FA Limited
missing in action
any critiques would be very welcome 🙂
NY Guggenheim
- Thread starter FA Limited
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FA Limited
missing in action
guess i didn't offend anyone with these photos :/
icebear
Veteran
Have been there too : I found the light bulbs turned out not so interesting on the pics. I preferred other views :
merlin
Established
FA Limited – I've been away from the forum awhile and this is the first thread I opened. Since you ask for critique, I'll give it ... and this is just ME reacting for better or worse.
Marque: A pretty ordinary, informational image. The hard shapes – particularly the marque – don't come across in color and render the black human shapes and bare trees as afterthoughts. Amazingly, this shot in B&W is quite interesting: the slant and dominance of the marque, the arch of the streetlight, the upward, complimentary swing of the tree line and building curbing really become a nice composition. And boy-o-boy, if you'd waited several seconds and caught the primary center couple against the right building wall walking OUT of the picture, and the following lady thus filling their old place, this pic would have been very 'street-worthy'.
Doors: Here again, take away the drab, unhelpful color and the composition is much more alive. I like the bottom bravely chopped to give us just the right-hand gal's feet, the dark ceiling and dominant light fixture framing the top line with a slight curve to relieve the vertical door framing, even the buses contribute for a good B&W ... but it's pretty boring in color.
Not harping that mono is the end all, just saying color doesn't 'work' here for me.
PS - Another reason I had to respond is the avitar I happen to be using: 'Two Ladies at the Guggenheim, 1977'. Saw the two black-dressed-ladies coming down the spiral, saw the two statues, positioned myself and waited, and to my great surprise they fell into place. Seldom succeed when I ANTICIPATE but that time it was worth the wait – as it would have been for you.
Marque: A pretty ordinary, informational image. The hard shapes – particularly the marque – don't come across in color and render the black human shapes and bare trees as afterthoughts. Amazingly, this shot in B&W is quite interesting: the slant and dominance of the marque, the arch of the streetlight, the upward, complimentary swing of the tree line and building curbing really become a nice composition. And boy-o-boy, if you'd waited several seconds and caught the primary center couple against the right building wall walking OUT of the picture, and the following lady thus filling their old place, this pic would have been very 'street-worthy'.
Doors: Here again, take away the drab, unhelpful color and the composition is much more alive. I like the bottom bravely chopped to give us just the right-hand gal's feet, the dark ceiling and dominant light fixture framing the top line with a slight curve to relieve the vertical door framing, even the buses contribute for a good B&W ... but it's pretty boring in color.
Not harping that mono is the end all, just saying color doesn't 'work' here for me.
PS - Another reason I had to respond is the avitar I happen to be using: 'Two Ladies at the Guggenheim, 1977'. Saw the two black-dressed-ladies coming down the spiral, saw the two statues, positioned myself and waited, and to my great surprise they fell into place. Seldom succeed when I ANTICIPATE but that time it was worth the wait – as it would have been for you.
Andrew Sowerby
Well-known
Hi,
The second photo doesn't do much for me. There's no oomph to it. Sorry for the vague and unhelpful comments on that.
I think that the first photo has potential. I would be inclined to crop it to focus on the people under the lights (see attached). I like the warmth of the lights, so I wouldn't convert to BW. Then again, I don't usually shoot BW and I crop everything I shoot!
Anyhow, do you like them?
-Andrew
The second photo doesn't do much for me. There's no oomph to it. Sorry for the vague and unhelpful comments on that.
I think that the first photo has potential. I would be inclined to crop it to focus on the people under the lights (see attached). I like the warmth of the lights, so I wouldn't convert to BW. Then again, I don't usually shoot BW and I crop everything I shoot!
Anyhow, do you like them?
-Andrew
Attachments
FA Limited
missing in action
thanks! i'm def not looking for "pat on the back" comments and nice to see different opinions on the photos as well.
on #1 it would have been better to have more action in the photo. as for b&w / color, i think i agree more with Andrew, i like the feeling of the illumination. in b&w, the lights truly dominate the scene. as for the crop, i'm not sure, i think that it leaves the people on the left edge a bit isolated but does improve the focus on the lights.
on #2, i like it a lot but not sure why. i can't say i fully understand the b&w mentality but there is something interesting about that photo in b&w. i'll have to study the photos a lot more and check out some other critiques too
on #1 it would have been better to have more action in the photo. as for b&w / color, i think i agree more with Andrew, i like the feeling of the illumination. in b&w, the lights truly dominate the scene. as for the crop, i'm not sure, i think that it leaves the people on the left edge a bit isolated but does improve the focus on the lights.
on #2, i like it a lot but not sure why. i can't say i fully understand the b&w mentality but there is something interesting about that photo in b&w. i'll have to study the photos a lot more and check out some other critiques too
Andrew Sowerby
Well-known
Somewhat OT: a few years ago I was at the Guggenheim after a day of taking pictures around NYC with my Lomo LC-A. I got to frame 36, 37, 38 ... I didn't know what was wrong so I just rewound the film. When I got home and found out that the film hadn't advanced at all. The roll was blank. I was bummed.
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