Last call! I will judge this contest in about 12 hours. Anyone else who would like to submit has about that long to do so. Great response so far!
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Weekly Photo Contest (Aug 24th - 30th): Depth
- Thread starter Phrasikleia
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
This contest is now closed. 28 entries!! 
I've work got my work cut out for me. Judging will follow shortly.
I've work got my work cut out for me. Judging will follow shortly.
OK, judging and commentary at long last! This was a tall order with so many entries. Here are my thoughts on this very diverse group of images:
reeked: This photo certainly gives a sense of depth, especially with the leading lines on the building helping to guide the eye down to the street. I wonder if there is a time of day when the silver cylinder at street level (to which those lines lead) is receiving light. The lines take the eye down to that cylinder, but with it in a shadow, the eye then has to look elsewhere for somewhere to call 'home.' The shadow of the building 'we' are looking from then leads to another building (so another nice leading line), but that building is likewise not receiving direct light. There are several building tops that are brightly lit, but they are all scattered around, so I don't get a strong sense of resolution here. Perhaps more importantly, the tonal range of this photo is rather flat (were you possibly shooting through glass?), which undermines the depth you've established in the composition. Nonetheless, I do enjoy scanning the frame for details.
electronique: Here my eye has no problem figuring out where to 'land' in the frame. The little (monkey?) figurine is clearly the subject. You also have established a clear sense of depth with a foreground, middle ground, and background. However, the actual point of sharpest focus seems to be somewhere in front of the figurine (some of the leaves in front of him seem to be most sharp). You've done a nice job of using the 'thirds' in placing the top of the wall, but this leaves a lot of blank sky and fussy foreground in the frame; perhaps a tighter crop would help give the figurine more presence here. It would also help if the light were softer and illuminating more of your subject; as it is, the sun is acting as more of a rim light, throwing the rest of the figurine into shadow.
dllavaneras: Nice color and texture here. The repeating pattern of the lattice work (whatever it is) establishes a nice rhythm, and the shallow depth of field helps to keep the eye in the frame. This photo makes a very appealing geometric abstract, but even as such, I'm left wanting a clear focal point/home base for the eye, instead of having about six of them to choose from (each point where the wood is in sharp focus).
MattsxB: A very difficult shot to get. You really nailed the focus here and have provided a very descriptive image of this insect, with all parts of him appearing very legibly. The creamy bokeh really helps to set him off from the background, and the complimentary colors (red and green) work beautifully to further that separation. Judging the photo more on its 'pictorial' merits, I'd say the very centered subject makes for a rather static image; I'd love to see a bit more of what's at the left to get a greater sense of context and to get my eye moving around the frame a bit more.
dames: An interesting view through the veil of the dandelion's fine hairs. The smokey effect of the out-of-focus hairs might have been more exciting if we had a bit more of the background showing for contrast. A vertical composition may have helped to give you more of that background without having to back up much; it also might have helped to echo the line of the dead leaf that is pointing toward the bottom of the frame.
pakyooh: The sharp focus on your subject and his red color really work here. The foreground is less successful, however. It is blurred enough to give some clear separation between it and the subject, but it still has some very distinct lines, patterns, and bright areas that are distracting.
luisluisbd: A lovely photo of a sunflower. Nice light, nice colors, and plenty of interesting texture in the sky. Ordinarily, I find that horizons running through the center of a photo tend to produce two disconnected zones, but here your very strong, overlapping subject helps to hold the two halves of the photo together. I also really like the shadow of the bee on the flower--more so than I like the bee itself, since it 'reads' less well as a bee and is right in the middle of the frame. While there is some depth established here, nothing really encourages my eye to explore much beyond the prominent sunflower, so I think this photo has more of a 2D, graphic quality about it.
Ravaroo: It's rare to see a spider that actually looks 'cute' to some degree. The eyes on this one give him a very friendly appearance. I like how the pointy leaf leads the eye right to the spider; unfortunately, that leaf is in sharper focus than the spider is. Also, the spider kind of gets lost in the frame, since there is so much else to look at here. A tighter crop could help, but only if the spider was the sharpest thing in the frame.
