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Mdeprospo

macrumors newbie
May 12, 2016
1
0
Gilford
Welcome to this week's photo contest! The theme is Faces.

A very broad theme that should allow for a great variety of entries. Post your most creative or inventive photo, but make sure there is a face (human or otherwise) in the frame. I'll be looking for a combination of technical acumen (at least as far as I can detect) combined with creativity and flare.

Enjoy!

Rules:
  • Be creative and have fun.
  • You may only submit one photo per contest.
  • Please do not comment on photos until after the judging has taken place.
  • The contest runs for one week, starting NOW! (see time/date stamp at the start of this thread.)
  • At the end of the week, The Judge (last week's Winner) will choose a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place photo, providing as much feedback as possible.
  • The 1st place Winner will start a new thread with the topic/theme of their choice, and act as the Judge for that contest. (Winner has 48 hours to create new theme, after that it defers to 2nd place).
[doublepost=1463109706][/doublepost] Taken in Gilford NH of my son.
[doublepost=1463109793][/doublepost]
[doublepost=1463109706][/doublepost]
Taken in Gilford NH of my son.
 

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lharvest

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 11, 2007
129
122
Well, it has been a week. Time for this contest to close. I'll be back with the winners soon.
[doublepost=1463161817][/doublepost]I’ll preface my comments stating that these are merely my observations and, at times, the random thoughts that went through my mind while looking at each photograph. The selection of winners comes more from a visceral reaction than any expert awareness or discernment. I applaud each and every person who entered the contest as it takes courage to expose something so personal to judgment by someone else – even in a forum as encouraging and supportive as this one. Others will undoubtedly have differing opinions than mine, but here we go:


MacRy: My first impulse was to laugh, but then I started to overthink and wondered whether this person was in actual danger. The close framing does a great job of removing it from any context that would confirm one way or the other. In the end, I convinced myself it was not the start of the zombie apocalypse, but rather a well-taken picture of a woman wearing a gas mask for the humor of it. Very nicely done.


Georgeinnj: My eyes are drawn in a few different directions in this picture. There is the dog, captured at the quintessential moment with his tongue licking his nose and then there are the children, two of whom are excited to pet the animal, but the third is apprehensive, preferring the comfort of his own blanket. I’m assuming the man is the dog’s owner and the kids are not his, but I could be wrong about that. I wonder what this photo would have looked like if taken from the children’s height or even from the dog’s height. The harsh mid-day shadows do little to take away from a nicely captured moment.


Alexander.Of.Oz: As my own children have grown, the subjects of my photography have become more diverse, moving from primarily sports to nature and landscapes to, more recently, portraits. In a strange way, this picture reminds me of the senior pictures I’ve taken recently in that it almost seems intentionally composed with the photographer having a meaningful connection with his subject. The fly, to me, appears to be posing for the camera. The depth of focus is consistent with a portrait with the sharpest focus being on the eyes. While I haven’t done much of it, I do enjoy looking at macro photography because of pictures like this. Very well done, indeed.


Glenthompson: One of the aspects of people photography done outside of the studio that I’ve always appreciated is the context, or lack of context, the photographer allows the viewer to see. Without context, the viewer's mind is allowed to imagine it. Was this photo taken while the subject and photographer were sitting at a table for lunch? Does the photographer even know the woman? Was she just walking when the photographer stopped her and asked to take her picture? The shade provides diffused, even lighting on the subject and she is well separated from the background. Her hair appears slightly disheveled as if it were a windy day. Why such a serious face? So many questions made that much more compelling by lack of context.


Needfx: Once again, I’m curious about the context of this photo. If I had to guess, I’d say it was a sporting event like a golf tournament or maybe even a horse race – or, it could be a social event of some kind. In any event, the subject is there to capture something on video but ends up being captured himself. I like the choice of black and white as it gives the shot a more ‘documentary’ or street photography feel. It would have been nice if the right eye of the subject was either totally obscured or not obscured by the camera. Another photo that, in my mind, raises more questions than it answers – but in a good way.


