Another year is drawing to a close, indeed the first full year of Circle D's life, and one that has seen it grow to 15 members, including our first from overseas. I'd like to wish you all a happy Christmas and New Year and hope Father Christmas brings you some photographic goodies.
Here's the last set for the year, please comment and vote as usual.
1) Bill A
Christmas shopping in Stratford-
2) Bill S
My entry this month is a another picture of my Canon 60D entitled "Crossover of technology
Oh I do like to be beside the seaside
British Engineerin
Tranquili
No entry this month
7) Duncan K
Horn Trio: Leica X1 , 1/60 sec, f11, ISO 400; 3x 800 Watt Arrilite Redhead Tungsten lamps & 4ft Lastolite Cubelite
Creative Untidiness: Taken with a Leica Digilux 4
JAY of Shinn, a canny Highlander
Swindon Shopping Trio: Leica MP, Elmarit-M ASPH 28mm f2.8, medium yellow filter, Fuji Acros 100 @ ISO 80, developed in Rodinal 1:50 for 11mins 30secs.
I thought it about time I stopped relying on my little Lumix for Circle D pics so this one of the Commando Monument at Spean Bridge in the Highlands was shot on a Leicaflex with 75/200mm Vario Elmar using HP5 Plus film and scanned from the negative.
Production designer Sir Ken Adam who was responsible for many of the
sets used on early James Bond films.This shot was on a roll of black and white film I found recently and
dates from 2008. Seems I had forgotten to develop it, and though most
of the frames were family snaps this was one of two that was work
related. We were interviewing him for a BBC audio slideshow on his
work, news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7688396.stm
GI : Second World War Weekend, Shire Hall Monmouth: Leica D-lux 5
14) Rob S
Evening Walk, Leica X1
Man and beasts, Leica Monochrom
1) Bill A
ReplyDeleteGreat light and shadows with nicely seperated people in the frame, seems like a pleasant shopping trip.
2) Bill S
Solarisation, used to do that in the darkroom at school - nice piece of kit.
3) Dave S
Dramatic lighting and good post processing without it looking overdone. You've caught the wave just right, looks like time to head to the pub to warm up I reckon.
4) David F
A digilux zoom, nice to see them in use and this is good standard fare for all photographers.
5) David K
Shame there is no one messing about on the river, but this looks like a nice spot for a stroll.
6) Del B - no entry
7) Duncan K
Beautifully lit picture and one that shows off the craftsmanship of the instruments well.
8) Elaine J
Beauty found in a hidden corner, well seen.
9) Jim C
Well timed shot of the "canny highlander".
10) Keith M
An interesting group of people, and if you crop the Topman sign out the figures in the window become more prominent and interact with the three figures. Very nice indeed.
11) Malcolm R
Lovely tones and the sombre mood of the picture suits the subject and works really well in black and white.
12) Me
13) Robert H
Nice tight portrait with obvious military tones, though the USA is a little distracting.
14) Rob S
Shooting into the light often works well and this is no exception. Lots of mood and warmth in the frame and the figures are well placed. A little more room below the dog would be nice, but otherwise it works well.
15) Theodore D
A great start to your time in Circle D. This is what the Leica was made for and considering this was shot while you were borrowing a Monochrom for a short time then it's very good indeed.
1) Bill A - my kind of shot this one, beautifully exposed into the low sunlight and processed to perfection.
ReplyDelete2) Bill S - Interesting mix of the old and the new on a few fronts here. Makes for a concept a bit away from the norm
3) me
4) Davif F - Nice record shot of the engines detail, shows mega pixels are not everything especially when images are not going to be enlarged
5) David K. - The good old Digilux 2, regret selling mine. A nice capture, such a shame its off kilter.
So easily correctable. The figures in the distance look interesting, one of those if only moments just that bit closer.
6) Del no entry
7) Duncan K - Some good detail in the instruments and nicely exposed. Such a shame that the white balance is so far off. As it stands a little correction in PS or similar to correct the colour cast dramatically improves, If that is not an option a custom white balance in camera at the taking stage would have achieved a better result. Not too sure the use of the blocks and the seam on the 'floor' works either, the colour differences make it appear that an attempt has been made to harmonise the whites but with the set up used it comes across to me as being wrong rather than harmonising.
Sorry a good attempt but a bit too far off.
8) Elaine J - Nicely seen image of what is obsessively nothing but debris. Like the different textures.
9) James C - A real man of the woods, The expression has captured well the canny Scot, the twist of the head and the look in the eye sums it up well.
