Get the TarGet

The archer's face probably expresses deep concentration, and I would have liked to see more of it. Possibly, you have changed the background, at least the background are sepia-like while the archer seems B&W, except for the shirt also in sepia, which I find a bit distracting.

BTW, what is the idea with rating your own picture 1/1?? Just asking :-) Regards, Michael

Hey Robert quit putting yourself down with those low scores! Is it a new ploy for ratings I wonder. This is lovely, it is a very unusual composition, cropped very tight but still tells the story, must be something to do with razor blades I think.... sorry :-)

Superb sharpness the tones are great and the sepia toning is good, I can see why Michael says the head is B&W, but I don't think it is - Richard.

Tee face is toned different. The background is toned, in Sepia. And the original crop is very close to this one.

 

The idea to rate my own picture 1/1 is a way to help some folks who think there is a rating inflation inside PM.

They somtimes go through the folders rating down the photos. So it may be easyier for them to rate a 1/1

when they are not left alone. ;-)

it is ( i hope) a nonrecurring action within the kindergarten of the rating discussion.

So I decided not to rate the pictures ( except one other person) for a while, only commenting.

Thanks for viewing and comments.

Thanks for explaining Robert, the technique you have used is excellent and I was making light humour with the reference to razor blades, it is a great study of concentration - Richard.

I like it. It's strong almost dramatic.

I feel like the tones put acccent on his concentration.

And I'am not happy that you allow such irelevant people to influence you.

Robert, thanks for the explanation. I see your point, but I agree with the remarks from Richard and Tamara on the rating issue. Michael

Robert, bravo on your ratings "protest"! I couldn't agree more. Or disagree more with your rating of this picture. It's among my favorites of all your posted photos, the sepia works fine for me and the crop is perfect, illustrates the relationship between archer, arrow and sky. Really fine work!

Like the photo, I can definitely feel the tension, both in the arm and in the tether. Agree with a previous poster, face is obscured a bit too much, but the concentration still comes through.

 

As for the ratings, well, I've said before, they *are* subjective. For example, there are authors who consistently produce work that I like, and I more or less consistently rate their work that I like well. There are authors that I relate to for one reason or another, and I will also rate them well, just to keep up the encouragement, if necessary. Anyone trying to convince me that they are an objective art critic is Clinton-in-the-making.

 

I do believe that the number and content of the comments is much better indication of photo's reception than the grading system. I myself though is not much for on-line discussions or e-mail exchanges. I also do not believe in self flagellation.

 

I come to this site to enjoy other people's art, to learn of new styles, and to get an opinion on my own occasional snapshot. Personally, I do not care for grades, if I do not like a photo, I skip it, if I like it I grade it well. Kind of a dualistic view of the world.

 

So here's a suggestion: Either give author the option of disabling grades, or introduce an alternative pass/fail system made up of a couple of criteria like art, technique, originality (saw it on a differen site). Given the known financial state of PN, do not know how likely that is.

 

Maybe then we can prevent people from nailing one hand to the *object of your devotion* while holding the camera with another and get back to enjoying rather than judging photography.

 

you know, unless I just dont spot them, there are not many good to excellent sports photos on photo.net - which given how many people are out there playing sports is a little surprising.

 

I just love the concentration and focus shown here, and the selective use of toning.

 

So, is he a lefty or did you reverse it....just curious.

the hair is always tricky, isn't it? = D

 

anyway, your attempt to normalize the ratings would be much more effective, if you rate other people's pictures a bit more balanced...

i got more 7/7 from you than from anyone else and i'm sure you mean well, but i'm not here to score, but to learn... none of my pictures are perfect, and i'd like to get help here and know why...

a 7/7 with a short praising comment is not very helpful to me, as it's not for a well known group of people indulging in quite critiqueless politeness...

i wonder why they're doing it? after all, i would expect more help from friends than from others, yet for them it's the other way around... friends state it's a "beautiful image, (name of subject)" and that's it... but why? since most of them are good photographers as well, one would expect them to have something interesting to say...

much more interesting are the comments of others, who (sometimes a bit too biting for personal reasons) actually tell what they like/don't like and why...

i try to comment like this (without the biting part) and explain my thoughts and suggestions, maybe too detailed sometimes, often enough ignored, maybe because i'm new and mediocre, but what the hell... at least i make the effort...

whatever...

unnecessary rant closed.