RedOctober: Animal, particularly bird, photography has been an interest of mine for a long time. However; I’ve never really possessed the patience (or the lens) to do it well. I would be tickled beyond belief if I were able to capture a picture of an owl similar to this one. The photo is well framed and tack sharp. Very nicely done.


Pmxperience: Taking a different approach than the pictures by MacRy and Glenthompson, this photo offers the viewer more context with which to draw conclusions. But, as with the other photos, can leave the viewer with more questions than answers. Is this man sad? Is he just in deep thought? His isolation in the picture lends credence to a feeling of loneliness and despair. A very compelling and engaging photo. Well done.


Inkmich: Certainly an unusual subject – at least not one I run into on the streets often. I’ve always found it fascinating to watch people go about their everyday lives, but I’ve rarely had the nerve to break out the camera and capture it. The shot is well composed, but it would have been nice to have the ‘Cat’ looking at the camera. I think that would have been more engaging. The overcast sky helped to diffuse the light, but it also doesn’t allow for the subject to ‘pop.’ Nice take on the theme.


E3BK: Another photo in which the context is provided, but this time the photographer chooses to broaden the depth of field, giving the background the same focus as the child. That choice allows the viewer to clearly see the primary subject (the child) in the proper context (the ruins). Was the destruction part of a natural event like a hurricane or man-made? The juxtaposition of the innocent child with the devastation around him tugs at the heartstrings. A very emotional and well-made photo.


Illuminated: Great timing on your entry as the obvious joy in this photo helped lighten my mood from the previous photo. The overcast sky provides nice, even lighting and the focus on the dog in the upper third creates the right amount of interest. The connection between the man and dog is evident and their friendship shows through loud and clear. Nicely done.


Miltz: Very well done portrait of an older gentleman. I’ve often struggled with the choice between extreme depth of field (to make the buttery smooth background as in this photo) and the desire to have as much of the subject in focus as possible. In this picture, I believe the DOF choice was a good one (even with the ears out of focus) as the viewer is drawn to the well-textured face and the deep blue eyes (complemented well by his blue shirt). Would be interesting to see it in B&W as well.


Kenoh: This photo reminds me of a newborn shot with the blanket wrapped baby lying in a basket. The focus is spot on, providing a sharp view of the dog with both the foreground and background melting away. Nicely done.


Gasworks: Very interesting. Very interesting, indeed. A creative use of bokeh to craft the glow behind the skull. The rich colors in the background help enhance the mood, but the white line on the left hand side is a slight distraction. Perhaps it would be an even stronger composition if the left side was symmetrical in tone with the right. The focus on the skull is perfect – not an easy thing to do with something that dangles. Overall, it was very well conceived and implemented.


Deep Diver: There is a reason why people say cats own the internet – they can be cute, they aren’t afraid to be themselves, and have more attitude than almost all other animals combined. This picture certainly displays plenty of attitude, as if she is saying “who dares to tread on my property?” The look on her face is very intense and her focused locked on something in the distance. As with other photos in this thread, there is a story outside the frame. This one leaves me wondering if she ever ‘captured’ her prey – but to a cat, the stalking is the objective, not the capture.


Hughmac: I like the choice of black and white even though the contrast between the dog and the blanket is not dramatic. If cats are the kings of the internet, dogs are their unwilling jesters. It is hard not to find the unconditional love of dog endearing. In this photo, Sam seems to be both tired and curious, wondering why its master is making the clicking noise with box in hand. We done getting such a steady shot with the slow shutter speed. I like the lighting and the depth of field. The ears being up in an inquisitive manner is the icing on the cake.


Robotti: Nicely composed portrait. Lighting is well-managed, the pose holds interest, the red covering complements the model’s hair while at the same time providing contrast with the model’s skin tone. The eyes draw the viewer in and don’t let go. More separation from the background would have been nice, but a very well executed portrait overall. Lovely model as well.


