mattvardy

Great shot John! Pleased to see you on the home page when I returned to PN today. Check out some of my new black and white "off the cuff" style photos I just uploaded today. You inspired me. Best, Matt.

Hey Bianca, love this series. This one though, surprisingly for me, is my favourite. The others leave me wanting for more while this shot is completely satisfying and I think you've filled the frame with twigs in such a unique way that it really does keep my interest. Composition feels spontaneous and I love how dark everything is. The others are too bright for my personal taste and don't communicate enough emotion, or hold my attention long enough. Perhaps it is the depth of field and varying layers of colour here that make the difference for me, too. Really great artsy shot, congrats.

Thanks for your comments and ratings on this photo. This was part of a

really fun shoot I did a couple years ago for fashion designer Nada

Yousif, to be showcased during her L'Oreal Fashion Week event in Toronto.

Had a lot of fun shooting this great up and coming Canadian artist.

This shot was actually taken from an elevator at the Hilton Hotel in

downtown Toronto, which has a beautiful view overlooking the city -

seen here at sunset. The background has been enhanced, luckily I had

some original "warm" highlights on his face to work with which helped

me make what I think is a very beautiful, and most importantly

BELIEVABLE, composite. Your thoughts are welcome, thanks.

I think from time to time we all forget that perhaps, maybe, just maybe photographs are taken on a whim, that is, without serious planning or consideration. Simply for fun. To experiment, or capture things one wouldn’t normally capture. To document people or things one wouldn’t normally encounter. To forget the silly rules we burden ourselves with day in and day out, and to just be free and shoot with childlike curiosity again.

 

All I see here is a quick snapshot showcasing the girl, her quiet disposition and her awfully wild hair… nothing more, nothing less, which is perfectly A-OK with me. It has generated great discussion, made our gears turn, and is serving the purpose of the pow perfectly.

 

All the garbage about it's success as a headshot or what have you is misguided imo.

Mark- this is one of my favorite images of all time. You nailed it brother! Regards, MV.

Vadim, I've admired your work for a long time and I gotta say this is one of the most engaging wildlife shots I've ever seen. Congrats on the POW.

 

I agree with G. in regards to crop vs no crop. The subjects need space to move and cropping any tighter would take away from the sense of momentum. I assume this shot has already been cropped a great deal, and so I wonder actually how it may have looked full frame with no cropping? Would be interesting to see, although I suspect going panoramic was for the best.

 

What an awesome capture. To my knowledge hyenas are for the most part scavengers(right?), and to see one in the act of chasing live prey (a flamingo of all things) is something truly special... Well done.

wonderful shot

I thought I would submit an alternative view with a lower altitude ("closer" to the water surface and nearer the flower)...

David, great image. Very simple & pleasing to look at. Knowing very well the photo shop filter that was used, I think you could have decreased the perspective and altitude values a little more to make the proportions and depth of the image slightly more photo realistic. As was mentioned before, the reflections appear to begin at eternity and so does the flower, making it absolutely humongous. Interesting effect yes, but I would personally like to see a more accurate rendering of space, and depth. I think a delicate macro composite of this sort demands absolute perfection in that respect, though I can appreciate the image for what it is regardless.

haha tom, you took my written words a little too literal. perhaps i should have said it looks as if 'theo' was being judged.

David, of course the background should be blurred. Because it's so blurred, I found it difficult to put a time and place to the photo (not a flaw in the photo at all). The trees for example in the background are unidentifiable, was this shot in Phillie or Kenya? The background certainly doesn't help us figure that out, maybe her clothes do..

I can't for the life of me find the lyrical qualities of this image. As I read the definitions of 'lyric' written at top, I was hoping to come across one that fit. Unfortunately, in my mind there was none.

 

I can appreciate the centered composition, though stagnant, I find it to be rather fitting. It doesn't feel at all natural and perhaps that's why it works. The composition seems to be forced, unnatural and awkward like the moment being shared with us. The stance and expression of the woman makes me feel as if I'm being judged, and she seems rather unimpressed or bored. I totally agree with Gordon in that respect.

 

To me it appears that the woman was asked to stand for a photo, and, reluctantly, she gave in but was not willing to smile or simply was unsure of how to act. A classic situation we've all encountered when working with people. There's that stubborn subject, unwilling or too self-conscious to smile... yet some of us photographers like Theo always find a way to make the best of the situation and produce an interestingly-stark image, 'raw' with a touch of personality.

 

The brown hues and tonal values compliment the scene perfectly; in fact I wouldn't have it any other way - certainly not color. Had it been shot or kept in color, the image would be [more] easily dismissed as a snap shot imo.

 

The background is so blurry and washed out it's difficult to find context. I would be interested in knowing where the image was taken, and what circumstances brought woman and photographer together. No one knows, and perhaps that is why it's so interesting to discuss... and is what makes it... lyrical? Haha, still don't get it!

 

As for the rap, anyone who thinks rap is non-lyrical criminal music must live in a bubble.

