Era of the Iron Curtain

I already posted this photo two weeks ago and received quite a few

positive feedback. For some reasons, I removed it from my portfolio

last week. Now, I've decided to re-post it. Thank you for the old

and new input.

wow! incredible! is this straight from the camera or has it been modified in photoshop? (neon glow, accent edges, etc?) either way, very inspiring!

Do my eyes deceive me - am I seeing this for the second time? Well, double treat then - I'm sure the last time I said I found it eyegasmic : still do ;-)

Thanks you for your interest, Jennifer!

 

 

Assuming you are serious with your question, here is the background story: I accidentally noticed this scene as foreground of another shot at home and went back to re-shoot it with different exposures later. This one is my favorite.

 

 

Seven, thank you for your kind comment again!

 

 

Yes, you did see it twice. In the thread "Way in the Rain" you'll find the background story which hopefully wont be getting more scandalous.

Julia, I don't really understand the very high ratings on this image. About 600 images are uploaded per day, and of those about 100 are marked by the author for rating and selected by the elves as good enough to go into the gallery. Consider that all of those images warrant at least a 5-6 (unless you disagree with elves and think it doesn't even belong in the gallery.)

 

Now, maybe the top 10-20% of these 100 (i.e. around 10 to 20) would be a 7 or higher, and under 5% (i.e. 5 or so) an 8 or higher. By the time you're getting to 9 or 10, you're talking about an image that would come along not more than once a day, probably more like once every two or three days, a couple of times per week. 10's should be the most rare, a couple of times per month.

 

Now this image is good, and certainly deserving to be in the gallery. On some days, it might even be among the more interesting images of the day, but not among the top handful images -- in other words a high 6 or 7, possibly a stray 8, cancelled out by the stray 5. I don't understand how this image can warrant so many high ratings.

 

Julia, how do you see it?

 

 

I don't know if there's a rating guideline in this site. Spontaneously, I'm just thinking of the following instruction in another site I've posted to. I find it quite reasonable. However, in practice, people tend to rate by feeling rather by thinking as I occasionally also do what is quite natural.

I dont have time to analyze the regularity of ratings in this site. But I know from general knowledge that theres no objective criterion in grading art. So, one cannot expect others should treat things the same way as himself, and rating fluctuations with a standard derivation of 20% are normal. Anyway, I have no desire to try to explain, why some members have rated more than 1000 photos and others only 10, or, why someone has average ratings of 5/5 during another of 7/7 (difference 28%!).

Regarding my photos, if you go to see what has happened and is happening in the other threads of mine (particularly in Way in the Rain) and check the rating records again, you will understand, why I was/am not treated normally. Obviously, theres a conspiracy against me. Some people are struggling for their position in top list with all thinkable (or for honest people unthinkable) means as if they only live for it.

BTW, I estimate the separated ratings for aesthetics and originality in this site very much. It compensates more or less the extremely low ratio of comments/ratings in this site.

Grading system (example)

Mark	Digital value	1-10 scale equivalence	Notes
5	5.0	10	Outstanding and inspirational. Technically and compositionally flawless photo. I would hang it on my wall for display.
5-	4.7	9	Excellent. Original idea executed with technical and compositional skills.
4+	4.3	8	Very good.
4	4.0	7	Good. A successful work overall, with few compositional and technical shortcomings.
4-	3.7	6	Not bad. Fall slightly short of being considered "Good".
3+	3.3	5	Average. This is either a technically competent work lacking successful composition and creative conception, or a compositionally solid work with major technical shortcomings that prevent the realization of the the author's intent.
3	3.0	4	Mediocre. A photograph that's below average.
3-	2.7	3	Further practice and improvement are strongly advisable. The author probably tried to make a successful photograph but lacked either experience or desire. Compositional and technical flaws are apparent. The idea/plot is uninteresting and banal.
2+	2.3	2	Unsuccessful work. Photograph reflects technical and compositional incompetence. It may be fit for the "family album" but is unfit/uninteresting for public viewing.
2	2.0	1	Completely unsuccessful photo. I recommend removing it from the site.

http://www.photo.net/gallery/photocritique/standards/

 

Neat shot. Like someone said above, I don't know if this is photoshop or not, but it surely is an eye-grabbing relfection.

Thank you for your hint, Bruce! Sorry, I didn't know the existing of such a standard before. I guess Im not the only one in this site who began to rate photos without reading through that page first. I suggest the admin to build a button for this hint directly in their newly programmed rating box, maybe in the second folder Ratings, so that the viewers can find it easily.

Thank you for your interest in my photo. Apparently, my explanations to shooting this scene as an answer to Jennifers question didnt convince you. OK, to all who are interested in this photo and want to know more about the background story: You can send an e-mail to me to get another shot from me with the surrounding/background of this scene which reveals the sources of lighting. I just got the effect in above picture (one of totally 20 differently exposed photos) by using the shutter speed of 1/4s.

Unfortunately, that standards guidance is both not very clear, and it was written before the scale was changed from 1-5 to 1-10, and the conversion from one to the other is not just a factor of 2.

I have never taken such an abstract picture. But, this one really pleases me. It has an outstanding color transition. The texture is very appealing for me.

Julia, I love the vibrant colors, the lines and the reflections ... Simply beautiful. Now, I'm not sure what I'm looking at. Can you tell me what it is? Thanks.

i like it. thanks for sharing! i don't understand the title though.

An amazingly beautiful but meaningless picture.

Yet another amazing picture. From my swedish perspective I'd prefere the red ro the right but still it's a great shot.

Wow,

 

I learned something about ratings today. I had a feeling before, but now I know what I'm doing. To me this a clear case of 9/8.

 

Very well done.

I have really similar photos:

/photodb/image-display?photo_id=562853&size=sm/photodb/image-display?photo_id=562858&size=sm

 

your photo is sharper though.