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02/21/2004 12:11:53 AM · #1 |
Ok, what's the word? I need a little feeback here.
I entered this. 
Got a Avg (all users): 5.123 which SUCKS in my mind.
Had this as my 2nd choice 
Did I choose the wrong photo?
Did both suck?
What the heck was wrong w/the first one?
The top 3 finishers had nothing in the front field of view, so it wasn't that.
Thanks for your comments
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02/21/2004 12:24:06 AM · #2 |
I don't get the idea where people thought a "true" shallow DOF photo needs something in the foreground. That's just silly.
As to your photos, I would have scored the second one at least two points higher than the first - just on the first impression.
It's not a photographic critique because they both exhibit the same level and degree of technical finesse, imo - each is sharply focued in the focal window and each meets the challenge criteria. It's a taste critique. I think all composition, subject and color matters are 100% personal aesthetic (yes, we spell it like that in Canada).
So ... keeping in mind what follows is my taste and opinion and thus highly debatable and subjective
The first has too many things for me to see quickly and thus my eye wanders trying to take in all the color. Which is good and fine in an abstract where the subject is the entire frame but less appealing otherwise when the frame has too many things which might be the subject. I must add you did a wonderful job with the color placement - the pastel object and quilt color in front and the strong primary colors in the back was a good thought. I agree with the person who commented that a white or plain background would have been a good option.
The second is very appealing to me. A nice abstraction of the rule of thirds makes the compostion appealing and interesting and fresh even if the subject matter is not. The background does not crowd for my attention and my eye goes right to the sweet spot instinctively. I'm seeing what you want me to see, presumably - the phenomenal beauty of a natural dichotomy - ice on a living thing. I am meant to see that branch and I am meant to pay attention to it. In the first I am not sure what you want me to see. The quilt? The toy?
Hope that helps.
Both lovely photographs.
Catherine
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02/21/2004 12:29:45 AM · #3 |
Originally posted by Catherine:
The background does not crowd for my attention and my eye goes right to the sweet spot instinctively. I'm seeing what you want me to see, presumably - the phenomenal beauty of a natural dichotomy - ice on a living thing. I am meant to see that branch and I am meant to pay attention to it. In the first I am not sure what you want me to see. The quilt? The toy?
Hope that helps. Catherine |
More than you will know Catherine.
That was Awesome!
Thank you soooooo much.
David |
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02/21/2004 12:30:23 AM · #4 |
| You entered the right pic of the two....I consider anything over a five here..... OK....other people have different opinions...I would have given..your pic a 5..the other one a 4.. maybe less...as for DOF... you did ok |
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02/21/2004 12:30:54 AM · #5 |
I think the first picture is pretty good but the subject isn't really all that interesting since it looks like a child's toy. So it probably isn't that appealing to most people.
The second pic is also good, but boring since we've seen tons of images with frozen water on branches in this challenge and some in other recent challenges I think. People are tired of seeing these maybe?
The winning pictures on the other hand are very unique. 1st place is awesome with the perfect black leave with contrasting white snow flakes on it, with the very shallow DOF. Then the 2nd is also creative, not in the technique which we've seen, but in the message. Third is just a funny shot (and well done) which people like and haven't seen before.
My entry did about as well as yours I think. I didn't get enough shallow DOF in mine because I couldn't get close enough to the subject. :( I didn't want to take a flower shot because that's too easy, and I wanted something different. :)
Message edited by author 2004-02-21 00:34:02. |
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02/21/2004 12:33:45 AM · #6 |
For the challenge, I prefered the first, though I also thought that it was a tad bit 'busy'. I was not impressed with the shots that only seemed to have to focal planes, one in focus and one out, as you couldn't say if the DOF was shallow or not...
My $.02
TC |
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02/21/2004 12:41:17 AM · #7 |
I think the question you should be asking is why do you think it sucks? I hope not because it scored a 5.1.... Bc if that's so, then that's just silly.
This is not a professional community. People vote on what they like & don't like. All you have to do to not suck is like or dislike your own shots. And let's face it, 5.1 ain't that bad.
As for your shots, as a non-professional, there's nothing really spectacular about either shots. The first one personally doesn't an interesting subject & the second one has been done too often.
The winners won bc they deserved it. Bc the voters voted them highly, not bc they think your's sucked.
Chin up! A vote or a sucky score does not mean you suck.
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02/21/2004 12:43:12 AM · #8 |
The colors seem to give a kaleidoscopic effect in which the subjects seem to have the same value of color and makes it a bit diffcult to look at it too long.
Maybe a bit of desatuaration in the background would push the background back and a bit more color on the foreground subject would bring the box.
Gave you a "6" on the original and possibly a "7" or "8" on the 2nd choice. Even though the 2nd choice was not the most original composition, it was shot better.
Looking at the quilt you may have entered it separately in the texture challenge. If shot well, I think the subject would have done well.
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02/21/2004 12:53:36 AM · #9 |
Ah - you should complain... My current entry is rated at a whopping "Avg Vote: 4.9781".
As some of the previous commenters has mentioned:
1) You can have a really good photo, but your choice of topic or motif is not interesting.
2) Or they don't get it (much to abstract or "out of the box" compared to the topic/theme) - regardless of quality of photo
3) Or you picture really suck (ask me for advice in this category)
4) Or you loose out in the voting frenzy - rating 200 photos, and your choice of colours (as in the toy for example) are somewhat unclear, blurry, bleached out or whatever.
5) and only us parents truly appriciate toy motifs.
I'd go for the second choice of picture... Even if I like the toy better.
As for bullet point #2 I think Caterine went on in another post about getting tired of "Off-topic" remarks, with regards to her being the one with the creative right to interpret the challenge. That's true, but it is ultimately the beholder / audience who makes the decision if it's good or not. For me personally I see many pictures that are really good, well within the concept of the challenge, but then again really don't fit in my mind with regards to "this is shallow dof", or "this is texture / mundane" and so on. Yet some photos are really out of the box, and still manages to blow you away... Someday I'd like to post one of those photos as well...
But then again, I didn't join DPC in order to win prices. I'm in it for the learning experience.
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02/21/2004 12:56:37 AM · #10 |
Originally posted by Ranger:
But then again, I didn't join DPC in order to win prices. I'm in it for the learning experience. |
Awesome! Same here............and well said.
But I'd like to win one here / there.
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02/21/2004 01:01:47 AM · #11 |
Originally posted by DJLuba:
Originally posted by Ranger:
But then again, I didn't join DPC in order to win prices. I'm in it for the learning experience. |
Awesome! Same here............and well said.
But I'd like to win one here / there. |
I was being polite and politically correct. Truth is I lied, and I'm sorry for that. Of course I'd like to beat every single one of you. Preferably in the next coming 10 challenges or so... |
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02/23/2004 03:46:58 AM · #12 |
| I actually like the first picture better but then again I like lots of use of color. Perhaps it would have worked better if the blanket the blocks were sitting on could have been replaced with a solid colored one. |
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