[SI] Heat - my comments

Here we go...

Michael J. Hoffman* - http://www.pbase.com/image/33170455

This image won best photo in Petersen's Photographic monthly
contest in July of 2001. The theme: "Heat".

Well, I won't say it isn't a prize winner ('cause I'd be wrong),
but it is *archive*, so "Bad Michael, Bad!"

It is a great photo. Given the mandate and seriousness of the
pose, it is just too funny. Reminiscent of
http://www.pbase.com/image/29886783 from Bret ...
The shot is very contrasty and punchy (although this scan is not
particularly good). I could see this as an enforcement warning
poster from the MDSP. The shot is simple, on target, direct.
The "nits" here are the under saturation of the MDSP logo (scan?)
and that's about it. A 'touch' of fill flash would have been
nice for under the hat but the reflection off of the car would
have been ugly.

Matthew White - http://www.pbase.com/image/33170471

This is a bit (no a lot) of a "snapshot" and without the
narrative does not say much about "heat" as it does about
temperature. The shot is centered, which is not very interesting
(move elements around the scene, take them from different
perspectives, etc.) The 'clutter' around the thermometer does
suggest an office of some kind, so at least we're getting some
info about 'where' this is. Exposure seems a bit over
(highlights are bleached out) and with the color shifts I suspect
you underexposed this and then pushed it up in photoshop. When
pointing a camera at a mainly white scene, the meter will tend to
request less exposure on the order of 1.5 - 2 stops.
Good first entry, but now that you've broken into the SI, start
making photographs.

Vic Mason - http://www.pbase.com/image/33170473

To me this is more about light sources than heat. It's implied
that it is hot, but I think without an element in the image that
is not feeling the heat that it doesn't carry the mandate very
well... the coloration is certainly warm... I also did a macro of
a lamp filament which was perhaps acceptable but with the
inclusions in the glass of the lamp, it looked crappy. Vic's
shot is nice and clean, if over saturated. How did you meter
this Vic?

Ken Nadvornick* - http://www.pbase.com/image/33170474

The color says it all, this was hot and the heat is doing
something useful. Nice capture of the coals with a lot of grades
of orange and yellow there and bits of red. Then the contrast
with the 'cold' looking aluminum foil (whites and blues) to the
fuel waiting to go in and the smoke rising above convectively. A
lot of elements at a lot of temperatures. The weakness in this
shot is the centered composition and missing context (who is the
cooking for), but the perspective and slanting lines of the grill
make up for that a good deal. Good shot.

Steely Dan - http://www.pbase.com/image/33170475

Another shot that gets to the theme indirectly. The shot is a
good documentary of the young hippo suffering, and the color
implies sunburn, but we're really not sure...

Doug Payne - http://www.pbase.com/image/33170476

Shoulda had this one saved for the "Red" mandate... The red paint
and the obvious fact that it is an engine makes this another in
the implied heat category for this SI. The reds are predominant,
but don't look "hot" for some reason. The metal parts here serve
to cool the whole image down. Kudos for the humorous touch.

Bowser - http://www.pbase.com/image/33170477

Sunny day at the shore and it looks hot out there... no comment
other than this would have been more effective with someone in
the close foreground, slathered in sunblock, to give the heat
impression and help take advantage of the compression effect of
the umbrellas...

Alan Browne - http://www.pbase.com/image/33170478

A candle. Gives off a little light at the expense of a lot of
heat. I tried to get several colors in here for different
temperatures in the flame.

Colin Donohue - http://www.pbase.com/image/33170479

Like Kens shot this one is all heat. This one is a more closeup
treatment and a more intense impression is made. The detail in
the 'cold' areas of the coals balances the hot spots well.

Bruce Murphy - http://www.pbase.com/image/33170480

I have trouble with this one (whether I'm close to or far from
the screen). It is more like sunlight coming down through cool
fog than a desert scene to me. The color is mildly warm, but not
'hot'.

Jim Kramer - http://www.pbase.com/image/33170481

Suggests 'cool' to me, not heat. As an action shot, pretty good.


Simon Lee - http://www.pbase.com/image/33170482

He's baaaack. The creative speed bump of two weeks ago is gone
and Simon delights with one of my favorites of the batch. Other
than the somewhat centered composition this is a very pleasing
image. The slight angle of the puddle and orientation of the
stem help a great deal to alleviate. Color is hot and the
lighting just right to bring that out. The melting ice implies
the heat ... shot has a near commercial look to it and a soupcon
of humour.

Eric Quesnel-Williams - http://www.pbase.com/image/33170483

This shot is technically well brought off, more so for being in
B&W. Further it is almost a parody of Michael Hoffmans entry and
as such gets a bonus Kudo. The mix of strong, hard, sharp
definition of the hair dryer (whatever) v. the soft defocused
face is what makes this shot leap off of the screen. The subtle
angle from the eyes of the model to the tip of the gun enforce
the sense of 3 dimensions in this image. I would have arranged
to have the light spill onto his left eye as well to punch up the
role of the model. The notion of 'heat' is not very strong, but
it remains a Very Nice Shot.

Rich Pos - http://www.pbase.com/image/33181907

Hubba-Hubba. Tempers are flaring and the BMR is burning. While
the comic composition and lovely lady (did I say hubba-hubba?)
certainly make the shot, I do find it a bit under saturated. I'm
guessing it was all natural diffuse light (which helps the smoke,
no doubt) ... I wonder if a flash would have made this a crisper
and more saturated shot making the blue of the car stand out
more. A shot from below the hood, with the smoke bubbling up and
the PO'd lady (hubba-hubba in case you're wondering) looking at
it while gesticulating and speaking (yeah right!) into the phone
would have been interesting too... In any case, another great
shot for this SI.

