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Photo Assignment: Weekend 11/17/07

. 50 bonus points for the unprepentant pun title, "hand-made triangle."

Only 50?????!!!!

Dang, getting cheap on us aren't ya?:fight

Of his next two submissions, I like Rocketman's first better. The second image does have a human factor, but this is a better form study, IMHO. The wispy clouds work really well with the natural shape of this museum's roof structure. When I first looked at this, I saw a triangle. Only now do I see it composed of numerous triangles. I can't help but wonder what this might have looked like with the use of a polarizing filter--not necessarily better, but it might have added some additional contrast. I might like to trim the bottom of the image, but otherwise it's a great composition, leading as it does to the upper right-hand corner.

I had thought of using my gradiant filter on the upper portion but it would have affected the top of the building as well. Still need to get a polarizing filter, hmmm maybe this weekend...

I did take several without the lower round part but in the end liked this better as it helped "anchor" the building and I liked the contrast of the circular form with the triagles of the roof. When I get a shot of this lit up at night I'll post it, it looks really cool peeking up through the tree line as you come up on it north bound on 95.

RM
 
Sorry about that. I've been telepathic ever since undergoing a series of being-hit-on-the-head-lessons with Lamble.



Clearly, no triangle would be visible. I meant (but did not actually say) for a more straight on angle. However, the more you would move toward the front of the bike, the less you would see of the triangle. So really, my suggestion is more-or-less useless. I am a contrapuntal cretin.

You had it right to begin with. :banghead

That's why you should always wear a helmet, always...even when not riding. Would lighting the bike from the back have created a triangular shadow from the forks? Yes it would. But you mentioned no space, so that idea is a duffer... Back to my box again!
The magilight has partially re-appeared by the way, so now I have a brake light.
 
I will admit to running this through Smugmug's auto color correction.

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As we wait with baited breath for the next installment of TomÔÇÖs critique of this weeks entries, IÔÇÖll just put in my two cents worth and put my vote in for the one that really did it for me this week. Without a doubt KbasaÔÇÖs entry is the real stunner. I like it on multiple levels.

First off I like the complete lack of anything in the foreground that gives away his vantage point. He could be (as he claims) on hill but then again it could have been a rock outcropping, or yet he could just as easily have been in an airplane or helicopter. Then again he could have been fortunate enough of have convinced Pegasus to give him a ride or perhaps he has learned the mystic art of levitation. Not knowing lets the viewers imagination run wild, what fun!

Second the wonderful lighting of the ÔÇ£city across the bayÔÇØ liying just above the clouds, the mist and view of the reddish tower of the bridge pushing up through the clouds below accents the colors of the city lighting. He said heÔÇÖd photo shopped it and if I had taken this shot I know I could not have resisted either. Good on ya Dave, you took the shot to a ÔÇ£higherÔÇØ level by doing so.

Third, as I said earlier, it is definitely surrealistic in its portrayal of the subject, with an almost oil painted quality. Even though I have been in this area several times over the years, having never seen it quite like this, it really, really, makes me want to go back and see this bridge from this same vantage point, but since I canÔÇÖt right now this is the next best thing to being there.

RM
 
As we wait with baited breath for the next installment of TomÔÇÖs critique of this weeks entries, IÔÇÖll just put in my two cents worth and put my vote in for the one that really did it for me this week. Without a doubt KbasaÔÇÖs entry is the real stunner. I like it on multiple levels.

First off I like the complete lack of anything in the foreground that gives away his vantage point. He could be (as he claims) on hill but then again it could have been a rock outcropping, or yet he could just as easily have been in an airplane or helicopter. Then again he could have been fortunate enough of have convinced Pegasus to give him a ride or perhaps he has learned the mystic art of levitation. Not knowing lets the viewers imagination run wild, what fun!

Second the wonderful lighting of the ÔÇ£city across the bayÔÇØ liying just above the clouds, the mist and view of the reddish tower of the bridge pushing up through the clouds below accents the colors of the city lighting. He said heÔÇÖd photo shopped it and if I had taken this shot I know I could not have resisted either. Good on ya Dave, you took the shot to a ÔÇ£higherÔÇØ level by doing so.

Third, as I said earlier, it is definitely surrealistic in its portrayal of the subject, with an almost oil painted quality. Even though I have been in this area several times over the years, having never seen it quite like this, it really, really, makes me want to go back and see this bridge from this same vantage point, but since I canÔÇÖt right now this is the next best thing to being there.

RM

...and I'd add that it's the magnitude of what he's captured... a whole city scape. That's one hell of a vantage point, nicely found and nice lens pointing too.
 