NeverhadaPC: Nice pastel color palette here. I really like that the flower is in sharp focus, though I wish more of it were. The framing of the flower against the pink hues on the water is excellent--it helps to 'highlight' the flower, and it helps a bit to connect the top half of the frame with the bottom half. Unlike luisluisbd's sunflower photo, there isn't much to connect the two halves of the photo (bifurcated by the centered horizon), so the pink hues echoed in the water are crucial here. I think it might have been even better to go with the 'thirds' on this one; that 'rule' of composition doesn't always work, but I think this is a case where it may have. Also, since the eye tends to follow light in a picture, the dark subject has trouble competing with the bright sky. Perhaps a bit of subtle fill flash would have helped--or better yet: some off-camera flash to backlight the flower's petals and really make the flower pop. Alas, such solutions do require a certain investment in time and equipment.
telecomm: I thought more people would submit photos along these lines: distinct layers in a landscape that give a sense of recession into the distance. I really love the tonality of this photo, and the colors are wonderful. I just wish there were a more prominent silhouette in one of the layers to serve as an 'anchor' for the eye; the little tiny church at the vertical center doesn't quite register as a home base for the eye (it's too small in the frame). I'm also not sure we need that much blank sky in the photo.
Schtumple: I know a lot of people think tilt-shift 'miniatures' are gimmicky, but I really enjoy the quirky perspective they can provide. Your view down on this promenade is ideal for such a treatment; it really does look like a model. You got the point of focus right where I'd most want to see it: where all the 'action' is in the frame, but that spot happens to be right in the middle of the frame, and it leaves much else that is still vying for my attention because of bright color and high contrast. Perhaps a tighter crop would keep that competition down--it's mainly the upper part of the frame that is detracting more than it's adding here.
TooFastForLove: The repeating elements definitely give a sense of recession and depth here. I just wish all of those leading lines brought the eye to some kind of 'payoff' at the end instead of a a black void. Also, I think the composition could be a lot more dynamic if the lines didn't lead the eye right to the center of the frame. Perhaps seeing more of the interesting reflections in the windows and less of the undetailed shadows at the right would have helped.
VirtualRain: Another nice use of black-and-white, but see my comments above for TooFastForLove. Here the eye is led to the upper part of the frame, but the endpoint is still centered vertically, and we still don't have a subject or visual payoff at the end of the tunnel.
Presha: A very peaceful photo of a precious little baby. You've done a good job of bringing us in close to the subject, though we're so close that I don't get a very strong sense of depth here. I suppose (s)he is 'deep' asleep, though, so that's a nice take on the theme. Alas, photos where eyes are open do tend to be more engaging; this one makes me feel as though I should just go away and let the baby sleep.
someoldguy: With so much in focus and so many details, this photo does not present a clear subject or home base for the eye. I'm left wondering what it was about this scene that caught your attention. Perhaps the colors were more vibrant in person than they appear in the photo? I can imagine that the yellow of the little pods might have looked quite sparkly against a more vibrant blue color in the water. In any case, I think the light was working against you; it's rather harsh and is washing out the color in the scene. And since the water is reflecting a lot of that light, it isn't as dark and distinct as it could be, which robs the photo of some depth.
deep diver: I really like the movement of the two running figures, but it's not as helpful with the 'main' figure who has his arms in the air. He seems to be the focus of attention, but his blurriness tells the eye to go land elsewhere--except there isn't really anywhere else to land. As far as depth goes, I can imagine some compositions that could give a greater sense of it; the space we're presented with actually seems rather shallow.
freigeist: Intriguing light, texture, and colors here. The eye tends to follow light, so we are drawn into the background, even though it's out of focus. Unfortunately, that push-pull between the bright background and dark, but focused foreground makes the photo seem unresolved. Perhaps if there were one particular rock in the foreground picked out somehow or some distinct object that's not a rock, we'd have an interesting subject to lock on to. As it is, the photo seems like a setting waiting for a subject.
luminosity: This one reminds me of the photos by TooFastForLove and VirtualRain: strong leading lines that nicely plunge the eye into the background, but they don't really lead us to anything in particular. The sky is getting nearly all of the light, so perhaps you wanted that one central cloud to be the 'subject' here; if so, the power lines crossing in front of it aren't helping, and there are too many shapes elsewhere competing for attention. Most importantly, however, I'm not convinced that the mass of crushed shadows is really doing anything for the photo. At least half of the photo is completely black; when you're going for something that bold, simplicity is your friend. As it is, the many lines and silhouettes amount to a rather fussy whole.
