cinnamon

"where there is backlight or a deliberately high key approach."

 

With backlighting, I can agree with you, and I can accept 255 values in the bright areas, but I see people blowing highlights values into white oblivion and claiming they have achieved a high key image, which makes me sad, angry and amused all at the same time. If your image is going to be high key, then I'm expecting a complete mastery of the lighter tones, with great variation in tone, not a lack of tone. I wouldn't call this POW a high key. I would call it a high contrast.

 

Somewhere I read a suggestion that the only subjects bearing paper white (255 value) would be light sources, reflections of light off of chrome, or glass, etc.

"Somewhere I read a suggestion that the only subjects bearing paper white (255 value) would be light sources, reflections of light off of chrome, or glass, etc."

... and how about studio portraits or still lifes that deliberately overexpose a lit background for a consistent white ie without any gradiation?

Hi again Doug. How does my PS effort compare to what you are trying to illustrate?

Here I was looking at and appretiating the photo, and then, reading the discussion, it hit me! I've been looking wrong all my life - I should actually have been looking at the histogram to determine whether the photo is good or not!

G, in my opinion, that's pretty good. It has the best of both aesthetics. Still, I admit it's all up to whatever the individual photographer has in mind.

 

Regarding your question about portraits and still lifes, I would still prefer a slight hint of tone in a white background, just enough to show that the photograph ends where the paper (or screen) begins. To me, that shows control, finesse, and expertise because it requires more skill to control the elements (light, background) to such an extent that it all falls within the film's lattitude. Anyone can force so much light into a background that it blanks out, but to control the light in this way, to me is mastery.

 

John, Here are nude renditions of the last three POW's, and one of yours. Aren't they beautiful!

your all crazy this is the most boring picture ive seen. there is nothing to read in this

photo. I wont even waste time going into detail.

Aydin, why bother wasting your time posting??!!

Glad you like that sample Doug. At least now I finally envision what you're are saying. But now, please tell me how this one here gets a 7/7 with all that 255? No backlight or reflections from glass or metal, no tone in the deliberately washed out bgrd... did you make a mistake with your clicks when you rated?? ;)

G, you're killing me here. I give up already!

G, I guess I figured the entire image was high contrast with no concern for midtones at all. In that case, it didn't bother me. But, I hate rating, especially in cases like these when they come back to haunt me. Thankfully, it's Sunday and I will be off the hotseat with the posting of a new POW tomorrow.

Yeah, read my comment in the thread.

"Thankfully, it's Sunday and I will be off the hotseat with the posting of a new POW tomorrow."

Oh great Doug. I'll just have a cuppa first, and then I'll get my gloves ready. See you there :)

  I don't like the image. Although Doug's improvement looks better, perfectionism and idealism doesn't make the photo excellent. But I can't find anything on this one.

  PS: This I posted couple of days ago. Why it has vanished?! You don't like negative opinion?

Carey evans, just as a final though, though you did ask for a critique, and you have received both positives and negatives, keep in mind who the picture is shot for. If it's for yourself, and you like it, IMO it's all that matters. If anyone cares to take a look at my "gallery" or the stuff I shoot (few posted; I do not have a scanner and I discarded digital after discovering slide film), believe me, I'll say 99.99% of the world will say I shoot crap. So what. I like what I shoot - "boring", "dead", non-moving buildings.

 

Hope you do not get your work affected by the negative comments, or can use them to improve, if you find 'em valid!

 

Once again, this POW is fantastic. I sure would like it on my wall, though I doubt I can afford it.

 

Alvin

I did not mean my posting destructive. But all the discussion above has revealed nothing about the quality of the image. The negativeness at last prevailed and it isn't good.

"Learn and love to do one thing well - then push it forever"...from Carey's website.

 

keep pushin...you're doin great.

I always enjoy the Photo of the Week and ensuing discussion, but this one leaves me waiting to hear the words "April Fools Day." Wait a second, it's December. Sorry to the photographer. It just reminds me to much of my first light and shadow assignment from high school Photo 1.

 

Note to self: Cinnamon sticks do photograph nicely.

I have to throw my hands up in the air on this one. I just don't get it. I guess this is why I'll never understand "art."

I am waiting to see further exploration of your idea, Carey, in a form of "a series on the wall", as Eric said earlier. Nice vision.

well well, thanks to all of you for taking the time out of your day to critique my images...i had no idea that i had been chosen for a POW till a friend had googled my name and came up with this forum...so here i am to answer a few questions...first off, yes i am a woman..lol...but about my image...yes it was intended to be off centered...it's my thing...i do it alot in my portraits...habit? pleasing to MY eye? who knows...all i can say is i shoot from my heart...i used a macro lens that i had rented for the day and started to experiment with some beautiful textured items i had picked up from the market to try out...i used 2 matt boards...for back and floor and shot with natural window light...after i tweeked in photoshop the colouring and burned in some corners..i played with it like any artist would...but for the most part it is as close to natural as possible...i am amazed at how many critigues there were about specific ratios though...impressive...i think sometimes art and creativity can be lost in numbers and theory when in reality for me art is about personal perspective...i am also a techy but this is where i realised i needed to throw caution to the wind a few years ago because i was being controlled by theory and causing so pain for myself...i have always been someone who needs to know why things are the way they are... my favourite quote "paralysis by analysis" nothing was intended...i shot it because it was beautiful...i guess i'm a self centered artist because i didn't do it for anyone in particular...i love simplicity..i like space..i like things off center...i love beige and i love cinnamon and it's detailed wood...funny how some things go unnoticed...i myself never knew how beautiful the detail is in the wood of cinnamon...my favourite prof. at photography school said to me "carey, keep is simple...s" kiss factor rules...thanks again!!! carey

One of the most awful things in photography is when you expose a shot and somebody ask you; How did you make it? Which camera did you use?. That is like ask Velazquez wich kind of hair he used in the brush when he was painting Las Meninas. I think that when someone show a shot, it is a final shot because it was made with the feel and the heart of the moment. I really do not like to comment the technical part of a shot, that is a nonsense, any other modification is a diferent shot. I know we are in a photo forum but the technical should be commented only if the autor ask for it. Like Carey says "i shot it because it was beautiful..."

Very nice shot, I enjoy it a lot. Thanks for let us to see it.