>>> LPS#5 Feedback Thread

[Shay Stephens]

Mr Peas provided some feedback:

50 - photog01 - 350z

(Love cars, Love the 350z, Love the lines shown here, They’re sharp and enticing.)

87 - jimgoldstein - End of the Day

(I particularly like the bird with its wings up. The gold in the bg is just cherry. On top of that the horizon fades nicely in the back and gives it a nice DOF. I love that.)
59 - anwmn1 - Water Break

(I like the glow put into this image. The shape of the bike and the child is sharp, could be a subtle 'Propel' or 'Gatorade' ad if you seen it elsewhere. Bg feels warm, makes me thirsty too.
46 - Strikeslip - Voyage to the World's Edge

(Composition kept me intrigued in this one. Rather than using the typical rectangle type frame, you cropped it real close almost to a square. Love the subject, feels sort of lonesome, alone.)
64 - clovisguy - "Dandelion sunset"

(Great idea and even better presentation. Plant, blow and shoot anyone?)
41 - Robert - Poulnabrone Dolmen

(Love this shot. The watch tower on the left carries the image's composition while the colors of the clouds in the bg give the image its meaning.
5 - VisualXpressions - True Love

(I especially enjoyed the sharpness of the cowlady's hat and face versus the soft hair on the horse's back. I also liked the gold blending in with the white in the bg)
16 - NanaMo - Wandering....

(This shot to me, is similar to #46, it has the feel of lonesomeness and its expressed well in the image. I like the subtlety of colors in the bg.)
51 - pemmett - Dancers Dream

(The red is harsh, similar to a dancer's rigorous training. I love the shapes and the precise lighting on each of the dancer's body. It varies throughout. I like that a lot.)
7 - vandana - "A prayer"

(I like the attention to detail with the highlight on the earring, gives the subject a personality rather than being anonymous.)

General Comments:

I used several criterias as I picked out my version of the top 10. First, composition and how well the subject sits within frame. Second, shot difficulty. As a fellow participating Dgrinner and challenge attendee, I know how hard it is to think of something and portray it on screen. If I think that you took the extra effort to achieve the result you submitted, if it be waiting for the perfect shot and simply not taking a photograph 'just because' it fits the criteria, or taking the time to plan out the shot out and being precise to your imagination. I know its tough, but I also know that the extra effort is worth it, therefore I give kudos to those who put extra thought into their submission. Third, well, I like vibrant colors. I figured we were given eyes they best be indulging on beautiful colors. Creative lighting is very important. Shapes also played a large role on my choices. Sharp lines, soft lines, etc. If you were next to me as I picked these, when I ran across the ones I chose based more or less on my affinity for shapes, you will hear me say, "That is cherry!” Interesting shapes make interesting images and interesting remarks. Lastly, I picture the ones I pick out and imagine them on my wall. I'll ask myself, "Would this look good hanging on the wall of my house?" or "Would this look dope as my desktop wallpaper?” This is what I use weed out the last 5 out of the 12-14 choices I make as finalists. It has to be nice enough for someone to be like, "Wow, that’s a really nice image" when they see it for the first time, ya know?

That’s pretty much it. I hope all the contestants had a lot of fun. Judging these things aren't so easy, just to let everyone else know. I've only done it twice, this being the second and it’s still hard to pick out an exact 10 to send through. If I had no limit, I would pick at least 13-15 pictures to send through. Granted I'm very picky, but I know what I like and love. And I have to pick out the ones I love most. I wish all the contestants going through luck and the ones that don't, I'll be there with you, entering next time, I wish you luck as well!


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And Elaine provided some feedback as well:

Post# - Photog - Title

7 - vandana - "A prayer"
Classic, crisp, colorful...liked it a lot! In my top 10.

12 - sherstone - " her essence "
It is translucent, but I think it's just too posed and kinda cold...didn't move me.

14 - bgaras2001 - classical notes
Nice idea, but I see this as more of a shadow shot.