Grossjohann is back with another compelling image this week. I was really struck by this image when I saw it. I can't decide which orientation I prefer. I chose the horizontal rather arbitrarily. It's really inventive and I love the depth-of-field. The little guitarist and (monitor?) is just out of focus enough to intrigue the viewer. Only by clicking on the image and linking to your site did I realize that this is a Trivial Pursuit game. Interesting. . . . I assumed they were child's toys and I just couldn't figure out the triangles. It's a really fun and interesting photo. I wish it were brighter and the colors a bit more vibrant. Available light? Always a struggle.

Thanks, Tom. I admire your abundant cache of creative bonne bouche and your seemingly boundless lexicon. Thank you for persevering.

This was a low-light situation, and I didn’t take the time I should have to bring in more lighting. My wife has been on my case to add some lighting cans to the living room ceiling…
 
Thanks. I shot it from the north end of the bridge, from a vantage point on the Marin Headlands. On this map, I was right about where the big C is on Conzelman Road.

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The fog was rolling over the top of the hill, so the foreground was obscured by clouds (Pink Floyd fans raise your hands). I had about 5 minutes and managed to get a half dozen exposures before the fog completely obliterated any view from that location.

I didn't really photoshop it, but just ran it through Smugmug's Color correction, selecting auto. The other shots came out noticeably more orange, which I don't really care for, to be honest. I think the light is a golden color, but the correction amped the yellow and red up too much to look realistic. This one seems to have retained enough blue to look more normal. Given the skills, I'd make the bridge tower more orange than it is, since it truly is a very pure orange.

Around here, the Marin Headlands and the road down from Battery Wallace (where I was) are pretty regular spots for taking pictures. This time of year, we have the fog to play with. It seems to sit lower in the spring and the fall and can yield some pretty interesting views. Here's one I shot a couple years ago from the top of Mt. Tamalpais on Easter morning, just before dawn.

If any of you ever get out here, we'll take a ride up there and take some pictures. Even on a clear day it's quite a beautiful view.

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...and I'd add that it's the magnitude of what he's captured... a whole city scape. That's one hell of a vantage point, nicely found and nice lens pointing too.
+1
No matter how Kbasa downplayed it, you could never get a monkey to stand still long enough to get a shot like that, even for a banana.
Nicely done.
Virtual shots of Patron/Don Julio for all!
 
Thanks, Tom. I admire your abundant cache of creative bonne bouche and your seemingly boundless lexicon. Thank you for persevering.

This was a low-light situation, and I didnt take the time I should have to bring in more lighting. My wife has been on my case to add some lighting cans to the living room ceiling

Tom's verbocity and errudition is so refreshing. It has far more meaning than the trite, meritocratically defunct but omnipresent "Awesome!"

I've heard "awesome!" used for tomato sauce. The fact that I know my own name at a check-out is apparently worthy of awe. It was "awesome!" that I was able to select from a menu. The new coat I bought inspired an aghast and agog member of staff to mention it's awesomeness as being of the elevated status of "Well awesome".

I am waiting for the day that Mt Rainier and Mt St Helen errupt in unison and a giant tsunami hits the Pac NW from a tectonic movement out at sea.

On that day, I want to hear how folk express themselves. I suspect they'll just stand around open mouthed and silent...in awe!

So, thanks Tom for the words. They create images equally as important as those captured by cameras.
 
+1
No matter how Kbasa downplayed it, you could never get a monkey to stand still long enough to get a shot like that, even for a banana.
Nicely done.
Virtual shots of Patron/Don Julio for all!

Two six inch nails would do the job though!
Just thinking out loud. I like monkeys, I really do.

Do you know how to tell the difference between old world and new world monkeys?
 
+1
No matter how Kbasa downplayed it, you could never get a monkey to stand still long enough to get a shot like that, even for a banana.
Nicely done.
Virtual shots of Patron/Don Julio for all!
maybe not one, but a whole bunch might, .........................eventually... you know sorta like the monkey with keyboards thing..:brad

years ago (early 60's) on the Today Show with Dave Garoway (sp ?) he decided to find out if a "barrel of monkeys" was as much fun as touted, so one day he had a barrel full brought on-stage, and well,............ it WAS quite fun! Remeber back in those days "live" was really live! They were all over the in-house attendees in no time. Quite a lively morning! Ha Ha!

RM
 
The accent?

Well that and the passport of course. It's actually the direction their tail's point.

It's 50/50 but I think, old world tails point to the head, new world point away.
Also the position of the thumbs can tell you where they live in the canopy heirachy.

