Red Tape?

[Mark Kemp]

An opinion please,

You will notice that this image has red and white tape marking the course.

Most people that see it say it spoils the shot and I should clone it out.

But I think it shows that this is a race and not just a couple of guys on bikes, plus it also defines the turn in the course.

What do you think?

http://www.m-kemp.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/assets/images/image013.jpg

[GPR1]

I don't know who "most people" are, but I would keep the tape. This is not a landscape shot, it's an action shot, and the tape helps define the action. IMHO.

Greg

[mvrekum]

Keep the tape. It is part of the situation, a motorcross. Thats at least my opinion.

Martin

[Mark Kemp]

Thanks for the opinions,

By 'most people who have seen it' I mean mainly other photographers at my camera club and also judges at club compettitons.

I have entered several images like this and the judges have always remarked on the tape. So I cloned it out of one shot and it placed second.

My club mates and the judges are all very experienced photographers and I value and respect their opinions. But in this case I don't agree and I just wondered if it was just me - so I aksed you guys :)

[Anders Östberg]

Sometimes the judges are just plain wrong. :)

Keep the tape.

[Don Ellis]

Dissenting view from the others... not only would I clone the tape -- the course is already visually defined by the direction of the two bikes, the lean of the riders, the trailing dust clouds -- but I'd remove the dark patch in the upper-right-hand corner.

I think part of the judges' aggravation is that the tape comes right out of the front fender.

But it's your photo... you should always do what pleases you unless you set that aside for a different agenda, i.e. winning photo contests.

Cheers,

Don

[martcol]

To tape or not to tape....

I kind of agree with Don about the tape coming out of the bike where it does. But I also think the tape adds a bit of reference to the shot. It doesn't seem to distract much but would be less so if it appeared a bit higher or lower. I would also like to see a tight crop on the two bikers - I really like the relationship between them in this photo. the two bikes togehther actually give a good sense of racing and so on... I don't know if it would better the shot, I just think it would be worth trying.

Martin

[stopbath]

The judges are correct. This is the same flaw where someone has a telephone pole 'sprouting' from their head. The tape would be fine and dandy if it were visable from behind the turn to the front of the turn. As it is, it vanishes and suddenly sprouts out of the bike like a lance.

In three dimensions the eyes know it's a tape, but in a static 2 dimensional photo, it looks like a lance attached to the bike...