Dancing Girl

I would agree about it being more of a portrait, but it doesn't seem to convey it's "intended" (assumed on my part) as a dancer. I think that dancing is conveyed more by motion.

Marc, agreed, I love that composition as well.

"Subject: Dancing Girl by A Kochanowski

 

This photo well communicates the world-within-a-world feeling of dancing."

By the way ...

 

For some really good dance images try Kristie Kahns' work. For example:

 

http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=323800

http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=323729

i am not sure if i was able to make my point clear about rules. i think sticking to the rules does not make sense. it is important to know them, because there are reasons of different kinds for those rules. but i consider the world more complex that it can be photographed by following rules.

on the other hand breaking the rules just out of the reason to break the rules does make even less sense to me. i think the right way is to photograph like you personally see the situation and the motive, what the situation allows you to do and to try to capture what you felt in the situation. that is what i meant with attitude is more important than rules and technique. many people just stick to rules. some stick to the rule to break every conventional rule. this is the same for me.

there are many pictures that are just perfect in a technically way and in the meaning of the rules, but many of these picture does not touch me and i forget them rather fast. i think is it more than rules that make a really good picture. i would like to learn in this direction to make pictures i really like. i have a lot to learn on this way.

i really like this picture but i would not had chosen it as pow.

*************Considering images of women****************

If an image of a woman provokes further imagery within my mind of having sex with her, its a sure-fire winner. If I find myself considering a sexual escapade, but there are no mental images, then its a pretty good. If I find my self thinking of her in the same way as I think of my sister, or mother, then its a portrait. If Im motivated to look somewhere else, its journalism. Im an animal. I cant help it.

 

This image is pretty good.

 

****************Considering titles*************

Whats in a title? Im no expert, but heres what titles do:

 

Fill in the gaps: Direct the viewer to where the image doesnt naturally lead

Span the gaps: Direct the viewer towards the same mindset the photographer had towards the subject.

Circumvent, or go around the gaps: Lead the viewer on his or her own journey of experience within the image.

Ignore the gaps: Call it Untitled. The choice of the arrogant and the dull witted.

 

This title fills in the gaps.

 

**************Considering crop evaluations*************

A millimeter more or less can make a big difference. Cropping is damn hard, although in this case there are some obvious defects. Forgiveness is granted if extenuating circumstances prevailed. For instance, if the girls thumb were missing, or horribly swollen.

 

This crop could be improved, but then, they all can in one way or another, and depending on what one wants to emphasize, or de-emphasize

 

*************Considering printing expertise**************

I remember what my mentors and instructors taught me, and all the writings of the old masters about gray scales, highlight values, shadow values, etc. Then I look at the image. If the image falls short of these established criteria, then I can say with authority that its trash. However, I then consider the image as if the masters, mentors and instructors (MMIs) were full of shit at the heights of their respective careers, and total drunks at other times, then I decide for myself if the effect of no detail is adding to the image, or subtracting from it. I almost always side with the MMIs, but I allow myself the opportunity to go against the rules. There is no perfect print.

 

This print falls short of traditional guidelines, but the glaring highlights do add a peculiar warmth, I think. Anyone whos ever used Infrared knows what a bugger it can be, too. Still, the brighter values should have gray tone, and the deeper values should have detail.

 

*************Considering the POW***********.

If its my image, its an obvious good choice, what took them so long? If its someone elses image, then its a public relations failure on my part and I try to be civil about it. All images are good for the round table, although some are prone to longer and more informative discussions.

 

This photo is a public relations failure. Perhaps the elves, who make their POW choice from the safety of anonymity, could participate in the POW discussions as advocates of their selections. A second scenario would be for the elf to select a photographer who would then select his or her own preferred image as POW.

PICKY, PICKY! Great street/grab/journalism shot. The moment was captured! I personally would have preferred the arm and shoulder to be included, and the hand, but if the photog had waited for everything to be "perfect" the gremlins of photo chance would have intervened, and she would have turned around, moved to a worse position, or discovered the photog, and gotten "shy",or...or... Sometimes it is better to be lucky and get a usable photo than wait for the "perfect" picture to bite you on the ass. The only shot you regret is the one you didn't take! Film/electrons are cheap.

The best images are those you can't take photographs of.

Whether this image is technically perfect or not is fairly unimportant; the moment, the image, was captured. And it's a great image.

Perhaps you would prefer a technically perfect, yet mediochre image of some nice mountains or something? (there's nothing wrong with that).

Everyting is a compromise. Live with it. I think the photographer won it this time.

seen kochanowski gallery. very good.

After all the --to me somewhat excessive -- talk about this image, permit me to add a couple of points. First, I figured out after this and another shooting experience that IR and street photography are not a particularly good match, principally because exposure is so unpredictable. Someone commented that this would have looked good in Tri-X and I tend to agree. Second, I left the blown out area under her left arm stand because I liked the focus to be on the woman's face and upper toso- she has a very elegant line leading from the top of her head to her midsection, which is what attracted my eye to take the photo in the first place. Agree, disagree, whatever, it's there on this particular embodiment of the negative. I've printed it up with the area toned down too and prefer this "version". Third, I don't think that this IR film and the Zeiss lens on the Contax are particularly well suited for each other. Grain emphasizes apparent sharpness, and I think this image suffers a bit from the combination I used. I have shot HIE film with older Canon lenses and gotten a more pleasing "look" out of that combination. Finally, I am not persuaded that the placement of her right elbow and left hand within the frame makes much difference. What are you missing by their absence? Anyway, thank you all for a most lively discussion and your many comments on some of my other pics. Good, bad, or indiferent they're all appreciated. Andrew.

