Photo Assignment 02/09/08

[bensonga]

Aarrgh.....you're killing us Northerners here Dave! Green grass, blue skies, warm temps...beautiful old Beemer on the road. That's not WINTER....that's paradise!

Gary Benson
Eagle River, Alaska
Warmed up to 8 degrees here today....forecast calls for another 8-10 inches of snow tonight.

 

[bmwdean]

I was photographing our "Romeo and Juliet" pair of saguaros today. When I looked at it on the computer, I realized there was a suggestive form in the foreground that completed a romantic trilogy ...

 

[SNC1923]

Feedback I

Had a lot of responses to this week's assignment, a really mixed bag. I thought the theme of "winter" would be simple, but as usual, I was surprised by the great variety of interpretations. I was nearly locked out by unseasonably beautiful weather.

Let's get to it, shall we?

Up first is Lamble, whose submission is technically a day early, but I'm including it anyway.

I like this image. For one, it's unusual in that these are both flighty creatures that are had to capture under any circumstances, but to get two in one frame is a coup. I do object--as has been pointed out--that the poor bird has a stick up his bum. The depth of field is pleasing, drawing attention to the bird. It's a nice shot.

BWMDean is here next with one of his desert panoramas.

Undeniably, this is a beautiful image. I've said before that cacti were iconic images--easily recognizable and both symbolic of and representative of the American Southwest. Using them in silhouette against a night sky is really inspired. The subject matter, Venus, Jupiter, and the Moon are also really interesting, at least to me who is not in the least astronomically inclined. This is a nearly monochromatic shot, entirely blue, and therefore the various shades really contribute to the image's quality. The moon is quite overexposed, but that it really hard to deal with. Had it been exposed correctly, the foreground may not have been visible. One other observation is that it's hard to tell what, if anything is in sharp focus here. The subject matter makes this less important than it would be in most other images. Was this manually focused at infinity? Was this a long exposure? Be interesting to see the exif on this. . . . In any case, it's an impressive, beautiful image.

Grossjohann gave us a number of images to consider this week. This one, above all, speaks to our theme:

This is an immensely powerful image, and a very touching one, besides. This woman, looking away from the camera, her hair covered against the element and age, is in the winter of her life. She is sitting with seemingly neither a place to go nor a schedule to follow. The giant, mute trees dwarf this tiny woman in the same way I would imagine others in her life--forgotten co-workers, busy grandchildren--do. This photo really says winter to me. The image is characterized by an overall lack of sharpness. Slow shutter speed? Not sure what that's about.

Rocketman is back with another shot that says "winter."

This really brings to mind the death that winter portends each season. This is a difficult subject, colorless, complex, seemingly uninteresting. He does an admirable job with a difficult subject. It looks cold and bleak. Winter.

Karton has a patented Florida winter shot this week.

These are the sort of shots the drive our midwestern and eastern members crazy. "Oh, they had to put on jackets!" It's an effective crowd shot, the intensity of which is heightened by the compression of the telephoto lens. I like the composition: including the banner at the top tells the story. This isn't just a random crowd. When taking shots like this, with so many people, there are dozens of opportunities for something to go wrong, someone to turn away, raise their hand, whatever. This one's pretty good. The foregrounded woman on the right even works to emphasize how crowded it is here. Still, you can take two or three dozen shots in a situation like this and have a hard time find the one that's just right.

MLS2GO brought us a nice basketball series this week. Perhaps not iconically winter, but a wintertime pursuit, nonetheless--indoors no less. There were several nice shots, the one of the crowd with bated breath was nice. This one, however, is my favorite. The pretty young woman is so in her moment, and she's a wholesome, healthy beauty, that which is typified by the grand tradition of cheerleading. Her smile is absolutely beaming. Her bare midriff is quite appealing, too. How great is it that you can't count her ribs and that she has a mole or two? She actually has a figure. I'm not crazy about the head in the foreground, but it is framed perfectly. I also like the hint of motion apparent in her arms. Again, I'd be interested to know the camera/exif info here. Just curious. DSLR? Long lens?

I have to agree with Jeff Dean: this is one of Von's finest submissions to date. I also think it's one of this week's best. He's right when he says this image highlights to great effect the difference between a snapshot and a photograph. This is a great image. First, it breaks a rule to great effect. It's perfectly symmetrical and dead-center. The interesting sky and foreground allow for this, though. This image doesn't need trickery. I love that the people are so tiny on this amazing and dramatic landscape. The rough trail, barely visible, does lead the viewer's eye right to the subject. AND I learned that they're called mare's tail clouds. Who knew? Congratulations on such a fine image, Voni. Great stuff.