flosseR: I've seen this photo before, and I remember liking it; I still do. I like the way the light clearly picks out your subject, I like the texture of the stone, and I like the circular opening that draws the eye into the background. The round opening echoes the roundness of the child's face, making for a nice visual rhyme. I think I'd like to see either more detail in the shadow area framing the scene or else a tighter crop, perhaps a crop that would shift your subject further away from the center. Yep, I just tried such a crop, and it really made the photo hum for me.
Salacion: A very difficult shot to get right. I like that we can see some of the spider web, and I like the smooth, bright bokeh framing the spider. However, the spider is so small in the frame that he lacks 'presence', and he's far from being in focus.
feuerschlange: An engaging photo that works very well in black-and-white. The bright areas of the background do a nice job of leading us to the central couple, and those bits frame them very nicely. I also really like the shadowy figures in the background--they give a nice sense of context without competing for attention. If there's one thing that really distracts me, it's the disjunctive gazes of the two lovers. She seems to be looking askance at him, and he seems to be looking past her to something out of the frame. I therefore don't get a strong sense of connection between them, but since they are embracing, I don't get a strong sense of drama or turmoil either. The photo therefore suggests that this isn't "the moment"; it's a point before or after--and I think being in that liminal zone lessens its emotional depth.
oblomow: The graves at the right form a nice repeating pattern to bring us into the background, but they 'point' to the cross that is leaning toward the very edge of the frame. Then there is the more central cross that is receiving some light, but only at the bottom portion of the headstone. These two points in the frame get most of the eye's attention, but neither amounts to a strong subject. I like the juxtaposition of orange and green, though I wish there were more light here to make those colors really pop. Also, the line between those zones (leaves and grass) runs pretty much right through the center of the frame, and the photo doesn't hang together as well as it could; the two halves of the photo are pulling apart too much--there's not enough to connect them, which is a risk you take with a centered division like that.
Peace: The lines of the wood siding and wooden fence help direct the eye to the sunlit bush, but it's not a very intriguing subject, and there are other, larger lit areas here to compete with it. The garden hose in the foreground is also distracting.
acearchie: The bright face in clear focus amounts to a strong subject, though the dark spots on the mirror are distracting. I can't tell what some of them are (the ones with very irregular shapes), and that is especially distracting. I suppose it's something flaking off of the mirror, but I can't really tell. I also can't tell where this mirror is. Its odd shape is perplexing. A camper? A boat? I feel as though I need more context to give this picture some meaning.
iByrd441: Another one of those shots that is just really difficult to pull off. At 55mm and f/6.7, I'm going to guess you used neither a macro lens nor a tripod, and those two things help a lot for such photos. A greater depth of field for the stamen of the flower would have helped, as would some light hitting the part of the flower we're supposed to focus on.
JDDavis: I love the bold geometry and color of this photo. The sharp focus everywhere really works, and the strong leading lines do direct us right down to the nice texture of the ground. All the same, the dark wood chips versus the light foreground create a push-and-pull effect, and without something at the bottom to hold our attention, the image flattens into an abstract mandala of sorts. I wonder what the photo would look like with a bright blue ball at the bottom, up against one of the red vertical poles (that is, not right at the center). I think then I would feel as though I'm the little kid who dropped it, and the photo would seem to be "about" the journey I'll have to take to get it back. Just a thought.
lharvest: A really intriguing photo. Great light, nice use of selective focus, and a lovely, warm color palette. I really like that the arms form a triangle and that they are framed by a lighter, dry area of the deck below. I also really like the many layers in this photo; it really gives a strong sense of depth. Moreover, the hands provide just enough character to get me thinking about possible narratives for this scene, and I really enjoy that kind of open-endedness. I think you could make this photo even stronger by cropping it a bit. While the white area at the top and the metal hinge add some contrast, they are quite bright and distracting; I can't really tell what that white part is, so it's not really helping to add context. Also, the placement of the hands is right smack in the center of the frame. A crop at top and right that puts the hands near the intersection of the thirds could take this photo the extra mile. Nonetheless, the photo has a lot going for it, and I've spent a lot of time looking at it.
