I thought a bit about what photo to offer up: we often get the best response from photos where the photographer is struggling with post processing and welcomes alternative view points for his/her composition. For the one above, though, I overcame some problems and ended up with one that I personally like pretty well. Now, after it's had time to sit and become stale to my mind, I look back and see some things that could be a bit better with it. So, feel free to give your opinions on it.
Some history behind the photograph: my son and I try to get out on the Friday morning after Thanksgiving and hit the stores to people watch (we normally buy very little, just have fun watching). Like usual, we ended up at a restaurant after the sun came up and I noticed this nice fog rolling in and the morning light was really nice- so we went to the park. I shot a lot of pictures then we came upon this scene, which appeared to be petty theft. The digital camera had been taken but everything else pilfered and left behind. I shot a number of frames and called the police, thinking the owner might want to know where her bag was.
For whatever reason, the frame that I most liked was underexposed by 1 full stop (I sat the EV value to -1, maybe through bracketing) Because of this, along with thinking that nobody would be interested in the scene, it languished on my hard drive for quite some time until I had nothing else to post one night and decided to clean it up some.
So what is art? I love the photo but it's surely not one that I would ever hang on the wall, but I kept going back to look at it for quite some time. If you like it, I'd like to know why?
If you would like to take a hand at post processing a digital file with a good number of problems, here's the high res original<http://my-expressions.com/up_media/1137/IMGP4567.JPG>. There's some aspects about the original that are better than the processed file, so feel free to also comment on those if you see fit.
Wow, Mark, what a powerful photo. I can sense the drama here, with the fog rolling in in the background, and the bag that was just stolen and violated. Its hard to say why I like it, I just do. There is a very strong feeling of drama and tragedy. Love it Jon Kobeck http://www.humangraffiti.com
On 3/18/07 9:24 PM, "Mark Hamilton" <4x6ph...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I thought a bit about what photo to offer up: we often get the best response > from photos where the photographer is struggling with post processing and > welcomes alternative view points for his/her composition. For the one above, > though, I overcame some problems and ended up with one that I personally like > pretty well. Now, after it's had time to sit and become stale to my mind, I > look back and see some things that could be a bit better with it. So, feel > free to give your opinions on it.
> Some history behind the photograph: my son and I try to get out on the Friday > morning after Thanksgiving and hit the stores to people watch (we normally buy > very little, just have fun watching). Like usual, we ended up at a restaurant > after the sun came up and I noticed this nice fog rolling in and the morning > light was really nice- so we went to the park. I shot a lot of pictures then > we came upon this scene, which appeared to be petty theft. The digital camera > had been taken but everything else pilfered and left behind. I shot a number > of frames and called the police, thinking the owner might want to know where > her bag was.
> For whatever reason, the frame that I most liked was underexposed by 1 full > stop (I sat the EV value to -1, maybe through bracketing) Because of this, > along with thinking that nobody would be interested in the scene, it > languished on my hard drive for quite some time until I had nothing else to > post one night and decided to clean it up some.
> So what is art? I love the photo but it's surely not one that I would ever > hang on the wall, but I kept going back to look at it for quite some time. If > you like it, I'd like to know why?
> If you would like to take a hand at post processing a digital file with a good > number of problems, here's the high res original > <http://my-expressions.com/up_media/1137/IMGP4567.JPG> . There's some > aspects about the original that are better than the processed file, so feel > free to also comment on those if you see fit.
This is a great documentary shot - full of drama, and wonderful composition and colour tone. I don't think I can add much to it, it's just a great dramatic shot that speaks of cold, and abandonment...
Wonderful stuff! Bronnie
On Mar 19, 1:24 pm, "Mark Hamilton" <4x6ph...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I thought a bit about what photo to offer up: we often get the best response > from photos where the photographer is struggling with post processing and > welcomes alternative view points for his/her composition. For the one > above, though, I overcame some problems and ended up with one that I > personally like pretty well. Now, after it's had time to sit and become > stale to my mind, I look back and see some things that could be a bit better > with it. So, feel free to give your opinions on it.
> Some history behind the photograph: my son and I try to get out on the > Friday morning after Thanksgiving and hit the stores to people watch (we > normally buy very little, just have fun watching). Like usual, we ended up > at a restaurant after the sun came up and I noticed this nice fog rolling in > and the morning light was really nice- so we went to the park. I shot a lot > of pictures then we came upon this scene, which appeared to be petty theft. > The digital camera had been taken but everything else pilfered and left > behind. I shot a number of frames and called the police, thinking the owner > might want to know where her bag was.
> For whatever reason, the frame that I most liked was underexposed by 1 full > stop (I sat the EV value to -1, maybe through bracketing) Because of this, > along with thinking that nobody would be interested in the scene, it > languished on my hard drive for quite some time until I had nothing else to > post one night and decided to clean it up some.
> So what is art? I love the photo but it's surely not one that I would ever > hang on the wall, but I kept going back to look at it for quite some time. > If you like it, I'd like to know why?
> If you would like to take a hand at post processing a digital file with a > good number of problems, here's the high res > original<http://my-expressions.com/up_media/1137/IMGP4567.JPG>. > There's some aspects about the original that are better than the processed > file, so feel free to also comment on those if you see fit.