AlexH: It is interesting that there are as many animal photo entries as there are people. Here we have another dog and another interesting story – at least with regard to the one I created in my mind. The window sill in the bottom of the frame helps set the scene perfectly. The owner is away from home (or just arriving back?) and the dog is anxiously awaiting his or her arrival. The longing in the dog’s eyes is captured beautifully and the black and white adds to that sense of desperation. Wonderfully composed.


Compasiune11: Nice, vibrant colors make for a very pleasing portrait – and a pretty subject always helps. Good job on filling in the light from the front, producing a natural looking result. If it were my picture, I would tone down the oils on her face just a little and remove the white (a reflection?) in her hair just above the eye on the right. Even with those, the portrait was very well done – especially if it is straight out of the camera with no editing. Great job.


Someoldguy: Interesting take on the theme. Beyond the Native American mural, the colors definitely promote a southwestern setting. As appropriate, my attention is consistently drawn to the picture of the man in the middle of the frame. Curious to know whom the man is – or whether he actually exists. Is he just part of someone’s vivid imagination? Love the vibrant colors.


Apple fanboy: Another interesting take – good job being creative everyone! Again, the lack of context generates a ton of questions. Is this an art project? Is this in an art gallery somewhere? What does the entire piece look like? I envision the aftermath of bombing or some other man-made destruction. I like the tight crop as it preserves so much of the mystery, such as to whom does the hand belong? A child next to a fallen parent? Nice placement of the facts, as well, respecting the rule of thirds. A compelling, but disturbing image.


Anotherscotsman: I had to do a little research to dissect your title, but it made complete sense once I did. I may be wrong, but it looks like you used a long exposure, capturing the movement of the clouds while allowing the trees and sculpture to remain sharp. I went back and forth between whether more exposure on the sculpture itself would add to the photo, but I ultimately agreed with your choice. A brighter subject in the foreground would have detracted from the dreaminess of the overall picture. Nicely done.


Mdeprospo: This looks like it was taken a world away from New Hampshire – more like in the Middle East. If you hadn’t provided the location, I would have assumed someplace entirely different. The contrast and saturation seem a bit high, but the sweater and scarf are full of wonderful colors that help the subject stand out from the hazy background. The direct eye contact and serious expressing are engaging.


Pol0001: I really like the composition of this photo as it helps to create a little tension. From the vantage point (looking up at the subject) to the slight skew of the frame, everything is complementing the subject well. The choice of black and white also helps enhance the perceived tension I feel. She could be the nicest person in the world, but her expression coupled with the aspects of the photo listed above would give me pause in engaging her. Very nice example of street photography.


Dwfaust: Who doesn’t love a picture of a baby? Nice job recognizing a photo opportunity and then taking it! The car seat is a bit of a distraction, but the pose is adorable and the lighting is great. I didn’t learn to appreciate photography until after my children were older, so I truly regret not being able to capture moments like this with them. I guess grandchildren can present another chance, but that will be several years out for me. Nice picture.


And the winner is…

I was keeping track of this thread throughout the week, jotting down notes and moving the pictures in and out of the top three. All told, I probably had about two dozen different combinations with a mixture of ten or so photos involved. It wasn’t easy picking a ‘winner’ as there were so many that could justifiably replace the ones I selected. Here they are:


Third Place: gasworks

Second Place: pmxperience

First Place: Alexander.of.Oz


Thanks to everyone for entering.
 

needfx

Suspended
Aug 10, 2010
3,931
4,247
macrumors apparently
Super feedback, excellent judging and amazing photo peoples!

'twas a protest rallying, and was a foreign dude covering the rally. I agree about the eye, but in street photography you get what you get, no control sometimes. I kinda like it tbh as it is quite a detail that draws the viewers eye.

