[SI] Lines and Intersections comments

[SI] Lines and Intersections comments

A nice bunch of photos - when I comment I like to put out the strengths
of the images first followed by whatever negatives and/or suggestions I
might have. Alas, not all the comments will follow that guide.


http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563750 Bowser1

To the point indeed. I like the large negative space capped by the
shore/homes. Good control of highlights. Nice diagonal of the leading
line element and the animal track wandering by. Even the pole holes
seem to be a dashed line. Bit of noise in the trees there…hmm.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563750 Bowser2

A bit of a grabshot, but the lines were definitely intersected! Would
be a "story shot" for a newspaper/site were there a person or vehicle to
add to the story.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563753 Bowser 3

A more literal blast from the archive here. A bit coarse looking, but
the composition is to the point and uses strong diagonals. Might have
benefited from warmer light.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563754 Bret "Annika1932" Douglas.

I can't really tell what this is, perhaps a crop from a shot of a
football, perhaps the nose of your ugly mutt. Meets the literal meaning
of the mandate, but it's a mass of blown highlights and muddy, noisy
contrasts. There's no there there.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563755 Savageduck 1

Another set of power/phone lines, at least still up… Amazing what the u
co. will do to trees. (Here, that tree would be cut). As a photo goes,
a bit pedestrian.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563756 Savageduck 2

A fold in time. Interesting subject, but I thing it would have greatly
benefited from a beginning/end of day light. The slightly diagonal
compo helps, but there's not much here.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563757 Savageduck 3

Well thought out composition, though the yellow sign is distracting.
Like Bowser's first, a good use of leading lines except we're not too
sure of what we're being led to.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563758 Richard S 1

Well executed, nice contrasts. Perhaps a little less exposed would be
more dramatic - e.g.: tame the highlights a little. (BTW: You're going
to die the day after you win the lottery).

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563759 Richard S 2

A good abstract from everyday ugliness of wires everywhere we look.
Lot's of diagonals and a gaping negative space. I like both the mix of
back and fore lit members as well as the mix of thin and wider lines.
Strong image. (Your camera sensor needs a good cleaning).

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563760 Richard S 3

Captures the mandate, but dull and dirty are rarely strong images.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563761 Paul Furman.

The nicest thing about this image is the fog in the swampy area behind
the field. The furrows lead down to the small trees in an inviting way.
I think I would have cropped out everything above the second treeline
(the green hill and above). I'm not sure if you were trying to catch
those power lines, but they do nothing for the image (mandated or not).
Colour palette seems strangely muted. Looking at the 1/125 f/2.8 ISO
800 one gathers it was pretty dull out… 8 stops from sunny-16 - so a
very cloudy morning…

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563762 Tim Conway

Meets the mandate for showing all sorts of lines, but it's a pretty
stark image. Oddly ascetic. Lots of noise.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563763 Tim Conway 2

Again mandate meeting, but a bit dull looking. Noisy. Would benefit
from being shot in warmer light and eliminating the clutter on the left.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563764 Tim Conway 3.

Ah, a bit of brightness. Great colour palette, interesting patterns.
As an abstract though it's hard to discern what you were trying to get
from this archive shot.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563765 Sid 1

I like the bold character of the image (while suspecting it's an archive
shot) and the near dead black in the shadow areas. The sky blue seems
wrong in colour, like it was pushed hard in PS. The reds on the bridge
are very nice. The diagonal in the image seems a little under
emphasized - I guess the shooting position was not ideal. A nice
geometric breakup of the image, in any case. The three rails at the top
centre are a nice punctuation for the mandate.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563766 Sid 2

Excellent interpretation of the mandate though I get the feeling this
was pulled out of the archive as well. The graduated tones in the
concrete blocks, the saturated reds of the bricks and the meandering
roof tiles all give the image a bold strength. The white area (lower
left) and the diagonal rust coloured bricks are a distraction, however.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563767 Sid 3.

A study in patterns and lines. A little too plain perhaps but some nice
patterns. Another archive shot?

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563769 Calvin Sambrook (barbed wire)

This is the sort of shot that begs for clarity and simplicity. It is
cluttered (bg and fg) to the point of hiding the intent. Choice of
subject is right, but composing to isolate the subject is not.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563772 Calvin Sambrook (tracks)

A bold set of lines. Interesting colour palette (though the reds in the
upper right detract). A strong (and uncluttered!!!) subject choice for
the mandate. The only issue I have is the choice of focus location
(why?) and the tracks leading to the middle of the frame at top. A more
diagonal treatment would (maybe) have been stronger. It is well that
the DOF is this shallow, but perhaps the focal plane should have been
right smack dab in the front (as is, it does smooth out the cluttered bg).

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563774 Alan Browne 1

As the mandator I should have been looking to subject all along, but of
course, as usual, it was put off 'til the last hour. This shot is a
macro at 1:1 of a bolt (right term?) of yarn. A fill light behind me on
the left and a key in a snoot on the right. Banged out a bunch and then
selected this for its simplicity.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563776 Alan Browne 2

As I played with compositions, lighting, and so forth I just got worse
and worse, so chose this one as being amongst the least cruddy of the bunch.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563778 Alan Browne 3

Desperately, I remembered this photo from about 10 years ago. Film and
simpler days. I just like its strong attention on that one knot and the
creamy greens.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563780 Peter Newman (bridge snow)

I like this very strong composition with it's great contrasts. The
dirty snow has its own structure as it settles and melts. This is
another composition that uses strong diagonals in its treatment of the
mandate. The smooth bg works nicely while suggesting its own structure.
(There's something bizarre happening on the right edge of the image).

