murrayatuptowngallery

Regarding 'too much black', doesn't bother me. Reminds me of both a personal choice of lighting and the look of mezzotint (in the mezzotint engraving process the un-engraved printing plate will print all black due to the burred texture and the lighter tonal areas are due to varying degrees of burr removal).

Back to topic, I like the black background, but that's just my unqualified opinion.

I think the out-of-focus nose adds to the perception of closeness, as though despite the photographer's best efforts, the unpredictable meerkat had to get closer yet to check out the camera-photographer pair.

I've been shooting only pinhole for a few months, so I am relaxing my expectations of DOF and perfection. If everyone shot perfect photos, I'd be bored. I like variation and character in an image, that give it personality.

I guess I'm the only one who was afraid of the meerkats.

I enjoyed viewing it. Period. No need for me, nor am I sufficiently qualified to critique it.

If there be any element of discontinuity of the three elements, that may be why I like it. I love surrealism, so I don't need connection.

Someone get that kid a puppy, please.

Murray

This caught my attention enough to read all the comments. Nice shot.

Some of the comments do read like "Well, if I were that eagle, I woulda done such-and-such".

Sadly, I do get the feeling I would never want a photo to be honored by POW because of all the BS one has to endure...but I dont'think I'll ever have to worry about that limelight myself :O)

Murray

Man!

A lightning stike is, technically speaking, actually thousands of extremely fast sequential strikes that begin at points of high electric field on the ground (tracers), then arc toward the charged cloud(s). They are too fast for the human eye to see as individual strikes. (Source Motorola R56 Site Installation Practices). I find it interesting that a long exposure 'slows down' or integrates this even further.

I guess my minimal experience with Photoshop means I don't recognize the 'poor use' of PS. A local lab owner commented to me once that photographers don't often buy photography, unless it is something they can't do themselves. This was the converse of my own observation I call 'I can do that syndrome'.

Whatever it qualifies as, or doesn't, it's fun and congratulations Brian. If you feel your hair standing up during your lightning-chasing, lay down flat and keep your arms and legs close together!

Murray

Very nice portfolio.

Very nice portraits, too. But s-o-o-o-o-o-o SERIOUS looking...maybe the hand-over-face portrait is concealing a smile...

Murray

I agree with Bill Hendry - I'm all confused now about whether I'm an a-hole or not, or whether I know enuff to be pretentious.

I guess the impression of pretentiousness is as subjective as art...hmmm, maybe I shouldn't have used the word 'impression', but at least I didn't capitalize it.

I found a web link for Mike Anderson's dumpster show, if anyone is interested (not my gallery).

http://www.wmphotoworks.com/anderson.htm

I like it because it isn't representational

Two comments, more on other's comments about subject matter.

I like images that aren't necessarily purely 'representational'...some people very much dislike images that do not meet their expectations of what a photo 'should' be...some don't like b/w, some don't like color, some hate pinhole or anything else that isn't sharp, despite a photographer's intent it look that way. Same with paintings...some hate abstract.

I look at weathered buildings and dead trees as opportunities to work on technique - a photo is more than composition and subject matter. If a lab does your development, then it is mostly about composition and subject, but if you have craft and technique due to your own lab work, there are now 4 parameters the artist can manipulate. A local gallery is having an exhibit of 'dumpster (garbage container) photos', but one has to ask what the abstract images are to be told they are dumpsters. They are colorful, textured closeups, perhaps 20"x24", that do not speak of dumpster at all - I thought the first one I looked at was a microscopic view of some crystal structure.

Murray

I too thought it was a Van Dyke or other kalli-type type. I have 4 20-packs boxes of the same film 1-2 years expired I might try out. Came from an employer that threw out a whole refrigerator full because no one at work wanted it!

I like the photo.

Murray