fridgeymonster3: You did a good job of getting the sharpest point of focus on the cat's eyes. The shallow depth of field helps direct our attention where it should go, but the strong lines of the table act as a barrier to the subject and direct us to a point where the two parts of the table meet. I think I'd like to see more of the cat and less of the table and carpeting. Also, you might want to rethink your choice of black-and-white for this one. They eye tends to be attracted to lighter areas in a frame, and the biggest, whitest area here is the out-of-focus body of the cat.
Phew! That was a lot to write! Thanks to everyone who participated! I really enjoyed seeing your very different takes on the theme. Although many of the photos charmed me for various reasons, a few seemed especially strong in the 'depth' department while also having commendable pictorial qualities.
My favorites, all things considered:
Third Place: feuerschlange
Second Place: flosseR
First Place: lharvest
Thanks again to everyone who participated! It's always great to see a contest draw so many entries. lharvest, the next topic is yours...take it away!
reeked: This photo certainly gives a sense of depth, especially with the leading lines on the building helping to guide the eye down to the street. I wonder if there is a time of day when the silver cylinder at street level (to which those lines lead) is receiving light. The lines take the eye down to that cylinder, but with it in a shadow, the eye then has to look elsewhere for somewhere to call 'home.' The shadow of the building 'we' are looking from then leads to another building (so another nice leading line), but that building is likewise not receiving direct light. There are several building tops that are brightly lit, but they are all scattered around, so I don't get a strong sense of resolution here. Perhaps more importantly, the tonal range of this photo is rather flat (were you possibly shooting through glass?), which undermines the depth you've established in the composition. Nonetheless, I do enjoy scanning the frame for details.
electronique: Here my eye has no problem figuring out where to 'land' in the frame. The little (monkey?) figurine is clearly the subject. You also have established a clear sense of depth with a foreground, middle ground, and background. However, the actual point of sharpest focus seems to be somewhere in front of the figurine (some of the leaves in front of him seem to be most sharp). You've done a nice job of using the 'thirds' in placing the top of the wall, but this leaves a lot of blank sky and fussy foreground in the frame; perhaps a tighter crop would help give the figurine more presence here. It would also help if the light were softer and illuminating more of your subject; as it is, the sun is acting as more of a rim light, throwing the rest of the figurine into shadow.
dllavaneras: Nice color and texture here. The repeating pattern of the lattice work (whatever it is) establishes a nice rhythm, and the shallow depth of field helps to keep the eye in the frame. This photo makes a very appealing geometric abstract, but even as such, I'm left wanting a clear focal point/home base for the eye, instead of having about six of them to choose from (each point where the wood is in sharp focus).
MattsxB: A very difficult shot to get. You really nailed the focus here and have provided a very descriptive image of this insect, with all parts of him appearing very legibly. The creamy bokeh really helps to set him off from the background, and the complimentary colors (red and green) work beautifully to further that separation. Judging the photo more on its 'pictorial' merits, I'd say the very centered subject makes for a rather static image; I'd love to see a bit more of what's at the left to get a greater sense of context and to get my eye moving around the frame a bit more.
dames: An interesting view through the veil of the dandelion's fine hairs. The smokey effect of the out-of-focus hairs might have been more exciting if we had a bit more of the background showing for contrast. A vertical composition may have helped to give you more of that background without having to back up much; it also might have helped to echo the line of the dead leaf that is pointing toward the bottom of the frame.
pakyooh: The sharp focus on your subject and his red color really work here. The foreground is less successful, however. It is blurred enough to give some clear separation between it and the subject, but it still has some very distinct lines, patterns, and bright areas that are distracting.
luisluisbd: A lovely photo of a sunflower. Nice light, nice colors, and plenty of interesting texture in the sky. Ordinarily, I find that horizons running through the center of a photo tend to produce two disconnected zones, but here your very strong, overlapping subject helps to hold the two halves of the photo together. I also really like the shadow of the bee on the flower--more so than I like the bee itself, since it 'reads' less well as a bee and is right in the middle of the frame. While there is some depth established here, nothing really encourages my eye to explore much beyond the prominent sunflower, so I think this photo has more of a 2D, graphic quality about it.