16 - NanaMo - Wandering....
Crisp and simple, liked it a lot, but just edged out of my top 10. May have been stronger for me with a wider composition, and I wish the horse's head was higher than the rear end!

20 - Nikolai - Spanish Guitar
Very subtle...nice...but in the end I guess it was too subtle for me!

21 - amy wilburn - DMV: dark. many vague.
Liked it, but not a strong enough silhouette...too much detail remained on the people for me, and the people didn't draw me in.

25 - Green2 - P B & J
Liked the comp and subject matter...in my top 10! Clever title.

27 - davev - Dark Morning
This made my long list...liked the blur of the water, but in the end I was wishing it wasn't quite so dark and had a stronger focal point.

30 - Povertybarn - "Hosed"
This made my long list too. Liked the colors and made me wonder what kind of hose am I looking at? Others left a stronger emotional impact, but I did like this image.

31 - Aaron Bernard - My Afternoon Nightmare Playground
Liked the shot, very interesting to look at. Maybe if there was a person or two in the shot it would have pulled me in more and stated the theme more strongly.

35 - richtersl - Catch of the Day
Loved it! Made my top 10! Liked the comp, the simplicity, the crispness, the subject matter.

36 - dlscott56 - Natural Light
Made my long list...I love leaves! Really liked the comp here, but in the end, others moved me more and had stronger theme elements.

37 - indiegirl - Tea for Three
Really liked this image...very sweet. Made my long list. But as a silhouette, I think it may have worked better taken from a different angle (lower and to the left), giving a darker outline (removing interior details) of the girl, her dolls and the table setting.

38 - Tessa HD - Petals of Fire
Beautiful colors and I like the composition a lot! But...my eye moves from the translucent part of the pic, which is inherently soft even though it is the focal point, to the top of the petals, but the DOF doesn't include those. So, my eye wanders around, and that bothers me. I wish it didn't, because I really like the colors and comp here!

42 - Swartzy - Navigational Profile
Loved it! In my top 10! Great colors, stong crisp outline of a great focal point, and yet there is still a touch of light and color on the water. Beautiful!

43 - andymillson - In the shadow of Liberty
Made my top 10. I felt the centered composition worked for this formal subject matter. The crisp outline is great and shows off Lady Liberty well.

44 - PaulThomasMcKee - Silent Sentinel Signals Sanctuary
Also in my top 10. A beautiful scene...love the subject matter, the light in the tower and the light through the window are terrific. It may have placed higher for me if some of the light bits in the foreground were cloned out.

52 - OneWayMule - "Right then the mother knew that this was no ordinary baby elephant"
I LOVED this! Definitely my top 10! Very clever and unique, and I think the one shot that actually pulled off translucent and silhouette in the same shot. Subject matter, colors, composition, originality...all there for me!

53 - eoren1 - The Joys of Childhood
Another one I liked very much! Made my top 10. Would have placed higher for me if the diaper color had not been visible at all...maybe just a B&W would have been even stronger, IMO. Great expression, setting, composition, made me smile.

55 - photogmomma - Almost paradise
Wishing there was a palm tree or a person or something silhouetted on the horizon. The rest of the pic makes a nice frame...but I want something to focus on in the frame.

56 - seastack - Skyward
This looks very well done and is very striking and well composed, but I'm afraid how it fits into the themes is lost on me!

59 - anwmn1 - Water Break
I liked this one a lot...great comp and colors. But once again, not enough of a "featureless interior" for my definition of a silhouette.

60 - Dizzy - Riot of Color
Very nice! Made my top 10! Unique shot in this group, I think. I loved the colored light spilling onto the pews and being reflected indoors, through a very beautiful translucent subject.

62 - LiquidAir - On Edge
I really liked this a lot! A very well done and unique shot. But unfortunately it didn't quite fit as strongly as others within my own limits of the themes. Sorry!

64 - clovisguy - "Dandelion sunset"
Loved it! Made my top 10! Classic, simple, great comp and focus, nice color.

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And maczippy provided the following feedback:

One comment I would make, and I think it's a general comment, people are trying too hard, they're not letting the image come to them, moreover they're trying to make an image fit some sort of ideal. Does that make sense?