10) Keith M - A nicely exposed shot of what is an everyday scene in many a town centre, the looks they are giving you makes you wonder if they are wondering why your taking their picture or if you have made their day by doing so. Only thing I would say is the group is a little too centralised in the frame if Cropped to within the tree on the left would it make for a better balanced picture. A good first entry.
11) The much photographed Commando memorial. Love the way you have framed the memorial in the v shape made from the clouds and the mountains. An impressive image of a an impressive monument, will never forget seeing it for the first time, majestic in its setting instills pride.
12) A wonderful portrait of a great man, Love the lighting on this.
13) Robert H A good shot of a re enactor, like the way he's attempted to get the ray ban look using reactolite glasses
14) Rob S I actually like this shot a lot, may not be sharp but its very nicely exposed and it has a surreal quality to it, more I look at it the more I like it. Captures a peaceful moment in the countryside and portrays well the dream of that evening walk. Nit picking I would have liked to have seen a little more foreground to include a bit below the dogs feet.
15) Theodore. Another fine first entry to the circle. I like the way a little movement has been captured shows the man at work. Beautifully exposed retaining all the detail, only thing I would say is I would again have preferred if the main subject were not so central in the frame.
I will finish off by letting everyone know that due to unfortunate circumstances I will probably not be around for a few months and able to join in with comments etc. I have however assed a few images to Phil who has kindly said he will put them into the circle rounds for me in my absence. Hopefully I will be back playing again as soon as practicable.
Wishing everyone a very happy Xmas and a good New year.
Opps a typo cropped up in my comments apologies assed should of course been passed, doh!
ReplyDelete1. Great job dealing with the extremes of dark and shadow; I only miss perhaps a titch more definition of the darkest values of clothing, but that might have been impossible with the highlights here.
ReplyDelete2. Fun use of the Canon’s screen as a subversive wink! I do think this kind of ‘posterize’ effect can be visually interesting for, well….posters and the like, but it is not my cup of tea as a picture in and of itself.
3. Love it, what a sky and marvelous shadows! If I had to say anything, it would be that the pier on the right in the distance detracts ever so slightly from the composition, in the way they meet, but that is just nit picking.
4. Deconstructionist views of machines and architecture are my favorite modus operandi….I could imagine the impact might be even greater in B/W ?
5. Lovely view through the bridges; but I feel like I must have tripped due to the tilted horizontal. (Can be easily fixed by Adobe).
7. At first viewing I felt this picture was much too analytic and cold; the trumpets too stiffly arranged…But after looking again later, I rather like it. The lighting of shiny metallic objects is no easy task; well done here. Still, it could be fun to play around even more with different backgrounds, and some battered up old examples as
well ;-)
8. Bizarre, weird, icky….And I love it !! At first thought it was a dead animal of some kind; it forces one to do a double take.
9. The strong magenta tint of the jumper is strongly echoed on the face coloring; makes me wonder if this was a natural occurrence, or a setting, or a roll of E100VS
;-) Great portrait, only small comment is that the greenish/brown textile of the hat loses some color from the lighting above.
10. Great shot there; maybe it’s a heresy but I would have cropped the ‘TOPMAN’ part off completely, perhaps thereby making the visual dialogue between the people populating the posters and the sitters even more poignant?
11. Beautiful conjunction of light and shadow, placement of the figures, love the graininess, but I am a bit of a stickler for getting as much variation as possible in the darkest areas because of being spoiled by a cache of Scala 200 in the freezer. For me, if the figures had just a titch more contrast in the dark areas, they might ‘float’ a little more in the gloom of a memory of battle?
12. I would never have dared to make a picture as radically dark as this on my own, but you have shown that it can work extremely well and you’ve given me ideas! In a refined print I am sure it would be even more interesting, as the screen doesn’t do it justice. My favorite of this batch.
13. Not sure about this. If I am honest, I find the green against green a little lacking in contrast; also a fill in flash for the upper part of the face under the hat might have helped (but likely caused problems with the glasses?), the man is also not ‘open’ to the photograph (like the Scotsman above) so it feels cramped, also due to the combination of close cropping…
14. I am sure these people are walking off to a UFO that just landed in the back fields, you can even see them radiate an electrified aura….All kidding aside, it is well composed and good use made of the sun being momentarily blocked out by the figure at center. Perhaps a shorter speed setting or smaller aperture as alternative might give a tiny bit more definition to the grass and trees, even if the figures then only became black outlines?
