Punography comments from Calvin Sambrook

Well it looks like almost everyone struggled as much as I did with this
month's mandate!

PUN-Savageduck_old.jpg: What a fantastic photo. I particularly like the
reflections off the "water" and the inclusion of the lumps of ice in the
background which seems to me to give an impression of vast space. So much
of this photo works well: the shadows, the composition, the colours.
Fantastic.

Pun_Michael Wyllie.jpg: As a photo this is just too visually confusing to
work well for me. The mottled background having the same colours as the
dragon and the camera position leaving the head in front of the body like
that makes my attention jump all over the image without really seeing
anything much. Sorry.
I can't think what the pun is either - although that says more about me than
the photo! Sorry again!

Pun_Mike_Benveniste.jpg: I quite like this shot as a piece of art in
itself. The nice crisp subject and the use of two very plain backgrounds
works.
I cant imagine what the pun is though.

Punography Calvin Sambrook.jpg: Mine of course and I'm not at all happy.
The basic concept has sort of worked but I wanted to produce something with
strong lines down though the legs, arms and rope. Failed. I would have
liked a more obvious look to the model's clothing. Without giving the pun
away that is supposed to be a pirate's outfit but I don't think it's worked,
I think we should have gone for a stereotyped "pirate costume". I'm also
still not sure about my choice of background. I used this because it was
sort of neutral while still looking like a street but now I look again it's
simply too cluttered with tiny detail, I think I'd of been better off with
someone's fence or something. On the good side I did at least manage to get
the important bits on thirds which has helped a bit and Anna, my model, has
sort of managed to look like she's pulling pack against being dragged along.

Puns-Dont Be A Horses Ass-Cooper.jpg: I think this is probably a good photo
in its own right but is spoiled by the mandate if you see what I mean.
Without the symbol it's got nice composition and the shooting angle
certainly grabs the attention!

Puns-Horse Of A Different Color-Cooper.jpg: Wonderful. I love this shot.
The choice of recolour, having the head on the major third and the offset
framing within the frame all work to draw my eye in and grab my attention.
Well done.

Puns-Straight From The Horses Mouth-Cooper.jpg: This did nothing for me I'm
afraid. The bridle in the top left is distracting as is the diagonal crop
(what's going on there?). There's just not any visual interest, nothing to
pull me in.

pun-Paul-Furman-2008-edgehill.net.jpg: Wow. This would probably of been a
nothingy, boring snap but the added blur works to really give it punch. I
like the composition and the sharpness and texture in the bricks (look at
the original size). Must admit though - I can't look at it for too long as
it makes me feel ill !
"Blurring the boundaries" by any chance?

pun_bowser1.jpg: This is funny on so many levels it's embarrassing! It's
certainly not a great photo but within the context of this mandate I love
it.

pun_bowser2.jpg: Doesn't do it for me I'm afraid.

Clearly it was tough to come up with photographically accomplished shots
within this mandate, I know I failed. If I've just been nasty about your
photo I apologise but take a look at mine, it's no better!

--
Calvin

"Calvin Sambrook" wrote in message
...
Well it looks like almost everyone struggled as much as I did with this
month's mandate!



pun_bowser1.jpg: This is funny on so many levels it's embarrassing! It's
certainly not a great photo but within the context of this mandate I love
it.

pun_bowser2.jpg: Doesn't do it for me I'm afraid.

Yeah, and it's out of focus, too. Good news is that Buster got the cheese.
He likes cheese.

On Mon, 11 May 2009 12:32:13 +0100, "Calvin Sambrook"
wrote:

Puns-Dont Be A Horses Ass-Cooper.jpg: I think this is probably a good photo
in its own right but is spoiled by the mandate if you see what I mean.
Without the symbol it's got nice composition and the shooting angle
certainly grabs the attention!

Puns-Horse Of A Different Color-Cooper.jpg: Wonderful. I love this shot.
The choice of recolour, having the head on the major third and the offset
framing within the frame all work to draw my eye in and grab my attention.
Well done.

I like this photo
http://tonycooper.smugmug.com/photos...26_VCfu3-L.jpg , taken at
the same stable, better. This horse was not as easy to color, though,
so I whipped one off of the white one. (Not the same white horse as
the one in the field)


Puns-Straight From The Horses Mouth-Cooper.jpg: This did nothing for me I'm
afraid. The bridle in the top left is distracting as is the diagonal crop
(what's going on there?). There's just not any visual interest, nothing to
pull me in.

It's not really a diagonal crop. When I was shooting the white horse
in the field, another horse had his muzzle under the lowest fence bar
and was munching grass from the other side. He had his head twisted
to do so. I couldn't think of a way, pictorially, to convey "the
grass is greener on the other side", so I noticed the one blade
sticking almost straight up. I did line it up a little in post. The
halter, not the bridle, was included to make it clear it was a horse.
With tighter cropping, I wasn't sure it would be recognizable.