I really really liked the 3-XIA Ke image. Simply peaceful.

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And Nee7x7 provided the following feedback:

Gee...this judging business is harder than I thought! I've narrowed down my choices, then narrowed them down again, and I ended up with 14. It was a struggle to finally get down to only 10 (mostly the ones at the lower end of the heap).

The last five gave me the hardest time. They're almost interchangeable, so it was really hard to figure out where to place them.

Some honorable mentions (in no particular order):
Sherstone, "her essence"
Greensquared, "rise and shine"
DaveV, "Dark Morning"
thebigsky, "Orchid Light"
OneWayMule, "...No Ordinary Baby Elephant"
mwalters, "Card Trickery"
BistiArt, "Storm Eater"
Padu, "Amazon Wannabe"
pyroprints, "Eternal Embrace"


Wishing the best of luck to everyone. This challenge started out pretty slow, but it ended with a bang. Some of my favorite entries disappeared, other folks changed their entries to different photos, some better, some not...lots of shuffling around made it all rather confusing. I was hoping to have everything nailed down much sooner, but such is life.

[anwmn1]

Wow lots of feedback this time by the judges. That is excellent!! Thanks for taking the time and providing us the insight in to your thoughts.

[Green2]

Thank you for all of your hard work and the feedback presented here. It really does help us all improve.

[Xia_Ke]

I love that you guys post feedback on the photos! It's an excellent learning tool. Thanks goes out to all of you for going the extra mile

And thank you maczippy for the kind words. I'm glad you liked it

[JillG]

for taking the extra time to write your feedbacks, the effort is appreciated.

Jill

[andymillson]

I would also like to say thanks for the judges hard work

Andy

[sherstone]

The comments about why an image was not picked are probably even more useful in the learning process than comments about why an image is picked.

Thanks again for taking the time in both the initial judging and your feedback.

[mwalters]

As others have said - thanks for the feedback, it does help.

Not making it through to the semi's this time isn't failure - just delayed success.

Matthew

[Shay Stephens]

post# - Photog - Title
3 - Xia_Ke - Water Droplets After April's Last Shower
It is a pleasant photo, but the theme development is pretty subtle. You mention water drops in the title and via selective focus, yet rain drops are transparent, not really translucent in nature.


4 - tlee - Butterfly Man
A bold entry and eye catching in its appeal.



5 - VisualXpressions - True Love
I like the thought, but the execution falls short a bit. It feels a little static to me. The emotion isn't flowin'.



6 - bfjr - Luna Moth
I like the subject, but the composition seems to be dragging the shot down. A tighter crop may be more effective.



7 - vandana - "A prayer"
I like the concept, but getting the look in camera or more fully in camera would be more effective. It looks over processed.



8 - mycaptures - Lighting the Way
Beautiful and hypnotic.



9 - Greensquared - Rise and Shine!
Beautiful with nearly a studio look to it.



10 - damonff - Filipino Dance
A little bit of a stretch to fit translucent for me. Perhaps if there were more light coming through the shirt it would have more of a translucent feel to me. As is it feels more reflective/transparent look to me.



11 - dance444ever - Global Warming
More context with the ground would have helped here or less ground, but it is kind of half and half. The clouds would probably have look better without the squiggles too. It confuses the photos message.



12 - sherstone - " her essence "
Compelling idea. I like it. Denser shadows might help this to have more contrast between the two "essences".



13 - s.shinjin - Beauty Shines Above All
More reflective looking than translucent, possibly due to the applied filters. I would have liked to see how the unfiltered shot looked.



14 - bgaras2001 - classical notes
It looks like a reflected shadow more than a transmissive one. A subtle difference that might be lost on too many. It is a wonderful photo though.



15 - Trish323 - Tiptoe Through
It feels too far away. I can't feel the the translucency this faraway.



16 - NanaMo - Wandering....
This photo has great feeling to it and I love the composition. Well done.



