myself when my first child was born... I was ecstatic for a week...:rofl

Great composition/action, you can feel the moment.
The tiny baby, large hands of his dad - very nice juxtaposition! Wise usage of wide angle to enhance this effect.
The pride of the father is clearly depicted.

Now, back on the ranch.. I mean, "on the rant"... :-)

Small copy - again. The smaller it is, the harder is to evaluate it. Allowed/suggested size is 800x800 "fit" box, I suggest everybody to use it. :dunno

The diaper is blown out, creating a rather ugly and distracting white spot. Powering down the flash or bolder crop could help.

The visible corner of dad's eye look as if he rolled his eyes - probably just a bad moment during the eye's blinking movement - and spoils the "love and pride" impression, changing it to "gosh, how long do I have to do this, I'm tired already". A little camera repositioning and a different moment would help. In general, "cutting an eye" is not a good idea in portraiture, and of course, blinking is also a common thing to watch for.

I'm not sure I like the purplish treatment. I think I wouldn't mind pure BW, but this one kinda reminiscences with the fairly common "nuked red" of the ubiquitous poorly done baby snapshots.
The added noise doesn't help also. It makes an already sharp light (see below) even sharper, causing more damage than help.

What's with the light? Way too much (hence f/18, which is a bit too deep for a portrait IMFO) and way too sharp!
Power: if that was the minimum (1/16) setting you need an ND filter. And even if you don't have one for the flash unit itself, you can can always put one on the lens - it works just the same with the added bonus that it affects all your lights simultaneously in case you use more than one:-)

Sharp: Did you use that Chimera strip-box? It's a valid option, but I honestly don't think it should have been used in this case. Babies are soft and tender, they need softer light. I understand you wanted to control the spill, but that can be done by masking/gridding. The grids are expensive, but first option can be done on a cheap by blocking the non-needed part of the soft-box with any opaque material - say, black paper. This will also help with the power problem, since it will "eat" the blocked portion.

And last but not least: despite the title I cannot extract "wisdom" from this image. "Love", "fatherhood", "safety", "pride" - absolutely. But no wisdom, not for me.

HTH

RoguePhotographer

Mar-07-2008, 08:03 AM

http://photos.greensquaredimages.com/photos/262620729_8y96i-L.jpg (http://photos.greensquaredimages.com/photos/newexif.mg?ImageID=262620729&ImageKey=8y96i)

Click on image for EXIF. Due to camera issues, date taken is incorrect. Actual date taken is 3/5/08.

bgaras2001

Mar-07-2008, 10:29 AM

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2117/2316127873_264877be26.jpg?v=0

Camera:Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi (http://www.flickr.com/cameras/canon/eos_digital_rebel_xti/)Exposure:0.003 sec (1/320)Aperture:f/9Focal Length:18 mmISO Speed:100Exposure Bias:0/3 EVFlash:Flash did not fire
Orientation:Horizontal (normal)X-Resolution:72 dpiY-Resolution:72 dpiSoftware:Adobe Photoshop CS3 WindowsDate and Time:2008:03:02 14:35:33YCbCr Positioning:Co-SitedExposure Program:ManualDate and Time (Original):2008:03:02 14:19:53Date and Time (Digitized):2008:03:02 14:19:53Shutter Speed:545386/65536Metering Mode:PatternColor Space:sRGBFocal Plane X-Resolution:4433.295 dpiFocal Plane Y-Resolution:4453.608 dpiExposure Mode:1White Balance:1Compression:JPEGImage Width:597 pixelsImage Height:800 pixels

Nikolai

Mar-07-2008, 01:45 PM

Behind The Shadows

Thank you for the entry!

I can clearly see the "case in point" - the word "wisdom" is written on the wall, it's a library, etc.
Nice low light goes well the stone carvings.
Cool tree shadow in the middle ("tree of wisdom"?;-)

Now, it's an architectural shot taken with a very wide angle lens (9.9mm according to your EXIF), which makes it extremely prone to a skewing/tilting and keystoning. Unfortunately, the whole family of them is present in this image, and I don't think it was intentional.
The tree shadow I mentioned above was nice. However, that of a street light is not, and it distracts greatly. Bad timing, I guess..
There is a shadow of something in the very bottom left corner. It breaks up otherwise pristine corner line and make the whole image looks snapshotty.
The glass door section, while adding the word "library", does not itself add to the concept. It's also very sharp and very contrasty, thus creating a huge attraction for the viewer. After this a tender, delicate stone stela looks pale, I had to make a mental effort to read the scripture..

Next time:
concentrate on the stone wall itself,
crop out the glass,
pick up time when no extra shadows can crawl into your frame,
keep your camera leveled (tripod and dual axis level)

HTH

Nikolai

Mar-07-2008, 02:00 PM

Hindsight
Another LPS heavy-weight! :lust This is getting very interesting! :clap

Interesting take!
The theme is delivered in a gentle, subtle way. Stretchy, but it's there..
Great composition!
Nice "signature" treatment in the skies.
Nice set of side lights.
Very engaged model, I like the "look".
Good low angle.
Solid, perspective background with several VP-identifying lines.

Now, something makes me think it's a compostie, as in a person was shot in a studio and then pasted into the background. I don't have anything against the composites but there are some tell-tell signs that I wish were better hidden.
And it's probably flickr, but image only renders 500 pixels tall.

ALl in all - great work, as always!:thumb

Llywellyn

Mar-07-2008, 05:03 PM

(Posted in the people forum, too, to keep the clutter here minimal. :D)

http://www.theoriginalblackcat.com/photos/263072179_afjq7-L.jpg

EXIF (http://www.theoriginalblackcat.com/photos/newexif.mg?ImageID=263072179&ImageKey=afjq7)

sherstone

Mar-07-2008, 10:12 PM

Lines of thought

http://sherstone.smugmug.com/photos/263220814_M7onv-O.jpg (http://sherstone.smugmug.com/photos/newexif.mg?ImageID=263220814&ImageKey=M7onv)

Click image for EXIF

RoguePhotographer

Mar-08-2008, 03:34 PM

Thank you for the entry!

