February 2009 photo comp - chatter

[baz7175]

1. Heiki Kovaleinen at Race Of Champions (so damn lucky the flash worked so well - look how dark the place is around him).



2. Fabrizio Giovanardi acting up for the camera (why do press bibs automatically enduce such faces ha ha).



3. Pippa Mann on the grid ready to start race (love the eye contact in this one)



4. Gordon Shedden (used in magazine feature I did following him in 2006 in lead up to Knockhill rounds of BTCC - shot at Donnington)



5. Friends daughter trying to get stick back from dog (no chance he was going to let it go)



6. Friend Stacey shot at Cool Nights car show in Dublin area



7. Having some fun at Ultimate Street Car, Santa Pod



8. Stacey again, this time shot inside car (using Blue neons to supply the lighting and a long exposure on tripod)



9. Brother on his wedding day



10. Brothers wife on her wedding day



Decisions, decisions...

[stigmundfreud]

you must send me staceys contact details I'll even pay for a (cheap) flight for her!!

[baz7175]

he he he, funnily enough we had contact shortly after the test shoot to add to her portfolio from none other than FHM

[stigmundfreud]

AH nutz

[adam85]

baz7175 said:

he he he, funnily enough we had contact shortly after the test shoot to add to her portfolio from none other than FHM

Is that Stacey of "Jon44" fame??

[baz7175]

adam85 said:

baz7175 said:

he he he, funnily enough we had contact shortly after the test shoot to add to her portfolio from none other than FHM

Is that Stacey of "Jon44" fame??

It sure is Adam

[Don]

nick_bbb said:

I rather like your work and this image, and in fact the set really are just excellent. I love the whole "larger than life" look. Something like the portraiture equivalent of a Quentin Tarantino movie. (Meant in a complimentary way).

[Don]

Any good?

[stigmundfreud]

ignore that you took it and someone else posted it, what might you say in a critique?

[Don]

stigmundfreud said:

ignore that you took it and someone else posted it, what might you say in a critique?

I do find that very hard to do.

I like that shot. It's sharp. The background is thrown out of focus. I didn't catch the chap's best expression, despite taking many, many shots. As a portrait the shot is about the chap not the bird - maybe I'm not making enough of that.

It's not as exciting as it could be.

I still like it, of course, else I wouldn't have posted it.

Go on - any pointers?

[nick_bbb]

Don said:

nick_bbb said:

I rather like your work and this image, and in fact the set really are just excellent. I love the whole "larger than life" look. Something like the portraiture equivalent of a Quentin Tarantino movie. (Meant in a complimentary way).

Thanks. Funny you should have mentioned Tarantino...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[pw75]

photos generally are very good. Quite like the informal nature of the comp. better than some of the stuffy magazine forums.

Anyway, been dusting off the camera in readiness for baby no 2 within the next 24 hours.

Another from my tinkering from the weekend.

[stigmundfreud]

Don said:

stigmundfreud said:

ignore that you took it and someone else posted it, what might you say in a critique?

I do find that very hard to do.

I like that shot. It's sharp. The background is thrown out of focus. I didn't catch the chap's best expression, despite taking many, many shots. As a portrait the shot is about the chap not the bird - maybe I'm not making enough of that.

It's not as exciting as it could be.

I still like it, of course, else I wouldn't have posted it.

Go on - any pointers?

Well when it comes to any form of photography we all have what we do and do not like so any pointers that I give will have a slight bias towards what I personally like no matter what I say. So...

Technically you've done right, the subject is nicely seperated from the background so on that score all is well. But what is important with portraits is to make you want to look more, some kind of hook. With portraits usually the only people involved in the shot are interested in them. Remember this is not to say you shouldnt like the shot but when entering a shot to a comp it has to have more than a personal interest.

It isnt always a requirement to have eye contact with the camera but thats to say there is some connection to draw the viewer in. Your shot, to me, is lacking in this respect. To me your entry would be much better placed in an environmental catagory as it tells a much better story of a falconer (whatever they are called) than a portrait. In this subject I'd have liked to have the man looking with the head as is but with good eye contact with the camera, I think that would have told a better story.

All sounding bks isnt it?! Likewise shots with girls putting the tits forward etc dont tend to work for me unless its in a very interestingly set up shot. There are some good examples in this thread of what stands as a good portrait, something that grabs your attention. Yellabellies shot of his wife, nick_bbb's shot (look at the use of composition to transform what would be a boring shot into something else). A simple use of angle adds a lot of drama to the shot, nick used 2 planes of view in twising the horizon both horizontally and then on the vertical by angling upwards both of which intersect at the girl.

I'm not going to simply discount the shots that are not taken with the same experience as some of the entrants but this comp should be a good lesson in what makes the difference between a shot and a portrait for others to enjoy. Its easy to over use angles too but looking at nicks and yells's shots show different use of view point to change how the result comes out.

I quite like your crop/view, I like the slight off center it balances quite nice I just would like to have seen something to grab my eye. In this I feel the importance would have been on his face.