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563784 Peter Newman (two ways).

This shot screams of breaking every "rule" in the book yet is oddly
engaging. A centred composition (no!). Highly cluttered and in focus
bg (no!). Yet, despite those egregious attacks on all that is holy, the
image has a lot of message and great structure. Further, beyond the
mandated lines (way!!) there are the suggestions of lines ("One Way",
"Mott St") outside of the image. That's subtle. as is the "walk" sign
contrasted to the people walking on the opposite side of the street.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563786 Peter Newman - color

A very strong/bold composition that doesn't convey much (to me).

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563791 Cody Houston

[Cody: there are submission guidelines for size…] A dull suburban
scape. Meets the "lines" mandate but there's no structure or objective.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563793 NM5K 1

As I said with previous versions of this study, use of more
beginning/end of day light would have helped a lot. The treatment of
the two reflected buildings and their broken lines behind the strong
lines of the main building is very well done. The inclusion of the
church (in part) almost works except for it being truncated. The bright
sun spot on the right is a good accent … but again a warmer light would
have been welcome.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563797 NM5K 2

A very pleasing composition using the ring passage as the anchor to the
shot. Esp. using a goodly portion in the upper foreground while framing
portions of the building above. Really picked up "mandate points" for
intersections and lines. The vehicles that I normally despise in a
photo here show direction and leading to a secondary image focus. A
subject worth a good night shot.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563799 NM5K 3

A very nice study in geometry. The diagonal composition works well and
the three buildings complement well in the image. Light seems a bit
warmer which contrasts well with the cool blue sky. (there's a neat
illusion here too - alluded to above).

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122587160 Cooper (darts)

Very good composition. The colours and b/w pattern work well together -
though I wish the darts were fewer. The "intersection" of the darts
with the board is a bonus for interpretation. Cropping off the white
area to the right makes it stronger.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122587161 Cooper (wheels)

Nice colour palette. A very good attempt on the mandate, but the wheel
rims/tires dominate so much that the notion of lines is lost. The
overlapping wheels do support the intersections part well of course.
The clutter on the right side of the image is a bit strong. Given the
ability to do so, a rearrangement of the bikes could have resulted in a
simpler/stronger image.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122587162 Cooper Roof

This image is one of few in the bunch that gets right down to isolating
lines and intersections without distraction (almost). The composition
would have been stronger if the window was properly vertical while the
rest of the building provided the diagonals. The weathered paint and
rust add a lot of texture. The sour note in this image is the spot of
green at the upper right - that should have been edited out at shoot or
post time to hold up the composition. The shadow across the lower roof
is (at worst) unfortunate.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122587163 Russel Durtschi 1

A very nicely patterned image that conveys the mandate well. Nothing
(or little) outside the mandate, nice structure and repetition. Snow
colours seem a little off.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122587164 Russel Durtschi 2

This one seems a little less purposeful than the prior. To many
competing areas in the image. For example, the rails ending on the left
with the snow competes with the mouth of the water outlet for focus in
the image. The water outlet is a "negative" volume line coming out
(sorry, I'm stretching to give you points here), which makes it one of
the few images with implied lines as well as actual.

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122587165 Russel Durtschi 3

Very bold and colourful and definitely meets the mandate. But I'm
wondering if there weren't other compositions that would have gotten
more out of the subject. (Again I'm struck how bold B&W patterns seem
to enhance the colours so well).

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122587165 Solomon Peachy 2

Wrt the mandate I'm not terribly convinced. I do like the backlit
approach although the flags are not punched by it very much. I like the
flare mote on the lower right that helps boost that dead area - but not
the structure on the lower right. Are you considering the Chinese (?)
characters to be made of lines?

http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122587167 Solomon Peachy "old"

A mandate meeter to be sure and a great use of natural forms to bring
out more rigid forms. The lighting is excellent with the shadows adding
dimension to the lines and intersections theme. The bg is a little too
much in focus; would have been nicer if it wasn't competing as much
with the subject.

--
gmail originated posts are filtered due to spam.

Re: [SI] Lines and Intersections comments

On 2010-03-08 20:04:40 -0800, Alan Browne
<alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> said:

> A nice bunch of photos - when I comment I like to put out the strengths
> of the images first followed by whatever negatives and/or suggestions I
> might have. Alas, not all the comments will follow that guide.


>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563755 Savageduck 1
>
> Another set of power/phone lines, at least still up? Amazing what the u
> co. will do to trees. (Here, that tree would be cut).

Three days later they did.
http :// homepage.mac,com /lco/filechute/DNC0682w.jpg

> As a photo goes, a bit pedestrian.

Well I was standing at the side of the road.

>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563756 Savageduck 2
>
> A fold in time. Interesting subject, but I thing it would have greatly
> benefited from a beginning/end of day light. The slightly diagonal
> compo helps, but there's not much here.

Yup. I should have shot earlier in the morning. I was looking for a
different way to meet the mandate, and this seemed to be different.

>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563757 Savageduck 3
>
> Well thought out composition, though the yellow sign is distracting.
> Like Bowser's first, a good use of leading lines except we're not too
> sure of what we're being led to.

OK. The tracks are headed South, and if you stay on them for about 35
miles you will reach San Luis Obispo.

