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11/30/2002 02:56:06 PM · #26 |
This photo does one of the best jobs of portraying emotion that I have seen on DPC. The subject looks like he is walking straight out of one of the Louis L'Amore books my parents used to read. It makes you wonder at the story behind it---is this just a lone cowboy walking wearily home in the hot midwestern sun because a hard day is over? Does he carry his heavy saddle with a dejected air because he lost his horse or even his job?
The framing of the shot adds to the overall feeling of loneliness, as do the somewhat washed out colors and bleak landscape one would expect to see in portions of the the vast midwest/west region of the US.
The composition is wonderful--one of my favorite aspects of the photo is the long shadow of the cowboy--gives the shot even more of a sense of aloneness. The rolling hills and blue sky frame the subject perfectly. I can't decide if I would have cropped closer to the feet of the subject to give the shot a little more depth, bringing the man and his shadow closer together.
My mom (who grew up on a ranch in Corpus Christi,TX) absolutly loves this picture--says it reminds her of her childhood! I think anytime you can inspire such emotion in your viewer, you have done your job! Great work! |
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11/30/2002 03:00:05 PM · #27 |
Between Rides
INITIAL RESPONSE: Appealing.. Beautiful Sky.. Crisp image.. makes we wonder what is happening... what is his story?
COMPOSITION-CONTENT - The person seems to have given up hitchhiking until I realize he is carrying a saddle. My eye wants to be led into the photo by the path, but keeps springing back to the figure. The figure himself is nicely placed in the frame. Interesting how his elbow points in the same direction as the path. With all this considered, I would have liked to see more of the path reaching into the photo to help lead my eye. The colors seem realistic to the area and are in nice contrast to each other.. i.e. the sky vs. the hills. Even so, the colors do not overpower the subject.
BACKGROUND-The fact that I can see a great distance lends to the feeling of long travel. His journey is far from over. Again, having included more of the road/path would have further enhanced this feeling.
CAMERA WORK-TECHNICAL- I feel the exposure is quite good.. Even the distant hills do not lose detail.
DIGITAL PROCESSING - TECHNICAL - Processing is superb. Colors and exposure all seem properly balanced, and the photo is appealing because of it.
MY OPINION ON THE PHOTO - I like the open feeling and feeling of a long journey esp. given the load he is carrying. Given the chance, I would have tried to get more of the path in the frame, and in addition, wuold probably try to flip it horizontally so that my eye would see it from left to right.
Nice job, Autool!
Interesting how I would rate this photo higher this time around than the first time I saw it in a challenge. I appreciate the fact that I have learned quite a bit since then, but this method of analysis helps too.
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11/30/2002 03:05:03 PM · #28 |
Originally posted by Alecia:
This photo does one of the best jobs of portraying emotion that I have seen on DPC...Does he carry his heavy saddle with a dejected air because he lost his horse or even his job?
"...because he lost his job, or even his horse!" is what I got...
I'm looking forward to getting one of these reviews. I'm impressed so far with the quality and consistency. Great job, everyone! |
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11/30/2002 03:15:04 PM · #29 |
Here's mine :
Composition : Breathtaking! The diagonal of the road with offsetting diagonals from the clouds and hills all point to a spot off the left side that the man is walking to. They serve to lead the eye through both space and time. The position of the man is also very pleasing and uses the 'rule of thirds' very well. The hand on the hat works for me at a level that I'd have a hard time explaining. It definitely works on a primal "western" level. And the elbow points very nearly to the off-shot spot that the lines of the road and the lines of the clouds would meet.
Background : As I mentioned in the composition, the diagonals in the background really make this shot for me. The road, the shadow, the clouds, the hills, and the path on the hills all lead to where the subject is walking.
Exposure / Focus : While the saddle casts deep shadows on the man's back that fill flash could have eliminated, I applaud your decision to leave them there. The shadows lend a feeling that more than compensates for the lose of detail they hide. The focus is neither sharp nor overly soft. It's perfect (to my eye).
Digital Darkroom : The fact that I can't see digital processing here makes me believe that you did it VERY well.
Challenge / Emotion : You nailed it. This not only fit the challenge, it epitomized it. It also conveyed exceptional emotion of a bygone day moving forward to the future.
Opinion : I'd hang this on my wall in a heartbeat. Excellent shot!
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11/30/2002 03:35:19 PM · #30 |
An excellent photograph that tells a story without shoving it down the viewer's throat.
