Another freshman has fallen down the cliff ...

This is a real neat photo. I especially like the figure, and the light approaching it. This was a good catch, and it worked out well for you. Especially like the illuminated forground.

This is a photo of an 'event' that got (a little) local news coverage

here in San Diego, and to me tells a story, but I know that peoplewho

haven't been there, would need a hint. That's why I gave it the title:

Another freshman has fallen down the cliff ...

So, is this picture telling you a story (or at least the idea of a

story) or did I fail?

P.S.: It's not an UFO

Very neat photo! How long was the exposure?

Nice shot, it's good when you can make the most of moment in time.

Great picture opportunity, and nice use of exposure.

And rated it rather highly, I see.

This image caught my eye.. But, just as an aside, I'm making a committment now that we can see ratings, not to rate images where the photographer has rated his own shots. However, that said I will comment: Very cool effect.

I don't see anything wrong with rating your own photographs. As long as it an honest rating and not an attempt to boost ones ratings. We all must critique our own work to determine it's value. If you like your own work then who cares what anyone else thinks.

 

BTW great photo Bernhard Mayr. If it weren't for the red light on the helicopter I would have thought that there was a tear in the night sky and daylight was breaking through. Did you intend for the photo to turn out the way it did or were you surprised when you saw it?

I'd have to agree with Mary Ball's comment. Who am I to "rate" an image when the photographer's own feelings about its merits are on record?

 

(I was going to cough up pretty good numbers, though...)

So are you saying that if you have an opinion of your own work no one else should give their opinion? We ALL have an opinion of our own work. That doesn't mean others opinions aren't important in helping to improve ones work.

It depends on whether we're talking about an actual opinion - or just these limited numerical ratings.

If we're talking solely about numerical ratings, then it's impossible for me to justify my rating of "it's worth a six" in the face of the photographer asserting that "it's worth an eight." What could I use as my justification? That it feels like a "six" to me?

An opinion, on the other hand, implies the making of an argument with respect to the image; that's quite a different matter. If I offer the opinion that the image suffers because of underexposure, the photographer might respond with a counter-argument and try to convince me that the effect was a desirable feature and enhances the photo.

But how can anything intelligent be structured around "It's worth a [number]?"

Really nice shot. Great use of the moment. I too am wondering, like Brett, how surprised you were at how this turned out. Although, it seems like shooting fireworks or painting-with-light so you could have a fairly good idea of what you would get if you've done either.

Ok, it happened like this: I left work at around 8 at night and while walking over the parking lot to my car I saw a car from a local news station driving towards the UCSD glider port. I noticed a helicopter with a spot light hovering over the cliffs in what was obviuously a search and rescue mission.

 

My initial thought became the title: "Another freshman had fallen down the cliff" as this had happened several times before this summer near UCSD in San Diego. I went to my car and grabbed my tripod and set it up to capture the motion of the heli and the strange aura of the place. I shot one and a half rolls of film (all I had with me) with various exposure times and lenses (21mm, 50mm, 100mm) in about 45 minutes.

 

I choose this picture, because it reflects best what I saw and felt: Watching a obviously dramatic event that from my remote viewpoint felt stranglely peaceful, a little bit solemn and I was reminded of Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

 

Did I envision the picture to look like this? Partially. I wanted a streak of light from the helicopter to cover roughly half the frame with a beam going down. What I didn't even see when I took the picture was what looks like a person in the light.

It's actually a sign that says: "Unstable cliffs. Stay away."

well I like it mate!

Looks like an UFO. You are lucky.

You've turned a "news" photo opportunity into an impressive work of creativity that is eloquent on two levels: the mundane and the bizarre. A neat trick! Composition is one of your strengths. A clever, clever pic.

GREAT !

This is the weirdest and most unique photo I have ever seen. I had no idea what it was until reading the comments.