Fish counter
Dave S
The stonemason, taken on M11/APO 50.
Elaine J
Access to Skylight - Panasonic FZ1000 with LEICA lens
A Tiger Avon kit car backing off the Cromarty to Nigg Ferry, June 2024. The Cromarty to Nigg ferry takes two cars or just one motorhome. You drive on and back off.
Lumix GX8 micro four thirds camera with Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 LEICA DG VARIO-ELMARIT ASPH Power OIS Lens (cropped).
Shot on film on an MP with 35mm lense at Wetzlar on a studio shoot
Malcolm R
"Poppy seedheads” taken on the Panasonic TZ60 with a Leica lens
Nigel T
Carrickfergus Castle, Leica QP
Phil C
American Air Museum at IWM Duxford, Leica M240
Richard B
Broken (N. Dakota, 2019)
Leica CL, Vario-Elmar TL lens, ISO 3200, f/5.6, 1/30 sec.
DAVE S – THE STONEMASON – Good image, well framed subject matter.
ReplyDeleteELAINE J -ACCESS TO SKYLIGHT – Nicely found skylight (in a hotel?): a shame that the bottom half of the image is better exposed than the skylight.
JULIAN P - CROMARTY TO NIGG FERRY – Very interesting subject and selection: I would be a little nervous reversing off, I think. . .
KEN G – WETZLAR STUDIO SHOT - I have German friends who still rhapsodise over The Avengers among other British TV series. This is a fun picture.
MALCOLM R _- POPPY SEED HEADS – Strong directional lighting makes this fascinating.
NIGEL T – CARRICKFERGUS CASTLE – Nice angle and strong lighting makes this an attractive image.
PHIL C - DUXFORD MUSEUM – This is a very difficult image to get – very good effort.
RICHARD B - BROKEN - Could easily be a prewar dustball image, but the subtle colours take it into a more contemporary subject.
Andre. It is, indeed, an old homestead (North Dakota) dating from, early 20th Century. I think it has seen use over many decades. Most likely empty for 30 years or so. Richard.
DeleteAndre H a charming and subtle portrait. He looks like a cold fish.
ReplyDeleteDave S I love the way you have cropped in tight for an intense and sharp portrait
Elaine J the colours on that dome really kick!
Julian P an image that is layered and draws you in to the story. Maybe could do with a greater focus on the centre of interest?
Malcolm R a delightful and nuanced close up well delineated from the background
Nigel T I really like the drama of the converging verticals
Phil C my shot of the month as I love the way that you have used the silhouette to focus on the main subject
Richard B great exposure here to perfectly show the subtle tones, light leakage and contrast
Andre H: A good study that shows an interested and committed salesman.
ReplyDeleteDave S: Impeccable sharpness on the face as it should be with a title of the individual himself.
Elaine J: Very very satisfying as a study in design. The image repays very close scrutiny. Well done.
Julian P: Mine
Ken G: Have we not seen this before? I recognised both the subject and a real sense of dejà vue. I would be very pleased with the result.
Malcolm R: I guess (am I wrong?) that this was set up at home? Or did you use clever software in a field shot to remove all distraction?
Nigel T: For one moment I thought this was a b&w with a blue sky added. The colour of all but the sky is so uniform. This is a dramatic take on the castle which has some appeal.
Phil C: Great control of contrast. I am sure whatever was in the shadow would have been a great distraction. You really have the essentials well it and “in your eye”.
Richard B: So subtle - so muted - just what the image was meant to become. I do wonder what the reality was, but, who cares, your interpretation is superb.
