Critique #84 *Urban Landscape* 5 Participants

[ampguy]

my critique

my critique

Ironically John, I think urban and rural are relative terms.

This photo to me, is the epitome of Rural-ness.

It reminds me of a Robert Altman movie, I think, called 3 women or something like that where they are stuck in the a rural desert suburb of old so. cal.

It's evokes feelings of slowness, quietness and Americana. Very nice.

If You Build It They Will Come (Not)

 

[ampguy]

my critique

my critique

Ray, this looks like an abandoned or worn down building in a rural town, as it's only about 3 floors. The geometry is a little skewed to me, I would have gone wider or angled a little differently, it looks a little snapshotish, like an insurance photo or something trying to show a broken ladder or something.

Here's mine.



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[ampguy]

my critique

my critique

Nice shot of a theatre sign in an old rural town.

I would have cropped in on the sign, or gone very much wider for more context.

Originally the "Ritz" (1926). Dodged the wrecking ball even though it's in downtown Houston.

 

[ampguy]

my critique

my critique

Again, looks to me like an abandoned store in a Rural town. Unless it actually is from a brownie camera from the 40s, I think the low contrast look is overdone.

My Urban Landscape

 

[aizan]

sweet! i'd give that to the local historical society.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

for an "Urban Landscape"

I see a perfectly nice street photo. There's animation and a good range of tones from black to white. Classic. I would have liked it even better if I'd seen more fronts and fewer backs - but you can't turn people around, you just need to photograph what you have in front of you.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

In case someone can't see the "Urban" - ness of the previous one - note the large objects are tall buildings, typically found in urban areas ...

Both of these were taken with an M6, with either Fuji 200 or 400 color negative film, Summicron 35, either v4 or asph, and converted to B&W in Picasa.

A great architectural photo. The repeating pattern is great. Losing a few pixels (the stray building) on the left might make it better.

 

[ampguy]

Thanks Jon

Thanks Jon

I generally don't crop unless adjusting to 4x6, 8x10, etc. prints.

But I did think about cropping that left side out, but it then exacerbated the fact that the left edge of the building was not parallel to the left edge of the image frame even more.

A great architectural photo. The repeating pattern is great. Losing a few pixels (the stray building) on the left might make it better.

 

[ChadHahn]

for an "Urban Landscape"

I like the way the building on the right divides the image into thirds. It's too bad that all the people seem to be bunched up into the top half of the picture. If the man walking towards the camera was just a few steps closer, it would be even better in my opinion.

 

[ChadHahn]

If You Build It They Will Come (Not)

This photo sort of intrigues me. Is that the actual color of the pavement or is it the film? What film was used? The color is almost surreal and takes a bland snapshot and makes it special.

That being said, I don't really care for the composition, the eye kind of flops around looking for somewhere to land.

Here's mine.



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Nice tones in this picture, good detail as well. If only everything wasn't in the center.

Originally the "Ritz" (1926). Dodged the wrecking ball even though it's in downtown Houston.

Nice view of Urban renewal. My town is trying to get an old theatre restored and it is taking forever and costing a mint. I guess by your text that Houston is one of those cities that wants to tear everything over 50 years old down. It's a shame when that happens.

I wasn't quite clear, was I supposed to say something good and bad about every picture?

 

[kjoosten]

I guess by your text that Houston is one of those cities that wants to tear everything over 50 years old down. It's a shame when that happens.

Over 50 years old? Try 25. I've been making a few trips downtown to try to capture images of some of the few remaining pre-depression buildings. They're in my gallery, if you are interested.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

All:


Thank you for your comments. This photo is part of my 'Desolation' theme and intended to show emptiness. The color shift is the cross processing.

 

[ampguy]

Thanks Chad

Thanks Chad

I did consider cropping the bottom part a bit in the photo with people, and probably would if I were to print in a format that allowed cropping on that side.

I like the way the building on the right divides the image into thirds. It's too bad that all the people seem to be bunched up into the top half of the picture. If the man walking towards the camera was just a few steps closer, it would be even better in my opinion.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

I too am a bit of a purist when it comes to cropping.

But on occasion I'll take off a tiny bit then 'stretch' the photo ever so slightly to get it back to a regular size.

On a photo such as ampguy's the stretch wouldn't even notice.

 

[ChadHahn]

My photo was shot on a Leica IIf on an overcast day and the exposure estimated by using the Sunny 16 rule and the Ultimate Exposure Computer.

I am not sure if that is why the picture is so flat or if it is the way it is scanned, but I agree that it should have more contrast. As you probably can tell, the negative could also stand to be cleaned.

The building its self was torn down quite awhile ago. I happened to be driving by on a Sunday and saw what was left standing there. I don't know how or why the glass was still intact but it was.

I'll keep working on the contrast until either I get it right or decide that it is unfixable.

Ampguy, I didn't think about cropping. That might work, if it didn't change the building on the right taking up a third. Oh photography is hard

 

[ChadHahn]

All:


Thank you for your comments. This photo is part of my 'Desolation' theme and intended to show emptiness. The color shift is the cross processing.

Sure, cross processing. I should have known. I haven't seen it used like that I guess. I have always wanted to try that. Where did you have it done?

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

My photo was shot on a Leica IIf on an overcast day...

If it's overcast you won't get shadows.

Sometimes that's better than direct light with to much contrast

But your photo does have blacks; I'm looking at the doorframe etc.

It's a gray building on a gray day.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Sure, cross processing. I should have known. I haven't seen it used like that I guess. I have always wanted to try that. Where did you have it done?

This is vintage Fuji Sensia E6 processed in C41.

Usually I use it at around mid day for the weird color shifts that I like. morning and afternoon are nowhere near as good. But this was an experiment in afternoon twilight and I think it worked.

As for processing I just take it to the local minilab where they know me and think I'm odd. But they do it for me.

Any C41 minilab can process E6 without harming their chemistry so long as they keep the E6 throughput to under 5% of the total. If you want it done and they don't want to do it Google for their operator's manual and print the page that tells them that it's possible.

 

[ChadHahn]

I have a mini lab that I spend lots of money at. I'll talk to the guy and ask him if he'll do it.

I think you're right about my picture, there just isn't a lot of contrast there.

 

[ampguy]

Thanks all, these are photos from my potential upcoming MyPublisher limited edition book titled "Urban Landscapes"

You can pre-order signed prints of any of them for $10 (Costco), or $25 (hand printed on an Epson R380 by me).