17 - Dalantech - Metamorphosis
I see transparency, but miss the translucency.



18 - fashiznitsngrins - Gellin'
It's close for me, more transparent, but, it feels like it is missing a subject, a focus to key in on.



19 - Annie222 - Mum I need a haircut
Had the son been behind the hair, this might have been much more compelling. All I see now is reflected light.



20 - Nikolai - Spanish Guitar
I have been fighting with this one. I love the minimalist look. But I fight to figure out if it is a silhouette. Technically it is, "a view of an object or scene consisting of the outline and a featureless interior." It is just an unconventional rendering. I dig it!



21 - amy wilburn - DMV: dark. many vague.
Exposure was to bright allowing too much detail in the subjects. And the scene is a little boring. Taken from foot level or from some other angle one has not seen the DMV line from would have spiced this up a notch...bam!



22 - tsk1979 - Defeat
I like the idea, but execution seems to suffer; show more of the hidden tripod or remove it, centered framing lacks pizazz in this shot, and the processing looks over pushed at the edges.



23 - laraflites - Song of the Wood
Exposure to bright, too much detail in the subject.



24 - photman - Cotton Grass
Reflected light here.



25 - Green2 - P B & J
Backlighting would have been hot! But still a nice piece.



26 - nelsonstuff - Photosynthesis
Beautiful! Try a centered vertical crop.



27 - davev - Dark Morning
Very compelling. Looks a bit too pushed, but looks very good.



28 - mwgrice - Forward
More ground or less sky. Try a 10:4 pano crop at the bottom.



29 - jwear - Angles
Cool shot! Try a vertical crop from the right side.



30 - Povertybarn - "Hosed"
Interesting, but lacks some focus for me



31 - Aaron Bernard - My Afternoon Nightmare Playground
Sweet!



32 - jillo - Rei
This is selling me on transparency, but not translucency.



33 - Tentacion - Days End.....
4:10 pano crop centered on the post/bird



34 - Desi - After the Rain
I see rflected light and transparency, but little translucency.



35 - richtersl - Catch of the Day
Nice crop choice.



36 - dlscott56 - Natural Light
Sweet! I say, I say, sue-wheat!



37 - indiegirl - Tea for Three
I love the feel of the photo!



38 - Tessa HD - Petals of Fire
I can feel the heat! Love it!



39 - DigmasterG - "Perfect Picnic Place"
I don't really see translucency or silhouette anywhere.



40 - imax - Afterburn
It's close to a silhouette but doesn't push my buttons enough. Coll shot by the way.



41 - Robert - Poulnabrone Dolmen
A little too bright of an exposure for the foreground, but cool shot, the sun flare is a nice touch.



42 - Swartzy - Navigational Profile
Love it! Would also love to see a 10:4 bottom weighted pano crop.



43 - andymillson - In the shadow of Liberty
A bit bland and a little off center with the sun.



44 - PaulThomasMcKee - Silent Sentinel Signals Sanctuary
Beautiful, if over cranked looking. Love the light room lit up like that. If you could reshoot this, I would work this scene over many times. There is a lot of potential here.



45 - JillG - Summer Red
In the battle between reflected light and translucent light, reflected is winning here.



46 - Strikeslip - Voyage to the World's Edge
You might be able to guess this one. I love the photo and would like to suggest playing with a 10:4 pano crop centered on the ship.



47 - evoryware - Looking Over
Way over cranked!



48 - Ristyz - Sunset Pirouette
Sweet!



49 - thebigsky - Orchid Light
The translucency feels lost in the B&W treatment. Love the photo though!



50 - photog01 - 350z
Wicked sweet!



51 - pemmett - Dancers Dream
Love the composition, looks a tad over cranked. But I dig it.



52 - OneWayMule - "Right then the mother knew that this was no ordinary baby elephant"
I am seeing transparent and missing the translucency.



53 - eoren1 - The Joys of Childhood
Very sweet!



54 - Sydnie&Adison - Covered Bridge
A little blah, but I like the concept.



55 - photogmomma - Almost paradise
Love the frame, miss a subject though.



