Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: Chris Calohan on March 20, 2013, 11:33:16 am

Title: The Mechanic
Post by: Chris Calohan on March 20, 2013, 11:33:16 am
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8228/8574193117_3c12213ecc_o.jpg)
Title: Re: The Mechanic
Post by: francois on March 20, 2013, 12:06:35 pm
I like it and can almost smell oil and grease!

Well done!
Title: Re: The Mechanic
Post by: Slobodan Blagojevic on March 20, 2013, 12:13:33 pm
Superb, Chris! Framing, composition, tonality.

A suggestion: see if slightly toning down the highlights in the far left, on the wheel and his hand, might help, by not attracting too much of our attention, and then leading us out of picture? And perhaps just slightly more details pulled out on his cap by lightening it, so that it stands out from the bumper? In both cases, changes should be rather gentle.
Title: Re: The Mechanic
Post by: Chris Calohan on March 20, 2013, 12:52:04 pm
Superb, Chris! Framing, composition, tonality.

A suggestion: see if slightly toning down the highlights in the far left, on the wheel and his hand, might help, by not attracting too much of our attention, and then leading us out of picture? And perhaps just slightly more details pulled out on his cap by lightening it, so that it stands out from the bumper? In both cases, changes should be rather gentle.

(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8229/8575511740_ce8a0eba70_o.jpg)
Title: Re: The Mechanic
Post by: Rob C on March 20, 2013, 02:06:46 pm
Anyone here remember Herb Ritts?

;-)

Rob C
Title: Re: The Mechanic
Post by: amolitor on March 20, 2013, 02:09:16 pm
AhHA! That's where I remember that strange skin texture from! Good call, Rob ;)
Title: Re: The Mechanic
Post by: Chris Calohan on March 20, 2013, 02:11:41 pm
Lots of grease and an ISO of 6400 will get you that.  ;D
Title: Re: The Mechanic
Post by: Jeremy Roussak on March 20, 2013, 03:59:38 pm
You come up with some excellent suggestions, Slobodan!

Chris, that second version is definitely an improvement.

Jeremy
Title: Re: The Mechanic
Post by: Rob C on March 20, 2013, 04:50:43 pm
You come up with some excellent suggestions, Slobodan!

Chris, that second version is definitely an improvement.

Jeremy


But I don't think so this time.

You could apply that psychology to everything in every snap and kill it dead in the doing. Think of Gene Smith and Pittsburgh: never has the bleaching of highlights been used to greater effect; Vogue and Harper's - all of these piccy frames have shown the value of highlight overkill! In this shot, it's the guy, not the wheel; the wheel only adds a bit of minor context and is perfectly and subliminally understood with or without glow or highlight recovery. If anything, making the rim 'detail' more visible only serves to deaden the overall contrast and make a murky/dirty shot even more so.

I think it was better first time.

Rob C

P.S.  I don't believe that Ritts ever shot 'simple' after he became living legend. Now, we shall never know.
Title: Re: The Mechanic
Post by: AFairley on March 20, 2013, 05:22:08 pm
Nah, I like the second better, richer arm tones (but then I dont' like GS' bleached highlights either).  For me this is all about the richness of the tones.
Title: Re: The Mechanic
Post by: Slobodan Blagojevic on March 20, 2013, 05:23:40 pm
Rob, I think we are talking from different angles here. I have nothing against blown/bleached highlights per se. It is their position in (the very corner) that bothers me, given that the brightest parts of an image are the first to attract, and sometimes hold, the attention. Couple that with the position and angle of the arm, seemingly pointing out of the picture, and you will understand why my attention very quickly ends up in that corner and stays there longer than necessary, not knowing where else to go but out.

Speaking about "murkiness," I might suggest, after taming the highlights on the hand, to now brighten, if ever so slightly, the arm (or bring it back to its original state).
Title: Re: The Mechanic
Post by: Chris Calohan on March 20, 2013, 05:56:23 pm
grmblemrbleurbmurmmer
Title: Re: The Mechanic
Post by: Chris Calohan on March 20, 2013, 06:11:29 pm
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8575117739_30f5c05786_o.jpg)
Title: Re: The Mechanic
Post by: David Eckels on March 20, 2013, 07:11:31 pm
That's it (to me)!
Title: Re: The Mechanic
Post by: Slobodan Blagojevic on March 20, 2013, 07:20:40 pm
grmblemrbleurbmurmmer

They say Leo Tolstoy would vomit on occasion, while writing, struggling to find the right way to express himself... you, on the other hand, having to go only through three iterations, got away way too easy, my friend  ;D
Title: Re: The Mechanic
Post by: Chris Calohan on March 20, 2013, 07:45:15 pm
That's it (to me)!

Good, cause that's it for me, too!  ;D
Title: Re: The Mechanic
Post by: Chris Calohan on March 20, 2013, 07:47:10 pm
They say Leo Tolstoy would vomit on occasion, while writing, struggling to find the right way to express himself... you, on the other hand, having to go only through three iterations, got away way too easy, my friend  ;D

No-no-no, you only saw three iterations... there were six prior to the first post so this makes nine iterations ...and you never even saw this one...

(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8372/8574193073_3c16013990_c.jpg)
Title: Re: The Mechanic
Post by: David Eckels on March 20, 2013, 08:05:49 pm
Good, cause that's it for me, too!  ;D
Been there, done that! But Slobodan has other ideas ;)
Title: Re: The Mechanic
Post by: Michael West on March 20, 2013, 10:45:32 pm
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8228/8574193117_3c12213ecc_o.jpg)

I  prefer the original rendition. It is a raw....image and the light is perfectly suited to the subject matter and composition
Title: Re: The Mechanic
Post by: gerafotografija on March 20, 2013, 10:54:35 pm
All good.

I once had to spar with a guy that had arms like that. Now I remember why I decided photography was a more sensible hobby.