The photo is well-framed and well-composed. The off-centered aspect of the subject is balanced nicely by his relatively short shadow, which anchors the subject to the photo. The subject is in mid-step, which makes one feel as if they are really sitting in on the action -- not just seeing a set-up shot. The various textures from the grass to the hills to the sky is quite pleasing and adds to the image's mood.
The color of the sky is somewhat washed out. This is unfortunate because it is so readily apparent, but actually kind of a "happy mistake" because it really makes the vibrant color of the subject pop out from the frame. I enjoy it just the way it is.
Overall an incredible photograph that is easy to appreciate without a large amount of study.
Rob 8) |
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11/30/2002 08:08:58 PM · #31 |
Originally posted by muckpond:
Overall an incredible photograph that is easy to appreciate without a large amount of study.
You are so right.. I esp. like this assessment.
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11/30/2002 10:45:31 PM · #32 |
Composition -- I really like the simplicity of this shot. There is not a lot of "stuff" vying for the viewer's attention, and the main subject is easily determined. having him placed in the right third of the frame works well, I think, because it leaves the "road' open in front of him -- giving him "somewhere" to go. I like the naturalness of the subject, and how he seems to be straining just a bit beneath his load (hand on hat, etc.) I think a horizontal framing might be effective at showing more of his surroundings, but the vertical serves to emphasize the subject more.
Background -- Like the setting in a story, this background truly adds to the shot. A guy walking with a saddle down the middle of Manhatten might be interesting, but it would be a totally different story. :-) Again, the naturalness of this is very appealing to me. My only nit pick would be that the bottom of the sky seems a bit washed out. Not sure how you could fix this, if it is even possible.
Camera Work -- Great focus and use of a lighting situation that is often times harsh and punishing to pictures. You have used it to your advantage by getting the "leading" shadow, adding to the loneliness this picture portrays to me.
Overall Effect -- I think this is an awesome shot. It is peaceful, yet, lonely to me. If the measure of a picture is whether it could be hung on a wall, I think this one surpasses that. It would look great on the wall of a ranch, etc. If evoking emotion is the measure, it has done that, at least for me, bringing back memories of my own childhood when we rode horses frequently. If having a technically correct picture is the measure, you have done that as well because there is very little to comment negatively on!
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11/30/2002 11:24:04 PM · #33 |
Originally posted by Karen Bryan:
Originally posted by muckpond:
[i]Overall an incredible photograph that is easy to appreciate without a large amount of study.
You are so right.. I esp. like this assessment.
[/i]
Tanks! |
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12/01/2002 11:45:01 PM · #34 |
Just to show I tried although I coulnt make it for Saturday
Technically correct (exposure, focus, etc.)
Technically this is an excellent photo, if I was going to picky I could say it could do with slightly more depth of field.
Lighting and exposure good with good color tonality , although it has the cooler tones of the Olympus.
Composition, is good although I would have liked to see a version with the road vanishing off into the distance to give the image more depth and lead the eye into the image.
Tells a story : Yes the cowboy has lost his horse or job and is carrying his prized possession ( his saddle) hopefully into the future.
High impact to the viewer This would depend on the viewer but impact it definitely has.
Exemplifies the theme of the Challenge Yes
This photo was my favourite in the On the Road Challenge
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12/03/2002 11:04:49 AM · #35 |
Sorry I'm late - It's a very long story...But I didn't cheat and read the rest first...
Between Rides:
Ooooohh I love this picture! It is a compositional masterpiece! First, all those converging lines that point to the same spot off to the left. The clouds, the road (both tracks), the man's shadow, the hills and that road in the distance in front of the hills all lead the eye off to the left. Maybe his errant horse went that way? And in contrast is the up right man, nicely placed at the one third vertical line. A great way to catch the attention of the subject is to have him cross the horizon line like this.
Now the colors. See how everything is the background is pastel and subdued, te sky and the hills. The cowboys creates a contrast with his darker tones of the same colors. Pale sky above, darker blue jeans below....Pale hills below, darker brown sadle above..neatly divided by the horizon. And the only other color is the red stripe on his sleeve, almost but not quite dead center in the picture. Just a touch of greens, no yellows (I'm calling it tan), no oranges, just the one red.
The story the picture tells could be humerous (lost his horse) or serious (cowboy way of life fading out). The immediate moment is well decribed, The sadlle is heavy, the man stoops. There is a wind, he holds is hat. He has a long way to go, he looks weary but he's walking.
What can I say about the camera work?? It's perfect. Would I change anything? At first I thought it was a tiny hair washed out looking, but then I decided I like it that way. |
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