Ravaroo: It's rare to see a spider that actually looks 'cute' to some degree. The eyes on this one give him a very friendly appearance. I like how the pointy leaf leads the eye right to the spider; unfortunately, that leaf is in sharper focus than the spider is. Also, the spider kind of gets lost in the frame, since there is so much else to look at here. A tighter crop could help, but only if the spider was the sharpest thing in the frame.
NeverhadaPC: Nice pastel color palette here. I really like that the flower is in sharp focus, though I wish more of it were. The framing of the flower against the pink hues on the water is excellent--it helps to 'highlight' the flower, and it helps a bit to connect the top half of the frame with the bottom half. Unlike luisluisbd's sunflower photo, there isn't much to connect the two halves of the photo (bifurcated by the centered horizon), so the pink hues echoed in the water are crucial here. I think it might have been even better to go with the 'thirds' on this one; that 'rule' of composition doesn't always work, but I think this is a case where it may have. Also, since the eye tends to follow light in a picture, the dark subject has trouble competing with the bright sky. Perhaps a bit of subtle fill flash would have helped--or better yet: some off-camera flash to backlight the flower's petals and really make the flower pop. Alas, such solutions do require a certain investment in time and equipment.
telecomm: I thought more people would submit photos along these lines: distinct layers in a landscape that give a sense of recession into the distance. I really love the tonality of this photo, and the colors are wonderful. I just wish there were a more prominent silhouette in one of the layers to serve as an 'anchor' for the eye; the little tiny church at the vertical center doesn't quite register as a home base for the eye (it's too small in the frame). I'm also not sure we need that much blank sky in the photo.
Schtumple: I know a lot of people think tilt-shift 'miniatures' are gimmicky, but I really enjoy the quirky perspective they can provide. Your view down on this promenade is ideal for such a treatment; it really does look like a model. You got the point of focus right where I'd most want to see it: where all the 'action' is in the frame, but that spot happens to be right in the middle of the frame, and it leaves much else that is still vying for my attention because of bright color and high contrast. Perhaps a tighter crop would keep that competition down--it's mainly the upper part of the frame that is detracting more than it's adding here.
TooFastForLove: The repeating elements definitely give a sense of recession and depth here. I just wish all of those leading lines brought the eye to some kind of 'payoff' at the end instead of a a black void. Also, I think the composition could be a lot more dynamic if the lines didn't lead the eye right to the center of the frame. Perhaps seeing more of the interesting reflections in the windows and less of the undetailed shadows at the right would have helped.
VirtualRain: Another nice use of black-and-white, but see my comments above for TooFastForLove. Here the eye is led to the upper part of the frame, but the endpoint is still centered vertically, and we still don't have a subject or visual payoff at the end of the tunnel.
Presha: A very peaceful photo of a precious little baby. You've done a good job of bringing us in close to the subject, though we're so close that I don't get a very strong sense of depth here. I suppose (s)he is 'deep' asleep, though, so that's a nice take on the theme. Alas, photos where eyes are open do tend to be more engaging; this one makes me feel as though I should just go away and let the baby sleep.
someoldguy: With so much in focus and so many details, this photo does not present a clear subject or home base for the eye. I'm left wondering what it was about this scene that caught your attention. Perhaps the colors were more vibrant in person than they appear in the photo? I can imagine that the yellow of the little pods might have looked quite sparkly against a more vibrant blue color in the water. In any case, I think the light was working against you; it's rather harsh and is washing out the color in the scene. And since the water is reflecting a lot of that light, it isn't as dark and distinct as it could be, which robs the photo of some depth.
deep diver: I really like the movement of the two running figures, but it's not as helpful with the 'main' figure who has his arms in the air. He seems to be the focus of attention, but his blurriness tells the eye to go land elsewhere--except there isn't really anywhere else to land. As far as depth goes, I can imagine some compositions that could give a greater sense of it; the space we're presented with actually seems rather shallow.