As far as the yellow sign is concerned, just consider it one of those
distractions along the way. I wish it had been half a Burma Shave sign.




--
Regards,

Savageduck

Re: [SI] Lines and Intersections comments

On 10-03-08 23:38 , Savageduck wrote:
> On 2010-03-08 20:04:40 -0800, Alan Browne
> <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> said:
>
>> A nice bunch of photos - when I comment I like to put out the
>> strengths of the images first followed by whatever negatives and/or
>> suggestions I might have. Alas, not all the comments will follow that
>> guide.
>
>
>>
>> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563755 Savageduck 1
>>
>> Another set of power/phone lines, at least still up=E2=80=A6 Amazing w=
hat the
>> u co. will do to trees. (Here, that tree would be cut).
>
> Three days later they did.
> http :// homepage.mac,com /lco/filechute/DNC0682w.jpg
>
>> As a photo goes, a bit pedestrian.
>
> Well I was standing at the side of the road.

Been there...

>
>>
>> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563756 Savageduck 2
>>
>> A fold in time. Interesting subject, but I thing it would have greatly=

>> benefited from a beginning/end of day light. The slightly diagonal
>> compo helps, but there's not much here.
>
> Yup. I should have shot earlier in the morning. I was looking for a
> different way to meet the mandate, and this seemed to be different.

Rock formations are very interesting, but we're not all blessed with=20
something spectacular nearby, alas. I'm awed by the sw US's fantastic=20
wealth of natural beauty and variation.

>
>>
>> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563757 Savageduck 3
>>
>> Well thought out composition, though the yellow sign is distracting.
>> Like Bowser's first, a good use of leading lines except we're not too
>> sure of what we're being led to.
>
> OK. The tracks are headed South, and if you stay on them for about 35
> miles you will reach San Luis Obispo.

;-) Sounds dovey.

> As far as the yellow sign is concerned, just consider it one of those
> distractions along the way. I wish it had been half a Burma Shave sign.=




--=20
gmail originated posts are filtered due to spam.

Re: [SI] Lines and Intersections comments

On Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:04:40 -0500, Alan Browne
<alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> wrote:


Thank you for the comments. In response:

> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122587160 Cooper (darts)
>
>Very good composition. The colours and b/w pattern work well together -
>though I wish the darts were fewer. The "intersection" of the darts
>with the board is a bonus for interpretation. Cropping off the white
>area to the right makes it stronger.

There was a game in progress when I took the shot. I asked the
players to pause for a minute while I snapped the picture. They
thought, and expressed aloud, that I must be barmy to want to
photograph a dart board.

>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122587161 Cooper (wheels)
>
>Nice colour palette. A very good attempt on the mandate, but the wheel
>rims/tires dominate so much that the notion of lines is lost. The
>overlapping wheels do support the intersections part well of course.
>The clutter on the right side of the image is a bit strong. Given the
>ability to do so, a rearrangement of the bikes could have resulted in a
>simpler/stronger image.


I agree about the lines and intersections getting lost, but when I
processed the photo I was so taken by the colors I decided to go with
it anyway.

There was no way to rearrange the bikes because this was a display of
new bikes in front of a bike store. They were all chained together.
The clutter is another row of new bikes.

What bothered me, and no one has mentioned it, is the odd color of the
pavement. It bothered me so much that I went back the next day to
look at the pavement. It had once been painted green, but the green
paint is now faded and patchy. I tried to convert it to a pavement
gray color, but global changes in Photoshop did bad things to the bike
colors, and a masking job would have been too much of a project.

> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122587162 Cooper Roof
>
>This image is one of few in the bunch that gets right down to isolating
>lines and intersections without distraction (almost). The composition
>would have been stronger if the window was properly vertical while the
>rest of the building provided the diagonals. The weathered paint and
>rust add a lot of texture. The sour note in this image is the spot of
>green at the upper right - that should have been edited out at shoot or
>post time to hold up the composition. The shadow across the lower roof
>is (at worst) unfortunate.

You know, I never noticed that green area (trees) until you brought it
up. It would have been a simple thing to crop out. My oversight.

--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

Re: [SI] Lines and Intersections comments

tony cooper wrote:
> On Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:04:40 -0500, Alan Browne
> <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> wrote:
>
>
> Thank you for the comments. In response:
>
>> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122587160 Cooper (darts)
>>
>> Very good composition. The colours and b/w pattern work well together -
>> though I wish the darts were fewer. The "intersection" of the darts
>> with the board is a bonus for interpretation. Cropping off the white
>> area to the right makes it stronger.
>


I disagree, cropping the white would make it boring..

Stephanie

Re: [SI] Lines and Intersections comments

Since I'm commenting late, I'll just comment on certain images.
However, I disagree with the person who felt that this series wasn't
particularly noteworthy. I feel that there was some real imagination
used in meeting the mandate by many of the posters.

Bowser2 - My first thought was that Bowser staged this for us, and I
was terribly impressed that he'd go to all that trouble just to meet a
Lines & Intersection mandate. I am suspicious, though, that he
decided on the mandate with this photo already in hand.

Bowser3 - I like the composition of this with the one road positioned
as a strong diagonal from lower-left to upper-right, and the center
loops offset to the right. I also like the non-standard crop. I see
too many photographs where the presenter thinks he has to stay with a
standard ratio and the photo loses strength because of it.