56 - seastack - Skyward
An anti silhouette! Interesting.



57 - sunione - The Qualities Of Water
I like the concept, but it hints more toward transparent and reflected to me.



58 - mwalters - Card Trickery
I like the concept, but again it hints more toward transparent and reflected to me.



59 - anwmn1 - Water Break
To much subject detail. Love the photo though.



60 - Dizzy - Riot of Color
It just isn't working for me and I can't think of an suggestions...sorry.



61 - pyroPrints.com - Eternal Embrace
Wicked sweet!



62 - LiquidAir - On Edge
Wicked sweet!



63 - padu - Amazon Wannabe
Conflicting theme development. The subject is not a silhouette, but the background is mostly. Framing feels off too. Step to the left or right to better highlight the comparison.



64 - clovisguy - "Dandelion sunset"
A tad over cranked looking, but a pleasant photo.



65 - davidweaver - Black and Light
Love the look. Could use more noise though. Homogenize the noise.



66 - JimW - Enlightened Emulsions
I see all reflected light.



67 - Ann McRae - Day's End
Nice. Ply with a vertical crop centered on the sun.



68 - kudbegud - Through A Glass Darkly
Looks over cranked, and oddly, it looks reflective too.



69 - Khaos - Tulips of the Eternal Sunset
Shadow detail looks blue to me. Some of the translucency seems hidden behind the black point.



70 - chertioga - humble
I really only see reflected light here.



71 - annnna8888 - Let me out!
Very cute scene. I want to pan the camera down though.



72 - speedracer04 - Thats where it went
Made me "hehehe". I like it.



73 - scas - Spectra Botanica
A riot of color with no real visual focus. I like the colors, but my eye wanders aimlessly in the photo.



74 - Agila - Time and Tide
Great mood and feeling in this photo.



75 - JFreeman - Flying High
A hint of translucency, but dominated by transparent.



76 - quark - Balloons
A good opportunity for translucency or silhouette, but not both. Pick one and go with it. This shots combination doesn't work well.



77 - jkenzie - Blood Koi
Very cool! But is more transparent than anything. One could argue the light coming from the subsurface skin is giving a translucency, but one would have to be grasping at straws a little



78 - Dee - Light table tableau
Nice idea, but the over cranked look is harshing my buzz hehehe



79 - jmearns - Translucent Golden Gate
I really only see reflected light here.



80 - Selina - to look at stars from the top of the world
The low quality of the image is just not doing anything for me here.



81 - Little Wombat - Pyromania
Cool shot in tough conditions!



82 - BistiArt - Storm Eater
Interesting shot. but consider trying a centered vertical crop.



83 - drdane - New Dawn
The sky is more interesting than the silhouetted subjects and steals attention away from the theme.



84 - chandi - Astronomical Poetry
A little over cranked looking, but cool none the less.



85 - lidaf - Blue Green Looking
A little too close. It feels like it is missing some visual context as to why the photo was taken. It looks like there is a hint of anther person below the chin. Pulling back a bit to show that context might give the photo better meaning.



86 - traunerk - Lilac Shoot
Combos don't usually work, but I love this one.



87 - jimgoldstein - End of the Day
Nice but a little blah too. Too far away?



88 - douglas - Golden Gull
Nice.



89 - Aurora - Stranded
Too much subject detail to be a silhouette.



90 - annsan - entry for silhouette LPS
It meets the definition of silhouette, but lacks a subject or frame of reference for me. I am not entirely sure what I am looking at, a bush, a circulatory system, nerve cell network...?



91 - arctic-moose - H2O + Gravity
Too much detail in the foreground rock, which is mostly obscuring the subject, which is itself only really showing reflected light.

[anwmn1]

Again Thank you Shay for the feedback. On all photos none the less!!

[indiegirl]

Thanks to the judges and to the fellow participants. I learned heaps!

Jesse

[Nikolai]

Thank you, your time and efforts are much appreciated!

[Ristyz]

Thank you Judges for the hard work and thank you Shay for the feedback!

