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Archive 2013 · Last rose of season & Halloween fun

  
 
Bob Jarman
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Last rose of season & Halloween fun


Regards,

Bob












Oct 31, 2013 at 07:20 PM
gregfixit
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Last rose of season & Halloween fun


Nice! Really like the rose.
Greg



Nov 01, 2013 at 06:07 AM
beavens
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Last rose of season & Halloween fun


gregfixit wrote:
Nice! Really like the rose.
Greg


Greg, mind going into some more detail?

To my untrained eyes (and most likely wildly uncalibrated work monitor) it seems underexposed and noisy, with a slightly too shallow DOF.



Nov 01, 2013 at 07:41 AM
Bob Jarman
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Last rose of season & Halloween fun


beavens wrote:
Greg, mind going into some more detail?

To my untrained eyes (and most likely wildly uncalibrated work monitor) it seems underexposed and noisy, with a slightly too shallow DOF.


Ahh, yes, I agree with all three observations, but the broader question is: Does violating those three technical precepts make it an unpleasant image? And if so, Why?

I am not trying to start an argument, but I will submit that a 100% technically correct image, according to someone's "rules" can be as equally unpleasant. Too often I think we get hung up on technique at the expense of so many other factors that may produce an aesthetically pleasing image (but certainly not for everyone - that will never happen).

In this case, all three areas identified are by design, not faulty technique. My vision for this setting.

Interested in others' perceptions.

Bob



Nov 01, 2013 at 08:07 AM
Oregon Gal
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Last rose of season & Halloween fun


When I saw the rose last night my first reaction was I like the image. Now if I ask myself why, in my case it's the softness of the rose, the pastel colors and the darkened, highly vignetted look. Noise, underexposure is slightly visible on this size image but it's doesn't distract from the image. Yes, I would like slightly more sharpness and depth of field but it doesn't make it an unpleasant image. My feelings are dependent on the subject matter, lighting and overall presentation. Now let's take your second image, it's technically correct but doesn't evoke any emotion. I would classify the image as a static snapshot recording a moment in time.

So while each image will appeal to people for different reasons it doesn't make them unpleasant because of faults in the case of the first.




Nov 01, 2013 at 09:03 AM
gregfixit
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Last rose of season & Halloween fun


I guess the reason I like the rose is that the color, composition and the overall 'feel' of the image is appealing to me. The grain and focus seem to add to the feel.
I would also describe myself as having an untrained eye. And I have no background in art education. But I have started paying more attention to WHY I like an image, since I have joined FM. I pay more attention to what others say and how they describe their likes and dislikes.
With all that being said I will take a stab at the 'why' of the appeal of this photo.
1.) I like flower photos. I like having flowers in my yard and I like photographing them.
2.) I like the way the white rose has a pink hue toward the center. It makes it more interesting.
3.) The focus and grain give it a bit of a 'timeless' element for me. It has the feel of a B&W and the color of the flower. (The best of both wolds)
4.) The secondary flower makes the beauty of the subject flower more apparent. The color of the second flower matches well with the pink tones in the subject flower. So to me it add-to the overall image.
5.) The background color draws my eye to the subject flower in a very pleasant manor. (If that makes sense.)
6.) For me the focus and grain reduce the image to it's most basic elements. Color, shape and composition.

I guess this would also be an appealing image if it were taken at ISO100 and F4. But it would be appealing for different reasons. (At least for me.)

Thanks for asking Beavens, it is a good exercise for me to ask myself 'why' I like something. It helps me compose my own images better.

And thanks to Bob for the appealing image.

Greg



Nov 01, 2013 at 09:31 AM
Bob Jarman
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Last rose of season & Halloween fun


Oregon Gal wrote:
When I saw the rose last night my first reaction was I like the image. Now if I ask myself why, in my case it's the softness of the rose, the pastel colors and the darkened, highly vignetted look. Noise, underexposure is slightly visible on this size image but it's doesn't distract from the image. Yes, I would like slightly more sharpness and depth of field but it doesn't make it an unpleasant image. My feelings are dependent on the subject matter, lighting and overall presentation. Now let's take your second image, it's technically correct but doesn't evoke any
...Show more


Well said, and I agree completely with the WTH snapshot of #2, which, having debated about deleting it , does serve to demonstrate.

Thank you for the well-thought and helpful response. Again, I have no intent to point fingers - I am as prone as anyone else to criticize technique: guilty.

Now, the back-story is my recent acquisition of the Fuji and immersion into street images, technique, blogs, etc. Initially I found most unpleasant technically - poor focus, too much contrast, you get the idea - but have come to appreciate them as something (to me) having a particular appealing aesthetic. Much akin to Scotch - an acquired taste. And, I have also realized photographing that genre is not within my psyche.

So that is the basis for my initial question.

And, I don't mean to foreclose other's ideas - please jump into the conversation.

Bob

Edited on Nov 01, 2013 at 09:41 AM · View previous versions



Nov 01, 2013 at 09:36 AM
Bob Jarman
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Last rose of season & Halloween fun


gregfixit wrote:
I guess the reason I like the rose is that the color, composition and the overall 'feel' of the image is appealing to me. The grain and focus seem to add to the feel.
I would also describe myself as having an untrained eye. And I have no background in art education. But I have started paying more attention to WHY I like an image, since I have joined FM. I pay more attention to what others say and how they describe their likes and dislikes.
With all that being said I will take a stab at the 'why' of the
...Show more

Greg,

Thank you for a well thought out and helpful response.

And, my first approach was B&W but thought the color served better - glad you like it.

Regards,

Bob





Nov 01, 2013 at 09:40 AM
beavens
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Last rose of season & Halloween fun


Excellent responses all around!

This was exactly the type of discussion I was hoping to spark.

Sometimes it's hard, especially for people not from an artistic background, to get beyond the technical aspects of photography.

After changing perspectives, it's not hard to see why image 1 is pleasing - I think it really resembles something closer to a painting. The imperfections almost enhance the image.

And as for image 2, while technically sound, isn't as much a feast for the eyes.

Thanks, everyone!



Nov 01, 2013 at 10:08 AM
RustyBug
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Last rose of season & Halloween fun


Being the technical junkie that I am ... imo, the rose image has been well crafted to convey the presence that you wanted to convey to us. Being a technician isn't just about making things uber-sharp or perfectly accurate color balance. For me, being technically oriented is about having "command & control" over your craftsmanship to yield your desired message.

The attributes of the rose image are soft and low contrast, which given the subject matter renders a degree of congruity that harmonizes. I'm a detail junkie, for sure ... but I readily recognized the craftsmanship of purpose involved, and its appropriateness to conveying your message of mood/presence/ambiance to your viewer.

I might look at cropping some off the right side to re-weight / re-balance the two flowers to give more weight to the white one. I'd look at cropping around 1/4 - 1/3 of the pink flower (1/8 - 1/10 of image) and maybe a slight trim off the top to raise them a bit more above vertical center.



Nov 01, 2013 at 10:16 AM
beavens
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Last rose of season & Halloween fun


+1 to cropping for balance.

My eyes want to focus on the rose, but keep getting pulled to the right.



Nov 01, 2013 at 10:25 AM
Bob Jarman
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Last rose of season & Halloween fun


Thanks everyone,

Productive discussion...most informative.

Bob



Nov 01, 2013 at 01:38 PM





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