SavageDuck01 - Good catch. Not something I think anyone would bother
photographing normally, but when you're driving around thinking of
Lines & Intersections you would. This kind of proves that mandates
expand your photographic thinking.

SavageDuck03 - About the same comments as above. Trite subject matter
normally, but it fits the mandate. That green thing in the right
quarter bothers me a bit. A spot of color is good, but when we don't
know what the object is it becomes a distraction.

RichardS (hand) - Once again, application of imagination to a mandate.
I am just as impressed by someone who seeks out and finds something to
fit as I am by someone who takes a great photo.

Sid-1 - Kind of a postcardy look, but well done for what it is. I
have a personal bias against shots that are too balanced. I like the
center of attention to be offset. The top line being at an angle
instead of level saves this, though. Sid makes good use of color in
all three images.

Alan Browne - I don't think there's anyone here that does a better job
of focusing for detail the way Alan does. I think he could find hair
on my scalp. He's also the master of depth-of-field transitions. The
subjects are not all that interesting to me, though.

CodyHouston - 4000 x 3000?

NM5K - I really want to encourage new participants in this exercise,
but these photos have been on view in the newsgroup for weeks.
They're well-done, but we've already discussed them.

As to the ones I didn't comment on...any critique I provide is based
on my own prejudices, biases, and favoritisms. I like strong
object-oriented photographs and people photographs. I'm not big on
patterns, abstracts, landscape distance shots, and arty stuff.
(Unless I take the picture) I withhold comment on these because I
don't relate to them.

--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

Re: [SI] Lines and Intersections comments

On 2010-03-08 22:20:56 -0800, tony cooper <tony cooper213@earthlink,net > said:

> Since I'm commenting late, I'll just comment on certain images.
> However, I disagree with the person who felt that this series wasn't
> particularly noteworthy. I feel that there was some real imagination
> used in meeting the mandate by many of the posters.
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------

> SavageDuck01 - Good catch. Not something I think anyone would bother
> photographing normally, but when you're driving around thinking of
> Lines & Intersections you would. This kind of proves that mandates
> expand your photographic thinking.

I hadn't thought of taking a shot of that tree for the 22 years I had
been driving past it, and after I do they cut the damn thing down.
http :// homepage.mac,com /lco/filechute/DNC0682w.jpg
>
> SavageDuck03 - About the same comments as above. Trite subject matter
> normally, but it fits the mandate. That green thing in the right
> quarter bothers me a bit. A spot of color is good, but when we don't
> know what the object is it becomes a distraction.

OK, I got the message some are distracted by the yellow sign, some by
the grass, consider it fixed.
http :// homepage.mac,com /lco/filechute/Line%26Intersections-Savageduck-03B.jpg

-------------------------------------------------------------
> -
> As to the ones I didn't comment on...any critique I provide is based
> on my own prejudices, biases, and favoritisms. I like strong
> object-oriented photographs and people photographs. I'm not big on
> patterns, abstracts, landscape distance shots, and arty stuff.
> (Unless I take the picture) I withhold comment on these because I
> don't relate to them.

The next two mandates should be interesting.

--
Regards,

Savageduck

Re: [SI] Lines and Intersections comments

On Mon, 8 Mar 2010 22:50:38 -0800, Savageduck
<savageduck1@{REMOVESPAM}me,com > wrote:

>On 2010-03-08 22:20:56 -0800, tony cooper <tony_cooper213@earthlink,net > said:
>

>> SavageDuck03 - About the same comments as above. Trite subject matter
>> normally, but it fits the mandate. That green thing in the right
>> quarter bothers me a bit. A spot of color is good, but when we don't
>> know what the object is it becomes a distraction.
>
>OK, I got the message some are distracted by the yellow sign, some by
>the grass, consider it fixed.
> http :// homepage.mac,com /lco/filechute/Line%26Intersections-Savageduck-03B.jpg

The thing I was referring to is still there. The yellow sign didn't
bother me because I knew what it was.

>The next two mandates should be interesting.

They all are if they produce expanded thinking and new perspectives on
what we already see. Whenever I drive around I'm looking for an
interesting photo op. When there's a mandate involved, I look at the
usual things with new eyes.

I participate in an online forum on "Street" photography. It kills me
when I see the stuff that people in NYC and other major urban areas
have to work with when I'm sitting here in a city that is primarily
strip malls, hotels/motels, no downtown to speak of, and a population
that looks like the gallery at a minor golf tournament at a public
course. But I still find shots because I look for them.


--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

Re: [SI] Lines and Intersections comments

On 2010-03-09 00:13:33 -0800, tony cooper <tony cooper213@earthlink,net > said:

> On Mon, 8 Mar 2010 22:50:38 -0800, Savageduck
> <savageduck1@{REMOVESPAM}me,com > wrote:


> The thing I was referring to is still there. The yellow sign didn't
> bother me because I knew what it was.

Aah! I understand. It is the single green strand between the tracks.
I too, have no idea what that is.
Consider it gone. (As is the sign which bothered some.)
http :// homepage.mac,com /lco/filechute/Line%26Intersections-Savageduck-03C.jpg


--
Regards,

Savageduck

Re: [SI] Lines and Intersections comments

tony cooper wrote:
> I'm not big on patterns, abstracts, landscape distance shots, and arty stuff.
> (Unless I take the picture)

lol <smack!>

Your shots turned out nice. At first I was sure you did something
ghastly to the white balance on the bike shot but on closer inspection
it does look real. The whites are white, or close...