DarcyM is back with a couple of California winter shots. I really like this one. I've seen a lot of gull shots--and taken more than my fair share--but this is a really good one. The bird, in mid-flight, is sharp and clear. It is off-center and against an interesting background that certainly says "winter." In addition, the background is just out-of-focus enough to throw the subject into sharp relief. The framing is perfect. Consider how much less interesting this would be were the pier not peeking into the right corner. It adds a splash of color, balance, and story element. This is a very successful capture.

I should add that the windshield shot is a bold effort and successful. It's a powerful image from a simple concept. Also very nice.

I've got to get ready for work. More later.

 

[bobs98]

Tahoe

 

[SNC1923]

Feedback II

Lamble posted a second shot, this one in the time frame, that I think is worth mentioning. Pleasingly composed, well-exposed, and thoughtfully crafted. It was clearly designed for this assignment. It definitely says winter. Nice.

Dvandkq brings us two winter photos, the first of which I'll comment on. How do you not LOVE this photo? On the one hand, it's one of those classic family snapshots that will be cherished down through the years. Even catching Mom looking slightly away, a minor imperfection that characterizes these sorts of shots. On the other hand, it's well composed and very well posed. Posing is one of the key downfalls of any photo of people and this one shines. It's also a spot on exposure in very difficult conditions. Most meters (or photographers) would have underexposed this shot turning it a muddy gray. Really great--very cute--picture. You're getting your boy off to a great start.

Paulglaves is back this week with a wonderful submission, seemingly a cross between Lamble's and Dvandkg's. First of all, this is funny, and I like funny photos. It's hammy and contrived, clearly for the photo assignment, but very effective. It's also a clever use of some really great weather when trying to get a "winter" shot. The exposure is good and the colors, great. I like that it's composed between the two trees. The horizon's a bit tilted, but that matters so little in a shot like this. Would make a pretty funny avatar. . . .

Bricciphoto is back this week with a really interesting submission. By his own admission, this is also a highly contrived shot. Instead of going for humor, however, he has attempted to mimic sunlight in the predawn hours by using an off camera flash with a reflector--a gold reflector. The result is impressive. This puts me in mind a bit of some of the lighting effects that Bluestune has done. The addition of artificial light can really help to make a good photo great. This is a decidedly winter-like still life. The shadows, the snow, the various shades of brown, the focus on the dead leaf all combine to craft a well-executed and successful image. I like this better than the second, probably because it is close up and seems to have a center or point of interest.

130253 joins us with a very powerful image indeed. Man, this says, "winter" for sure. This is nothing more than a shot of two dormant trees against the backdrop of more trees and sky, but it is really a compelling image. This seems to be all about light. The subject is in silhouette, and is enormously complex with hundreds of branches. It's really hard to tell what kind of sky that is, but one's imagination fills in a dark, cloud-filled wintery sky--at least I do. It would appear to be rendered in B&W, but I've been wrong about that so many times before, I hesitate to say so. It's quite an image. Very nice.

Franze is back with his mysteriously titled "19/20." This shot invariably reminds me of the previous posting by 130253, being of a barren winter tree. It is similar in so many ways, and yet a completely different photograph by virtue of its different and very unusual perspective. I've observed this as a bit of a trend in Franze's work. He's not afraid to point his camera at an unusual angle. This results from, I think, keen observation and trying to see things in ways unintended. This reminds me a bit of the dog seen through the elevated opaque walkway a few weeks back. Like the previous photo, for a rather simple nature still-life, this is an impressively compelling image.

I was delighted when I saw this image recorded by Oldpaul. Like some others, this appears to be an image created for this assignment. To a rider, this image says "winter" like no other except, perhaps, for a snow-filled driveway. What impresses me that most though is his thoughtful attention in crafting the image. So many photographers would have shot the bike from the side, battery tender on the ground, wires draped across the bike. Yawn. Oldpaul chooses this rather unusual perspective, filling the frame with the bike, but focusing on the subject, the charger, which is placed rather incongruously on the saddle bag. B&W is a good choice here. I don't think it would be as effective a mood in color. The plain background is an excellent choice, and this photo could have fallen prey to all manner of exposure problems: black bike, white background. He handles it very well. It's also an MZ Skorpian, that's worth 50 bonus points right there. Nice shot. You might think of sending this to the Tale Light section of the ON. "Wintertime Blues" or something like that.

