Boys in Blue/Yellow

Very nice image Charo, but a question... part of what I like about this image is the shadow of the tree on the wall. With the light behind the boys and casting their shadow in front of them on the wall as well, how is the shadow of the boys head lighter than the shadow of the rest of him? Am I seeing this wrong, or was there a strange confluence of events that lead to this abberation?

 

I agree that the clipping of the feet is an unfortunate item, unfortunately not caught during composition, but this is a very nice image none the less.

 

Well Done.

Great! any positive adjective is well deserved here. Congrat.

Congratulations!, but let me add some remarks: too much space above the heads of the boys, in my opinion. Feet cut of in a very unlucky way. No real "subject", apart from the beautiful and rich colors.

Very good photo, indeed; it deserves the POW status. The scan seems pretty poor and the boys are a little bit too lower in the frame, but that doesn't affect the quality of this work. Bravo!

Nice colors, but the crop is so bad.

YOU, as a photographer, absolutely deserve this title, and I have already seen at least 3 valid strong and perfect or close to prefect and absolutely strong shots in your portfolio... So, I am really glad you got awarded a deserved POW.

But, this being said, what about the picture...? I could have liked it A LOT. Kids in front of color walls are not greatly original, some might say... True. But still, the shadow on the wall clearly pulls this image out of the ordinary. Aesthetically, it would look great, really great... IF...

If the kids weren't blurry and over-sharpened to death at the same time...! I am now hoping that you will upload a technically clean version of this "scrint" during the week...

Here, I'd like to raise a question. Doesn't it matter anymore on photo.net, whether a picture technically perfect or not ? I mean, to me, a blur is something that should just never happen unless it's a motion blur or a clearly welcome artistic blur...

It's just my opinion of course, but you may want to trust the very fact that images like this one, which are great but technically poor (at least on my monitor, yet I suspect the original won't be very sharp either), just don't have a future on the professional scale of photography.

Again, congrats Charo ! But not on this upload. Or at least not until I have seen a sharp version of it. I'll post later my 3 alternative choices for your POW. Sorry for being a bit critical, but I really have a problem with the Elves' decision, this week...

3 favorites of Charo's:

First choice imo: http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=1244131

Second choice: http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=1077125

Third choice: http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=1182197

As I see it, image # 1244131 would be "my" choice for Photo Of the Week... but any of the 2 others is a candidate as well. Best regards.

this is a nice image and should not be termed luck in it's capture. other images by Mr. Diez are very well framed and composed. well done.

Excellent eye Charo, and the horizontal positioning of the boys is perfect. Congratulations.

 

Bill

It's a nice photo but personally it doesn't 'do it' for me.

 

a) It's too unsharp,

 

b) The feet are too low in the fram,

 

c) There is no real subject,

 

d) The blue line coming down directly into one of the boy's head is distracting

 

I think it's more of an oportunity lost than a great photo.

 

Your portfolio holds much better photos than this one.

First I want to say I love this image! I love the color, the charm and innocence of the boys and the placement of the subject where the background colors converge...The mottled coloration of the wall and the expanse of space above them make this an exciting graphic image as well as an "artsy" slice of life.

The feet are planted right at the edge of the frame and I feel a little more space under the feet would make it perfect for me.

The "softness" is something I think is contributing to a painterly feel which I actually like. It didn't bother me and I didn't look at it overly critically until people started pointing it out. What I wonder is this.. I discovered that this shot is a bitmap... Are we viewing it the size it was uploaded as - or in the "large" format. If so my research uncovered the following: "Enlarging a bitmap can make the image's edges ragged, as pixels are redistributed within the grid. Displaying a bitmap graphic on an output device with a lower resolution than the image itself also degrades the image's quality. Gif's and Jpg's are the two primary choices for saving images. JPG ­ Typically used because the compression of the image is extremely good. Widely used for detailed images with many colors. Mostly used for local printers and the web." Anyone know more about this? I wish I could see the actual print to see if this is soft - or an anomoley of the format. Maybe the photographer can upload a jpeg?

Assuming this image isnt PSed to death, (a near certainty on this forum), I am very impressed with this.

 

I for one, have no problem with a tight crop on the shoes. The tight crop increases the visual power of the wall, and I learned a long time ago that you should let the feet go to strengthen the other elements of the shot.

 

If you check out movies, TV, and other photos, it is highly accepted to let the feet go to build other elements.

 

The composition of the boys heads and the shadows all converge on what appears to be a white piece of paper in the taller boys hands. A stunning visual image!

 

Not to politicize this photo, but the wall looks very much like a national flag, the boys the promise of the future, if only they gain literacy. Sell this to the ministry of propaganda!

(Not my preferred interpretation, but just an alternative.)

 

Great work!

Congrats on being POW'd Charo. Hang on to your seat for 7 days.