freigeist: Intriguing light, texture, and colors here. The eye tends to follow light, so we are drawn into the background, even though it's out of focus. Unfortunately, that push-pull between the bright background and dark, but focused foreground makes the photo seem unresolved. Perhaps if there were one particular rock in the foreground picked out somehow or some distinct object that's not a rock, we'd have an interesting subject to lock on to. As it is, the photo seems like a setting waiting for a subject.
luminosity: This one reminds me of the photos by TooFastForLove and VirtualRain: strong leading lines that nicely plunge the eye into the background, but they don't really lead us to anything in particular. The sky is getting nearly all of the light, so perhaps you wanted that one central cloud to be the 'subject' here; if so, the power lines crossing in front of it aren't helping, and there are too many shapes elsewhere competing for attention. Most importantly, however, I'm not convinced that the mass of crushed shadows is really doing anything for the photo. At least half of the photo is completely black; when you're going for something that bold, simplicity is your friend. As it is, the many lines and silhouettes amount to a rather fussy whole.
flosseR: I've seen this photo before, and I remember liking it; I still do. I like the way the light clearly picks out your subject, I like the texture of the stone, and I like the circular opening that draws the eye into the background. The round opening echoes the roundness of the child's face, making for a nice visual rhyme. I think I'd like to see either more detail in the shadow area framing the scene or else a tighter crop, perhaps a crop that would shift your subject further away from the center. Yep, I just tried such a crop, and it really made the photo hum for me.
Salacion: A very difficult shot to get right. I like that we can see some of the spider web, and I like the smooth, bright bokeh framing the spider. However, the spider is so small in the frame that he lacks 'presence', and he's far from being in focus.
feuerschlange: An engaging photo that works very well in black-and-white. The bright areas of the background do a nice job of leading us to the central couple, and those bits frame them very nicely. I also really like the shadowy figures in the background--they give a nice sense of context without competing for attention. If there's one thing that really distracts me, it's the disjunctive gazes of the two lovers. She seems to be looking askance at him, and he seems to be looking past her to something out of the frame. I therefore don't get a strong sense of connection between them, but since they are embracing, I don't get a strong sense of drama or turmoil either. The photo therefore suggests that this isn't "the moment"; it's a point before or after--and I think being in that liminal zone lessens its emotional depth.
oblomow: The graves at the right form a nice repeating pattern to bring us into the background, but they 'point' to the cross that is leaning toward the very edge of the frame. Then there is the more central cross that is receiving some light, but only at the bottom portion of the headstone. These two points in the frame get most of the eye's attention, but neither amounts to a strong subject. I like the juxtaposition of orange and green, though I wish there were more light here to make those colors really pop. Also, the line between those zones (leaves and grass) runs pretty much right through the center of the frame, and the photo doesn't hang together as well as it could; the two halves of the photo are pulling apart too much--there's not enough to connect them, which is a risk you take with a centered division like that.
Peace: The lines of the wood siding and wooden fence help direct the eye to the sunlit bush, but it's not a very intriguing subject, and there are other, larger lit areas here to compete with it. The garden hose in the foreground is also distracting.
acearchie: The bright face in clear focus amounts to a strong subject, though the dark spots on the mirror are distracting. I can't tell what some of them are (the ones with very irregular shapes), and that is especially distracting. I suppose it's something flaking off of the mirror, but I can't really tell. I also can't tell where this mirror is. Its odd shape is perplexing. A camper? A boat? I feel as though I need more context to give this picture some meaning.
iByrd441: Another one of those shots that is just really difficult to pull off. At 55mm and f/6.7, I'm going to guess you used neither a macro lens nor a tripod, and those two things help a lot for such photos. A greater depth of field for the stamen of the flower would have helped, as would some light hitting the part of the flower we're supposed to focus on.