--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

"tony cooper" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 11 May 2009 12:32:13 +0100, "Calvin Sambrook"
wrote:

Puns-Dont Be A Horses Ass-Cooper.jpg: I think this is probably a good
photo
in its own right but is spoiled by the mandate if you see what I mean.
Without the symbol it's got nice composition and the shooting angle
certainly grabs the attention!

Puns-Horse Of A Different Color-Cooper.jpg: Wonderful. I love this shot.
The choice of recolour, having the head on the major third and the offset
framing within the frame all work to draw my eye in and grab my attention.
Well done.

I like this photo
http://tonycooper.smugmug.com/photos...26_VCfu3-L.jpg , taken at
the same stable, better. This horse was not as easy to color, though,
so I whipped one off of the white one. (Not the same white horse as
the one in the field)


I'm humbled! Both of those are excellent photos. Did you just snap what
was there or what? In particular how is this second shot lit? It looks as
if you've got light from inside the stable especially on those bars.


Puns-Straight From The Horses Mouth-Cooper.jpg: This did nothing for me
I'm
afraid. The bridle in the top left is distracting as is the diagonal crop
(what's going on there?). There's just not any visual interest, nothing
to
pull me in.

It's not really a diagonal crop. When I was shooting the white horse
in the field, another horse had his muzzle under the lowest fence bar
and was munching grass from the other side. He had his head twisted
to do so. I couldn't think of a way, pictorially, to convey "the
grass is greener on the other side", so I noticed the one blade
sticking almost straight up. I did line it up a little in post. The
halter, not the bridle, was included to make it clear it was a horse.
With tighter cropping, I wasn't sure it would be recognizable.

--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

On Tue, 12 May 2009 20:11:56 +0100, "Calvin Sambrook"
wrote:

"tony cooper" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 11 May 2009 12:32:13 +0100, "Calvin Sambrook"
wrote:

Puns-Dont Be A Horses Ass-Cooper.jpg: I think this is probably a good
photo
in its own right but is spoiled by the mandate if you see what I mean.
Without the symbol it's got nice composition and the shooting angle
certainly grabs the attention!

Puns-Horse Of A Different Color-Cooper.jpg: Wonderful. I love this shot.
The choice of recolour, having the head on the major third and the offset
framing within the frame all work to draw my eye in and grab my attention.
Well done.

I like this photo
http://tonycooper.smugmug.com/photos...26_VCfu3-L.jpg , taken at
the same stable, better. This horse was not as easy to color, though,
so I whipped one off of the white one. (Not the same white horse as
the one in the field)


I'm humbled! Both of those are excellent photos. Did you just snap what
was there or what? In particular how is this second shot lit? It looks as
if you've got light from inside the stable especially on those bars.


Thank you. Just daylight. The two stall windows were at opposite
ends of the building, and the sun just illuminated the interior of the
darker horse's stall more.

Just a quick personal story...when my daughter was a young teenager, I
got her interested in photography by taking her somewhere and saying
"Find a photograph here". Rather than taking her to a photographic
opportunity, I pushed her into making an opportunity out of any
location. She's an avid photographer now.

I used this same philosophy on the mandate. I stopped at the stable
and said to myself "find the shots here". That's why they are all
three horse photos. I always shoot for the mandate rather than pick
photos from past shots that fit the mandate.

It's not really a diagonal crop. When I was shooting the white horse
in the field, another horse had his muzzle under the lowest fence bar
and was munching grass from the other side. He had his head twisted
to do so. I couldn't think of a way, pictorially, to convey "the
grass is greener on the other side",

At least it inspired Annika to come in with one.

so I noticed the one blade
sticking almost straight up. I did line it up a little in post. The
halter, not the bridle, was included to make it clear it was a horse.
With tighter cropping, I wasn't sure it would be recognizable.

--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

Calvin Sambrook wrote:
Well it looks like almost everyone struggled as much as I did with this
month's mandate!

PUN-Savageduck_old.jpg: What a fantastic photo. I particularly like
the reflections off the "water" and the inclusion of the lumps of ice in
the background which seems to me to give an impression of vast space.
So much of this photo works well: the shadows, the composition, the
colours. Fantastic.

Pun_Michael Wyllie.jpg: As a photo this is just too visually confusing
to work well for me. The mottled background having the same colours as
the dragon and the camera position leaving the head in front of the body
like that makes my attention jump all over the image without really
seeing anything much. Sorry.
I can't think what the pun is either - although that says more about me
than the photo! Sorry again!