 

Clearly, the elves have been up to their mischievous ways.

 

Although the choice here has strong graphic and emotional content, it has not only the one flaw indicated, (cropped feet) which I don't feel is minor in the least, but borderline serious.

 

The softness is another serious issue. Although the light has a lot of grace and gentleness, I'm really sad not to be able to see the texture in the wall, or in their clothes.

 

Other notes, pro and con:

 

I feel the shot would have MUCH more impact with only one boy, the one in the back, whose garments are so perfectly matched to the wall. I wonder if it would have been possible to ask these boys to walk back and forth in front of the wall? It is a well seen opportunity, there's no denying that....

 

I love the shadows playing on the wall. They are terrific and play so well with the laconic motion of the boys. I'd like to think of the subject as the lazy afternoon, rather than the two boys specifically, or the wall itself.

 

There's a reddish scratch, or mark, on the wall directly in front of the blue/yellow boy's head that a couple seconds cloning would do wonders for. Likewise the white scratch all the way over on the right hand side.

 

Finally, it's time to stop praising photographs for their "painterly" feel. There's nothing morally wrong with making a photograph to look like a painting, but I think it's passe' to praise or encourage such activity. Photography is all grown up now. Photographs are uniquely different from paintings in all respects.

...bit grumpy today?

but I think it's passe' to praise or encourage such activity. Photography is all grown up now.

Fortunately, I've never been one to follow trends. Passe as you may believe it to be to praise the painterly feel of an image....I like it just for that reason. Maybe Photography is all grown up now - but I'm not ;-)Still it was - as always - interesting to read your opinion.

"Photographs are uniquely different from paintings in all respects." Sure, and all philosophy is a footnote to Plato, and all cats are gray in the dark. I respect your opinion, Doug, but you might have overstated it just a wee tad.

Good colors but is that important? The main weakness of the photo is that it lacks a more intensive story. Compare to this photo by Wim Wenders. If you get a chance to see a bigger version of the Wender's photo (buy the book) you will see that it is all very unsharp/blured (moved during exposure). How big is that a problem? The "low-placed" legs in this photo are just a minor problem. I cannot really see what the boys are doing; cant see the expression in their faces. Overall, the most interesting part of the photo is that the wall is yellow/blue and one of the boys is dressed yellow/blue.... Good colors isnt enough - with "painterly feel" or without.

Whether chance or ability having caught the boys when they are in the boundary of the two colors is worth of the POW award. Other facts make this a very good photo, one that I would like to remark, is the right amount of space there is around the boys, being this a fast shoot, as it seems to be, this two facts call for good instincts and fast thinking. Felicidades por la FDS :-).

Should have said above, better than around

I really love this picture. For me, the location of the feet does not matter, as they complement the converging line of the bottom of the wall. Like Mary Ball, I just love that painterly feeling of this picture. Those colors are sooo intense. You were lucky to capture such an opportunistic moment.

 

This picture is really worth all the praise it can get. Now if our country was just as colorful I still have some exploration to do in my own backyard

The positioning of the boys between the two colours is a clever catch considering the colour combination of their clothes, but even though the boys are placed on the left third, the composition still does not work because of the lack of space beneath their feet. The softness is also a problem for me, not only on the focus of the boys but also in missing the opportunity of capturing detailed texture on the walls. It is a decent grab shot IMO, but technically not a high enough standard to substantially impress, and content isn't sufficient enough to intrique me either. I just don't find this photo particularly engaging. Perhaps it's the large block of yellow that is overwhelming the subjects.

Colors, textures, figures... everything is very fine. What a good photograph.

Okay, I'm prepared to be burned at the stake for this one: Why not just fabricate more space below their feet with PS? I mean, no claim is being made that this is done without manipulation. When in Rome, manipulate as the Romans do.

 

I forgot to say that I actually like it very much.

I like this picture a lot. The subject to me is the light and subtle shadows and colors. The posture of the kids, especially the one in back, adds to the serene calm created by the wall colors and light. It has just a beautiful mood to it. (Though vertically divided, the balance of the colors brings to mind some of Mark Rothko's work). I think more space showing the feet would improve the picture, but it is fine this way IMO. I agree with Mary Ball that the slight softness here compliments the scene and adds a nice impressionistic feel. The softness helps to draw attention to the colors and sunlight. The soft shadows cast by the tree emerges rather than blatantly strikes the viewer, another quality that I find engaging.

This photograph definitely has a "painterly feel" but you know

what - it is not a merit of the way it was made. It is simply

because the picture consists to 90 percent of a painted wall. (A

very nicely painted wall I must say. I did that once in my kitchen.

Looked gorgeous. You should try it too:-))

 

All in all this photograph is a beautifully captured moment. But it

seems to me (as an amateur) that it is not as technically brilliant

as other shots seen on photo.net.