Guarding the Avenues

[cjogo]

Musee d'Orsay

[cjogo]

Few more figures along the way

[wolfnowl]

Are they looking up, wondering if those swords are going to drop down on them?

Mike.

[Steve Weldon]

Where are the feet?  This is one of the very obvious flaws that ruin an otherwise good image.  If it were me (and I know it wasn't) I would have stepped back 2-3 steps and then stepped to the left another 2 steps.  I would only have used this shallow of a presentation angle IF there were viewers or whatever interacting with the scene and I wanted to show that interaction.   Nice find of a site!

[cjogo]

Where are the feet?  This is one of the very obvious flaws that ruin an otherwise good image.  If it were me (and I know it wasn't) I would have stepped back 2-3 steps and then stepped to the left another 2 steps.  I would only have used this shallow of a presentation angle IF there were viewers or whatever interacting with the scene and I wanted to show that interaction.   Nice find of a site!

Had to keep the street and people out of the image -- and not a good idea to put my tripod in the street .. Only had the Hassy and my 60mm  ...

[Steve Weldon]

Had to keep the street and people out of the image -- and not a good idea to put my tripod in the street .. Only had the Hassy and my 60mm  ...

Too bad you were so limited.   I know the rules, which is why this image smacks me in the eyes.  It's down around their calves.  It looks more like a mistake than a well conceived crop.  I'm not trying to insult you, please don't take it that way.  I'm just talking openly about what I see when I first set eyes on the image.   You see, viewers give images, I think, less than milliseconds to catch the eye for a second and more thorough look.  They don't know your equipment was limited or where the street was and frankly they don't care.  What they care about is the image.. and only then if you can get them to like it.  It's the photographers job to overcome obstacles.  Often I cannot.. but in a situation where I know that I don't go ahead and display the work anyway.  I'll take some for myself.. but that's it.  And sometimes, at a later time, you figure out how to make it work.  Like cropping a bit higher into the thigh.  That would be a good save imo.

[cjogo]

Too bad you were so limited.   I know the rules, which is why this image smacks me in the eyes.  It's down around their calves.  It looks more like a mistake than a well conceived crop.  I'm not trying to insult you, please don't take it that way.  I'm just talking openly about what I see when I first set eyes on the image.   You see, viewers give images, I think, less than milliseconds to catch the eye for a second and more thorough look.  They don't know your equipment was limited or where the street was and frankly they don't care.  What they care about is the image.. and only then if you can get them to like it.  It's the photographers job to overcome obstacles.  Often I cannot.. but in a situation where I know that I don't go ahead and display the work anyway.  I'll take some for myself.. but that's it.  And sometimes, at a later time, you figure out how to make it work.  Like cropping a bit higher into the thigh.  That would be a good save imo.

I usually crop well >  http://imageevent.com/estrump/fineart?n=0&z=3&c=3&x=0&m=16&w=0&p=0  --- but sometimes the "popular" streets are hard to work :-)   When out shooting > I only take one exposure /one frame of any image ....Yes, very limited on a trip > just a few rolls of film and 3 lens ...

As you can see:: on most of my images displayed here @ LL -- I rarely crop. ;-)

[cjogo]

I believe there are still 4 "regulation" crops for portraits ....just above the calves is not my fav but the models seem to be always clipped there ...

[cjogo]

Guess this could had been a little looser on the crop -- but right below that bottom line >  are tourist heads .

[Ed Blagden]

Few more figures along the way

Love this one - well noticed! 

Agree about the ankles on the other shot.

[cjogo]

Just to the left of the statues is a staircase -- with plenty of people traffic -- the statues had a black iron fencing just below those ankles  ( probably to protect from Parisian dogs :-) )

  SO "" trying to overcome the obstacles ... keep the flow of people from bumping my tripod --- cable release in my hand > it was a good start of a idea > just needed gendarmes to help me move back 3 feet ;-)

Here's a cropping --

[rogerxnz]

I find the lean of the building by the figures in the first image distracting and I would crop off some of the empty space at the left of the figures.

You seem to have imposed rules on yourself which may prevent you from realising the full potential of your equipment, your subjects and yourself. For example, no street, no people, no (or seldom) cropping and no repeat shots.

None of your rules, in my opinion, enhance your chances of getting great images and none of them would impress your viewers. I suggest you review the reasons behind your rules and, if the situation so requires, break them, often.

I agree with all the other comments on the image.
Roger

[Bruce Cox]

I like img633a very much.  I like the lines of the building as well.

[cjogo]

I find the lean of the building by the figures in the first image distracting and I would crop off some of the empty space at the left of the figures.

You seem to have imposed rules on yourself which may prevent you from realising the full potential of your equipment, your subjects and yourself. For example, no street, no people, no (or seldom) cropping and no repeat shots.

None of your rules, in my opinion, enhance your chances of getting great images and none of them would impress your viewers. I suggest you review the reasons behind your rules and, if the situation so requires, break them, often.

I agree with all the other comments on the image.
Roger

The galleries around here sets many of the rules -- people > in your shots <  don't sell well ( unless they are famous )  ...So always try to exclude < unless its a prescribed portrait ( which makes up a good percentage of my shooting, on a trip )
 
My only job in he past 30+ years is an artist .. you take heed what the gallery director  "suggest"   -- if you want to sell .  If its a hobby :: totally different.

The potential of my equipment  :: You can only carry so much film on a trip --  and you only get 12exp  -- so there are limits ...  A Hassy with 3 lens /SWC body / 4 backs and tripod /acc  > does add up.
 
120 film is the size of shotgun shell > think how much room 50/100 rolls takes up in the carry on /\  Not a simple SD card :-)


When colleagues got together we always showed contact sheets  -- I'm coming from the old school  > where you shot a sheet of large film and made a contact to show when you gathered ...  You  cropped in the camera = that was the art.  There was no photoshop ;-) 

[cjogo]

Did some cropping and straightening ... This is the first scanning of this image from 1989 --- so good to throw it out on the forum --  thanks for the ideas ~!   I have only seen this in its 2X2 inch contact sheet ...all these years.

Might appear darker on the Web ...Lighter in my CS viewing --on my calibrated monitor >>   but I use RGB 1998 profiling and a custom one for our on-line-printing.  

[Steve Weldon]

Did some cropping and straightening ... This is the first scanning of this image from 1989 --- so good to throw it out on the forum --  thanks for the ideas ~! I have only seen this in its 2X2 inch contact sheet ...

I like it!  I'd be tempted to expose the figures another 1/2 stop, but other wise it feels right now.  Not sure if that' s a good thing though..

[cjogo]

I like it!  I'd be tempted to expose the figures another 1/2 stop, but other wise it feels right now.  Not sure if that' s a good thing though..

Thanks >  I should had exposed a tad more and not minus'd the development.  I metered for the low area ( the statues were quite dark in the back light situation )  and there is detail in the 3-4 Zone area ... just needed the 4  to move up to a 5 --- missed that one.  

[cjogo]

We worked very diligently in the "exposure" of images -- so there was very little post work in the darkroom.   That's what the masters taught me,  in the Carmel Circle of Greats.  :-) Those Ansel /Brett/and others...

BUT -- I know  < its a new digital world >

&  it seems to be :: that the image is in the post, most of the time.


This great tech book was "put together " at my home  
http://www.amazon.com/Zone-System-Craftbook-Comprehensive-Development/dp/0697131904/ref=la_B001KEECCW_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389596740&sr=1-1

[cjogo]

Spent many  years ::  trying to capture art on my travels ..painting /sculptures/ etc.

 This is 1989 Latvia  ....  Totally different situation then the Paris obstacles..