I like Russel's snowy cliff, stark as it is, there is life to it
somehow. The colorful facade is stunning. So crisp.

Solomon's jungle shots really catch the mood of the place.

Re: [SI] Lines and Intersections comments

On Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:42:07 -0800, Paul Furman <paul-@-edgehill,net >
wrote:

>tony cooper wrote:
>> I'm not big on patterns, abstracts, landscape distance shots, and arty stuff.
>> (Unless I take the picture)
>
>lol <smack!>
>
>Your shots turned out nice. At first I was sure you did something
>ghastly to the white balance on the bike shot but on closer inspection
>it does look real. The whites are white, or close...

Thank you. There really are no white areas in the photograph. The
whitewall tires are not really white. I tried using them as the white
point in curves, but that did something strange with the whole image.
The closest real white is the teardrop-shaped area on the fork.

--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

Re: [SI] Lines and Intersections comments

"tony cooper" <tony cooper213@earthlink,net > wrote in message
news:lenbp5hrumrc8h87p0ees1apion9uu5b2k@4ax,com ...
> Since I'm commenting late, I'll just comment on certain images.
> However, I disagree with the person who felt that this series wasn't
> particularly noteworthy. I feel that there was some real imagination
> used in meeting the mandate by many of the posters.
>
> Bowser2 - My first thought was that Bowser staged this for us, and I
> was terribly impressed that he'd go to all that trouble just to meet a
> Lines & Intersection mandate. I am suspicious, though, that he
> decided on the mandate with this photo already in hand.
>
> Bowser3 - I like the composition of this with the one road positioned
> as a strong diagonal from lower-left to upper-right, and the center
> loops offset to the right. I also like the non-standard crop. I see
> too many photographs where the presenter thinks he has to stay with a
> standard ratio and the photo loses strength because of it.
>
> SavageDuck01 - Good catch. Not something I think anyone would bother
> photographing normally, but when you're driving around thinking of
> Lines & Intersections you would. This kind of proves that mandates
> expand your photographic thinking.
>
> SavageDuck03 - About the same comments as above. Trite subject matter
> normally, but it fits the mandate. That green thing in the right
> quarter bothers me a bit. A spot of color is good, but when we don't
> know what the object is it becomes a distraction.
>
> RichardS (hand) - Once again, application of imagination to a mandate.
> I am just as impressed by someone who seeks out and finds something to
> fit as I am by someone who takes a great photo.
>
> Sid-1 - Kind of a postcardy look, but well done for what it is. I
> have a personal bias against shots that are too balanced. I like the
> center of attention to be offset. The top line being at an angle
> instead of level saves this, though. Sid makes good use of color in
> all three images.
>
> Alan Browne - I don't think there's anyone here that does a better job
> of focusing for detail the way Alan does. I think he could find hair
> on my scalp. He's also the master of depth-of-field transitions. The
> subjects are not all that interesting to me, though.
>
> CodyHouston - 4000 x 3000?
>
> NM5K - I really want to encourage new participants in this exercise,
> but these photos have been on view in the newsgroup for weeks.
> They're well-done, but we've already discussed them.
>
> As to the ones I didn't comment on...any critique I provide is based
> on my own prejudices, biases, and favoritisms. I like strong
> object-oriented photographs and people photographs. I'm not big on
> patterns, abstracts, landscape distance shots, and arty stuff.
> (Unless I take the picture) I withhold comment on these because I
> don't relate to them.
>


That's fair comment. If we all liked the same thing it would be a boring
world.

--
Peter

Re: [SI] Lines and Intersections comments


"Alan Browne" <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> wrote in message
news:vfmdnbHCcsREVQjWnZ2dnUVZ q-dnZ2d@giganews,com ...
A nice bunch of photos - when I comment I like to put out the strengths
of the images first followed by whatever negatives and/or suggestions I
might have. Alas, not all the comments will follow that guide.



> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563762 Tim Conway

>Meets the mandate for showing all sorts of lines, but it's a pretty stark
>image. Oddly ascetic. Lots of noise.

Yep, that's my D200 on 1600 even with Noise Ninja.

> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563763 Tim Conway 2

>Again mandate meeting, but a bit dull looking. Noisy. Would benefit from
>being shot in warmer light and eliminating the clutter on the left.

Wow. You should have seen it before I cropped it. :-)

> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563764 Tim Conway 3.

>Ah, a bit of brightness. Great colour palette, interesting patterns. As an
>abstract though it's hard to discern what you were trying to get from this
>archive shot.
>
Something depicting the moment. They're neon signs in a bar window with a
long shutter speed.
Thanks for all your comments.
Tim

