yumnokoi

Shot in murky daylight using a flash behind the flower, covered ion a

blue muslin. Blue contrasts quite brilliantly with the yellow of the

petals.

Shot looking up from behind the museum. Was tempted to "clean up" the

picture with Photoshop (take out the reflections in the windows,

smooth out the broken stucco, etc) but actually like the tension

between the purely abstract forms of the buildings and the all too

real, concrete flaws of the materials. Therefore, I present the photo

as shot, unretouched.

Taken using a macro lens with flash and f2.4. Flash equalized the

harsh contrasts of the midday sun.

Taken from the vantage of bustling CHina towm, framed to make the

antenna of the Empire State Building appear to spike a lamppost. All

done through framing the shot, not computer manipulation. Wanted to

suggest that even the tall skyscrapers of NY cannot escape the city's

bustle.

Tried to create a sense of texture while suggesting content to be

ininterpreted by the reflected S motif and sun pattern. The only clue

offered to aid this interpretation is the small sign top left "Est

1918"

Metered on neutral grey part of the scene then stopped down 3 stops.

When developing the image I "pushed" it to get the very grainy

effect. The scene depicts many contrasts (black and white, old and

young, concentration & movement, etc.) Wanted teh grains to suggest

that all things, regardless of contrasts are made up of the same

matter (the grains) simply reordered.

I gave it a lower rating for aesthetics than originality. I love shooting into the sun with a tobacco or red filter, since it never fails to produce drama. And the icarus-like juxtaposition of flyer and raging sun was effective. However, I felt that the composition drained the picture of its energy rather than enhanced it. Somehow, the relative positioning of the objects in the frame made the shot feel a little static. Nice job, though overall.