[SI] - Grace - is up

Grace is now posted.

http://www.pbase.com/shootin/grace

Those who haven't submitted are disgraceful. You still have time to
redeem yourselves and attain a state of grace by submitting.

http://si.jlkramer.net/rulz/rulz.htm

JimKramer wrote:

Grace is now posted.

http://www.pbase.com/shootin/grace

Those who haven't submitted are disgraceful. You still have time to
redeem yourselves and attain a state of grace by submitting.

A grace period?

--
Ken Tough

JimKramer wrote:

Grace is now posted.
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/grace

Those who haven't submitted are disgraceful. You still have time to
redeem yourselves and attain a state of grace by submitting.

http://si.jlkramer.net/rulz/rulz.htm

OK I'll post comments, since I've been delinquent commenting and
submitting for quite a while.

Paul Furman (me) - morning light in bay window
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875071
I thought this came out pretty cool. What could be more graceful than a
sunrise? I probably pushed the rulz by masking a saturation boost but
hey, that's how I work and it was with the intent of capturing the scene
that my eyes saw more 'accurately'.

Colin Donoghue - ballet lady
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875115
Beautiful lady and beautiful capture of her though the background
concrete block wall detracts, not just because it's ugly but because
it's so gray. I would have gone with a shallower DOF than f/8 to soften
things a bit, if I thought of it. Cloudy skys? BTW, it would be
technically very difficult to photoshop the background into blur, one
would need to cut out the figure and clone in some more background
behind her to avoid a halo.

Mardon - seagull
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875122
I thought about submitting a bird in flight after the fact, good idea
for the mandate. The bird in the background has an awkward position with
it's beak behind the front bird's feet but I think I like the clean
black & white-ish look here and maybe I was mistaken about the grays in
Colin's dancer.

Michelo - chinese lanterns
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875177
I'm surprised a little P&S can get a night scene like this at 1/125 sec.
There isn't any detail at all in the shadows so I don't know if that
might have looked better, perhaps a little more rich and subtle?

Nicholas Lindan - grandfather's iris
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875193
Speaking of black backgrounds and silvery gray color schemes... There's
no doubt the blackground was intentional here and I think it is
effective for a very strong conceptual impact.

Ken Nadvornick - roadside memorial
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875249
"4x5 field camera... 210mm... 1/400 sec at f/12.7"
I take it that was an intentionally shallow DOF for such a camera in
bright light? I like the informal documentary feel of the shot. An
interesting interpretation of grace. The composition is strong enough to
overcome the cluttered reality. Perhaps unintentional but I like the
mirroring of the white cross and the black cross of the power pole in
the background.

Jim Kramer - ice crystals on a pond?
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875256
I enjoy abstract patterns like this but perhaps the composition is still
too confusing. I want to see only the upper-left-center formation, the
lower-right one throws me and is confusing. I suspect this type of shot
would benefit from a large detailed print size. You must have still had
the fractals mandate on your mind!

Ken Tough - autumn leaf caught in branch, falling
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69899257
Neat idea and I appreciate the thought of capturing it but my eyes want
a portrait framing or some other more interesting composition. I can see
how the space on the left emphasizes the precarious situation though. I
suppose the muted colors are appropriate but it really is very subtle,
that's why I was craving a more dynamic composition. The concept is great.

--
Paul Furman
http://www.edgehill.net/1
Bay Natives
http://www.baynatives.com

"Paul Furman" wrote:

Ken Nadvornick - roadside memorial
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875249
"4x5 field camera... 210mm... 1/400 sec at f/12.7"
I take it that was an intentionally shallow DOF for such
a camera in bright light? I like the informal documentary
feel of the shot. An interesting interpretation of grace.
The composition is strong enough to overcome the cluttered
reality. Perhaps unintentional but I like the mirroring of
the white cross and the black cross of the power pole in
the background.

Thanks for the interesting insights, Paul.

You are correct that the scene was inherently very cluttered. Freshly
fallen autumn leaves in abundance. I've known of this location for years.
It's one of the few around that has been maintained non-stop since it was
originally erected. I found myself wishing that it was summer when the
median is covered in less cluttered grass.

The (somewhat) shallower DOF was part of an attempt to minimize some of the
background clutter. Didn't work out especially effectively. Printing on a
grade #3 paper was also an attempt to de-emphasize the background by
dropping the shadows deeper while maintaining the brilliant whites of the
cross. Final effect also only so-so. I will definitely have another go at
this subject in the future.

One of the simple handwritten notes attached to the cross says,

"Please never stop being with me in my dreams at night. See you again,
Carrie."

So my interpretation of "Grace" therefore came by way of a seventh-level
definition in The American Heritage Dictionary, Third Edition:

"grace (gras) n. 7. Theol. b. The state of being protected by God."

Which is how I strongly suspect Carrie feels about Cory every time she
arrives to redo his memorial for the next holiday, birthday, or memory.

Ken

"Paul Furman" wrote in message
news

Michelo - chinese lanterns
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875177
I'm surprised a little P&S can get a night scene like this at 1/125 sec.

Why not? Unless you just mean that I don't have ISO 3200.


There isn't any detail at all in the shadows so I don't know if that might
have looked better, perhaps a little more rich and subtle?


It was too late after sunset and a longer exposure was only whitening the
lanterns. But that way it does not show the crowd of people facing me. Would
you prefer it more with the light like that one, made closer to sunset with
a Canon 5D, 1.3 sec. at f/22?

http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/jar...nes_bateau.jpg



Thanks for commenting.