Re: Lines and Intersections comments

On Mar 8, 10:04 pm, Alan Browne <alan.bro...@FreelunchVideotron.ca>
wrote:
> A nice bunch of photos - when I comment I like to put out the strengths
> of the images first followed by whatever negatives and/or suggestions I
> might have.  Alas, not all the comments will follow that guide.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563750Bowser1
>
> To the point indeed.  I like the large negative space capped by the
> shore/homes.  Good control of highlights.  Nice diagonal of the leading
> line element and the animal track wandering by.  Even the pole holes
> seem to be a dashed line.  Bit of noise in the trees there…hmm.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563750Bowser2
>
> A bit of a grabshot, but the lines were definitely intersected!   Would
> be a "story shot" for a newspaper/site were there a person or vehicle to
> add to the story.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563753Bowser 3
>
> A more literal blast from the archive here.  A bit coarse looking, but
> the composition is to the point and uses strong diagonals.  Might have
> benefited from warmer light.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563754Bret "Annika1932" Douglas.
>
> I can't really tell what this is, perhaps a crop from a shot of a
> football, perhaps the nose of your ugly mutt.  Meets the literal meaning
> of the mandate, but it's a mass of blown highlights and muddy, noisy
> contrasts.  There's no there there.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563755Savageduck 1
>
> Another set of power/phone lines, at least still up… Amazing what the u
> co. will do to trees.  (Here, that tree would be cut).  As a photo goes,
> a bit pedestrian.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563756Savageduck 2
>
> A fold in time.  Interesting subject, but I thing it would have greatly
> benefited from a beginning/end of day light.  The slightly diagonal
> compo helps, but there's not much here.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563757Savageduck 3
>
> Well thought out composition, though the yellow sign is distracting.
> Like Bowser's first, a good use of leading lines except we're not too
> sure of what we're being led to.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563758Richard S 1
>
> Well executed, nice contrasts.  Perhaps a little less exposed would be
> more dramatic - e.g.: tame the highlights a little.  (BTW: You're going
> to die the day after you win the lottery).
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563759Richard S 2
>
> A good abstract from everyday ugliness of wires everywhere we look.
> Lot's of diagonals and a gaping negative space.  I like both the mix of
> back and fore lit members as well as the mix of thin and wider lines.
> Strong image.  (Your camera sensor needs a good cleaning).
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563760Richard S 3
>
> Captures the mandate, but dull and dirty are rarely strong images.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563761Paul Furman.
>
> The nicest thing about this image is the fog in the swampy area behind
> the field.  The furrows lead down to the small trees in an inviting way.
>   I think I would have cropped out everything above the second treeline
> (the green hill and above).  I'm not sure if you were trying to catch
> those power lines, but they do nothing for the image (mandated or not).
>   Colour palette seems strangely muted.  Looking at the 1/125 f/2.8 ISO
> 800 one gathers it was pretty dull out…  8 stops from sunny-16 - so a
> very cloudy morning…
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563762Tim Conway
>
> Meets the mandate for showing all sorts of lines, but it's a pretty
> stark image.  Oddly ascetic.  Lots of noise.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563763Tim Conway 2
>
> Again mandate meeting, but a bit dull looking.  Noisy.  Would benefit
> from being shot in warmer light and eliminating the clutter on the left.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563764Tim Conway 3.
>
> Ah, a bit of brightness.  Great colour palette, interesting patterns.
> As an abstract though it's hard to discern what you were trying to get
> from this archive shot.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563765Sid 1
>
> I like the bold character of the image (while suspecting it's an archive
> shot) and the near dead black in the shadow areas.  The sky blue seems
> wrong in colour, like it was pushed hard in PS.  The reds on the bridge
> are very nice.  The diagonal in the image seems a little under
> emphasized - I guess the shooting position was not ideal.  A nice
> geometric breakup of the image, in any case.  The three rails at the top
> centre are a nice punctuation for the mandate.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563766Sid 2
>
> Excellent interpretation of the mandate though I get the feeling this
> was pulled out of the archive as well.  The graduated tones in the
> concrete blocks, the saturated reds of the bricks and the meandering
> roof tiles all give the image a bold strength.  The white area (lower
> left) and the diagonal rust coloured bricks are a distraction, however.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563767Sid 3.
>
> A study in patterns and lines.  A little too plain perhaps but some nice
> patterns.  Another archive shot?
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563769Calvin Sambrook (barbed wire)
>
> This is the sort of shot that begs for clarity and simplicity.  It is
> cluttered (bg and fg) to the point of hiding the intent.  Choice of
> subject is right, but composing to isolate the subject is not.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563772Calvin Sambrook (tracks)
>
> A bold set of lines.  Interesting colour palette (though the reds in the
> upper right detract).  A strong (and uncluttered!!!) subject choice for
> the mandate.  The only issue I have is the choice of focus location
> (why?) and the tracks leading to the middle of the frame at top.  A more
> diagonal treatment would (maybe) have been stronger.  It is well that
> the DOF is this shallow, but perhaps the focal plane should have been
> right smack dab in the front (as is, it does smooth out the cluttered bg).
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563774Alan Browne 1
>
> As the mandator I should have been looking to subject all along, but of
> course, as usual, it was put off 'til the last hour.  This shot is a
> macro at 1:1 of a bolt (right term?) of yarn.  A fill light behind me on
> the left and a key in a snoot on the right.  Banged out a bunch and then
> selected this for its simplicity.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563776Alan Browne 2
>
> As I played with compositions, lighting, and so forth I just got worse
> and worse, so chose this one as being amongst the least cruddy of the bunch.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563778Alan Browne 3
>
> Desperately, I remembered this photo from about 10 years ago.  Film and
> simpler days.  I just like its strong attention on that one knot and the
> creamy greens.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563780Peter Newman (bridge snow)
>
> I like this very strong composition with it's great contrasts.  The
> dirty snow has its own structure as it settles and melts.  This is
> another composition that uses strong diagonals in its treatment of the
> mandate.  The smooth bg works nicely while suggesting its own structure.
>   (There's something bizarre happening on the right edge of the image).
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563784Peter Newman (two ways).
>
> This shot screams of breaking every "rule" in the book yet is oddly
> engaging.  A centred composition (no!).  Highly cluttered and in focus
> bg (no!).  Yet, despite those egregious attacks on all that is holy, the
> image has a lot of message and great structure.  Further, beyond the
> mandated lines (way!!) there are the suggestions of lines ("One Way",
> "Mott St") outside of the image.  That's subtle.  as is the "walk" sign
> contrasted to the people walking on the opposite side of the street.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563786Peter Newman - color
>
> A very strong/bold composition that doesn't convey much (to me).
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563791Cody Houston
>
> [Cody: there are submission guidelines for size…]  A dull suburban
> scape.  Meets the "lines" mandate but there's no structure or objective.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563793NM5K 1
>
> As I said with previous versions of this study, use of more
> beginning/end of day light would have helped a lot.  The treatment of
> the two reflected buildings and their broken lines behind the strong
> lines of the main building is very well done.  The inclusion of the
> church (in part) almost works except for it being truncated.  The bright
> sun spot on the right is a good accent … but again a warmer light would
> have been welcome.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563797NM5K 2
>
> A very pleasing composition using the ring passage as the anchor to the
> shot.  Esp. using a goodly portion in the upper foreground while framing
> portions of the building above.  Really picked up "mandate points" for
> intersections and lines.  The vehicles that I normally despise in a
> photo here show direction and leading to a secondary image focus.  A
> subject worth a good night shot.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563799NM5K 3
>
> A very nice study in geometry.  The diagonal composition works well and
> the three buildings complement well in the image.  Light seems a bit
> warmer which contrasts well with the cool blue sky.  (there's a neat
> illusion here too - alluded to above).
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122587160Cooper (darts)
>
> Very good composition.  The colours and b/w pattern work well together -
> though I wish the darts were fewer.  The "intersection" of the darts
> with the board is a bonus for interpretation.   Cropping off the white
> area to the right makes it stronger.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122587161Cooper (wheels)
>
> Nice colour palette.  A very good attempt on the mandate, but the wheel
> rims/tires dominate so much that the notion of lines is lost.  The
> overlapping wheels do support the intersections part well of course.
> The clutter on the right side of the image is a bit strong.  Given the
> ability to do so, a rearrangement of the bikes could have resulted in a ...
>
> read more »