15. No comment.
Theodore D
For those of you who think that the bridge in Picture No. 5 is tilted, off kilter etc, I would like to advise them that Bath is all about hills and that the bridge does slope down from the right to accommodate the changing heights. That is the way it was designed and constructed! Any requested change mentioned using Adobe or any other method (which actually I do not personally adhere to) would falsify the reality!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
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ReplyDeletePrevious deletions due to numerous spelling mistakes!
ReplyDeleteHi David,
Since I was the person who mentioned it, perhaps it would be good for me to respond by returning to the topic.
Indeed, there is nothing wrong with your standpoint about the reality of the hilly placement, and your uncomfortableness with alterations - which is a perfectly valid way to work, as long as you feel best with it. However, I would just mention that some (but perhaps not all) of the greatest photographers spent most of their time in the darkroom, working on refining their negatives. One of the most typical exponents of this approach was Ansel Adams, who used the best pictures he took (and often it took him days to get the one shot he wanted) before spending a week retouching everything that he wanted just a little differently. Actually he probably would have been pretty at home with modern digital post-processing.
Why photographers like Anselm did this is a question perhaps of where art and philosophy meet. A good analogy might be how a recording producer and engineer get an orchestra to sound convincing in your living room….The actual echo of the Albert Hall would sound silly in your living room, so a compromise is made on a technical and artistic level to translate the aural image to something that is 'true to the original', yet also functional to the enjoyment of the listener in their home (or in their headphones for that matter).
One could argue that for pictures the same applies.
To make a small rectangle of a picture breathe the air of the actual scene, a direct translation of that scene to the digital or emulsion based image (the most direct route) does not necessarily guarantee that the true import of the moment will be brought across to the viewer.
In actual fact this standpoint I mention here actually initially reinforces the concept that you are trying to get across, namely that the picture gives a more accurate reading with the tilt of the hills kept within the frame - and as I stated that is a perfectly valid point.
However, due to the very unnatural fact that the picture is by its inherent form a rectangle, the viewer in this case is given a straight line to deal with, which the actual, original scene didn't have. And this is the cause of my feeling 'unsteady' as a viewer.
These are just my personal standpoints; there is no philosophical right or wrong in such things I suppose.
To condense what I am trying to say: the act of photography is in and of itself, an unnatural act attempting to convey the natural, the sublime, or: fill in the blanks. For that reason, I think the best way to convey the view, the message, the essence of a picture requires one to ultimately traverse a circuitous route in order to make it appear convincing to the eyes of humans…Human eyes that were not looking over Anselm's shoulder as the mist approached, or who were not standing on the hills near Bath. In these cases the viewer is a detached participant, clueless to the conditions at hand.
Again: apologies in advance if this is far too convoluted a response for the Circle!
Regards,
Theodore
1)
ReplyDeleten/a
2)
I like the use of the screen to “reflect” the camera taking the image; an unusual and creative interpretation.
3)
Dramatic sky and perfect point for the wave together with the subtle lighting on the beach combine to make a very fine monochrome. I’m glad Phil has some images for the coming months, pop in when you can.
4)
I can feel the oil and grease with excellent shadow detail all combined to show the intricacy and strength of the machinery.
5)
I accept that the bridge is sloping but none of the buttress walls are vertical so the whole makes me feel the water should run out of the left hand side. A lovely scene though and the people at the end of the path help to pull the eye through.
6)
Beautifully lit with superb detail and visual tones.
7)
Lovely rich, warm colours; just what we need at this dreary time of year.
8)
The setting with trees in the background gives the impression of a highland glen without intruding and the detail within this portrait is spot on. If only he were not looking at something else.
9)
An interesting group, interacting with the photographer. The detail and tonal range is, as I’ve said before Keith, so good it could be digital ;-) I think a small crop off the left to remove the bright sliver of sign would improve it further.
10)
I have seen many pictures of this monument. This one has a mood with it which I like, a subtle combination of light and cloud, tonal range and grain all work well.
11)
I enjoyed viewing the linked clip Phil. I like this picture too, the very direct gaze and lighting work well although the large area of dark jersey without any detail I find “difficult”
12)
This could so easily be an excellent portrait. The light and detail are good, the reflections of the stars in his spectacles is a definite plus but his total lack of involvement in what is going on around him or with the photographer combined with the street scene behind the vehicle knock it right back. With a slightly higher viewpoint that could have been excluded.
13)
The concept, lighting and composition are good but the fact that nothing is sharp except a few fronds at the top of the frame detracts. It might be better without them.