Welcome to Thtduck with his first submission (if I recall correctly). GREAT shot. 1,000 bonus points for a having a wintertime shot with a ridden motorcycle. Well done, sir. This certainly says winter to a rider. Now, I'll say this: It's framed very well, though slightly off kilter. That can be fixed in post-processing. But this is a handle-bar mounted camera and I'm the first one to declare that these are not a good idea, can't get a good picture, blah, blah, blah. Thtduck has clearly proven me wrong, and he's captured an image where he may not otherwise have done so. You always have to exercise extraordinary caution when doing anything while riding, especially taking a picture. Having the camera mounted seems like a very good way to avoid the hazards of inattention. Really cool, very successful image. Nice.

Redcflo is back this week with a great wintertime shot. This is a nice portrait of his dog, but with the snow covering his coat, his forlorn expression, and the coups de gras, the bit of snow on his nose, this certainly say winter. It's fun picture that stirs an emotional response, too. Not easy to do in a photo. I will say again, as I have before, that this shot is characterized by a really low contrast. I encourage you to explore your camera's menu to see if there's a way to boost that. The bunny picture by Red's son seems like a really good capture, too. They never let me get that close. . . . .

Nice to see Gail this week with two fine submissions. I'm a Lisa fan to be sure, so it's difficult not to choose the picture featuring her, but this one is a stunning winter landscape. Great vertical composition, and symmetrical besides. It's slightly underexposed (is the snow gray or white?). But the trail revealed just beneath the canopy of the trees is perfect. This looks like a greeting card (I mean that in a complimentary way) or a photo to illustrate a story. It's really nice.

Oh, what the hell. Here's Lisa. Isn't she great? I admire her and Gail's relationship and their adventures together. . . .

 

[SNC1923]

Feedback III

Outbackufo knows how to use a camera. This is another L3 (location, location, location) shot. It's a stunning landscape. The orange rope is a bit distracting. Gondola/lift cable or what? Beautiful blue sky. The exposure is spot on, but I'd like to see that horizon a bit higher, I think.

Nice to see Kbasa again this week with another beautiful photo of the beautiful /2. You know, Dave claims not to know his way around a camera, but I think he's a sandbagger. This is nice stuff, and not his first. This shot already generated a bit of good discussion, so I won't rehash that here. I want to point out the drama of the wide angle here. Because Dave has a smugmug account, I could go to his site, do a search for week-old pictures, and find the exif for this shot. I was able to confirm that this is shot with a 28mm (actually 27mm) wide-angle. He has three shots from this view, but this is easily the most dramatic--the bike is closest to the camera and consumes more of the frame then the other two. The sunlight is falling on the beautiful lines of this bike and the rolling, green hills provide a nice counterpoint to the black and chrome motorcycle. Pictures like this are why we have the adjective, bucolic. It's an especially nice shot, Dave.

There were a few shots this week that really jumped out at me, and this is one of my favorites. This is a great shot. Apparently contrived for this assignment is at once both poignant and funny. The only technical problem is that it's a tad underexposed. The meter sees all that white and closes down the lens. By adding 1 EV, the snow and thermometer would be more white. However, that is greatly overshadowed (pun coming) by the inclusion of the shadow in the composition (pun unintended). For a simple set up, it's a great composition. So many of us would snap the shot without really paying attention only to see the shadow leaving the frame in the final photo. It may or may not work great as a stand-alone photo, but it's a fabulous response to this theme.

Bensonga brings us a picture this week that could only be titled "Brrrrrr." This shot looks cold. The aspect of this photo that stands out to me the most is its composition. The boat is placed at one of the intersections of the imaginary horizontal and vertical lines of the "rule of thirds." It's a golden mean composition. Now there are three other points in the photo where the boat could be placed and still conform to these rules, but this is the best choice. The boat is entering the photo and the foreground is filled with ice and hazards. It's a really effective choice.

Almostblue joins us this week with a beautiful landscape of a vineyard. He seems to be suffering the same fate as Dave, Jeff, and I: beautiful weather. It doesn't really say "winter" to me, but it might to a vintner. It's a very pretty scene, well composed and well exposed. I like that the mountains don't bisect the image. Could do without the fence post. A nice image nonetheless.

Our last shot this week is a decidedly wintery scene from Bobs98. This is an interesting photo. I like the tiny red skier, though he/she might be more impressive if a bit larger, or even if the photo were a bit larger. What's with you guys and the tiny photos? This photo features a really strange sky, totally overcast, but not infinite; you can see it breaking up as it approaches the mountain peaks. It almost gives the effect of a mirror image. Pretty interesting.

