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Performing Monkey
Performing Monkey
Pug-H


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Extreme Action (Advanced Editing IV)
Camera: Pentax *ist DS
Lens: Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC for Pentax
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Date: Apr 7, 2005
Aperture: f5.6
ISO: 1600
Shutter: 1/1000
Galleries: Performance, Animals
Date Uploaded: Apr 7, 2005

A monkey jumping over the bar on the command of her trainer, on a warm spring day in Tokyo.
To freeze the action, I put the shutter speed at 1/1000 - this had the effect of bumping up the ISO to 1600 with the focal length of 98mm (or 147mm on non-digital camera).
The monkey's fur actually has the property of looking "noisy" in real life.

Statistics
Place: 106 out of 132
Avg (all users): 4.7843
Avg (commenters): 1.0000
Avg (participants): 4.5802
Avg (non-participants): 4.8793
Views since voting: 720
Views during voting: 399
Votes: 255
Comments: 2
Favorites: 0


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AuthorThread
04/20/2005 10:14:20 PM
A visit from the Critique Club

(1) COMPOSITION -CONTENT - I do not like the composition here at all. One of the most important things in photography in my opinion is having a clearly defined subject. Here it appears as if the main subject of the photo is either the trainer or the blue bar, however they are clearly not doing anything that would qualify as "Extreme Action". The monkey looks like a ragdoll being flung over the blue bars. One of the biggest concerns on the composition is that the front limb of the monkey is blocking the face. Major points got deducted for that I suspect.

(2) BACKGROUND - Way too busy in my opinion. But then again, it looks like you were in a bind since that was most likely a performance of some kind and you probably couldn't move around much at all. Also looks like your aperture was wide open as it is.

(3) CAMERA WORK -TECHNICAL -
The exposure looks good, there are no blown out hightlights or underexposed parts. Going back to composition, I would say it might have been more captivating if you chose to frame it a bit differently on the shot. Moving the monkey to the lower left corner and giving it some negative space at the top might have helped focus the attention on the actual act of jumping the bar.

(4) DIGITAL PROCESSING - TECHNICAL - Post processing looks pretty good. One thing you could try is using curves to boost some of the detail in the shadows and maybe a smidgen of Unsharp Mask as the finishing touch.

(5) MY OPINION ON THE PHOTO - In my opinion this has some room for improvement by using a shallow depth of field, different composition, some negative space to give the monkey room to jump into are some of the ways you could improve on this. It does not strike me as a captivating photo.

One other thing that would probably be quite interesting is showing motion. This could have been done with a slower shutter speed, and a rear curtain flash to get a trail of the jumping monkey then freeze the action and get a sharp photo.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
04/11/2005 12:22:27 AM
I almost hate to say it - but this image is very disturbing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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