14)
The more I see of Monochrom images the more I like them. Much as I like mono pictures myself I can’t see me spending so much on a specialist tool. Your picture gives us a fine insight into this specialist butcher, the birds and beast and the butcher and tools of his trade. The movement is a nice added touch.
Theodore
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments, which are much appreciated. I was aware of the fact that Adams and Cartier-Bresson et al spent hours in the darkroom in their efforts to perfect their published pictures. Indeed, I spent a deal of time in my own darkroom (but to a rather different standard to those eminents?!). However, I suppose that I can personally sympathise with tweaking / fine tuning but less so with altering the very make up of the photograph. The all important final outcome of the picture is the key of course, with the route taken being the variable which is very much in the hands of the photographer!
Hi David,
ReplyDeleteOn a personal note, I must say I enjoy using both approaches: the fine tune and the 'leave it alone.' For transparencies, I make myself a challenge to get it perfect straight off, which to my chagrin often delivers only one truly interesting/well balanced picture per 2/3 rolls. Since transparencies are cheap, this doesn't bother me too much…
With digital on the other hand, the sky's the limit, and that brings the problem that too much can be done in post-production, and the hardest part for non-professionals like myself is to know when to leave well enough alone ;-)
Several updates to the Society web-site today including pictures of the soon to be released Leica M and specifications.
ReplyDeletewell done Bill, great job as usual
ReplyDelete1. It is a very long time since I was last in Stratford on Avon- the wrong side of 30 years I guess.The ferocious lighting makes this picture and it has been beautifully handled. The figures are well separated and doing all the usual things that people do on the High Street.
ReplyDelete2. I like the circularity of this - a self-portrait of the camera that took the original photograph - but without the hand that pressed the button. The posterisation effect works well with the subject matter except for where the edge of the Canon merges with the screen of the Mac.
3. A beautifully caught wave and such a dramatic sky that it is almost too good to be true.
4. Almost a monochrome but those touches of yellow just adds that certain something.
5. Tranquility, the title says it all. The gentle colours and ironwork of both bridges well depicted. The slight tilt, even if it is correct, still looks wrong.
6. Del. No entry.
7. A good clean image of the instruments that shows their detail well. There are one or two niggles with unwanted reflections and lines in the blocks & floor but it is nevertheless a still life that I would be happy with if it were mine.
8. Rich warm colours, the dead leaf and cobwebs hang together nicely presumably from a ceiling. The straw(?) at the bottom of the frame somehow feels out of place and I find it disorientating.
9. A crisp portrait with an apt and suitably diffused background. He is very probably a great guy but on the basis of this character study I would hesitate to buy a used car from him.
10. You have been spotted. It is a change to see happy smiling faces in the shopping centre.I like the large scale photos in the windows behind looking down on your principal subjects.
11.
12. The deep shadows and light background make this a very stark and powerful portrait. A thing I notice about many of the images in Circle D is that, as here, the black edges merge into the black screen background and are therefore lost, a very thin white or light grey line around the image before submitting it would overcame the problem.
13. It is the little things that give the game away with these re-enactment pictures - like the ballpoint pen and the modern specs. He seems a happy soul but not quite of this world with the stars in his eyes.
14. Contrast here is really beyond the ability of the camera to cope but the backlight on the dog alone makes it worth a shot, the focus seems to have gone haywire.
15. Much to look at here with tremendous detail throughout. Movement in the butcher’s hand gives it that extra lift. It must be quite disconcerting for him having his victims peering over his shoulder as he works
1) Bill A
ReplyDeleteA nice street shot with good controls of the highlights and shadows
2) Bill S
An interesting picture of a camera – but notably not a Leica. As I do not appreciate the technology involved, unfortunately it means little to me
3) Dave S
A lovely picture with the position of the wave perfectly captured and boosted by the strong sky
4) David F
Good detailed shot of ‘running gear’, which reminds me of my own submission of Steam Running Gear in May. The picture is made stronger being in colour
7) Duncan K
Nicely taken picture of the instruments with a balanced background. Perhaps it could be an option for an advert for Boosey & Hawkes?!
8) Elaine J
The picture is strengthened by the vibrant colours, although I still cannot make out what the central object is?!
