Critique#38 *Open Theme* 5 Participants

RayPA

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Here is my image; it is a rare sunset/sunrise ... I will tell you about it later.

Film: Fujichrome 100
No filters; no PS.

Raid
 

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Here's mine. The old Fox Tucson theater at night. Rolleicord 1V w/80a filter,Ektachrome 100 asa.
 

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Foolproof,

On one level, I know that alleyway security cameras like that are posted to discourage loitering and unscrupulous activities, but the context you've shot it in here really contains some absurdist overtones. You know, the idea of eternal vigilance over one's rubbish bins, or whatever. I like that I'm able to extract this thought from it. The deadpan composition is about right for this sort of portrayal.

From a design standpoint, however, I think it would have been worthwhile to try to provide more breathing room around the tops and bottoms of the frame and to do something with the visually subdued wallspace on the left. The usually-good excuse of casual "rangefinder framing" is harder to justify in scenes with strong geometry that depend on careful alignment of elements, like this one. Then again, I've shot in alleyways like this and I know free space is limited, especially when working with a prime lens.

On a technical note, I love your highlight contrast in this shot and inky dark tones of the background wall.
 
Raid,

It's a pity you've been holding all these slides back for all this time! The tranquility here is excellent, having spent some time on the beaches in years past I find myself slipping easily into that post-dinner twilight solemnity.

The two special elements here are the strongly monochromatic light and the heron with chicks, they are what separates this from an typical beach sunset shot. You've hinted that this is a rare sunset/sunrise, however, which makes me wonder if it's a solstice or equinox or midnight sun type of occasion (do they have herons in the far north or south??). I wouldn't have ever guessed this if it hadn't been for your caption. Is the image as strong to a viewer who isn't aware of the full, unusual context?
 
James (remrf),
Really, this is quite an excellent night photo and a good portrayal of the Fox Theater. The way you've presented it here makes it look pretty lively at night, I get a sort of happening Vegas vibe, with the bustling crowd and streaked-out lights. Kudos for getting all the traffic lights lit up, I don't know if you did that on purpose, but your timing was great.

I plowed through the images on the website in your .sig and I have to say that the image you've put up for critique here is better than the other of the fox theater, it shows the crowd off more effectively and has a more serviceable composition (and the "fox" sign in isn't occluded by the light pole).

The distance from which you've chosen to shoot this makes me feel a little like an outsider, like all the glamor is happening across the street. It wouldn't be too much a departure of style to shoot photographs like this closer to the action, unless your original aim was primarily to show off the architecture of the place and the movement around it.
 
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wyk_penguin,

You've got an eye for pattern and rhythm and it shows very heavily in this pick. I really like the compressed perspective here, and graphically, it makes this a very strong, very bold image. I also enjoy the color.

I just want to point out the effect of the building in the background. It adds a lot of context, kind of prevents the image from turning too much into an abstract, and grounds the viewer by showing some peripheral scenery.

It seems that what's caught your eye here is the cascading architecture, how nicely it repeats itself. If that's the case, why bother with that building in the background at all? I often wrestle against making images that are too sterile and abstract, but I think there's sufficient variation in the rooftops here to afford you a tighter, more surgical crop without simplifying the whole thing into an academic study of geometry.
 
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Trash

Trash

foolproof said:
heres mine : camera and two bins


Foolproof: The set-up is basic and clear. I have a few suggestions on how to have made this image stronger [in my opinion];
1. The security camera: It would be funny to have had the camera point down
on the trash.
2. Symmetry: Seeing [nearly] both trash containers in front ofone garage door
[but not the other] is good. If both had been exactly in front of one, it would
be better.
3. Graphics: The "lines"in the pavement blocks are not level. Sometimes small
things like arrangement of stones or pavement lines make a photo a
stronger image.

Well done.

Raid
 
Soup

Soup

tetrisattack said:
That makes five! Here's my contribution.


Conor: This is a very basic set-up with interesting result. The only thing that I don't seem to find help the image is the extra silver ware. I can imagine seeing a soup spoon only. Well done.

Raid
 
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streaks of light

streaks of light

remrf said:
Here's mine. The old Fox Tucson theater at night. Rolleicord 1V w/80a filter,Ektachrome 100 asa.


remrf: While the emphasis is on the FOX theatre, there is too much going on in this photo. There is a need to do some cropping to arrive at a stronger image. If we crop vertically [to leave FOX intact] we get something and if we crop vertically from the top [having FOX reduced to X], we get another image where the light streaks flow better. Well done.

Raid
 
Roof Tops

Roof Tops

wyk_penguin said:
Coming in a bit late. Here's mine.


wyk_penguin: I like shooting roof tops. Here, the strength is in the patterns seen in the rooftops. The top right and left [green] is distracting and so is that extra house window in the top left. I would suggest for getting a more abstract photo of patterns to crop horizontally from the top. Go down until no green is left. Nice idea.


Raid
 
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