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Author Topic: Balloons  (Read 3542 times)

Todd Suttles

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Balloons
« on: January 16, 2014, 10:40:54 pm »

Wanted to try Brandtb's B&W suggestions on Old Homestead, so went to an older image taken at Coachella 2010. I left lighter tones on girl's shoulder instead of crushing it all to black. Does it work or would be better solid silhouette? Thanks for C&C. I appreciate. -t
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amolitor

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Re: Balloons
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2014, 03:28:26 pm »

Love it! It's gimmicky but I think it really works. Good call on the girl's shoulder, I think leaving a little depth to the foreground figures is a good choice. Might considering toning it down a little, but definitely leave some depth.
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RSL

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Re: Balloons
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2014, 03:54:14 pm »

+1
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Balloons
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2014, 08:05:19 pm »

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Steve Weldon

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Re: Balloons
« Reply #4 on: January 18, 2014, 12:20:40 am »

I'll get beat up on this but okay..  It looks like a poorly captured shot (direction, exposure, dof, focus) that you later noticed had balloons in the sky and you're trying to find a way to make that special.  It just doesn't appeal.  It feels like mistake after mistake with a pinch of after thought.

For this to work the balloons would need to be bigger in the frame, better positioned, and better captured. 


I do like the repetition of heads though, they're all mostly at the same angle but showing different facial features and hair styles..  and it did catch my eye..
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cjogo

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Re: Balloons
« Reply #5 on: January 18, 2014, 12:47:34 am »

I really like it without the balloons  ...
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graeme

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Re: Balloons
« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2014, 07:18:56 am »

IMHO this would be a great image to use for a CD or book cover. Could become quite iconic.
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Todd Suttles

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Re: Balloons
« Reply #7 on: January 18, 2014, 09:06:07 am »

Thanks for your candor Steve. I can see your point and I suppose to some extent there may be more truth to what you say than I know. I especially appreciate your raising the question for me to think about. I was walking through the Coachella music festival shooting people; fast. I know the balloons were my identified subject; I was intrigued by them. each was about 4 feet across to give some perspective on distance from me. I added the girl deliberately to give placement. The other heads were most definitely an accident. Again -thank you very much for your input. I think I will re-visit the capture and see if there is another way to present it that has interest and resolves some of your impressions. There is a lot of detail I blacked out deliberately.  -t
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cjogo

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Re: Balloons
« Reply #8 on: January 18, 2014, 02:04:14 pm »

If I might be so bold ::

 put a catch light in her glasses --
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Todd Suttles

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Re: Balloons
« Reply #9 on: January 18, 2014, 03:39:44 pm »

Great idea cjogo. Ill try that too when I re-work it.
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cjogo

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Re: Balloons
« Reply #10 on: January 18, 2014, 03:59:05 pm »

Great idea cjogo. Ill try that too when I re-work it.


I didn't get the reflection on her lens,  just right -- I cloned the spot on her shoulder >>  but you get the idea .. Nice shot...
« Last Edit: January 18, 2014, 07:16:53 pm by cjogo »
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RSL

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Re: Balloons
« Reply #11 on: January 19, 2014, 09:46:50 am »

You guys don't get it. The balloons are essential to the picture Todd shot. Yeah, the Photoshop production without the balloons is mildly interesting, but it's a different picture. The thing that made the picture -- the ambiguity -- is gone.
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amolitor

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Re: Balloons
« Reply #12 on: January 19, 2014, 11:09:31 am »

It certainly could have been a random shot, with balloons by accident, or the people by accident, or whatever. I have come to terms with the undeniable fact that photography always comes with an element of luck, of serendipity (yes, even shooting still lifes in a studio).

I don't care if the shutter button got pressed when an amiable dog knocked the camera off a table, if they picture's good, it's good.