9) James C
A good portrait of the Highlander, with his interesting expression and somewhat ‘shifty’ look. It is a pity that the texture of the beret is not more pronounced
10) Keith M
A street scene with three interesting looking individuals. A well-composed shot with good balance
11) Malcolm R
A strong picture of the memorial. It is ideal in monochrome and strengthened by the conditions and lighting
12) Phil C
An interesting portrait and the roll of film has been found at an appropriate time, having regard to the current ‘Bond’ celebrations. The dark tones do support and strengthen the image
13) Robert H
A picture of a warm individual in his uniform, but, whilst the USA wording is appropriate to the subject is does detract from the image
14) Rob S
A nice shot of a peaceful evening scene with strong lighting around the dog. I am not quite sure about the focus though, which seems to be a little out of kilter
15) Theodore D
A most interesting composition – taken with a most interesting new product from Leica. Well composed with good lighting and balance. The picture comes out really well in monochrome, but I still wonder at anyone purchasing such an expensive piece of equipment with such obvious limitations in what it produces (unless, of course, one had all that money to own a Monochrome and an M?!).
1. Bill A.
ReplyDeleteExcellent use of back-lighting to 'lift & separate' the figures from the background plus super monochrome tones. The sunbursts off the car roofs are perhaps a little to dominant, serving as a distraction. A well-caught moment.
2. Bill S.
An interesting composition with an intriguing treatment. A 'reflective' image! The left-side of the Canon's body (as we see it) is somewhat lost against the background though.
3. Dave S.
A pleasingly atmospheric image with strong tones and sense of place. Good impression of movement in the water. Too much shingle? Would prefer to see the boat a little more dominant i.e. from a few more paces further forward (or cropping from the right and bottom).
4. David F.
Lots of interesting detail in this well-composed image. A pity that the working parts have been slathered with paint though as it is a distraction (and the state of the split-pins an indication of economies being made!)
5. David K.
The bridges, pigeons and people all help to give a real sense of depth to the image. A little more contrast would add strength (and rotating it a couple of degrees clockwise would stop the water threatening to flow out of the side of my screen)
6. Del B.
7. Duncan K.
A good, strong, well-lit composition with lots of interesting details (including a self-portrait!). The lack of shadow around the base of the trumpet does make it appear to float, though.
8. Elaine J.
Well, the spider(s) sure have been busy! Probably not something I would have thought to photograph myself, but nevertheless I find it an interesting image.
9. James C.
A canny highlander indeed. A very interesting-looking character and excellent fine detail, tones and textures. The brightness of the top of his headgear tends to pull my eye away from his face, so the balance of the image would benefit from toning it down slightly.
10. Mine
11. Malcolm R.
A suitably grainy and gritty treatment for this famous statue. The positioning of the light and dark clouds vis-a-vie the statue make for a well-balanced composition.
12. Phil C.
A fine character study, well-lit and pleasingly composed. It is probably due to file compression, but I would like to see a little more detail in his left eye and the left side of his tank-top.
13. Robert H.
He is looking rather pleased with himself, isn't he! The reflection of the US Army symbol in his spectacles is a bit of a distraction but overall a good capture.
14. Rob S.
An atmospheric scene with mostly well placed figures and the curve of the path leading the eye. The rim-lighting around the head and body of the main figure is quite dominant – perhaps making him a complete silhouette would improve the overall image.
15. Theodore D.
Good range of tones and lots of interesting details to keep one's attention (as long as one is not a vegetarian...). In an ideal world his left hand would be still and the knife-holding right hand having the movement blur. I would have been tempted to crop slightly from the left to remove the sloping pole.
1) Bill A
ReplyDeleteThis is my kind of photo too. I love these moments in time. The monochrome tones works really well, as do the shadows and the star bursts add a little magic. Reflecting on my own photos a bit I still wonder if people should be 'standing' in the photo or not but often it's a compromise I know. As someone else mentioned if would also be interesting to see if pulling out some of the detail in the shadows (particularly his backpack) would add something. I also wonder if adding something contemporary (a sign perhaps) would make such a photo also work 'more' in the future. But these are only reflections as I really like this photo.
2) Bill S
I'm not keen I'm afraid but I like the idea of reflecting the old against the new. It's an interest idea worth playing with.
3) Dave S
Excellent photo; love it. I love the boldness of it all. As has already been commented I wonder if a tighter crop would also work or perhaps the shingle needs darkening a little. I suspect vignette might also work well but I'm not sure what people think of this style in this circle. Great photo.
4) David F
Whilst appreciating the machinery I'm afraid this doesn't do much for me.
5) David K
Like other comments my first impression is it's tilting. For me I also want a 'stronger' image which is more than you get by just by repeated looking. I'm not entirely sure what I'm saying but for me this photo feels reproducible and therefore not 'original'. But I suspect I'm wrestling with some nonsense or another which doesn't do this photo justice!!
