action reportage

An outstanding image worthy of POTW. It is completely original and I like it a lot. The composition is IMO far better than the crops, the sweep of the landscape from Right to left takes you into the image. In the crops the rotor blades are too close to the frame edges. The only negative (very slight) comment I have are the leaves from the overhanging branch. If the intention was to frame the image, they dont contibute enough. I would either clone them or a very slight crop from the top - just enough to take them out.
Expanding on the composition - I've run a "golden Section" script over it and the composition works extremely well. The groom is just on the RH intersection, the bride's head is dead centre, but her train is on the LH intersection, and what really balances the image is the spiral is right on the rear rotor of the helicopter.

 

I agree with Mary. Crop it, you ruin it. Really outstanding shot. The image is nothing that you expect. It's almost conceptual in nature. A freshly married couple getting into a vehicle of war (well it's not a hughie but close enough). If that doesn't make a statement about marriage I don't know what does.

Oh no...the French photographer in a paraglider is trying to get a photo of the Statue of Liberty's new gold-leaf torch...oh no...the news and police helicopters...oh no...the paraglider's shroudlines are caught up in the torch...the police will have to remove him. A front page Weegee would have been proud of! A week later 9/11/01 happened. This photo reminded me a bit of that. A little too complicated image maybe, but how else would you frame it? It reminds me of a Buffalo, NY color-blind wedding photographer I once knew, it's the composition often, not the color.

I would like to add in my previous post (and make clear) that I am NOT suggesting crop.

I don't agree with cropping but the suggestions for cropping are NOT ridiculous, they are just DIFFERENT opinions about this photo. Anyway I would't crop it but maybe different point of view could hide the right part trees. Theoretically I would prefer to see only the near frontground and the far background. It is a great photo! Again my congratulations.

It pulled me right in...made me imagine what is really going on...Fantastic! can't find anything I don't like..Bravo,well done!!!

Great photo! It should not be cropped. The original above is best.

I don't care for the positioning of the helicoptor. I would prefer it slightly above the people and not appearing to have it's nose in her dress. The watermark is distracting and naive (this is the internet....watermarks are so 1999). I could crop that out in two seconds or just clone it out.

Brilliant!!!!! Wow! This couple must have been blown away with your capture! Magnificent shot! I love the original crop and wouldn't want to see a thing changed about it! My hats off to you Maestro!
Jody Frost

Stamuolis , thank you for pointing out that it is not ridiculous to hold an opinion that does not concur with Clint Dunn, the same person who brought us the illuminating insight that this photo is " GREAT" , "GREAT" and " MAGICAL" , all in capital letters, in case any of us are a bit thick.

To state that someone else's opinion on a photograph is "ridiculous" because you do not share that opinion is small minded and rude. There have been several suggestion made in this thread which I would not agree with; the suggestion to make this photograph colour I feel strongly apposed to as the B&W treatment is a large part of the photo's appeal. Nonetheless I feel no need to ridicule the OP simply because I have a contrary opinion. I also feel that the silhouetted branches and the blown highlight in the cloud at the edge of the frame are flaws and detract from an otherwise suburb photo. The suggestion to clone out the branches, perhaps with some burning or low opacity cloning over of the white part of the clouds could be a better approach than cropping.

Yes this photo required split second reaction and obviously was not done in a studio. The question then becomes , if a photo is done on the fly ( bad pun intended ) then are we to simply ignore any perceived shortcoming because the photographer had a very challenging task at hand ? The fact that this photo is effective and has garnered praise is a testament to the skill of the photographer under such circumstances. The photographers ability to get a quality shot under duress is part of what we are appreciating when we view this image. Does the rugged landscape and difficult circumstance preclude any suggestions for improvement ? Of course not that would be " ridiculous " .

superb !

beautiiful shot! we can feel the story behind. Excellent thank!

I disagree with the cropping suggestions the original photo cropped as is lets the surrounding scenary border the subject and lets your eye travel right in on the subject.....Absolutely amazing shot with lots of action. great photo as presented in my opinion....-Zach-

Nice photo, and really the most original wedding picture I've seen in years ! :-)
(BTW... Who wants to marry me like this at the top of a mountain...? That's it - the ad is out, so please take it seriously and feel free to mail me...:-)
Oh, and finally... I agree with Doug about all the converging elements of this composition, and the clouds are part of this fiesta. They were invited too: you can't leave them at the door, can you...? So, you can't crop. :-)

All I can say is: creative, dynamic, contradictory, out-of-the-ordinary, b&w makes this work extremely well, etc. Could I say more? Of course, but you get the idea!

 

Ain't being a photographer fun?!!!

 

Thanks for sharing,

 

Richard

 

P.S. In case you're in doubt as to whether I like this image, "I do"! (No pun initended, I think:-)

In terms of composition, there is a bit of a confused mess in the middle that takes a moment or two to sort out. Even so, this type of work has to be held to a different standard from that of studio photography, or the staid ritual of indoor weddings.

It is finally quite brilliant.

--Lannie

I strongly doubt that I should really comment on a picture I will never have the skill to achieve. However the picture is very powerful, with all that whirling around. It is clean almost to perfection and this somehow bugs me a bit. Although technically well done it has something unrealistic about it. I guess the very strong contrast may add to this, I would reduce it a bit. Lastly, both the horizon and the blades of the heli are slanted, so I agree with a more centered crop and a little rightwards rotation. cheers marco

An unusual photograph with real charm.
I congratulate Luigi, with awe!

Luigi the image works, composition, texture and light are good. To me the weakness is that I love people's faceses and here I am left in the dark. Congrats. BR.

This is a great photo, after you look at it for a while. Granted the contrasts and dramatic scenario are superb. Also, I am aware that it is a street photo and one cannot chose too many factors under these circumstances. However, I cannot help feeling that the shot was five seconds too late. The bride's head is confused with the chopper. Perhaps, as someone suggested in this discussion, the photo should be in color. But in B/W it does not work great. In fact, if one has to take a minute to discern the scene is precisely because of the bride's head against the shopper.
Hey, this is a friendly and respectful comment on a photo taken by a great photographer.

I cannot give you 10/10

How many photos just sweep you in? That was an incredible feeling being pulled in with the couple, while the helicopter was rushing towards me! The clouds, the field, the mountains are each gripping and pulling. Absolutely fantastic shot, and very worthy of the praise.

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I agree with both posts.

Bill P.

I wish the rating scale went higher. Best wedding photo that I have ever seen! Thank you for sharing!