[pemmett]

Thanks for the feedback. Although I was expecting 2 weeks rest, I am very excited about being chosen as one of the top 10. Now what to shoot, what to shoot, what to shoot....hmmmm.

[JimW]

Shay said:

66 - JimW - Enlightened Emulsions
I see all reflected light.

Really? Well, there’s no reflected light at all in this shot. It’s four 35mm slides sitting on a lightbox, with the slide mounts silhouetted against the lightbox, and the light showing through the translucent emulsion.

It’s okay, I guess it wasn’t obvious enough. Please don’t misunderstand, I’m not the least bit upset or anything, just wanted to set the record straight, that’s all. It’s funny though. I showed it to a photographer and three non-photographers, and they all saw it as slides on a lightbox.

It’s no big deal. I think it just shows how we can all look at the same thing and see differently. I appreciate your attempts at writing the critiques Shay. It can’t be an easy thing to do. I was thinking of posting a little explanation with it, but I thought we weren’t supposed to do that. I thought I remember you, or someone, saying you just wanted us to post the photo, with no explanations. Then I noticed a few people did post little explanations with their photos. Oh well. On to the next one.

[pyroPrints.com]

Originally Posted by JimW

Shay said: Really? Well, there’s no reflected light at all in this shot. It’s four 35mm slides sitting on a lightbox, with the slide mounts silhouetted against the lightbox, and the light showing through the translucent emulsion.

It’s okay, I guess it wasn’t obvious enough. Please don’t misunderstand, I’m not the least bit upset or anything, just wanted to set the record straight, that’s all. It’s funny though. I showed it to a photographer and three non-photographers, and they all saw it as slides on a lightbox.

It’s no big deal. I think it just shows how we can all look at the same thing and see differently. I appreciate your attempts at writing the critiques Shay. It can’t be an easy thing to do. I was thinking of posting a little explanation with it, but I thought we weren’t supposed to do that. I thought I remember you, or someone, saying you just wanted us to post the photo, with no explanations. Then I noticed a few people did post little explanations with their photos. Oh well. On to the next one.

First 5 times I saw it I didn't get it. Then eventually I went, "is it slides on a lightbox?"

[Xia_Ke]

Originally Posted by Shay Stephens

post# - Photog - Title
3 - Xia_Ke - Water Droplets After April's Last Shower
It is a pleasant photo, but the theme development is pretty subtle. You mention water drops in the title and via selective focus, yet rain drops are transparent, not really translucent in nature.

Thanks Shay :) I was afraid that was the problem. Was hoping the tree silhouettes in the background would work but, you're right. They're a very subtle secondary theme to the water droplets. Thanks again and I look forward to next round.

[tlee]

Congrats to the winners! And, thanks to the judges for the feedback.

[Tentacion]

Originally Posted by pyroPrints.com

First 5 times I saw it I didn't get it. Then eventually I went, "is it slides on a lightbox?"

Hey Jim W....I immediately knew what it was...I use the lightbox for many things especially when I want light coming up and out....GREAT for Glass Shots with diffusion paper on it....REALLY great for taking shots of Leaves, petals, etc.

[Shay Stephens]

Originally Posted by JimW

Shay said: Really? Well, there’s no reflected light at all in this shot. It’s four 35mm slides sitting on a lightbox, with the slide mounts silhouetted against the lightbox, and the light showing through the translucent emulsion.

Think of it this way. You are contacted by Hughes House O Plastic. They are going to be coming out with a new line of optical diffusers that promise to make indoor lighting more pleasant and interesting to look at. And they want you to create a photo that brings home the thought of translucent to help them sell the product.

When Joe and Susie six pack looks at the photo, what will they see? My belief is they will see four photos of people lit up very nicely in a studio like setting and fail to see the much more subtle point that these are slides on a light box.

Ones first reaction is to see the subject in the slide, and they are lit and visible via reflected light. So the overriding theme of the photo is rather far from translucent and I don't believe Hughes House O Plastics would be able to use the photo in their campaign.