Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: Christoph C. Feldhaim on March 21, 2014, 07:24:33 pm

Title: Hamburg fun fair: Spring "Dom" before start and in action (consolidated thread)
Post by: Christoph C. Feldhaim on March 21, 2014, 07:24:33 pm

I started a new mid term project about the "Hamburger Dom",
which is the local fun fair, held three times (!) per year.
Today the spring fair started and it rained.
I wasn't interested in taking image of the crowds,
but instead focused on preparations and atmosphere during this afternoon and the nasty weather.
I experimented with different color gels on my flash (Full CTO and CTB) to give the images varying color feels.

The whole series (18 images so far) is here (https://www.flickr.com/photos/feldhaim/sets/72157642712218294/).

Cheers
~Chris

EDIT: I fixed the oversharpening issue, you can now see the full sized images by clicking on the embedded image. Cheers ~Chris

The afternoon before Dom No.17 (http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3778/13317739084_36bcdee70d_o.jpg) (http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3778/13317739084_36bcdee70d_o.jpg) The afternoon before Dom No.1 (http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3732/13317532963_4306f7140d_o.jpg) (http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3732/13317532963_4306f7140d_o.jpg) The afternoon before Dom No.13 (http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7094/13317736284_d0050468a7_o.jpg) (http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7094/13317736284_d0050468a7_o.jpg) The afternoon before Dom No.15 (https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3714/13317369835_83f3530766_o.jpg) (https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3714/13317369835_83f3530766_o.jpg) The afternoon before Dom No.10 (https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3786/13317525873_dc71e896e4_o.jpg) (https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3786/13317525873_dc71e896e4_o.jpg)

Title: Re: Hamburg fun fair: "Dom" before start
Post by: Bruce Cox on March 21, 2014, 07:45:03 pm

I like your lead #17.  I like Big MONSTER and those light incrusted arches.  More pictures of those, please.

Title: Re:
Post by: Christoph C. Feldhaim on March 21, 2014, 07:53:04 pm

Thanks!
If you click the images you get to the series.
Cheers
~Chris

Title: Re: Hamburg fun fair: "Dom" before start
Post by: petermfiore on March 22, 2014, 08:30:09 am

Chris,

I like this subject very much and your eye for it. I feel that the images are just a tad too sharp! It's an overcast day and by it's nature there should be a touch of softness. The over sharpness make things a little unreal....But perhaps that's the point.


Thanks for the post,
Peter

Title: Re: Hamburg fun fair: "Dom" before start
Post by: Kevin Gallagher on March 22, 2014, 10:00:36 am

 Hi Chris, great series!! I particularly like your #12. When I was a boy there was a place nearby called Savin Rock, it was a very large amusement park with some great rides and other attractions. Needless to say the "bumper cars were one of my favorites. Well done sir!!

Kevin in CT

Title: Re: Hamburg fun fair: "Dom" before start
Post by: Christoph C. Feldhaim on March 22, 2014, 06:29:24 pm

Peter and Kevin: Thanks for the nice words !

Peter: The editing is intentionally ant the edge of oversharpening.
I wanted that look, , maybe the Flickr reduction just brought it over the line.
But the next batch will be a bit different.

Cheers
~Chris

Title: Re: Hamburg fun fair: "Dom" before start
Post by: wolfnowl on March 23, 2014, 12:28:36 am

Quote from: petermfiore on March 22, 2014, 08:30:09 am

Chris,

I like this subject very much and your eye for it. I feel that the images are just a tad too sharp! It's an overcast day and by it's nature there should be a touch of softness. The over sharpness make things a little unreal....But perhaps that's the point.


Thanks for the post,
Peter

I must admit I had the same thought as Peter - nice work, but it seemed a little over the edge for my taste - especially on a rainy day as one doesn't expect hard light with rain.

Mike.

Title: Re: Hamburg fun fair: "Dom" before start
Post by: Christoph C. Feldhaim on March 23, 2014, 04:22:30 am

A question to you who find it oversharpened (actually I find them oversharpened too now) - if you go to the links below,
which show the original size - do you think its still oversharpened or just at the edge?

I'm afraid every time I post an image at the edge of "okay sharpness",
the reduction algorithm by Flickr just pushes it over the edge.

