Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: stamper on June 22, 2014, 10:21:34 am

Title: Downwards
Post by: stamper on June 22, 2014, 10:21:34 am
Stairwell in Scotland's Centre for Design.
Title: Re: Downwards
Post by: Richowens on June 22, 2014, 11:24:06 am
Well seen, well executed...........WOW.

Rich

Title: Re: Downwards
Post by: RSL on June 22, 2014, 12:08:55 pm
Bravo Stamper. Finally!: something to see on User Critiques other than tourist snapshots and flower pics that don't come up to seed catalogue standards. It's been about two weeks since the last post worth a response -- with the single exception of sharperstill's "2 Boat Lengths." Keep doing this. And Seamus, it's been too long since we've seen any of your work. I hope you're shooting.
Title: Re: Downwards
Post by: William Walker on June 24, 2014, 10:19:18 am
Bravo Stamper. Finally!: something to see on User Critiques other than tourist snapshots and flower pics that don't come up to seed catalogue standards. It's been about two weeks since the last post worth a response -- with the single exception of sharperstill's "2 Boat Lengths." Keep doing this. And Seamus, it's been too long since we've seen any of your work. I hope you're shooting.

Nice to see Russ at his honest best!

Stamper, I might have said something about one of your recent posts being my favourite - but this one trumps that one...it is one of those that I would like to have taken!
 "Bravo!" has been copyrighted here so I'll say "Dis moers!" (Afrikaans for Bravo)  :)

William
Title: Re: Downwards
Post by: B-Ark on June 24, 2014, 10:59:29 am
Excellently seen and captured.

I'm guessing that this isn't just a "fortuitous accident" - you pre-visualized this, and then waited for (or 'ordered') a human through the scene.
Title: Re: Downwards
Post by: stamper on June 25, 2014, 05:52:33 am
Correct. I thought the stairwell looked like a good high contrast abstract type of image which I captured and decided to wait for a person to pass. It happened quickly - thank goodness because I tend to be impatient - and the image was what I got with little processing, other than a switch to B&W in Silver Efex pro to drain what little colour there was. Thanks Russ and William for your kind comments. :)
Title: Re: Downwards
Post by: Slobodan Blagojevic on June 25, 2014, 02:57:19 pm
Late to the party, so I can only join the chorus of accolades.

However, since you admitted in another thread that nitpicking annoys you, in particular about imperfections, I couldn't resist: there is a distracting highlight at the very left edge, the bottom, curved part of the handlebar. Cropping out that part of the image would also help with the overall feeling of symmetry. Another suggestion: there is a man figure in the upper window, which nicely juxtaposes with the real guy in the lower part; it might make sense to accentuate it a bit with increased local Clarity and/or contrast. Just a thought, feel free to ignore it.
Title: Re: Downwards
Post by: RSL on June 25, 2014, 03:19:03 pm
ROTFL!
Title: Re: Downwards
Post by: Slobodan Blagojevic on June 25, 2014, 03:20:45 pm
ROTFL!

Are you settling a score, Russ? ;)
Title: Re: Downwards
Post by: RSL on June 25, 2014, 03:48:26 pm
Absolutely! ;D
Title: Re: Downwards
Post by: stamper on June 26, 2014, 03:59:24 am
Slobodan, thanks for your praise. Regarding the highlight on the handlebar - it is called a banister in Scotland - I left it there as a counterpoint to the highlight on the opposite handlebar. I could have darkened the figure in the window pane a little bit more but it would possibly have competed more with the figure on the stair? As to nitpicking then in my 14 years of shooting I have yet to capture an image that was perfect that didn't have something that wasn't quite right in the scene. Some photographers spend hours on an image and leave it for another day, usually with layers in PS. They then come back to it for a final polish and are still not really happy with the final outcome. In reality the image is never finished in their mind, always wondering if there is a final tweak. No matter what they do to the image another person will always find a way to "improve" it? Personally I feel that if you get the image to look "good" in a reasonable length of time then it is time finish up and move on to another and let the viewer of the image have their "nitpick" If the "nitpick" isn't unreasonable then I am happy. ;) :) BTW I am looking forward to your next offering because I have a particularly sharp scalpel the size of a pitchfork that I would like to wield. Hopefully you won't do an Isaac on me and won't post anything? ;D
Title: Re: Downwards
Post by: seamus finn on June 27, 2014, 09:25:02 am
Came late to this too. It's a wonderful image - one of your best.
Title: Re: Downwards
Post by: John R on June 27, 2014, 06:17:00 pm
I agree, wonderful.

JR
Title: Re: Downwards
Post by: luxborealis on June 29, 2014, 03:45:18 pm
Excellent! Well seen and composed.

Russ - I agree, but am also guilty of adding tourist shots (hopefully not any of the flower photos you describe!). But, you must also consider the name of this website before you are too critical. The word "Landscape" just might have an affect on what we choose to post.

While not a landscape, stamper's photo is greatly appreciated.
Title: Re: Downwards
Post by: RSL on June 29, 2014, 04:05:29 pm
Terry, Check the LuLa front page right now. Michael posts all sorts of pictures including, frequently, street. I suspect the title "Luminous Landscape" has a more general meaning than you're accepting. Perhaps it's a reference to life.
Title: Re: Downwards
Post by: luxborealis on June 29, 2014, 05:05:51 pm
Terry, Check the LuLa front page right now. Michael posts all sorts of pictures including, frequently, street. I suspect the title "Luminous Landscape" has a more general meaning than you're accepting. Perhaps it's a reference to life.

No slight meant in any way - I spoke with my tongue somewhat planted in my cheek, which is why I added the "greatly appreciated" comment. If I wanted only landscapes, I wouldn't be here!