I can clearly see the "case in point" - the word "wisdom" is written on the wall, it's a library, etc.
Nice low light goes well the stone carvings.
Cool tree shadow in the middle ("tree of wisdom"?;-)

Now, it's an architectural shot taken with a very wide angle lens (9.9mm according to your EXIF), which makes it extremely prone to a skewing/tilting and keystoning. Unfortunately, the whole family of them is present in this image, and I don't think it was intentional.
The tree shadow I mentioned above was nice. However, that of a street light is not, and it distracts greatly. Bad timing, I guess..
There is a shadow of something in the very bottom left corner. It breaks up otherwise pristine corner line and make the whole image looks snapshotty.
The glass door section, while adding the word "library", does not itself add to the concept. It's also very sharp and very contrasty, thus creating a huge attraction for the viewer. After this a tender, delicate stone stela looks pale, I had to make a mental effort to read the scripture..

Next time:
concentrate on the stone wall itself,
crop out the glass,
pick up time when no extra shadows can crawl into your frame,
keep your camera leveled (tripod and dual axis level)

HTH
Thank you Nikolai for the critique. As you probably know this was my first entry and am thankful for the feedback. This will help me be a better photographer as I really do enjoy taking pictures. I do have a LOT to learn though and some day I'll even get a REAL camera, instead of the point-and-shoot one I'm now using.

Nikolai

Mar-09-2008, 04:58 PM

(Posted in the people forum, too, to keep the clutter here minimal. :D)

Hi Kerry, thank you for joining us!
Nice composite, seamless PS work.
You're definitely good with BW!
Interesting combination of higkey lighting on faces and bg with a deep balck of the clothing/folds. That's pretty hard to pull out withought leaving an impression of "blown highliights", yet you did it nicely!
"Speak no evil, see no evil", right? I wonder what happened with "hear no evil" then ;-)

Now, for some reason I feel like the large black bottom is dragging the image down and doesn't contribute much to the image. Same about some extra empty space on the left.
And with my well-known lack of imagination, I don't think this image screams "wisdom" the way I'd like it to...:dunno

Nikolai

Mar-09-2008, 05:05 PM

Lines of thought
Click image for EXIF

Sean, pleasure to see you here!

Great idea, I'm a big fan of japanese culture and stone gardens always fascinated me. Zen. Wisdom. The theme is here!
Great BW treatment empasizes the grainy structure of sand oand stone. Added noise also plays very nice in this case.
Sand lines create exquisite pattern for the eye to follow, with the stones adding the resting points.
Cute title, too:-)

I don't feel like adding, removing or changing anything in this image. :thumb :bow

Nikolai

Mar-09-2008, 05:10 PM

Congratulations to Sherstone! :barb

Sean, the promised bragging rights are rightfully yours! :clap
So is the duty of selecting the subject for our next, regular non-challenge style WA :wink

And thank you everybody for submitting your entries and thus making this little competition possible. I hope you use this opportunity to get to the enxt level - whatever that level may be! :thumb

Llywellyn

Mar-09-2008, 05:19 PM

Hi Kerry, thank you for joining us!
Nice composite, seamless PS work.
You're definitely good with BW!
Interesting combination of higkey lighting on faces and bg with a deep balck of the clothing/folds. That's pretty hard to pull out withought leaving an impression of "blown highliights", yet you did it nicely!
"Speak no evil, see no evil", right? I wonder what happened with "hear no evil" then ;-)

Now, for some reason I feel like the large black bottom is dragging the image down and doesn't contribute much to the image. Same about some extra empty space on the left.
And with my well-known lack of imagination, I don't think this image screams "wisdom" the way I'd like it to...:dunno

Thank you, Nikolai! I really appreciate the feedback. :lust

Now that you mention it, I do see the potential for a tighter crop. Didn't occur to me before, but I love the suggestion. I'll have to give it a go. :thumb

Once you meet me in person, you may understand how very wise it is for me not to speak every little thought that occurs to me. :wink

shatch

Mar-09-2008, 06:32 PM

Congrats Sherstone! Let's hear the braggin...

Thanks Nikolai for the interim contest.

sherstone

Mar-09-2008, 07:08 PM

braggin?

OMG - I am stunned and in awe. there were so many other awesome entries!

Thank you Nikolai for giving us a playing ground and keeping our minds stimulated. I had a lot of fun thinking this one up.
I was not sure how much meaning anyone would get from the lines but for me there are thousands of years of wisdom encapsulated within them.

Thank you to everyone that played, it makes the experience of learning all the more fun!

When do I need to have my choice for the next theme? I have a few ideas already but maybe I should think a bit more? I'll sit in the garden and meditate on it ;-)

Nikolai

Mar-09-2008, 07:16 PM

braggin?

OMG - I am stunned and in awe. there were so many other awesome entries!

Thank you Nikolai for giving us a playing ground and keeping our minds stimulated. I had a lot of fun thinking this one up.
I was not sure how much meaning anyone would get from the lines but for me there is thousands of years of wisdom encapsulated within them.

Thanks you to everyone that played, it makes the experience of learning all the more fun!

When do I need to have my choice for the next theme? I have a few ideas already but maybe I should think a bit more? I'll sit in the garden and meditate on it ;-)

Congrats again!

By Wednesday would be great!

In the mean time everybody who's first name is not Antonio:-) can try to catch up on the old ones (no rush, I do not recommend doing more than one theme per day)