Excellent Winners, Alex, you're on fire!!

To the next one
 
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anotherscotsman

macrumors 68020
Aug 2, 2014
2,369
16,735
UK
Great feedback on all the entries and congratulations to the well-worthy winners. Loved Alex's Fly and MacRy's gas-mask.

My shot was a 30-second exposure to give some movement to the sky and to try and get that ethereal look - helped that the it turned out to be a dramatic sunset. The sculpture (called the Dream) is 20m tall and built out of concrete sections on top of an old colliery waste tip.
 

Ish

macrumors 68020
Nov 30, 2004
2,223
768
UK
Alex is on a roll! Two wins interspersed with the other Alex! Well done!!

Congrats to everyone and I'm glad I didn't have to judge it. Well done @lharvest on excellent judging and commenting when there were so many photos.
 

Apple fanboy

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Feb 21, 2012
55,266
53,031
Behind the Lens, UK
Apple fanboy: Another interesting take – good job being creative everyone! Again, the lack of context generates a ton of questions. Is this an art project? Is this in an art gallery somewhere? What does the entire piece look like? I envision the aftermath of bombing or some other man-made destruction. I like the tight crop as it preserves so much of the mystery, such as to whom does the hand belong? A child next to a fallen parent? Nice placement of the facts, as well, respecting the rule of thirds. A compelling, but disturbing image.



Thanks to everyone for entering.
Thanks for taking the time to do a very thorough critique of everyones photos.
Mine was shot at Dudmaston Hall in 2014 and was part of a WW1 art exhibit made from brown paper. It was very good. Here is my favourite shot from the event.
20140629-DSC_0712-Edit by apple fanboy1, on Flickr

Well done to the winners. There were some cracking shots this week as always. Standards are very high on here.
I loved your fly Alex. Very sharp. Also thought E3BK's shot was a great narrative shot.
Gasweks skull was a great idea well executed.

Onto the next!
 

someoldguy

macrumors 68030
Aug 2, 2009
2,751
13,333
usa
Thanks for the commentary , and congrats to the winners !
The 'Chief on the Particle Board" is a representation of Chief Oratam . It was drawn by a local artist to cover a portion of the barrier surrounding a construction site . The rest of the barrier is generic commissioned street art , colorful , but doesn't catch your eye . The painting is derived from this : http://bergencountyhistory.org/forums/index.php?topic=1518.0
More info:
http://www.northjersey.com/news/mur...wntown-hackensack-construction-zone-1.1459997

The chief died in the late 1600's , so nobody really knows what he looked like . Coulda been a little fat guy with a wart on his nose . Though I prefer to imagine him as pictured .
 
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0970373

Suspended
Mar 15, 2008
2,727
1,412
Well, it has been a week. Time for this contest to close. I'll be back with the winners soon.
[doublepost=1463161817][/doublepost]I’ll preface my comments stating that these are merely my observations and, at times, the random thoughts that went through my mind while looking at each photograph. The selection of winners comes more from a visceral reaction than any expert awareness or discernment. I applaud each and every person who entered the contest as it takes courage to expose something so personal to judgment by someone else – even in a forum as encouraging and supportive as this one. Others will undoubtedly have differing opinions than mine, but here we go:


E3BK: Another photo in which the context is provided, but this time the photographer chooses to broaden the depth of field, giving the background the same focus as the child. That choice allows the viewer to clearly see the primary subject (the child) in the proper context (the ruins). Was the destruction part of a natural event like a hurricane or man-made? The juxtaposition of the innocent child with the devastation around him tugs at the heartstrings. A very emotional and well-made photo.

Great job judging this contest @lharvest! Thanks for the great feed back you gave to everyone.

As for the photos, thank you for the kind words. It was taken in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines a couple years ago. I went back to my homeland to volunteer in the clean up efforts. And it was very emotional for me to see all the families that were displaced and lost their homes. That child was at one of the sites we were clearing so that the family could begin rebuilding.