Michel

michelo wrote:

"Paul Furman" wrote in message
news
Michelo - chinese lanterns
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875177

There isn't any detail at all in the shadows so I don't know if that might
have looked better, perhaps a little more rich and subtle?

It was too late after sunset and a longer exposure was only whitening the
lanterns. But that way it does not show the crowd of people facing me. Would
you prefer it more with the light like that one, made closer to sunset with
a Canon 5D, 1.3 sec. at f/22?

I do like that one. Maybe in between? The P&S' tend to apply a lot of
contrast also, so the Canon in the same light might have had a bit more
shadow detail. I used a P&S & applied more contrast though so...

http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/jar...nes_bateau.jpg



Thanks for commenting.



Michel





--
Paul Furman
http://www.edgehill.net/1
Bay Natives
http://www.baynatives.com

Ken Nadvornick wrote:

"Paul Furman" wrote:

Ken Nadvornick - roadside memorial
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875249
An interesting interpretation of grace.

One of the simple handwritten notes attached to the cross says,

"Please never stop being with me in my dreams at night. See you again,
Carrie."

So my interpretation of "Grace" therefore came by way of a seventh-level
definition in The American Heritage Dictionary, Third Edition:

"grace (gras) n. 7. Theol. b. The state of being protected by God."

That's the definition I was thinking of, and hell, I'm an atheist :~)
Still a pretty complicated story to arrive back at 'grace' that makes
one pause & ponder.

Which is how I strongly suspect Carrie feels about Cory every time she
arrives to redo his memorial for the next holiday, birthday, or memory.

Ken



--
Paul Furman
http://www.edgehill.net/1
Bay Natives
http://www.baynatives.com

JimKramer wrote:
Grace is now posted.

http://www.pbase.com/shootin/grace

It is interesting that black and white dominates 5 out of 8 of
the submissions. (Before someone reminds me I know that
they are not all B/W images) I am not sure what this means
but grace seems to be best expressed as simplicity and
removing the dominance of color may be part of the process.

The opinions are mine not personal.

w..


Paul Furman - morning light in bay window
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875071
Busy. Sunrises and sunsets do provide lots of soft color. This
image suggests that grace is going to disappear into the realities
of the day. I do like the brightness that expresses warmth and
its color compatibility with the room.


Colleen Donoghue - ballet lady
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875115
I like this image. The skin colors and sharp facial focus draw
the viewer to the ballet ladies slightly innocent face framed by
her raised arms. The background is just enough out of focus.

Mardon - seagull
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875122
One seagull or two? The foreground bird in isolation would
have been a better image. I like bird shots, there is an element
of timing and they are a good subject for this SI. The right side
positioning gives a sense of relaxed time that I like that
accentuates a sense grace. The shot captures the signature
shape of a gull wing a sense of soaring


Michelo - chinese lanterns
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875177
Great reflection a little busy for my senses


Nicholas Lindan - grandfather's iris
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875193
My personal favourite. I could hang this on a wall and see
something new each time it was viewed. It swallows you in
with its complex simplicity. It has all the grace of a ballet
dancers body and hands in action. Not overly sharp just
very nice. Did I say I liked it?


Ken Nadvornick - roadside memorial
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875249

Cluttered. It may be rest in peace but it is a memorial
to a violent death. Disturbing. I have a hard time with
this one.



Jim Kramer - ice crystals on a pond?
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875256

I think there is a lot of potential in here that a little post
processing might bring out. The darkness suggests
sinister rather than beauty suspended in time. The fractal
element suggests grace and form over a wider area,
ie grace is infectious.


Ken Tough - autumn leaf caught in branch, falling
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69899257

Nice idea a requiem. "A fall from grace" Just enough
color left to remind us what the leaf once was. The leaf
is briefly stopped in the inevitable fall to the forest floor.
Life has been a little rough on the edges but there
remains just a little of its former glory.

Paul Furman wrote:

Ken Tough - autumn leaf caught in branch, falling
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69899257
Neat idea and I appreciate the thought of capturing it but my eyes want
a portrait framing or some other more interesting composition. I can see
how the space on the left emphasizes the precarious situation though. I
suppose the muted colors are appropriate but it really is very subtle,
that's why I was craving a more dynamic composition. The concept is great.

Thanks for the kind comments.

The colour is kindof muted, and I had intended to try and catch a
leaf while gracefully falling, but it was an abyssmally overcast day.
Oh well.


Mardon - seagull
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875122
I thought about submitting a bird in flight after the fact, good idea
for the mandate.

Yes, my initial thought was to try and recapture this shot I had in the
archives: http://www.pbase.com/k_j_tough/image/69932917/large
but that was some special conditions.

It is a nice clean look in that shot, and gulls are just so graceful.

--
Ken Tough

Paul Furman wrote:

Ken Tough - autumn leaf caught in branch, falling
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69899257
Neat idea and I appreciate the thought of capturing it but my eyes want
a portrait framing or some other more interesting composition. I can see
how the space on the left emphasizes the precarious situation though. I
suppose the muted colors are appropriate but it really is very subtle,
that's why I was craving a more dynamic composition. The concept is great.

Thanks for the kind comments.

The colour is kindof muted, and I had intended to try and catch a
leaf while gracefully falling, but it was an abyssmally overcast day.
Oh well.


Mardon - seagull
http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/69875122
I thought about submitting a bird in flight after the fact, good idea
for the mandate.

Yes, my initial thought was to try and recapture this shot I had in the
archives: http://www.pbase.com/k_j_tough/image/69932917/large
but it takes some special conditions.

It is a nice clean look in Mardon's shot, and gulls are just
so inherently graceful.

--
Ken Tough