Testing.

Re: Lines and Intersections comments

On Mar 8, 10:04 pm, Alan Browne <alan.bro...@FreelunchVideotron.ca>
wrote:
> A nice bunch of photos - when I comment I like to put out the strengths
> of the images first followed by whatever negatives and/or suggestions I
> might have.  Alas, not all the comments will follow that guide.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563750Bowser1
>
> To the point indeed.  I like the large negative space capped by the
> shore/homes.  Good control of highlights.  Nice diagonal of the leading
> line element and the animal track wandering by.  Even the pole holes
> seem to be a dashed line.  Bit of noise in the trees there…hmm.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563750Bowser2
>
> A bit of a grabshot, but the lines were definitely intersected!   Would
> be a "story shot" for a newspaper/site were there a person or vehicle to
> add to the story.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563753Bowser 3
>
> A more literal blast from the archive here.  A bit coarse looking, but
> the composition is to the point and uses strong diagonals.  Might have
> benefited from warmer light.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563754Bret "Annika1932" Douglas.
>
> I can't really tell what this is, perhaps a crop from a shot of a
> football, perhaps the nose of your ugly mutt.  Meets the literal meaning
> of the mandate, but it's a mass of blown highlights and muddy, noisy
> contrasts.  There's no there there.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563755Savageduck 1
>
> Another set of power/phone lines, at least still up… Amazing what the u
> co. will do to trees.  (Here, that tree would be cut).  As a photo goes,
> a bit pedestrian.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563756Savageduck 2
>
> A fold in time.  Interesting subject, but I thing it would have greatly
> benefited from a beginning/end of day light.  The slightly diagonal
> compo helps, but there's not much here.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563757Savageduck 3
>
> Well thought out composition, though the yellow sign is distracting.
> Like Bowser's first, a good use of leading lines except we're not too
> sure of what we're being led to.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563758Richard S 1
>
> Well executed, nice contrasts.  Perhaps a little less exposed would be
> more dramatic - e.g.: tame the highlights a little.  (BTW: You're going
> to die the day after you win the lottery).
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563759Richard S 2
>
> A good abstract from everyday ugliness of wires everywhere we look.
> Lot's of diagonals and a gaping negative space.  I like both the mix of
> back and fore lit members as well as the mix of thin and wider lines.
> Strong image.  (Your camera sensor needs a good cleaning).
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563760Richard S 3
>
> Captures the mandate, but dull and dirty are rarely strong images.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563761Paul Furman.
>
> The nicest thing about this image is the fog in the swampy area behind
> the field.  The furrows lead down to the small trees in an inviting way.
>   I think I would have cropped out everything above the second treeline
> (the green hill and above).  I'm not sure if you were trying to catch
> those power lines, but they do nothing for the image (mandated or not).
>   Colour palette seems strangely muted.  Looking at the 1/125 f/2.8 ISO
> 800 one gathers it was pretty dull out…  8 stops from sunny-16 - so a
> very cloudy morning…
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563762Tim Conway
>
> Meets the mandate for showing all sorts of lines, but it's a pretty
> stark image.  Oddly ascetic.  Lots of noise.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563763Tim Conway 2
>
> Again mandate meeting, but a bit dull looking.  Noisy.  Would benefit
> from being shot in warmer light and eliminating the clutter on the left.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563764Tim Conway 3.
>
> Ah, a bit of brightness.  Great colour palette, interesting patterns.
> As an abstract though it's hard to discern what you were trying to get
> from this archive shot.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563765Sid 1
>
> I like the bold character of the image (while suspecting it's an archive
> shot) and the near dead black in the shadow areas.  The sky blue seems
> wrong in colour, like it was pushed hard in PS.  The reds on the bridge
> are very nice.  The diagonal in the image seems a little under
> emphasized - I guess the shooting position was not ideal.  A nice
> geometric breakup of the image, in any case.  The three rails at the top
> centre are a nice punctuation for the mandate.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563766Sid 2
>
> Excellent interpretation of the mandate though I get the feeling this
> was pulled out of the archive as well.  The graduated tones in the
> concrete blocks, the saturated reds of the bricks and the meandering
> roof tiles all give the image a bold strength.  The white area (lower
> left) and the diagonal rust coloured bricks are a distraction, however.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563767Sid 3.
>