JDDavis: I love the bold geometry and color of this photo. The sharp focus everywhere really works, and the strong leading lines do direct us right down to the nice texture of the ground. All the same, the dark wood chips versus the light foreground create a push-and-pull effect, and without something at the bottom to hold our attention, the image flattens into an abstract mandala of sorts. I wonder what the photo would look like with a bright blue ball at the bottom, up against one of the red vertical poles (that is, not right at the center). I think then I would feel as though I'm the little kid who dropped it, and the photo would seem to be "about" the journey I'll have to take to get it back. Just a thought.
lharvest: A really intriguing photo. Great light, nice use of selective focus, and a lovely, warm color palette. I really like that the arms form a triangle and that they are framed by a lighter, dry area of the deck below. I also really like the many layers in this photo; it really gives a strong sense of depth. Moreover, the hands provide just enough character to get me thinking about possible narratives for this scene, and I really enjoy that kind of open-endedness. I think you could make this photo even stronger by cropping it a bit. While the white area at the top and the metal hinge add some contrast, they are quite bright and distracting; I can't really tell what that white part is, so it's not really helping to add context. Also, the placement of the hands is right smack in the center of the frame. A crop at top and right that puts the hands near the intersection of the thirds could take this photo the extra mile. Nonetheless, the photo has a lot going for it, and I've spent a lot of time looking at it.
fridgeymonster3: You did a good job of getting the sharpest point of focus on the cat's eyes. The shallow depth of field helps direct our attention where it should go, but the strong lines of the table act as a barrier to the subject and direct us to a point where the two parts of the table meet. I think I'd like to see more of the cat and less of the table and carpeting. Also, you might want to rethink your choice of black-and-white for this one. They eye tends to be attracted to lighter areas in a frame, and the biggest, whitest area here is the out-of-focus body of the cat.
Phew! That was a lot to write! Thanks to everyone who participated! I really enjoyed seeing your very different takes on the theme. Although many of the photos charmed me for various reasons, a few seemed especially strong in the 'depth' department while also having commendable pictorial qualities.
My favorites, all things considered:
Third Place: feuerschlange
Second Place: flosseR
First Place: lharvest
Thanks again to everyone who participated! It's always great to see a contest draw so many entries. lharvest, the next topic is yours...take it away!
Phrasikleia --
Thank you for the feedback. I can see everything you mention. As I said, this is my first effort at sports and I have a lot of work to do on my anticipation and timing. I went to the game with this concept in mind. In the end this was the only image that captured it at all. I'm going to try more this Friday.
Thank you for the feedback. I can see everything you mention. As I said, this is my first effort at sports and I have a lot of work to do on my anticipation and timing. I went to the game with this concept in mind. In the end this was the only image that captured it at all. I'm going to try more this Friday.
Phrasikleia, thanks very much for writing such an elaborative review. It's educating reading material!
An incredible job judging this week Phrasikleia. Thank you for taking the time to really write well thought out comments. I like your suggestion of having something at the bottom of the ladders in my pic to add another dimension to the photo. I'll try it out the next time I get a chance. I was also thinking about having my daughter lay on her back and look up at me. At 4 though she gets bored quickly of Dad taking pictures of her all the time.
Totally Unexpected
I feel like the life-long B-movie actor who unexpectedly wins an Oscar and is ill-prepared to give a speech. Judging by what I saw before I posted, I had no illusions of winning but thought, for once, I had a photo that fit the theme.
Phrasikleia - you went above and beyond with your comments. They are both detailed and helpful. I can only hope to be half as insightful.
Please be patient as I think of a new theme for the coming week.
Thanks again!
I feel like the life-long B-movie actor who unexpectedly wins an Oscar and is ill-prepared to give a speech. Judging by what I saw before I posted, I had no illusions of winning but thought, for once, I had a photo that fit the theme.
Phrasikleia - you went above and beyond with your comments. They are both detailed and helpful. I can only hope to be half as insightful.
Please be patient as I think of a new theme for the coming week.
Thanks again!
Thanks for the comprehensive critique !!
You're right , upon second look my entry didn't work . Looked great when I was there but not so good on the screen . Lost something in the translation . I had hoped that the distance from the leaves to the water ( 6 or 700 feet) would be accentuated more than it was .
You're right , upon second look my entry didn't work . Looked great when I was there but not so good on the screen . Lost something in the translation . I had hoped that the distance from the leaves to the water ( 6 or 700 feet) would be accentuated more than it was .
@Phrasikleia
Yes, I desperately needed a 100mm Macro for that shot, but all I had equipped was a 50mm. Even with getting as close as possible, I still had to crop the picture. So yes, the subject at hand wasn't as sharp or emphasized as it should have been, but it's all I had (I ain't pulling from my library).