 

and watch that hair, he's got a slightly blurred and light halo on the top of the head and the underside of the arrow has too much light pixels... the noise of the sky is much more than on him (even in the shadow his arm throws on his shirt, where there's no distracting detail) and it gets blurred around the arrow...

too much again? don't read it = P

and still a good image, btw... his concentration is underlines by the sharp contrast, the crop is interesting (his head maybe shouldn't touch the edge, but with the arm i think it works)...

why is he aiming downward? hunting a rabbit, i guess ; D

sorry, it's 03:00 here and i forgot how to stop writing...

merry dreams, everyone...

if this was inaccurate, just stupid and/or offensive to anyone, i blame the sandman...

Very impressive. The only question, who is the hell this Robert who rated this good picture like 1/1, probably some new beginner fellow? LOL.

 

Interesting approach to rating own images, I want to try too.

Hi Robert, I totally agree with some of the comments left, especially Dmitre and Carrier's, they have made too very positive points, a) it is not about a rating system, which is just a stupid system and has no real meaning or relevence to the photographs, I read some of Anna P's suggestions about a better system and I totally agree. b) We are here to learn from others as much as help others. We are not all experts, we gain knowledge through life, it takes time, patience and effort. If we were all brilliant, there would be little point in competing in anything.

A point I'd like to make, I have belonged to several camera clubs and societies over the years, most of which I got very dispondent about, I saw many good photo's put down because the photographer did not have the latest, most expensive equipment. There were tech-heads there in abundance, people who have time and money to buy the latest cameras etc. They would bring their stuff along to show off, look at this, it has a better lens than yours has, it is more expensive. Their pictures were more often the worst in the club. I saw excellent pictures taken on old, manual screw fit lenses and cameras. I don't think it matters how we get to the final image, it should be judged on it's own merit and certainly not compared to others, especialy the tech-heads as I see people are doing to Anna's work. Carrier makes a fine point about not judging work if you don't like it, I agree, why put someone down, what does it achieve, far better to build them up and explain through kind and considerate comments how to achieve things better, that way, we all get better and improve our photography. Enough said - Richard.

great foto

Great job Robert. This caught my eye right away. If you were to makes prints of this, I'd buy it!

I like your choice of toning. And I love the composition.

umm, richard, i'm sure i didn't suggest not to judge pictures if you don't like them... you must have misunderstood me somehow... with judge, do you mean rate or criticize? i think both should be done... i can only speak for myself, but i don't need kind words, i'm not a small child anymore who needs this, i know my work is not the best, and i won't give up even under hard critics or bad ratings... if you don't have this passion you're maybe better off with something else anyway...

at least i want to know where i stand...

i'm not a real beginner anymore, and when i look at my first pictures years ago, they are crap in many aspects, i know it now and i suspected it then, and would i have posted them here, i would have liked to know from you...

can a beginner really be put down by a 3/3? he's a beginner there's way to go and he should be aware of this... and with time he would see the ratings increase, now won't this feel good?

and maybe the people not liking my pictures have even more taste than those who like them? who knows, so why not say it? it would certainly bring up new aspects, if i can relate to them and want to work on them is my decision...

i got a 3/3 on my revelation 21 picture... i accept it, and it shows me that some people don't like it, which is a good thing to know, after all, some of my conceptual art is meant to be a bit provocative... success! ha! = D

now i just wish he had told me why, that's the only thing that sucks...

Carrier, I have re-read your words and did missunderstand, but you have made lots of valid comments and I respect you for that. I don't have the time to rate everyones pictures on PN, I nearly always leave a comment, for the same reasons as yourself. I try to say things in a nice way and still get my point across, that is what I was trying to say. Sorry Robert for using your page to sound off - Richard.

Very good sharpness and a good crop. The tones are really nice. Seems to have some grain, which could be on purpose, I think. The effect is nice.

powerful

an excellent,original photo.But one minor point,I wish the line of the bow would be more out of his face.Regards,Monika.

you've captured the concentration and intensity of the archer.

Interesting picture. The sort you arrange in advance rather than by creeping up on your victim from behind. I think the placement of the head is good and having asked myself if I think the inclusion of the elbow would have helped have concluded that it would not. I do note a competition between the bowline and arrow which I think the bowline wins because of its brightness. I would rather the arrow won. There is the imaginery line through from the elbow and through the line of sight. But despite all of that my line of sight follows the brightness past his lips and nose and through to the top of the picture. If I try to avoid that the arrow and bowline lines keep me at the grip of the hand where I notice the peculiarity in toning of the lower arrow flight. So much for my journey around the picture. At the heart of this is the vivid concentration of the archer upon the target. And that's where the bow line against lips and nose scores.

Great composition and interesting crop!

Very interesting composition.

Excellent photo with very intersting composition, toning and focusing on the main subject.

 

The idea of giving at least one 1/1 is also excellent. Sort of preemptive strike :-)