Mark, Thanks for sharing a lovely picture! It's dramatic! Mist adds the magic. I also saw the original, and I must say you worked very well on PP. But having shot with -1 Ev, you had to add some PP in order to brighten the pic. I think you wd have got the similar lighting if you would have shot with normal exposure (EV=0). What say?
I personally liked the dramatic effect of mist and the old kinda looking benches. Well composed image!
Had there been no stuff on the bench (bag etc), I'd have loved it more. The bag etc is exactly in the center of the image, and is quite distracting. Thanks again for sharing this dramatic shot.
> This is a great documentary shot - full of drama, and wonderful > composition and colour tone. > I don't think I can add much to it, it's just a great dramatic shot > that speaks of cold, and abandonment...
> > I thought a bit about what photo to offer up: we often get the best > response > > from photos where the photographer is struggling with post processing > and > > welcomes alternative view points for his/her composition. For the one > > above, though, I overcame some problems and ended up with one that I > > personally like pretty well. Now, after it's had time to sit and become > > stale to my mind, I look back and see some things that could be a bit > better > > with it. So, feel free to give your opinions on it.
> > Some history behind the photograph: my son and I try to get out on the > > Friday morning after Thanksgiving and hit the stores to people watch (we > > normally buy very little, just have fun watching). Like usual, we ended > up > > at a restaurant after the sun came up and I noticed this nice fog > rolling in > > and the morning light was really nice- so we went to the park. I shot a > lot > > of pictures then we came upon this scene, which appeared to be petty > theft. > > The digital camera had been taken but everything else pilfered and left > > behind. I shot a number of frames and called the police, thinking the > owner > > might want to know where her bag was.
> > For whatever reason, the frame that I most liked was underexposed by 1 > full > > stop (I sat the EV value to -1, maybe through bracketing) Because of > this, > > along with thinking that nobody would be interested in the scene, it > > languished on my hard drive for quite some time until I had nothing else > to > > post one night and decided to clean it up some.
> > So what is art? I love the photo but it's surely not one that I would > ever > > hang on the wall, but I kept going back to look at it for quite some > time. > > If you like it, I'd like to know why?
> > If you would like to take a hand at post processing a digital file with > a > > good number of problems, here's the high res > > original<http://my-expressions.com/up_media/1137/IMGP4567.JPG>. > > There's some aspects about the original that are better than the > processed > > file, so feel free to also comment on those if you see fit.
This is my first critique post. I've read through the last few months, and think I understand how it works so here goes.
It's a good shot, but I see a few places for improvement. I really like the fog and mist in the background - it adds to the stillness of the picture.
What I'm not getting is crime scene. To me it just looks like a bag was dumped out on a park bench. Perhaps a better angle showing the contents might have been better. I do like Abhijit's idea of taking the image off center, maybe a tighter crop from the top left down just below the edge of the black case on the closer bench would help provide a leading line into the picutre.
I like this photo a lot. I like the mood, the subject and the voyeuristic feeling it brings up, as if I'm getting a glimpse into someone else's life. I also appreciate you sharing the original image so we can get a sense of what you did to it. That's very helpful and I wish I had time to make my own version.
I can understand some of the criticism about centering the bag, but I think that's more a personal preference. I actually wish you didn't tell us as much as you did when you put it out, so we could make our own conclusions as to what the scene is. Maybe a simple title like "Crime Scene" would do the same thing, but it's the kind of picture that anyone create their own story from.
Thanks for the comments and critique on the photo of the week. From the responses, it confirms what I had thought soon after taking the photograph- it doesn't mean a lot to some folks. I'm still surprised, though, about those who do "get it". For instance, after posting it on my photoblog, it was about 4 days before I posted another one. A friend's wife commented that she sure wished that I would update the photoblog because that photograph was just so depressing to look at everyday when she'd check my site. Would it have worked better or worse if I hadn't provided commentary? I don't now, but that's what I do- I like to write probably more than to photograph. I do think it gives a good lesson in taking your time, trying out all the camera angles and, possibly, the different lenses that you have in your bag in order to give wide angles shots as well as close-ups to choose from.
I'll pass that torch on to Eric at photo-forward, who is a new member of the list. Many thanks,
I know I'm late as usual and next weeks thread has started but I thought I'd respond to this all the same.
Looking at the tech side first I find that I'm quite happy with the way this has been presented and I'd agree with the crop you've chosen. Perhaps you could have changed angle very slightly to look down the benches a bit more which may have added to the sense of isolation but who knows. I do like the exposure, it gives a grim sort of mood and to have lightened it up you'd definitely lose something.
That bring us onto the subject matter. I don't get the impression that this is a stolen bag but something far more depressing, a sense of abandonment. Looking at the items scattered around I think I'm right in believing these are baby products, nappies, a bottle and what looks like a milk formula tin. The fact that these items have been left could suggest something really tragic like a loss of a child, that coupled with the mist and muted light and colours makes for a thought provoking image. We don't always have to make pictures that someone would be happy to hang on the wall. Cheers, Dave.
