Chapter 1 Assignment

[jimmiem]

[img width=667 height=1000]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3274687/DPP_0001.JPG[/img]

Shot in AV: ISO 200 f9 Shutter Speed 1/40 Focal length 41mm

It was a very gloomy day so photographing dilapidated buildings seemed like the thing to do.

[mdc001]

My first impression is that I like the picture, I'm engaged and then I see the conflicts in the picture:
1) The new windows and the windows that have been boarded over and the state of the wood.
2) The dull browns of the wood and the the rainbow colours of the paint in the lower section.
The mood is somber, even sad a little but the newness of the windows suggest transformation.
Technically,  the exposure is great if the intent was the mood described above. The focus looks fine.

[jimmiem]

Thank you for your comments. The contrast between the dull brown and rainbow colors is what drew me to the building and made me want to photograph it. The image in my first post is completely untouched, straight from the camera. I've since played with the levels a little bit to get a slightly more vivid image:
[img]http://jimmiemalone.smugmug.com/Art/SmugShots/smugshot4271835/1217816273_R4TaQ-XL.jpg[/img]

[mdc001]

I think the addition of 'vividness' makes the picture much more arresting and it looks sharper as well.  On the other hand, for me at least, some of the subtlety (mood) is lost and it's become more a study in contrasts.

[jimmiem]

I definitely see what you mean there. In the original the color was so muted and part of the reason I am reading this book is I really want my pictures to pop, but I guess there are times when you don't want your picture to pop.

[mdc001]

I too am reading the same book and the mention of getting images to pop sounded very familiar. In reviewing my own pictures, I seem to make them pretty contrast and essentially dark ... yeah they pop but I think I losing my intentionality ... what it is that grabbed my interest in the first place and what did I want to show others.
By the way, are you aware of a flicker group called "Life-Thru-A-Lenz".  Its a moderated group where you submit pictures to be critiqued and need to previous 5 images.  It hones your critical thinking about photographs and you get some pretty good feedback.

[DoubleTap]

That group appears to be closed now?

I like the exposure on this image.  You can almost smell the wet wood.  There is a lot of interesting texture and color.

If I could suggest anything, it would be a more focused subject.  Something about the overall composition makes me wonder what I am supposed to be looking at.  /shrug  I tend to like "tight" photo's though.

Thanks.