I like the photo Andrew. I didn't know she was dancing at first. Without the comment, I think I would have figured it out as I continued to follow the movement of the photo.

I do enjoy IR film (true it doesn't work for everything) but it works well with this. The beauty of photography is getting what you see through the camera onto the paper, but there is also a beauty in discovering things you did not expect when you get there.

To all: don't forget "The joy of the journey..." Congrats Andrew

"WEIRD WORDS SECTION : OMPHALOSKEPSIS

Contemplating one's navel as an aid to meditation.

This word seems to be relatively new, at least the Merriam-Webster "Word of the Day" column claims it to have been invented only in the 1920s. It turns up in only a few dictionaries and seems to be a word that survives more for the chance to show off one's erudition than as a real aid to communication. If so, this article is a further perpetuation of its unreal status. It is formed from two Greek words, omphalos, 'navel, boss, hub', and skepsis, 'the act of looking; enquiry'. The former turns up in words such as omphalotomy, 'cutting of the umbilical cord', in the related omphalopsychic for one of a group of mystics who practised gazing at the navel as a means of inducing hypnotic reverie, and omphalomancy, an ancient form of divination in which the number of children a woman would bear was determined from counting the knots in her umbilical cord at birth."

Conclusion: Michael Spinak had a dog called Clifford, and now wins a COW.

COW: Critique of the week. :-)

Mark:

 

Skepsis = though, the act of thinking

For your information, the About Photograph of the Week page has been updated. We hope that it now includes a clearer set of guidelines for posting comments.

This picture is a nice "slice-of-life" image, whether worthy or not

is as subjective as this award or any art criticism in general.

 

I just feel like I have to comment on the great hang-ups on

technical perfection. I would expect a well exposed, "technically

correct" image from an advanced student of photography.

However, on the level of professional photography knowledge of

the rules of exposure should be taken for granted. I believe that

in order to transcend average photography and become a

master of the medium you should not be hung up on

conventions but be able to transcend any rules. If you study any

of the renowned photographers of this century such as Haas,

Bischof, Eisenstein etc. you will find great pictures that are

grainy, overexposed, underexposed or dramatically cropped and

that itself does not take away from the artistic achievement of

these images.

 

This comment is not geared toward anybody who commented

on any technical shortcomings of this particular photo of the

week, because truthfully I agree that the grain and the high

contrast range don't really add anything in this particular

instance. I simply want to point out that what could be perceived

as a "mistake" might be an intentional derivation from the

standard, which in many cases leads to great photographs. The

trick is to do it intentionally and create good photographs

repeatedly.

 

In my opinion, a simple analysis of a picture for technical

"mistakes" can be the standard for grading an undergraduate

photography assignment, but not for judging art photography on

a website of this caliber.

I'd much rather contemplate the girls' navel in the photo than the obscure origin of some 20 dollar word...(OK, "etymology" just to prove I can use 'em too!)

I enjoy this photo. The IR seems to echo the trance like state of the woman lost in her own thoughts. I'd like to see both of her hands because the gestures are very descriptive and dramatic. But I also realize he probably didn't have time to compose perfectly. IR film is tough to use, so he has pretty good control of photography, and printing. Who knows why it was picked for POW, but I'm glad it was and hope some comments will help out the photographer. Let's all just have some fun looking at pictures!

I find this photograph captivating and intimate. It doesn't grab you with anything bizarre or slick like a commercial, but it clearly conveys an experience. The grainy texture and flashes of overexposure set a warm mood and envelop her in light.

 

It's a "slower" experience than some other images - perhaps that's why so many people object to it as pow - but it reminded me to be still for a moment and experience something.

The infared film dosen't even show up that much.

It dosen't look like she's dancing.

Whether it belongs as a POW should be decided by the person who does it.

Man, there is NOT THAT MUCH to say about the thing to start with.

Great to have updated guidelines for the forum relating to photo of the week.I would however love to see the guidelines for how photo of the week is SELECTED and who are behind making those choices.

Moderator edit regarding POW choices. To Richard: As stated in the About Section - you are welcome to give "feedback" which the owners of the site are more than happy to read and respond to. However, that feedback belongs in e-mail or in another thread. Thank you.

Detroit?! Birthplace of Techno?! Nugent must be packing his bags...

I would like to correct the date of this photograph, because I was there also ( I removed all my "dancing girl" photos ) It was in May, the weekend of Memorial Day.

Doesn't say dancing to me, I can't really tell what's going on. Maybe she's stepping over something unsavory deposited from a dog on the sidewalk? *shrug*

Excellent contribution! That image DOES capture the dancing and the feeling of dancing. Well done.

For all those who have said that the cropping of the hands doesn't matter, look at Miss Snottynoses contribution, what a difference the hands make.

The double jointed middle finger (left hand) on miss snottypants' photo is freaking me out!