And the winner is…

I was keeping track of this thread throughout the week, jotting down notes and moving the pictures in and out of the top three. All told, I probably had about two dozen different combinations with a mixture of ten or so photos involved. It wasn’t easy picking a ‘winner’ as there were so many that could justifiably replace the ones I selected. Here they are:


Third Place: gasworks

Second Place: pmxperience

First Place: Alexander.of.Oz


Thanks to everyone for entering.

Congrats to the well deserved winners!!
 
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pmxperience

macrumors regular
Aug 12, 2011
241
456
United States
Pmxperience: Taking a different approach than the pictures by MacRy and Glenthompson, this photo offers the viewer more context with which to draw conclusions. But, as with the other photos, can leave the viewer with more questions than answers. Is this man sad? Is he just in deep thought? His isolation in the picture lends credence to a feeling of loneliness and despair. A very compelling and engaging photo. Well done.

Thanks so much for the kind words as well as the thoughtful and very insightful judging. You all are the direct cause of my photography getting better over the years. It's always good to be able to have something to strive for. You folks are awesome.
 

glenthompson

macrumors demi-god
Apr 27, 2011
2,983
842
Virginia
Glenthompson: One of the aspects of people photography done outside of the studio that I’ve always appreciated is the context, or lack of context, the photographer allows the viewer to see. Without context, the viewer's mind is allowed to imagine it. Was this photo taken while the subject and photographer were sitting at a table for lunch? Does the photographer even know the woman? Was she just walking when the photographer stopped her and asked to take her picture? The shade provides diffused, even lighting on the subject and she is well separated from the background. Her hair appears slightly disheveled as if it were a windy day. Why such a serious face? So many questions made that much more compelling by lack of context.

Now for some context, this is a picture of my wife while she was waiting for her son to fly his Navy helicopter back to base after being on deployment for a year. It was a windy day. She has an intense look because mine wants him home. Very little color editing was done on the image. I cut out most of the background because it added other unrelated colors. I liked the monochrome look of it with just the blue eyes, lipstick and red top providing the color. She wasn't aware that I took the picture.
 
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Alexander.Of.Oz

macrumors 68040
Oct 29, 2013
3,200
12,499
Thank you @lharvest for the amazing feedback and critique of each and every entrant this week! I felt for sure that MacRy had the win with his gorgeous image of Mrs MacRy!

My fly was a true supermodel, unfazed, she just stayed there while I had two giant flashes popping off on either side of her. Allowing me to get some good handheld images of her, with the eye detail in focus.

Next weeks contest is up over here.
 
Last edited:

AZhappyjack

macrumors G3
Jul 3, 2011
9,626
22,758
Happy Jack, AZ
Dwfaust: Who doesn’t love a picture of a baby? Nice job recognizing a photo opportunity and then taking it! The car seat is a bit of a distraction, but the pose is adorable and the lighting is great. I didn’t learn to appreciate photography until after my children were older, so I truly regret not being able to capture moments like this with them. I guess grandchildren can present another chance, but that will be several years out for me. Nice picture.

Thanks for the thoughts on my photo. She is actually my granddaughter, visiting us one afternoon. Her mother brought her in the house in her car seat, and I had to capture that facial expression. Some things could not be changed without losing the moment - so I had to work with the car seat. Photographing ones grandchildren is definitely one of life's simple pleasures.
 

Robotti

macrumors regular
Oct 16, 2014
249
713
Robotti: Nicely composed portrait. Lighting is well-managed, the pose holds interest, the red covering complements the model’s hair while at the same time providing contrast with the model’s skin tone. The eyes draw the viewer in and don’t let go. More separation from the background would have been nice, but a very well executed portrait overall. Lovely model as well.

Thank you very much for your comments. She is a professional dancer, and I photograph her often.
Looking forward to the next contest. This is fun!
 
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