I have seen this with other images and the consequence could be to either sharpen less or,
to include only small thumbnails into the post so,
that you would have to click a link to see the image, which I do not want,
since I like the format of 3-6 images at viewing size in a centered column with captions.

I had included sharpening for screen in LR export earlier, which made it even worse so I took it out.
I most likely would sharpen less in the future, but I'd like to hear your opinion about the image sharpness in the links below.

Cheers
~Chris


Above images full size in order as presented above:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3778/13317739084_36bcdee70d_o.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3732/13317532963_4306f7140d_o.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7094/13317736284_d0050468a7_o.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3740/13317364405_905bfc59f3_o.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3786/13317525873_dc71e896e4_o.jpg

Title: Re: Hamburg fun fair: "Dom" before start
Post by: petermfiore on March 23, 2014, 08:27:08 am

Chris,

Yes, much better to my eye. This group has the feel of that type of day. The Ferris is a different shot, Correct?

Peter

Title: Re: Hamburg fun fair: "Dom" before start
Post by: Christoph C. Feldhaim on March 23, 2014, 09:13:26 am

Quote from: petermfiore on March 23, 2014, 08:27:08 am

Chris,

Yes, much better to my eye. This group has the feel of that type of day. The Ferris is a different shot, Correct?

Peter

Seem the Flickr effect struck me again then.
I think I will have to sharpen less then in the future - which sort of sucks, but it seems it is just like that.

All images titled "The afternoon before Dom No.xyz" are from Friday with that very nasty weather.
All other images in the set are from Saturday, where the weather was much better with only little rain
and people actually coming to the fun fair and the soccer match (St.Pauli-Ingolstadt: 0:0) which was in parellel .
My other thread was about these and they have more distinct image titles and a slightly different postprocessing too which is also more individualized.
I deleted that thread and posted the images in the post below here.

Cheers
~Chris

Title: Hamburg fun fair: "Dom" in action
Post by: Christoph C. Feldhaim on March 23, 2014, 09:16:07 am

Okay - I moved the images here - better to have only one thread instead of two.

I went to the Fun Fair a day later and the weather was finally better.
I want to note, that I usually never go to fun fairs.
But the photographic opportunities lured me out of my home ground.

The whole set can be seen here (https://www.flickr.com/photos/feldhaim/sets/72157642712218294).

And yes, my 10-24 mm wide angle zoom lens has finally arrived (candy shop image) ... :D

Cheers
~Chris

EDIT: Fixed something to avoid oversharpening. Cheers ~Chris

Shake it in the Shaker! (https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3681/13338379573_2e4a18e83a_o.jpg) (https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3681/13338379573_2e4a18e83a_o.jpg) Moar Balloons! (http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7227/13338378883_db349a8cea_o.jpg) (http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7227/13338378883_db349a8cea_o.jpg) Monster Speed (http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/13338624124_4bc2e6e6cb_o.jpg) (http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/13338624124_4bc2e6e6cb_o.jpg) Chairoplane (http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3773/13338233265_d4575b4d2a_o.jpg) (http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3773/13338233265_d4575b4d2a_o.jpg) Sexy Mermaid (http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7310/13338376663_9b13e59e66_o.jpg) (http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7310/13338376663_9b13e59e66_o.jpg) Candy Shop and Air Raid Shelter No.1 (http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7454/13338619744_86dba58f05_o.jpg) (http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7454/13338619744_86dba58f05_o.jpg)

Title: Re: Hamburg fun fair: "Dom" before start
Post by: Bruce Cox on March 23, 2014, 09:16:53 am

The linked versions are all much improved.  I can now look at and enjoy #10 which I could not before.

This seem as good as any time to lobby for larger and better postings here a Lu La.  We may not be ready for 4K, but we could do 4 meg. per frame.  And if necessary cut the number of frames.  

Title: Re: Hamburg fun fair: "Dom" before start
Post by: wmchauncey on March 23, 2014, 09:17:07 am

Chris, normally I abhor street photography but these I like...I think that it's because the people aren't the subject, it's the milieu that I like.

Quote

I'd like to hear your opinion about the image sharpness in the links below.

I'm viewing them on a quality, color corrected monitor using IE as a browser...I find them more visually appealing as well.

Apologies if I'm preaching to the choir but, every sharing site has their individual idiosyncrasies.
I don't even try to balance things out any more, as basing IQ on a web image is an exercise in futility.