Yes, I desperately needed a 100mm Macro for that shot, but all I had equipped was a 50mm. Even with getting as close as possible, I still had to crop the picture. So yes, the subject at hand wasn't as sharp or emphasized as it should have been, but it's all I had (I ain't pulling from my library).
Do our kids go to the same school?
Yea, after a few moments mine get bored also with the "posed pictures".
Great contest and entries, I learn about photography just by reading Phrasikleia's comments.
Outstanding review!!! Your comments are greatly helpful, even those not directed at my own image. You are a saint for doing all these... well, a photo-saint at least
I really appreciate your critique of my photo . Having said that, I completely disagree with your assessment. It has become one of my favorites, in fact.
. Having said that, I completely disagree with your assessment. It has become one of my favorites, in fact.
Hey cool, 2nd.. wow
Phrasikleia <- you must have spent some serious time on the comments. thanks for the feedback and i think this week had some really creative and interesting entrants.. let's see what next weeks brings
Phrasikleia <- you must have spent some serious time on the comments. thanks for the feedback and i think this week had some really creative and interesting entrants.. let's see what next weeks brings
Phrasikleia, you did a masterful job of articulating your critiques with "depth."
This turned out to be a very interesting weekly contest, and congratulations to all who participated...!
This turned out to be a very interesting weekly contest, and congratulations to all who participated...!
Phrasikleia -- I was in a rush this morning and did not have time to read all of the comments. As usual, your vision and experience brought a richness to the critique that is truly outstanding.
Congrats to all.
Congrats to all.
Congratulations to the winner ;-)
Phrasikleia, thank you for the concise explanation of your thoughts.
Although, I have to add, that despite the shot being a candid shot of a fleeting moment, I am most interested into imperfect photography, scenes, that don't match well to expectations and yes, clichés.
If both subjects would have shown that expected, magic moment, the photograph would be dead for me - without life.
The only questions (and therefor) interest of further exploration and reflection it would raise would center shortly about the love of two young people, to finally be of no further interest.
The scene captured though, for me, raises questions, as the net of possible reasoning is more delicate here.
She admires him (might one interpret at her hazy gaze) - does he really love here?
Does he even recognize her?
Can she even be the one for him?
Is he drunk of the moment, dreaming about her, while supporting her fully with her arm - preventing her from falling, running away
Clearly - this moment is of so much more diverse aspects than the plain love scene, any Hollywood movie grabs, to end the movie.
I am happy, chance gave me this scene instead ;-)
Phrasikleia, thank you for the concise explanation of your thoughts.
Although, I have to add, that despite the shot being a candid shot of a fleeting moment, I am most interested into imperfect photography, scenes, that don't match well to expectations and yes, clichés.
If both subjects would have shown that expected, magic moment, the photograph would be dead for me - without life.
The only questions (and therefor) interest of further exploration and reflection it would raise would center shortly about the love of two young people, to finally be of no further interest.
The scene captured though, for me, raises questions, as the net of possible reasoning is more delicate here.
She admires him (might one interpret at her hazy gaze) - does he really love here?
Does he even recognize her?
Can she even be the one for him?
Is he drunk of the moment, dreaming about her, while supporting her fully with her arm - preventing her from falling, running away
Clearly - this moment is of so much more diverse aspects than the plain love scene, any Hollywood movie grabs, to end the movie.
I am happy, chance gave me this scene instead ;-)
Many thanks for all of the nice comments regarding my comments. I see that lharvest has posted the new contest, so I hope we'll see lots of participation in that one!
feuerschlange, thanks for sharing your thoughts on your photo. I agree with you. I never said the moment had to be a happy one (those sorts can indeed appear trite). As I wrote above, it could be one of drama or turmoil. You see drama, and I do too, it's just not as momentous as it could be (for me). At any rate, it's a great shot.
I see that lharvest has posted the new contest, so I hope we'll see lots of participation in that one!feuerschlange, thanks for sharing your thoughts on your photo. I agree with you. I never said the moment had to be a happy one (those sorts can indeed appear trite). As I wrote above, it could be one of drama or turmoil. You see drama, and I do too, it's just not as momentous as it could be (for me). At any rate, it's a great shot.