Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: fabrice deutscher on February 26, 2014, 09:52:53 am

Title: Some say...
Post by: fabrice deutscher on February 26, 2014, 09:52:53 am
...that is one of my best 2013 picture.
But - they are my friends. And you, frankly, what do you think of it ?
Thanks.

(http://sbooi.fr/fab/LL/05-L1137045_.jpg)
Corsica, June 2013
Title: Re: Some says...
Post by: David Eckels on February 26, 2014, 10:09:05 am
I love it! And welcome to the forums! I know what you mean about them being "your friends." You will find a lot of help here. I would only say that for me, there is perhaps a bit too much texture, in the sky particularly. I find this tension between the little girl, framed so nicely in the gap and perhaps softening the effect in the sky would help emphasize her more, if that is your intention. Can't tell for sure, but I think I also see some noise in the sky. Again, welcome!
Title: Re: Some says...
Post by: RSL on February 26, 2014, 10:14:00 am
Hi Fabrice, Welcome to LuLa.

It's an interesting shot and I like it. It reminds me of some of Josef Koudelka's work with the gypsies. I'm not terribly happy with the lack of detail in the lows, but I suspect a larger version might show more detail. The severe contrast certainly is appropriate for the subject.

Let's see some more of your work.
Title: Re: Some says...
Post by: fabrice deutscher on February 26, 2014, 10:27:42 am
Thanks David & Russ [Koudelka ? Are you sure ? I will have some ego trouble now]

By friends, I mean people I know in the real life, sometimes photographers. Maybe they are "too kind" with me.

Concerning the picture, it was just after a storm, and the sky was really like this. Just a little help with an orange filter.
I added a bit of grain to break the digital aspect [I like Kodak Tri-X and contrasted images]. I think the jpg compression don't help this screen version.
But I made(*) a large print [60x90 cm] and it was just perfect.

(*) Christophe Batifoulier, from Picto lab made it.
Title: Re: Some say...
Post by: PeterAit on February 26, 2014, 11:26:47 am
Wonderful!
Title: Re: Some say...
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on February 26, 2014, 12:03:18 pm
A very fine shot, Fabrice.
I, too, would be tempted to try to get a bit more shadow detail, but that could be just a jpg problem.
Welcome to the forum, and please do show us more of your work.

Eric
Title: Re: Some say...
Post by: fabrice deutscher on February 27, 2014, 06:05:57 am
Thanks guys ! And this one ?

(http://sbooi.fr/fab/LL/01-L1139030-91.jpg)
Bastia, Corsica, Sept. 2013
Title: Re: Some say...
Post by: Christoph C. Feldhaim on February 27, 2014, 06:32:45 am
First: Welcome aboard!
Fasten your seat belt and ready for takeoff ... ;)

I find the second image quite interesting, because you tilted the horizon.
Usually we'd probably say it has to be straight.
But in this case it interacts with the other tilted lines going horizontal across the frame.
Tiling the horizon questions the role of the horizon as a straight horizontal -
it is now just another compositional element interacting with other differently tilted lines.
I like that - you might want to experiment with other tilts of it while strictly avoiding a too horizontal orientation of it.
Seriously!
The other image elements nicely break up the scheme and finish the composition.
I am not so sure about the harsh blacks - but I'm watching from my suboptimally laptop screen in the moment.

Cheers
~Chris
Title: Re: Some say...
Post by: fabrice deutscher on February 27, 2014, 06:47:22 am
Thanks Chris.

I work on picture with the idea of a print. I think that's why blacks are very black in a small size.
However, I think a black and white picture must contain dark blacks and clear whites, and some [maybe a large scale] grays inside.
Title: Re: Some say...
Post by: brandtb on February 27, 2014, 08:24:08 am
Fabrice - wonderul image/subjects/tableau. I would explore pulling up the blacks and dark grays as well.  I think it's too crushed...and and that much severe contrast can be hard on the eyes...when you look at it "from a distance" so to speak...it almost takes on another quality....of an image made up of a "lower black half...and a upper white half". /Brandt
Title: Re: Some say...
Post by: fabrice deutscher on February 27, 2014, 08:45:59 am
Thanks for your comment Brandt. I am a bit under influence of Daido Moriyama's work ;-)
Title: Re: Some say...
Post by: jjj on February 27, 2014, 08:55:22 am
Fabrice - wonderul image/subjects/tableau. I would explore pulling up the blacks and dark grays as well.  I think it's too crushed...and and that much severe contrast can be hard on the eyes...when you look at it "from a distance" so to speak...it almost takes on another quality....of an image made up of a "lower black half...and a upper white half". /Brandt
Depending on the paper you use for printing, it could probably look quite different from a compressed jpeg.
I like this sort of tonal range myself.
Title: Re: Some say...
Post by: fabrice deutscher on February 27, 2014, 09:04:43 am
Depending on the paper you use for printing, it could probably look quite different from a compressed jpeg.
I like this sort of tonal range myself.

I really like Harman by Hahnemühle Glossy Baryta and Hahnemühle Baryta FB. I print on Epson Archival Matte for test prints and small prints.
I equipped my Epson printer with a Piezography® K7 system. I wrote something about it on my blog (http://sbooi.fr/blog/archives/2090) ; in french, sorry.
Title: Re: Some say...
Post by: brandtb on February 27, 2014, 11:20:51 am
Fabrice...by the bye...if you're not familiar with Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen's work you can see a selection at http://www.amber-online.com/people/32 (http://www.amber-online.com/people/32) I saw the "Byker" group in a show last year, the prints and the tone were extraordinary /B
Title: Re: Some say...
Post by: fabrice deutscher on February 28, 2014, 09:40:11 am
Not bad, Brandt [maybe a bit too grey, but web images uncontrolled by their author are sometimes different of their vision]
;-)

What about this one ?

(http://sbooi.fr/fab/LL/07-L1137979_.jpg)
Marseille, June 2013
Title: Re: Some say...
Post by: brandtb on February 28, 2014, 11:03:02 am
love your eye and compositions...the high contrast/darks...just a tad too much for me (but I know what you're going after)...c'est la vie maitre Fabrice...
Title: Re: Some say...
Post by: fabrice deutscher on February 28, 2014, 11:16:00 am
love your eye and compositions...the high contrast/darks...just a tad too much for me...c'est la vie maitre Fabrice...

Thanks Brandt. I can ear that. There is no accounting for taste.
What I dislike is people said it's ugly, just because they don't like. As they had the ultimate good taste.

But if you insist, I can make darker ^^
Title: Re: Some say...
Post by: fabrice deutscher on March 03, 2014, 02:30:33 pm
An other one :

(http://sbooi.fr/fab/LL/L1141161.jpg)
Paris, Feb., 2014
Title: Re: Some say...
Post by: jjj on March 03, 2014, 03:07:16 pm
Thanks Brandt. I can ear that. There is no accounting for taste.
What I dislike is people said it's ugly, just because they don't like. As they had the ultimate good taste.
But everyone has perfect taste.
Title: Re: Some say...
Post by: fabrice deutscher on April 04, 2014, 08:32:39 am
Hello ! It's me again...

(http://sbooi.fr/fab/LL/L1141964.jpg)
Paris, March, 2014

And here, an article I write about workshops (http://sbooi.fr/blog/archives/3632)...

Title: Re: Some say...
Post by: Chris Calohan on April 05, 2014, 11:56:56 pm
I like the first two best. I've always said you can't beat Cone's K7 inks. I am just as fond of his matte paper as I am of the Hahnemühle.