 

-MV

Rob, I checked the other shots out and I enjoy them a lot more than this one. This shot is just missing the dynamics some of the others have. When I critique an image like this I'm able to look beyond the pretty face and ask myself is this a good photograph? Here, not so much imo. There is nothing aesthetically pleasing about the photograph besides the model (granted, lighting DoF & composition is very good). When I shoot on location outside, the goal is usually to find an area which will add interest to the photo, connect with the model and further engage the viewer. The sand makes sense, feels summery and sexy, she looks comfortable etc. But the grass just reminds me of that area at the average Ontario beach, far from the shore near the back, where no one wants to hang out cuz the sand becomes rocky and there's geese shit all over the place. I wonder why anyone would position the model in that direction - there's nothing exotic about it.

 

Having said all that- it definitely gets the job done, and what more could she ask of you. You did the best you could with what Ontario gave you, I know it's rough. We don't have palm trees, dramatic warm weather or tidal waves. But still something tells me you could have been a little more creative and resourceful, and the other shots are proof of that.

Walter, you've captured the true feeling of fall with this image. The bold mix of cold and warm hues is exactly what we experience during the season not just visually but in terms of temperature as well. Stunning composition, great light/time of day..even the balance between highlights/shadows seems to fit perfectly and helps reinforce the overall mood despite lacking detail in areas. You've done a great job retaining colour in the sky as well, whether or not this has been artificially enhanced, it creates that sort of elegant perfection I love seeing in your work. Great job, looks like some patience and a steady eye really payed off here. -mv

haha..great shot. only thing missing is a beer and sunglasses! 5/5

wonderful shot, 6*6

great composition, very well balanced, however I believe the image would be far more striking if the lens distortion was corrected.

Gopal, beautiful shot. My eye is screaming to see more pebbles in the foreground though. The image seems to be divided in half, as opposed to thirds. Tilting downward would have given you that added plain of interest. Foreground (pebbles), middle ground (rock), background (sky). Would be interested in seeing the full non-panoramic crop. Perhaps you took a little too much away? Well done nonetheless!

Nice shot, great to see the eye in focus as opposed to the beak.

Christian, great shot. It is lacking in one thing, and that is smoke. A bad ass dude with tattoos and tobacco deserves more smoke and more mystery. I would have waited for a little more exhale, and perhaps included his full bottom hand whether it was clenched or relaxed i think it could have added a sense of mood.

Nice image. Of course, a beautiful model. But, I don't find the shot to be as good as it could have been. She's laying in the sand, on a beach..no? So who wants to see a field of grass in the background? Not I. Turn around and shoot the other way. Show more sand, more body, more water, more waves, more expression...

Reminds me of Arwen [Liv Tyler] from the Lord of the Rings movies - very beautiful girl. However, I'm not really impressed with anything beyond her beauty - is that a good or bad thing? I'm not really sure.

 

Initially I found the hand a little creepy and suggestive, which is a good thing IMO, but I don't find that her expression/pose suites the overall mood (imposed by the blue hue) of the photograph very well or makes any connection with the creepy hand. I enjoy the cold, sweeping feel of "wind in the face" and I wonder if another frame could have given us that extra something we're all looking for?

Hey Rebecca!! It's been a while since I stopped by.. Wow, gotta say I really enjoy this image.

 

Throughout the month of march I rode the subway every day to work for the very first time. Really quite the experience for a "newbie". I remember passing by these venders and merchants every day and there was always a decisive moment begging to be captured.. but I always had to pass it by, having no camera with me.

 

Here is exactly the kind of shot I would have loved to grab! And you have framed it very well.

 

Initially, a part of me wishes the woman wasn't staring at the camera. But at the same time in her stare there seems to be a look of emptiness in her eyes - which works well amongst this scene of over-abundance. Makes you wonder... what a god awful boring job that must be. It almost feels to me as if the magazines are belittling her as they lean in towards the center. Very odd to see her surfing a Sony laptop... can't decide whether this adds to or takes away from the impact.

 

The dead center composition was a must - you nailed it - and I enjoy the b/w as much as the colour - especially her pink shirt.

 

Very interesting, too, to see just how far some magazines travel and where they 'sit' in the world. I recognize a number of those issues, a couple of which I helped design ads for.

 

Did you know this person or was it a lucky grab as you passed by?

 

Best regards,

 

-mv.

Hi John, I've been wanting to ask you for a long time - and this photo presents the perfect opportunity to ask - how you approach your subjects in the field. Do you ask permission? Do you shoot from a distance? Are people generally 'okay' with being photographed? Toronto is not the most forgiving city in the world, too, and this is on my mind all the time. Perhaps there are certain demographics in which a photographer shoot and be more comfortable?

 

I guess each set of circumstances is different and requires a different approach, but these are the sort of things I would love to hear your insight on. I reallllyy want to do more street photography in the coming weeks but I find myself overcome by a certain shyness and I worry about people's reactions to my lens being pointed in their direction from behind my not-so-discrete 6'3" self.