A/NZ PX Round #8 - Comments and Feedback

[Andrew K]

thanks Michael - this is my favourite photo of Jorja to date...

 

[walbergb]

And now for my 2¢ worth (no reason for the order):

William. Samson Defeats the Lion. Processing your own colour film, and making your own colour prints—I’m impressed. I don’t know anyone that does that. I do know it requires precision. The clarity and brilliance of the gold and the water make the picture. Love the cloud-sky contrast. Ploshchad Revloyutsii. I love it when printers can make rocks and statues glisten. The way you captured the light in this image is gorgeous. I would burn the top right corner just a bit more.

Nige. Queen Charlotte Sound. I’ve seen colour images that were double-exposed the way you made the print, but I’ve never seen or heard of doing so with a print. It really adds to the mood of the scene. Well done. I’ll have to try that technique. All that’s missing is a mythical head or something sticking out of the water!

Shane. Better Days. Your choice of toning suits the title of the print. The image has a wonderful and appealing range of tones. Two questions: (1) Is the sepia toning to completion or partial? and (2) How did you make the black border? I ask the second question because I have a full-frame 35mm negative carrier, but one can’t crop the image. However, I have learned of a technique that allows cropping; I just haven’t tried it yet.

Andrew K. Jorja. What a difference waiting for the right moment makes. Jorja covering her eyes adds mystery to the image: What is she doing? Thinking? Feeling? If you hadn’t told me about the bright sun, I wouldn’t have known. The out of focus perimeter really draws my attention to your daughter. Shrine of Remembrance. Great play on round shapes, and whatever Jorja is wearing in her hair mirrors the flame. Glad to hear your dark room is nearly operational.

Mark. M&MTB W1 No. 432 Interior. Fabulous detail and sharpness throughout: that’s LF for ya. It is a difficult lighting situation with the windows, but you managed to capture some detail.

Ashley. Posts & Rails. Quite the contrast with Mark’s tram shot where everything is in focus. I enjoy a shallow dof shot once in a while. My attention keeps coming back to the lead post and all its detail.

Michael. Portrait. I admire people who are motivated to do photography the old-fashioned way. When I hold your picture in my hands (I used two hands instinctively), I felt like I was viewing a picture my great grandfather might have taken. Outstanding!

Yannick. The Night Gig. I take it that you worked with natural lighting (i.e., no flash) which serves to isolate the subjects. I like how the image is sharp for handheld and pushed 2 stops. From a compositional perspective, I would like to see the guitarist’s face. Hidden Away. I like the great range of tones in this picture, but I’m not sure whether the bench or the statue (?) is supposed to be the subject. The shallow dof makes me think the bench is the main subject because I keep coming back to it. Also, I think the image would be better served with a wider view and in landscape orientation.

Andrew. Pinnacles at Cape Woolamai. I know from experience how difficult clouds can be to get just right without showing telltale signs of burning in. With the exception of the upper left corner, your treatment of the clouds really brings out the feeling of an overcast day. Given the title, I wonder if cropping the scene to isolate the pinnacles would increase the viewer’s interest in the pinnacles. It would definitely eliminate the light areas on the left. You continue to surprise me with your knowledge of alternative processes. Last time it was the image on linen; this time your developer concoction.

One final, overall comment about the equipment used: glad to see MF and LF being used. I have a "Baby" Bessa 66 (circa 1940) that I use for MF. I'll submit a shot from it sometime.

Well, I'm off to Mexico for a week of sunshine, sandy beaches, and cold beer. By Saturday it will be -20 C here and its 29 C in Mexico:munch: I don't think I have to tell you guys what that kind of heat feels like.