That's it for me. Thanks for all the nice shots and for participating. I've been running a bit slow as work has taken a bite out of my life, but I think I have it all under control now. I'll put up a new theme on or before next Friday. Thanks for your patience.

 

[sheridesabeemer]

Tom thank you for taking all the time to do this. Your comments are educational not just about our own shots but others as well.

ps. Dave take the tank bag off next time.

 

[bmwdean]

I second and third and fourth Gail.

You have started something that may have become more than you envisioned originally.

That's what I did in Chicago in 1972!

Thanks for your efforts -- and for your gentle critiques.

 

[crgrbrts]

...and no tattoos!

Lovely, just lovely. Thanks for the treat.

Craig
yet another Mizzou alumnus (J-School, Class of - gulp - '68)

 

[bobs98]

Thanks Tom! This is fun when I get the chance, I usually see the topic after the week(end) is over. We happened to be skiing out at Tahoe all last week.

 

[kbasa]

Tom thank you for taking all the time to do this. Your comments are educational not just about our own shots but others as well.

ps. Dave take the tank bag off next time.

I shoot them like they are.

 

[SNC1923]

Tom thank you for taking all the time to do this. Your comments are educational not just about our own shots but others as well.

ps. Dave take the tank bag off next time.

You're very welcome, Gail.

I second and third and fourth Gail.

You have started something that may have become more than you envisioned originally.

That's what I did in Chicago in 1972!

Thanks for your efforts -- and for your gentle critiques.

You're most welcome. And for the record, this is all Swider's fault.

I'm sure glad you guys did get together in Chicago, and thank you for that. What's it up to now? 40,000? Probably never in your wildest dreams, eh?

Thanks Tom! This is fun when I get the chance, I usually see the topic after the week(end) is over. We happened to be skiing out at Tahoe all last week.

The pleasure is mine. Sounds like you had a rough week. Hope things get better.

 

[kbasa]

I'd be remiss if I didn't thank Tom and Rocketman for putting so much time into this. It's really a wonderful community within a community, isn't it?

 

[jackie]

wishing for spring...

 

[grossjohann]

This is an immensely powerful image, and a very touching one, besides. This woman, looking away from the camera, her hair covered against the element and age, is in the winter of her life. She is sitting with seemingly neither a place to go nor a schedule to follow. The giant, mute trees dwarf this tiny woman in the same way I would imagine others in her life--forgotten co-workers, busy grandchildren--do. This photo really says winter to me. The image is characterized by an overall lack of sharpness. Slow shutter speed? Not sure what that's about.

Thank you, Tom, for keeping this going. As many others have pointed out, this is a wonderful addition to the MOA community, and if nothing else, is something I look forward to every few weeks.

To the shot: I'm not sure what happened. EXIF shows F/5.2 at 1/125 sec, so it was not likely the speed. I think I simply didn't take enough time to focus properly. I felt a little self-conscious photographing such a touching moment, so I did snap and runrelying on the autofocus to take care of everything for me. More of an infraction having violated her privacy and flubbed the shot, I suppose.

Again, thank you,
Alex

 

[130253]

Thank you, Tom, for your kind words. I was hesitant at first about sending this photo in. As you thought, the photo is in B&W, color would not have worked. It was a raw, windy, dark clouded, wintery evening.

Let me add my thanks to you and Rocketman for this wonderful forum!

 

[SNC1923]

Thank you, Tom, for your kind words. I was hesitant at first about sending this photo in. As you thought, the photo is in B&W, color would not have worked. It was a raw, windy, dark clouded, wintry evening.

Let me add my thanks to you and Rocketman for this wonderful forum!

Everyone is being so nice! You're very welcome. Rocketman and I are enjoying this as much as all of you seem to be. He was quite accurate in assuming there were a lot of people here who are interesting in photography as an adjunct hobby to motorcycling.

Yours was a really dramatic photo. Not sure what your hesitancy was, but I hope you post again and often.

 

[BeerTeam]

Barb, some friends and I went on a sleigh ride Saturday. I took some photos and I was thinking the theme "Winter" was a two week photo assignment. When I went to post them I noticed that the assignment ended last week. Well, here they are, my homework is late and the photos have no BMW motorcycle in the winter scenery.

"The Hill"
F11 for Full Screen



.....Oh what fun it is to ride in a two-horse, open sleigh

 

[BeerTeam]

.....Over the fields we go

 

[BeerTeam]

Dashing through the snow