> A study in patterns and lines.  A little too plain perhaps but some nice
> patterns.  Another archive shot?
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563769Calvin Sambrook (barbed wire)
>
> This is the sort of shot that begs for clarity and simplicity.  It is
> cluttered (bg and fg) to the point of hiding the intent.  Choice of
> subject is right, but composing to isolate the subject is not.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563772Calvin Sambrook (tracks)
>
> A bold set of lines.  Interesting colour palette (though the reds in the
> upper right detract).  A strong (and uncluttered!!!) subject choice for
> the mandate.  The only issue I have is the choice of focus location
> (why?) and the tracks leading to the middle of the frame at top.  A more
> diagonal treatment would (maybe) have been stronger.  It is well that
> the DOF is this shallow, but perhaps the focal plane should have been
> right smack dab in the front (as is, it does smooth out the cluttered bg).
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563774Alan Browne 1
>
> As the mandator I should have been looking to subject all along, but of
> course, as usual, it was put off 'til the last hour.  This shot is a
> macro at 1:1 of a bolt (right term?) of yarn.  A fill light behind me on
> the left and a key in a snoot on the right.  Banged out a bunch and then
> selected this for its simplicity.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563776Alan Browne 2
>
> As I played with compositions, lighting, and so forth I just got worse
> and worse, so chose this one as being amongst the least cruddy of the bunch.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563778Alan Browne 3
>
> Desperately, I remembered this photo from about 10 years ago.  Film and
> simpler days.  I just like its strong attention on that one knot and the
> creamy greens.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563780Peter Newman (bridge snow)
>
> I like this very strong composition with it's great contrasts.  The
> dirty snow has its own structure as it settles and melts.  This is
> another composition that uses strong diagonals in its treatment of the
> mandate.  The smooth bg works nicely while suggesting its own structure.
>   (There's something bizarre happening on the right edge of the image).
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563784Peter Newman (two ways).
>
> This shot screams of breaking every "rule" in the book yet is oddly
> engaging.  A centred composition (no!).  Highly cluttered and in focus
> bg (no!).  Yet, despite those egregious attacks on all that is holy, the
> image has a lot of message and great structure.  Further, beyond the
> mandated lines (way!!) there are the suggestions of lines ("One Way",
> "Mott St") outside of the image.  That's subtle.  as is the "walk" sign
> contrasted to the people walking on the opposite side of the street.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563786Peter Newman - color
>
> A very strong/bold composition that doesn't convey much (to me).
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563791Cody Houston
>
> [Cody: there are submission guidelines for size…]  A dull suburban
> scape.  Meets the "lines" mandate but there's no structure or objective.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563793NM5K 1
>
> As I said with previous versions of this study, use of more
> beginning/end of day light would have helped a lot.  The treatment of
> the two reflected buildings and their broken lines behind the strong
> lines of the main building is very well done.  The inclusion of the
> church (in part) almost works except for it being truncated.  The bright
> sun spot on the right is a good accent … but again a warmer light would
> have been welcome.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563797NM5K 2
>
> A very pleasing composition using the ring passage as the anchor to the
> shot.  Esp. using a goodly portion in the upper foreground while framing
> portions of the building above.  Really picked up "mandate points" for
> intersections and lines.  The vehicles that I normally despise in a
> photo here show direction and leading to a secondary image focus.  A
> subject worth a good night shot.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122563799NM5K 3
>
> A very nice study in geometry.  The diagonal composition works well and
> the three buildings complement well in the image.  Light seems a bit
> warmer which contrasts well with the cool blue sky.  (there's a neat
> illusion here too - alluded to above).
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122587160Cooper (darts)
>
> Very good composition.  The colours and b/w pattern work well together -
> though I wish the darts were fewer.  The "intersection" of the darts
> with the board is a bonus for interpretation.   Cropping off the white
> area to the right makes it stronger.
>
> http :// www .pbase,com /shootin/image/122587161Cooper (wheels)
>
> Nice colour palette.  A very good attempt on the mandate, but the wheel
> rims/tires dominate so much that the notion of lines is lost.  The
> overlapping wheels do support the intersections part well of course.
> The clutter on the right side of the image is a bit strong.  Given the
> ability to do so, a rearrangement of the bikes could have resulted in a ...
>
> read more »

Testing.