Bob Hickey - http://www.pbase.com/image/33181912

Heat? Looks more like a seasonally abandoned hot dog stand at
Coney Island. Don't get it for the mandate.

Al Denelsback - http://www.pbase.com/image/33181932

I suppose from the mandate POV that we can see the warmth here,
the last of the B&W's in this series (kudos to those who did B&W
for this mandate). The placement of the cats eyes in shadow is a
shame...

R. Schenck - http://www.pbase.com/image/33249421

Hot breakfast with hot sauces. Says it all. I like the blue
reflection on the table, would have been nice to have more of it
to offset the yellows and reds.

Brian Baird - http://www.pbase.com/image/33249503

Neat shot, esp. in that all the "heat" of the image appears to
come indirectly via the mirror that the ice cube is on. This is
a good mix of several of the photos in this SI. The 'touch' that
really gets this shot going is the blue reflection on the right.
Coupled with the flame A pop of flash through a tube to just
white light up the ice cube without highlighting in the water
patterns would have been a neat trick to add.
note to follow

end comments

--
-- rec.photo.equipment.35mm user resource:
-- http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.--

Alan Browne choreographed a chorus line of high-kicking electrons to spell
out:

Simon Lee - http://www.pbase.com/image/33170482

He's baaaack. The creative speed bump of two weeks ago is gone
and Simon delights with one of my favorites of the batch. Other
than the somewhat centered composition this is a very pleasing
image. The slight angle of the puddle and orientation of the
stem help a great deal to alleviate. Color is hot and the
lighting just right to bring that out. The melting ice implies
the heat ... shot has a near commercial look to it and a soupcon
of humour.

Thanks again for the comments, and my friend thanks you for liking
her concept, since she pointed me away from stubbornly trying to find new
ways to set chilies on fire... I still need to cobble together a better
background, this one was actually a taped-down 20x30 presentation folder,
but it mostly worked.

--
__ A L L D O N E! B Y E B Y E!
(__ * _ _ _ _
__)|| | |(_)| \ "...and then, the squirrels attacked."

Alan Browne choreographed a chorus line of high-kicking electrons to spell
out:

Simon Lee - http://www.pbase.com/image/33170482

He's baaaack. The creative speed bump of two weeks ago is gone
and Simon delights with one of my favorites of the batch. Other
than the somewhat centered composition this is a very pleasing
image. The slight angle of the puddle and orientation of the
stem help a great deal to alleviate. Color is hot and the
lighting just right to bring that out. The melting ice implies
the heat ... shot has a near commercial look to it and a soupcon
of humour.

Thanks again for the comments, and my friend thanks you for liking
her concept, since she pointed me away from stubbornly trying to find new
ways to set chilies on fire... I still need to cobble together a better
background, this one was actually a taped-down 20x30 presentation folder,
but it mostly worked.

--
__ A L L D O N E! B Y E B Y E!
(__ * _ _ _ _
__)|| | |(_)| \ "...and then, the squirrels attacked."

Alan Browne choreographed a chorus line of high-kicking electrons to spell
out:

Simon Lee - http://www.pbase.com/image/33170482

He's baaaack. The creative speed bump of two weeks ago is gone
and Simon delights with one of my favorites of the batch. Other
than the somewhat centered composition this is a very pleasing
image. The slight angle of the puddle and orientation of the
stem help a great deal to alleviate. Color is hot and the
lighting just right to bring that out. The melting ice implies
the heat ... shot has a near commercial look to it and a soupcon
of humour.

Thanks again for the comments, and my friend thanks you for liking
her concept, since she pointed me away from stubbornly trying to find new
ways to set chilies on fire... I still need to cobble together a better
background, this one was actually a taped-down 20x30 presentation folder,
but it mostly worked.

--
__ A L L D O N E! B Y E B Y E!
(__ * _ _ _ _
__)|| | |(_)| \ "...and then, the squirrels attacked."

S Lee wrote:

I still need to cobble together a better
background, this one was actually a taped-down 20x30 presentation folder,
but it mostly worked.

It almost never matters what was used if the photo is effective...


--
-- rec.photo.equipment.35mm user resource:
-- http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.--

S Lee wrote:

I still need to cobble together a better
background, this one was actually a taped-down 20x30 presentation folder,
but it mostly worked.

It almost never matters what was used if the photo is effective...


--
-- rec.photo.equipment.35mm user resource:
-- http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.--

In article ,
says...
Brian Baird - http://www.pbase.com/image/33249503

Neat shot, esp. in that all the "heat" of the image appears to
come indirectly via the mirror that the ice cube is on. This is
a good mix of several of the photos in this SI. The 'touch' that
really gets this shot going is the blue reflection on the right.
Coupled with the flame A pop of flash through a tube to just
white light up the ice cube without highlighting in the water
patterns would have been a neat trick to add.
note to follow

Thanks for the comments, Alan.
--
http://www.pbase.com/bcbaird/

In article ,
says...
Brian Baird - http://www.pbase.com/image/33249503

Neat shot, esp. in that all the "heat" of the image appears to
come indirectly via the mirror that the ice cube is on. This is
a good mix of several of the photos in this SI. The 'touch' that
really gets this shot going is the blue reflection on the right.
Coupled with the flame A pop of flash through a tube to just
white light up the ice cube without highlighting in the water
patterns would have been a neat trick to add.
note to follow

Thanks for the comments, Alan.
--
http://www.pbase.com/bcbaird/