If it ahd been a composite, I confess that I would feel a little cheated. With the photograph, there is a sort of social contract that what you see was at any rate pretty much what was in front of the lens unless the photographer says differently. That still doesn't have anything to do with the picture, it's just the way we think about pictures in this here society.
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Todd Suttles

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Re: Balloons
« Reply #13 on: January 19, 2014, 01:11:56 pm »

I agree completely. There is the photograph and there is computer art. I still wrestle with my beliefs about which constitutes which; where is the distinguishing line? Composites are currently the dividing line for me. But if the definition of a good image is that it connects and communicates I guess both are valid in that respect; just different. Moving forward however I suspect that the line will become invisible. The kids growing up with digital camera and video don't have an underpinning of "reality" associated with the images. I'm not sure they even have a sense of reality given all the reality shows they consider real.
For example: Fiddle Oak: http://www.abcnyheter.no/livet/2013/11/26/bli-med-inn-i-zevs-fantastiske-foto-verden ; on Flikr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fiddleoak/
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cjogo

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Re: Balloons
« Reply #14 on: January 19, 2014, 10:15:23 pm »

You guys don't get it. The balloons are essential to the picture Todd shot. Yeah, the Photoshop production without the balloons is mildly interesting, but it's a different picture. The thing that made the picture -- the ambiguity -- is gone.

Sorry --I thought they were Photoshopped in after the fact -- just color dots  ...
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Steve Weldon

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Re: Balloons
« Reply #15 on: January 20, 2014, 12:16:00 am »

You guys don't get it. The balloons are essential to the picture Todd shot. Yeah, the Photoshop production without the balloons is mildly interesting, but it's a different picture. The thing that made the picture -- the ambiguity -- is gone.
I can see how you feel this way.  But I don't think you should try and hold all viewers to your view.  My view was the way presented they were an after thought, or as someone else said "photo shopped" in for effect.  A distraction.

For me I loved the profiles of the three faces and their expressions juxtaposed over their wild hair.  I can imagine a line of 4-8 such faces at the same exposure making for a fantastic picture.

Now.. whether or not this was an accident or afterthought.. it doesn't matter now.  What matters now is taking as much from this experience as he can and carrying it forward into his next work.. and I'll be watching to see where it goes.
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RSL

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Re: Balloons
« Reply #16 on: January 20, 2014, 08:39:16 am »

. . .I don't think you should try and hold all viewers to your view.

If you can explain how I could do that, Steve, I'd appreciate hearing your explanation. Fact is, anybody can like or dislike either of the two pictures. But they're different pictures. That's a fact; not a point of view.
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Steve Weldon

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Re: Balloons
« Reply #17 on: January 20, 2014, 01:21:08 pm »

If you can explain how I could do that, Steve, I'd appreciate hearing your explanation. Fact is, anybody can like or dislike either of the two pictures. But they're different pictures. That's a fact; not a point of view.

You can't.  And I'm glad you recognise that.  But when you make a comment like "you guys don't get it", this makes me feel like you think my thoughts are wrong and you want me to think as you do.  But I can see now you didn't mean it that way so all is good.
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Steve Weldon

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Re: Balloons
« Reply #18 on: January 20, 2014, 01:24:16 pm »

If you can explain how I could do that, Steve, I'd appreciate hearing your explanation. Fact is, anybody can like or dislike either of the two pictures. But they're different pictures. That's a fact; not a point of view.

True.  OR they're the same picture with an element missing.  Or the same picture but in black in white.  Or the same picture but cropped.  Perspective is key I think.. not everyone holds their art to technical boundaries.  Really, an interesting way to look at things.
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RSL

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Re: Balloons
« Reply #19 on: January 20, 2014, 03:30:16 pm »

You still don't get it. Perspective isn't what changes the feeling of the two pictures. With the balloons there's an element of ambiguity and of mystery. Without them it's just an out-of-focus picture of some people: mildly interesting but not ambiguous.
« Last Edit: January 20, 2014, 03:40:24 pm by RSL »
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