6) Del B - no entry
7) Duncan K
I have to say I'm not sure what to think. The instruments look magnificant, which I guess is the purpose of the shot.
8) Elaine J
Nicely observed and what I think photography is all about; capturing a moment in time. I love the rich colours and detail.
9) Jim C
What a character; a very nice portrait. Like others I would like to see some playing to pull out some of the features (tones!) and to sort out the headgear. More photos like this please.
10) Keith M
People are so interesting and this photo captures some of that. I like their interaction with you the photographer and the ambivalence of the first guy (I want less happy snaps, although I do lots myself!). As others have said a tighter crop would help by focusing on the three characters. Great photo though.
11) Malcolm R
A great photo; the composition is beautiful. I love the film look.
12) Phil C
People don't smile in great portraits and this is no exception. Love the dark tones but I would like to see his left eye more (not much) as I'm disturbed by the lack of eyes! The crop is wonderful.
13) Robert H
I like the idea very much but as I said in my comment on Phil's photo great portraits don't have a smiling person!! :-)
14) Me
15) Theodore D
As an 80% vegan this photo has a very strong impact; which is good. I do like the capturing of moment very much and like the fact the telephone number, web address and prices are visible to date it. The movement also works well although perhaps it should be in his right cutting hand! The birds hanging, the bulls head, central character and composition make this a great shot. Friends are raving about the mononchrom so it's nice to see it used here.
1) Bill A … "Christmas Shopping in Stratford upon Avon " Technically excellent as regards depth of field and exposure but the actual street scene is rather ordinary i.e. very little of real interest going on.
ReplyDelete2) Bill S … "Crossover of technology " Interesting creative technical illustration and I like the treatment / means to produce the result . Excellent idea and a lot of thought went into the composition. I wonder if with e.g. a Nikon PB-4 bellows (with its front lens standard movements, and easily adaptable to Canon) it might be possible to produce a similar illustration showing a slightly angled view of the combination and thus more side detail of the Elmar lens?
3) Dave S … " Oh I do like to be beside the seaside" Beautiful beach scene with gorgeous sky but I'd like to see the boat more closely cropped. Sell it to a picture postcard company on a royalty basis.
4) David F … "British Engineering" I like to see how older digital cameras perform and this example shows they are capable of good results . There is plenty of detail and texture in the steel but detail in the shadows could be enhanced with more post processing.
5) David K "Tranquility on the canal" … Everything in focus but it does look rather odd pictorially because of the sloping bridges - and I have read your explanation as to why they slope . Good record picture but not pleasing to the eye from this particular camera position.
6) Del B … no entry this month
7) Mine
8) Elaine J 'Creative untidiness ' … Rather too busy and untidy and does not stir any emotions as a potentially abstract composition … does not pass the 'could you live with it on your wall?' test. Looks better with the straw cropped out.
9) James C … ' Jay of Shinn - a canny Highlander' … Superb portrait with wonderfully expressive face full of character and separated nicely from the out of focus background - but shame about the lack of texture in his beret.
10) Keith M … 'Swindon Shopping Trio' … They look too posed and too aware that they are being photographed … but maybe would have made an interesting group portrait if caught more candidly .
11) Malcolm R … "Commando monument Spean Bridge' … The graininess suits the subject and enhances the atmosphere but I'd like to see some more detail brought out in the base of the monument - a little post processing will bring it out … but maybe you prefer the picture as it is? A good record shot taken with a proper camera!
12) Phil C 'Sir Ken Adam' Interesting photograph of a famous and innovative architect/engineer/artist/designer/WW2 hero … but I wish there was not quite so much of his face in shadow … maybe a reflector could have provided a little fill-in light when the portrait was taken?
13) Robert H … "Second World War Weekend" Unfortunately the modern glasses do not match the uniform - and the ball point pen, although just about in use during WW2, looks too modern - thus authenticity/credibility suffers - and the star reflection in the glasses is rather distracting.
14) Rob S … "Evening Walk " I looked at this for a long time and unfortunately could not find anything within the scene which appeals to me - it lacks focus and the shadow on the RHS is rather distracting . Not sure what you were trying to achieve here Rob.
15) Theodore D … "Man and beasts " Interesting record shot of a butcher at work in a high class establishment but even though the blur in his left hand conveys a little of what is going on, he looks a bit static and posed . I have seen butchers using their cleavers with gusto - and as the character has one to hand it would have been a lot more interesting to see it in use.