Andre H -a pleasant and attentive character well revealed as he engages his customer behind some impressive produce
ReplyDeleteMine
Elaine J - I like how the the swirl of the steps culminate in the colourful sphere of the skylight, reaching through the first floor - well seen
Julian P - an interesting subject enhanced by catching the sports car just at the point of disembarkation - adds action to an attractive scene
Ken G - tone and composition give this a fun retro feel so appropriate to the subject - it could very much be a picture of its original era
Malcolm R - strong framing and side lighting against a black background add drama and impact to this well executed study
Nigel T - gives a sense of the power of the castle, one can imagine what it must have felt like centuries ago to those from whom the walls protect their inhabitants
Phil C - this works well as both a depiction of the aircraft and a very pleasing mono abstract of gently diagonal layers broken by shapes and tones
Richard B - great combination of colours and composition elevated to another level by the lighting in shafts at the top and glowing through the window - subtly gorgeous
1. Andre H. The Fish Counter. Guessing this is a candid shot. The salesman does not direct his gaze at the photographer. He appears detached (or reticent) standing awkwardly, ams half-heartedly folded, perhaps engaged with a customer. The interest of lobsters on ice, claws bound in tape, would make a close-up composition in its own right. The highlights (tungsten bulb, top of frame) are foreign, adding nothing and easily removed.
ReplyDelete2. Dave S. The Stonemason. Focus and aperture are carefully combined to ensure the face of the mason is given priority in the frame.. We see the contrasting lines and textures of skin, headgear and mask. The stone and workshop are subservient. It matters not whether it is posed or captured in the moment, either way the mason knows the photographer is present. For me, detail in the mason’s eyes would have added something.
3. Elaine J. Access to Skylight. The stained glass offers a fitting decorative cap to this intricate, spiral staircase. It suggests a stylised globe, a polar view. But is it convex, or concave?
4. Julian P. Car Ferry. 'Renfrew Rose’, a reminder of the importance of ferries to tiny communities. Essential to locals, and fun for the visiting tourist whether in a camper van or heavily laden roadster. The wheelhouse breaks the horizon, ensuring the ferry remains truly dominant in the frame.
5. Ken G. Avengers recreation. The model, (aka Emma Peel) is placed centrally in the frame leaving no doubt as to the subject. While static, it has an energy, the players and the gun in stark contrast to the plain background, the wrongly named ‘negative space’. It lacks depth, suggesting a poster more than this actual studio shot.
6. Malcolm R. Poppy Seedheads. The composition, a hierarchy of poppies, is well seen, well lit. The choice of a dark background ensures space around the poppies. I like the finer detail found in the hairs on the stems, just catching the light.
7. Nigel T. Carrickfergus Castle. The acute angle of view adds to visual strength of the castle.The structure is relieved by the (mostly) clear, blue sky. The sole interloping cloud is a distraction, easily removed.
8. Phil C. American Air Museum. A striking image - military aeroplanes - appropriately looking upward. The use of monochrome adds something extra to the portrayal of these retired war machines, now restrained by tensile cables. The image contains the expressed and the inferred in its tonality. The exhibition stands (small in frame - bottom) do not distract, but equally do not have a place to my mind. That apart, I like it.
9. My Photo.
ReplyDelete1. Andre. He appears to be in a day dream - a market trader with no trade. If he was interacting with a customer or adjusting his display there would be a better story. The orange/ blue colour combination works well.
2. Dave S. A good environmental type portrait with the face, hand and arm well lit and defined. The eye goes straight to the face and the first impression is “surgeon” so it is a relief to see that it is a block of stone he is cutting into.
3. Elaine J. Tricky to frame and tricky exposure but an irresistible subject.
4. Julian P. The experience of the ferry journey nicely told, the unusual car adds to the interest.
5. Ken G. A bit of fun in what must have been a very large studio set-up. The pastiche works well and is clearly recognisable. Steed is lit from the left and Peel from the right - The Avengers always had peculiar sets.
6. Me.
7. Nigel T. The wide angle and your close proximity to the walls really exaggerates the converging verticals and hence the height of the castle. The (near) cloudless sky with its intense blue is in stark contrast to the greys of the castle.
8. PhilC. It is almost impossible to photograph a single aircraft in these places without including parts of others, here the light has been used to concentrate the eye on W7
by allowing the surrounding planes to become total silhouettes.
9. Richard B. A fascinating and intriguing image. The dark muted colours of the interior(?) wall are relieved by the highlight on the boarded up window but where that light comes from is unclear and then the strange shadow patterns cast by the roof slats add to the mystery. Who lived there, what did they do and what happened to them, lots of questions and no answers. Great picture.