Using the gels was a nice touch.

Title: Re: Hamburg fun fair: Spring "Dom" before start and in action (consolidated thread)
Post by: Christoph C. Feldhaim on March 23, 2014, 10:37:03 am

Quote from: Bruce Cox on March 23, 2014, 09:16:53 am

The linked versions are all much improved.  I can now look at and enjoy #10 which I could not before.

This seem as good as any time to lobby for larger and better postings here a Lu La.  We may not be ready for 4K, but we could do 4 meg. per frame.  And if necessary cut the number of frames.  

Good to read that!

I went a bit deeper into this sharpness problem.
Basically it comes down to embedding the original size image and not a Flickr-crippled reduced version, which results in the original being scaled down to 800 px by the Lula webside code -  no oversharpening here.
This means viewing the thread you already download the images in full resolution, though you only see them in 800 px size.
When you click the images you get linked to the original size images on Flickr, so you get the full experience.
Since the image is already in your browsers cache it should't cause any additional load.

Sorry - this is a tricky matter and the solution above seems to be the best compromise, if I want to present in a format like seen here.

Cheers
~Chris

Title: Re: Hamburg fun fair: "Dom" before start
Post by: Christoph C. Feldhaim on March 23, 2014, 10:50:48 am

Quote from: wmchauncey on March 23, 2014, 09:17:07 am

Chris, normally I abhor street photography but these I like...I think that it's because the people aren't the subject, it's the milieu that I like.
...
...
Using the gels was a nice touch.

Exactly that was my situation.
Though there are some portrait/street-like images, the series is about the surrealism, the disavowal and the bit of perversion of fun fairs.
Though I do not generally condemn them, I see something behind which is problematic.

Many helpers working for the carnies are extremely poor people, hanging on the drip of the social system.
One of these guys approached me asking for a little change.
I had no change with me and apologized for not being able to help him.
He thanked me for listening to him and not casting him away immediately.
Sort of a masochistic interaction that was, still shocked me.
When I talked to some people, asking if I could take a picture of them (like the silhouette man and the lady cleaning the beaverage suppliers) most of them were friendly, some even shy and unsecure.
I had the impression many of them were aware of their problematic social situation and they seemed to feel ashamed because of that.
Others, I think, denied a picture being taken, because of that - just my subjective impression, of course.

These people work on an event where people often get drunk, behave very lowly and primitive and spend money for basically nothing.
This tension was very strong during the whole shooting.
The weather sort of supported this rather depressing notion and the flash gels and the processing were used to express that in my personal way.
I just had a phone call with my brother and he found the images were sad, not like what one would expect from a fun fair.
And that was my point - the backside of the coin.
And though this is not meant as a social reportage or something it is my subjective view which came up these last two days.

Cheers
~Chris

Title: Re: Hamburg fun fair: Spring "Dom" before start and in action (consolidated thread)
Post by: petermfiore on March 23, 2014, 10:55:29 am

Chris,

Truly a wonderful set...congratulations.

Peter

Title: Re: Hamburg fun fair: Spring "Dom" before start and in action (consolidated thread)
Post by: Christoph C. Feldhaim on March 25, 2014, 04:29:25 pm

Quote from: petermfiore on March 23, 2014, 10:55:29 am

Chris,

Truly a wonderful set...congratulations.

Peter

Thanks, Peter - it's appreciated.
Cheers
~Chris

Title: Re: Hamburg fun fair: Spring "Dom" before start and in action (consolidated thread)
Post by: Rajan Parrikar on March 25, 2014, 06:45:46 pm

Very enjoyable, Christoph.  Go wide(r)!

Title: Re: Hamburg fun fair: Spring "Dom" before start and in action (consolidated thread)
Post by: Christoph C. Feldhaim on March 27, 2014, 02:57:40 am

Quote from: Rajan Parrikar on March 25, 2014, 06:45:46 pm

Very enjoyable, Christoph.  Go wide(r)!

Thanks, and yes - I will do !

Honestly - the perspective of the 10-24 mm lens at 10 mm sort of scares me.
I really have to get used to it, but I will.
I'll have a 3 day trip to Berlin and Potsdam ongoing from tonight - I think I'll make use of it - lots of architecture to explore.

Cheers
~Chris