Hi Calvin. I had 2 choices of background, the
brown or some blue. I thought the brown suited the
dragon better. Also head-on was the only way to
capture all of the dragon, maybe I should've used
a different model....

Anyway, try "Dragging the chain".


Pun_Mike_Benveniste.jpg: I quite like this shot as a piece of art in
itself. The nice crisp subject and the use of two very plain
backgrounds works.
I cant imagine what the pun is though.

Punography Calvin Sambrook.jpg: Mine of course and I'm not at all
happy. The basic concept has sort of worked but I wanted to produce
something with strong lines down though the legs, arms and rope.
Failed. I would have liked a more obvious look to the model's
clothing. Without giving the pun away that is supposed to be a pirate's
outfit but I don't think it's worked, I think we should have gone for a
stereotyped "pirate costume". I'm also still not sure about my choice
of background. I used this because it was sort of neutral while still
looking like a street but now I look again it's simply too cluttered
with tiny detail, I think I'd of been better off with someone's fence or
something. On the good side I did at least manage to get the important
bits on thirds which has helped a bit and Anna, my model, has sort of
managed to look like she's pulling pack against being dragged along.

Ok, as soon as you mentioned pirates clothing, I
got it! :-)


Puns-Dont Be A Horses Ass-Cooper.jpg: I think this is probably a good
photo in its own right but is spoiled by the mandate if you see what I
mean. Without the symbol it's got nice composition and the shooting
angle certainly grabs the attention!

Puns-Horse Of A Different Color-Cooper.jpg: Wonderful. I love this
shot. The choice of recolour, having the head on the major third and the
offset framing within the frame all work to draw my eye in and grab my
attention. Well done.

Puns-Straight From The Horses Mouth-Cooper.jpg: This did nothing for me
I'm afraid. The bridle in the top left is distracting as is the
diagonal crop (what's going on there?). There's just not any visual
interest, nothing to pull me in.

pun-Paul-Furman-2008-edgehill.net.jpg: Wow. This would probably of
been a nothingy, boring snap but the added blur works to really give it
punch. I like the composition and the sharpness and texture in the
bricks (look at the original size). Must admit though - I can't look at
it for too long as it makes me feel ill !
"Blurring the boundaries" by any chance?

pun_bowser1.jpg: This is funny on so many levels it's embarrassing!
It's certainly not a great photo but within the context of this mandate
I love it.

pun_bowser2.jpg: Doesn't do it for me I'm afraid.

Clearly it was tough to come up with photographically accomplished shots
within this mandate, I know I failed. If I've just been nasty about
your photo I apologise but take a look at mine, it's no better!

--
Calvin













--
M.J.Wyllie.

On Mon, 11 May 2009 12:32:13 +0100, Calvin Sambrook wrote:

Pun_Mike_Benveniste.jpg: I quite like this shot as a piece of art in
itself. The nice crisp subject and the use of two very plain
backgrounds works.

Thanks for the kind words. Looking at it again, I got lazy on
the shadows on the easel.

I cant imagine what the pun is though.

Does it help to know that the spiky thing is an oriental fruit called
a Durian? I guess I just took a walk on the Wilde side.

--
Michael Benveniste -- (Clarification required)
Legalize Updoc.

On 11 May 2009 23:50:03 GMT, Mike Benveniste
wrote:

On Mon, 11 May 2009 12:32:13 +0100, Calvin Sambrook wrote:

Pun_Mike_Benveniste.jpg: I quite like this shot as a piece of art in
itself. The nice crisp subject and the use of two very plain
backgrounds works.

Thanks for the kind words. Looking at it again, I got lazy on
the shadows on the easel.

I cant imagine what the pun is though.

Does it help to know that the spiky thing is an oriental fruit called
a Durian? I guess I just took a walk on the Wilde side.

It's a strange shot. Every time I look at it the thing in the middle
looks older.


--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

"Mike Benveniste" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 11 May 2009 12:32:13 +0100, Calvin Sambrook wrote:

Pun_Mike_Benveniste.jpg: I quite like this shot as a piece of art in
itself. The nice crisp subject and the use of two very plain
backgrounds works.

Thanks for the kind words. Looking at it again, I got lazy on
the shadows on the easel.

I cant imagine what the pun is though.

Does it help to know that the spiky thing is an oriental fruit called
a Durian? I guess I just took a walk on the Wilde side.

A portrait of Durian Gray?


--
Michael Benveniste -- (Clarification required)
Legalize Updoc.

On Tue, 12 May 2009 07:46:34 -0400, Bowser wrote:

A portrait of Durian Gray?

Close enough.

Even though the Durian has been called the King of Fruits, the shot is
not a portrait. The original work, of course, was "The Picture of
Dorian Gray."

--
Michael Benveniste -- (Clarification required)
Legalize Updoc.