kelly_perl

Would "Pissing Contest" as a title help focus thoughts?

 

Like this one, but the "Dueling Eggplants" is classic.

I like the gear; I think the setting is uninspired. Not youre fault, of course. This is crying out for a macro shot.

good expression, the chioce of teal doorway is inspired. I think you could afford a slight crop on the left, but that's my opinion.

Sorry James, this just doesn't work against a cloudy sky. That, or you need a polarizer.

I should fall out of my seat at this because this is a great photo. Not to my taste (I often tend toward the grittier) but beautifully done and beautiful just the same. Perfectly realized.

 

BTW, do you know why the raindrops form patterns of ancient bas-reliefs? Best, K

 

 

Jeff, I envy you . . .

 

You need to reduce this down to essential elements. Everybody sees the headset and the aviator glasses and they know you're flying. Thus, I think close cropping to around your face (and leave just a bit of sky on YOUR lhs) will make this a much more effective photo.

Nice pan, good color, but not a greatly compelling pic. Would make a good brochure photo.

Shel--I really like this photo. I looked at it a long time. I think it could use some improvement. First, this cries out for a dark sky, preferably uniform. Second, less clutter in the background would be better. Changing your angle may help. This will bring out the pigs more.

 

So what are these, free range pigs?

Yang--while the candlelight is very well done, and I know digital in low light is hard, the photo looks very static and staged. It's coming out sentimental rather than getting at something really emotional.

 

More specific to the homesick point: it's just her and the candles. She could be in Frankfurt, she could be in Hong Kong. We don't know. To drive your point home, she could be in a more obviously Western setting. What is up to you.

 

My 2¢.

completely gorgeous

Good catch . . . cropping out some space on the lhs will silence the Rule of Thirds parrot and may actually strengthen the composition

oh my, a good kid shot. I must run out and get some Ilford

Bravo for using a fleshy model. I also like the shallow DOF. HOwever, it feels distant.

Dydula--

 

I more than occasionally think of making shots like these but I know I can't convey what I feel about the trash to the outside world or even to me within the photograph. Because of the liveliness of New York trash, there is a great potential in it.

 

I believe your shot fails in the same fashion as mine would. I don't see what your motivation for taking it is, although I understand that you have one. But keep trying, the perfect trash shot may be only a roll away!

 

Kelly

great color, I like the telescoping effect of the sign, I just can't quite get in to this one. In other words, this is a good subject, it's not quite realized.

Tor--I love the blue here, its luminosity. I rather like the B&W version too.

 

An observation:

 

It looks as if you're shooting Ann as a conventionally lit nude. You're using elements that would be very effective in a conventional nude shot, namely the space on the left hand side and the shadow of arms over torso, that are not so effective in a blacklight shot. THe lhs space looks dead and the shadow breaks up the flow of light and pattern.

 

Can you try this again in a pose more accommodating to the requirements of blacklight? A seamless pose that would cast no shadows in conventional light just may work.

You completely forgot "Type III:" mentally ill homeless. Mentally ill are 30% of homeless at least, perhaps the single largest group. They had no more hand in giving themselves mental illness than you did your left handedness. They have bigger problems than rolling up the sleeves and getting to work can solve.

 

Be politically incorrect, that's your right, but please, don't be factually incorrect.

Brennan--I love this subject matter (I work in the industry) but you're at a disadvantageous angle for it to be fully effective. Just a few steps to the left (or a lot of steps to the right) would make this photo so much better. I also think it's a tad overexposed.

You could make this photo better (for me at least) if

a) you straightened it out; the angle doesn't serve the subject matter well. Reasonable people can debate whether the angling works for your churches, but the angling doesn't work here.

and

b) you close cropped right at the stacks on the right hand side cropped out the road in the foreground. These elements are irrelevant and detract from your picture. You already have the palm trees to cheer up the place.

As for the plant, I tried to find something like it, just for fun at this inventory of nonutility power plants and this looks either like AES Placerita or Riverside Canal (also an AES plant iirc) I don't remember where Placerita is but at least I remember where Riverside is.Folks are more skittish about photographs than they were before 9/11, especially nukes, but if you can do some more photos, by all means. Thank you for sharing your portfolio.

I like this ambient shots; it might be better if you cropped on the bottom and perhaps a little bit on the rhs. Focus us on the ride, because it's having some trouble standing up on its own.

I like this subject--I like the ochre. The sign isn't fully realized IMHO. You need a focus.

This is a riot! You should do a series of dueling nightshades and expand into root vegetables.

 

 

I see what everybody else sees--pattern. Also color. Because of your distance, I see it more as an abstract pattern or abstract ceremony than a particular one. So it becomes all ceremonies. A nice touch.

 

Note to David Madden: the "suits" are not necessarily obligated to salute the fallen fire fighters as they are most likely civilians. Saluting may not even be appropriate. Anybody in fire depts or the military help us out here?

As many people have said, there are several better examples of Aldo's work. For me, either of these would have made worthy PoWs: this homeless man, or this very intense dancer, a superior shot.

One thing I like is that people are looking through Aldo's portfolio and coming up with better examples of PoW. I plan to make this a practice. I've learned about your body of work, Aldo, and I wouldn't have had your pic not been picked. I'm sorry something that is nowhere near your best work got the PoW honor. You should be honored with your best work.

Suggestions to the elves:

1) When picking a PoW, you owe it to the photographer and the rest of us to make sure that the photo is not an inferior representation of the photographer's work. Note that I don't say best work. Just cycle through the portfolio to make sure there's not something better that suits your objectives.

2) Please, get out more. Walk. Take the T. Get out to Hahvud Square, take the Red Line downtown and look around, especially if you want to nominate a street shot. Feed the birds. Go to the StarSchmucks and look around. Go to a different bar, preferably one with snacks. Do something new, something different. These steps will improve your PoW selections all around.

. . . so that a tatooed dude on a unicycle, wearing a kilt and juggling machetes isn't that unusual a sight. You don't see it every day, but it's not as if I haven't seen it or something like it before. Still, an interesting, if not tittillating photo.

 

A couple of thoughts.

 

1) The back of that balding guy's head in the foreground competes seriously with your subject.

 

2) There is so much space that the juggler tends to get lost, although I rather like that space.

 

Some strategic cropping might be in order, so you can strike the perfect balance among crowd, juggler, and space.

 

 

I think she'd benefit from a tighter crop on the rhs and less of one on the top. As she goes, she's pretty well done. She looks stoned, too. If you're OK with that, fine, but you should know.