A limur, is one of the oldest arborial mamals and is related to the cat family, although it barks like a dog. I don't think it's a monkey descendent at all, coming from a completely different species line.

Again, every day I live, the further back I have to cast the memory net to come up with this bunkum, so if it's wrong, so be it.
 
Well that and the passport of course. It's actually the direction their tail's point.

It's 50/50 but I think, old world tails point to the head, new world point away.
Also the position of the thumbs can tell you where they live in the canopy heirachy.

A limur, is one of the oldest arborial mamals and is related to the cat family, although it barks like a dog. I don't think it's a monkey descendent at all, coming from a completely different species line.

Again, every day I live, the further back I have to cast the memory net to come up with this bunkum, so if it's wrong, so be it.

Looks like a monkey, decended from cats and barks like a dog? Boy And here I thought I was confused!:)

RM
 
photo assignment

...how do you tell the difference between old world and new world monkeys....Iamble

New world monkeys have prehensile tails. (From the great collection of trivia stored away in my head.)

Rinty
 
New world monkeys have prehensile tails. (From the great collection of trivia stored away in my head.)

Rinty

New and old have prehensile tails, it's the direction they bend that makes the difference, or so I thought.

Roy, I've no idea which way a Vogon's tail bends, if at all.

I do have some monkey shots, if that will help get back on thread!
 
Feedback III

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Franze is back with three submissions this week, each of which is a very successful image. Number one is close enough and shot at such an angle that it's impossible for me to know what it is. This is perfect for drawing attention to the form without distracting me with other--unnecessary--information. It's simple and unusual. I like it.

Number two is noteworthy for all its triangles. It's also appealing, but for it's composition. This could have been shot at least 359 other ways, and I agree with his decision. It's a stark, geometric study.

Number three is a successful and thought-provoking reflection. Very nice. It's simple, but like the other two, it shows an eye for detail and forethought.

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Paulbach brings us another motorcycle image. I'm not sure why, but this one makes me think of a love triangle, two men and their mutual mistress. It's a beautiful bike and these two are clearly admiring it. The color of the bike is really rich, but the overall exposure is a bit blown-out (see man #2's hat). I wonder was this shot on manual or did you meter for the bike? Just wondering. As you, yourself, said, just a casual snapshot. Pretty good one, though.

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Here it is, this week's big kahuna. Quite a bit of insightful commentary has already been offered on this image from RM and others, and much deserved congratulations on capturing such beauty. I bears worth repeating that this photo, in addition to reflecting a talented photographer, shows the merit if having your camera with you, the gift of timing, and the importance of vantage point. You need to have a good camera and be a good photographer, but it sure helps to be in the right place at the right time. Having had a chance to study both, I do like the original over the orange one; however, the orange shot has a more interesting composition, at least to my eye.

To nitpick, there are dust-bunnies revealed in the LRHC. You and I both need to clean our sensors. I'm also a tad concerned about the vignetting in the LLHC--on both shots. I'm wondering, given the chance, if you would--or even could--compose it differently, raising or lowering the city horizon line? Any minor technical imperfections are greatly overshadowed by this image's breathtaking drama. Wonderful shot.

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Nice to see Mar here this week with a triangular submission. Hi Marilyn! :wave This image does indeed have a number of triangles. And I realize this is probably the most informal of snapshots, but this attractive young woman deserves a better portrait. The harsh shadows on her face (which serve this assignment perfectly) are exactly why many photographers prefer to shoot on cloudy days or in open shadows. Bricciphoto wrote a nice piece this week about using a reflector; this would be a perfect instance for just that. I do like how she is photographed. Although perhaps not the most flattering angle, she can handle it and it makes for an interesting character study.

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Boney came back with one more! This is a great interpretation of the theme and another game of "where are the triangles"? Once again, almost too numerous to count. It's an interesting geometric study of a familiar scene shot in an unusual way. Well-composed, too. In many of this week's pictures I mention muted colors or underexposure. This is a perfect example of a right-on exposure and bright, vivid colors. Beautiful!

Barring any 11th hour submissions (paging BeerTeam to the front desk. . . .) that's all we've got. I had a lot of fun this week. I didn't know how triangles would go over--I never know how a theme will succeed. The silence at the beginning was deafening, but as in every week past, the photographers rise to the challenge and provide invigorating, interesting, instructive, and insightful images. Each week is successful because each of you takes out your camera to expose yourselves (triple entendre intended) for our benefit, and I thank each of your for that.

For next week (that's tomorrow) we have a special Thanksgiving Photo Assignment and you can find it here.
 
Good grief! I look at this triangle several times a day, and I never thought of it as a "triangle." I am an idiot.
 

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