/waffle

[Mrs Fish]

Stig - Any of those I posted on page 3 stand out?

I like all of them and can't decide which one works best

[Don]

stigmundfreud said:

Don said:

stigmundfreud said:

ignore that you took it and someone else posted it, what might you say in a critique?

I do find that very hard to do.

I like that shot. It's sharp. The background is thrown out of focus. I didn't catch the chap's best expression, despite taking many, many shots. As a portrait the shot is about the chap not the bird - maybe I'm not making enough of that.

It's not as exciting as it could be.

I still like it, of course, else I wouldn't have posted it.

Go on - any pointers?

Well when it comes to any form of photography we all have what we do and do not like so any pointers that I give will have a slight bias towards what I personally like no matter what I say. So...

Technically you've done right, the subject is nicely seperated from the background so on that score all is well. But what is important with portraits is to make you want to look more, some kind of hook. With portraits usually the only people involved in the shot are interested in them. Remember this is not to say you shouldnt like the shot but when entering a shot to a comp it has to have more than a personal interest.

It isnt always a requirement to have eye contact with the camera but thats to say there is some connection to draw the viewer in. Your shot, to me, is lacking in this respect. To me your entry would be much better placed in an environmental catagory as it tells a much better story of a falconer (whatever they are called) than a portrait. In this subject I'd have liked to have the man looking with the head as is but with good eye contact with the camera, I think that would have told a better story.

All sounding bks isnt it?! Likewise shots with girls putting the tits forward etc dont tend to work for me unless its in a very interestingly set up shot. There are some good examples in this thread of what stands as a good portrait, something that grabs your attention. Yellabellies shot of his wife, nick_bbb's shot (look at the use of composition to transform what would be a boring shot into something else). A simple use of angle adds a lot of drama to the shot, nick used 2 planes of view in twising the horizon both horizontally and then on the vertical by angling upwards both of which intersect at the girl.

I'm not going to simply discount the shots that are not taken with the same experience as some of the entrants but this comp should be a good lesson in what makes the difference between a shot and a portrait for others to enjoy. Its easy to over use angles too but looking at nicks and yells's shots show different use of view point to change how the result comes out.

I quite like your crop/view, I like the slight off center it balances quite nice I just would like to have seen something to grab my eye. In this I feel the importance would have been on his face.

/waffle

Thanks for that! Really useful. I can see precisely what you mean and, without a doubt, the shot would have been a better portrait for it. Hmmmn. This sort of constructive criticism is just what I need personally.

[stigmundfreud]

Mrs Fish said:

I love the first one and the fourth one

I only have candid ones but I really like them. Anyone have a preference?

Taken Last week
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

OK you did ask

1,3,4,5 are throwers. I actually like the childs eyes but its a snap. You can have candid portraits or candid snaps. Thats a snap. The ones of the girls on the booze again snaps or at a push a Wanderesque attempt on documentary (I'm still sore from your outbust on the P&P the other month ) so that leaves 2 and 6

Personally I really hate child photos,they are only of any interest to the parent or relative or at a push a subordinate at work thats wanting to get in the bosses good books but good children shots do exist.

Typically child shots will be candid or some twee studio shot, there is only one child shot that from memory I like and that was taken by EmmaP, in fact I liked it so much its inspired 2 sets am working on at the minute. Now your number 2 picture is lovely and sharp, captures the child well in its (not sure on gender and once said a baby girl looked like a boy) element. But compare that to say this:

something comical which removes the element of relationship from the shot


or this with a great capture of the eyes with nice catchlights which just drag you in


If you remove your emotional tie from the shot you have to ask beyond why you like it what does it do?

6 is a nice use of black and white


BTW to anyone that actually reads me dont let anything I say in these 2 critiques disuade you from placing your entry (if already done so) or from placing an entry. Also if others have enterd child pics dont worry I'm not about to discount them because I am a heartless child hating oaf.

[Mrs Fish]

Thanks Stig, Oh and what outburst are you on about?

Here are a few more on the theme of number 2





These are of a friends little boy, so were more staged rather than candid 'snaps'
What do you think?

[Bernie-the-bolt]

stigmundfreud said:

BTW to anyone that actually reads me dont let anything I say in these 2 critiques disuade you from placing your entry (if already done so) or from placing an entry. Also if others have enterd child pics dont worry I'm not about to discount them because I am a heartless child hating oaf.

And here was I thinking you were just a miserable old bugger!

[stigmundfreud]

Bernie-the-bolt said:

stigmundfreud said:

BTW to anyone that actually reads me dont let anything I say in these 2 critiques disuade you from placing your entry (if already done so) or from placing an entry. Also if others have enterd child pics dont worry I'm not about to discount them because I am a heartless child hating oaf.

And here was I thinking you were just a miserable old bugger!

Let me just make a quick note of which is your shot

Mrs F much better and as for the PandP I think it was something about my ladyboy loving or some such

[Mrs Fish]

Nope, you have the wrong woman, I have made no such outburst about any ladyboy tendencies