chisel
26th of April 2010 (Mon), 21:13
Challenge #273 - Sepia
I was chatting with an old photographer last week; he still shoots only B&W film, and doesn't feel that digital can catch the range, softness and subtlty of film.
I tend to agree with him, but I hope you can prove us wrong. However, I'll make this more difficult, and move further back in photographic history- instead of B&W, I want Sepia. Make the sepia part of the story, so it doesn't feel like a gimmick. Think of the richness of those photos from the 1800's.
I'm especially interested in lighting, composition, and a story which makes the imagination travel.
________________________________
1st place: Michael Wells – Olde Tyme
Stunning. Beautiful use of sepia and tonal range. Very rich. I keep thinking I see cobwebs on the clock, this timepiece patiently passes through the eons. The dramatic composition works very well.
2nd place: Objetda – morning drift down the Phuoc An River - Hoi An
This really grows on me. That small boat with people in the background, right smack in the center, actually works really well. Usually putting an element right in the middle makes a composition static, but here it adds movement and interest. This is the only shot in which the huge white areas don’t feel burned out, but rather contribute to the misty ancient tone. It seems like it could have been shot by someone who was trained in Asian brush painting in the 19th century.
3rd place: KevanG9 – Pickles
Excellent, a good story, your picture makes me want to be there, to enter the scene and the town. It is richer in sepia than it would be in B&W or color, although a tiny bit of tweaking with desaturation or tone curve might have helped. You caught the bicyclist at just the right spot, which isn’t easy with the lag in digital shutters.
________________________________
Honorable mention: Corythosaurus – High Plains Barn
Ominous sky, good texture, sharp focus and the disturbing angles all contribute to create the mood and depth. It’s like the air and light just before a tornado hits, the nervous calm before the storm. It feels like an old Alfred Hitchcock movie.
Honorable mention: Afkenner – hidden hilltop hotel
It feels abandoned, and creates an interesting, disconnected feel. The fact that I can’t see the ground, I don’t know how high I am, and the sky and atmosphere, which leaves me unsure of the time of day, and the perspective, with the second building slanting away, and the stone tower which seems out of place with the wood structures, all contribute to a wonderful deep mystery. I like the sense of unease and timelessness that it creates.
Honorable mention: Teekay – Heritage Lane
This is one where Sepia really contributes. It would not be very appealing in color, and if it were B&W it would lack the depth and wouldn’t draw me in as much. The sepia puts magic in the scene, but the coloring is a bit strong, at least on my monitor; a bit less saturation would make it a considerably stronger contender. I’d like a bit more range on the right side block wall; that would frame the alley and send me deeper towards the lone figure way that I think I spy back there.
________________________________
Susikamikaze – fiddle
Intriguing, but I wish there was more shading and depth in the background to add some complexity to the story. I’d like just a bit less bokeh, a bit more focus in the foreground to introduce the story and draw me in.
Erik1974 – Frozen in time
It makes me wonder what she has in her hands, what she’s looking at. The shadow rings behind her ear from her tiara kind of throw me off, they’re very distracting. The gray scale in her sweater, especially in her arm, breaks down- film would certainly have more range here.
JimAskew – Time long ago
Another case where digital doesn’t approach film- the dynamic range is limited. Note the whites of the tops of the clock bodies, they all burn out. More range would make this more subtle and dramatic. I think this is a case where black and white would have been stronger than sepia.
Boutty – This old church
Too much noise distracts from losing myself in the mood of the scene. It feels a bit too photoshopped and the reflection in the water, which could have been a wonderful element, gets lost.
Maureen Souza – Abandoned farmhouse
Beautiful composition, but needs a more subtle dynamic range. The sky is washed out, the wall too dark. This is one where I think it would be stronger in B&W, and the sepia weakens it.
Paul B – all aboard
The conductors face, just a bit grainy, becomes an interesting mask. It makes me wonder what is going on behind those shaded eyes, what he is seeing and judging. I think a one or two degree rotation clockwise would help the composition and add a hint of movement. This is another one where I’m not sure the sepia helps, or whether the nature of the photo is more oriented towards B&W.
Tadaaa – old sand
A time traveler, it feels like a snapshot of 1990’s woman on an 1890’s beach. The softness and slight grain help the effect. If this were the cover of a novel, it would make us want to pick up the book and learn the story.
Marie – good companions
Wonderful lively feel. The movement and composition is very rich, but the dynamic range is limited. More subtle shading and shadow on the women’s skin would add considerably.
Rpolitsr – cake decoration in grand grandmothers style
The bokeh throws me off a bit. The out-of-focus upper area draws attention to the limited range of depth in the whites. A bit busy around the edges; I think a tighter crop would have helped.
Mrshobden – summer dress
This feels like an old, faded glass plate photo. Good range and texture, but the strong vertical of the dress is too centered. A bit off to the side would be better balanced.
Xhack – pensive
Needs more range in the skin tones; that would create more depth to his pensive character.
Car – The Peoples Palace, Glasgow
The color is surreal. It looks like a UFO which has landed, perhaps in a Dr. Who episode. The mullions of the gazebo are all stark white, burnt out, and the shadow areas to uniformly dark; I’d like more range.
IVOlution – Pueblos Blancos
My initial thought was that I wanted it a bit darker, with fog or shadow to create mood, but with a title Pueblos Blancos it clearly is a bright, white place. Still, a little more of the range of old film would put some texture and character in the walls, and a bit more shadow down the road would draw me in further. The lack of detail in the bright white sunspot over the mans head is distracting.
CarloY – no title
The building is very dark; it needs more subtle range to give it the look I’m after. Tweaking the tone curve would help.
Ahobden – remember
I’d like a tight crop, just her face and the sprig of branch and one flower right below her. That would really focus the mood and the story of remembrance.
________________________________
To submit, click Post Reply and put your Photo Name in the Subject Line. Don't forget your Camera Model.
Post until Monday noon GMT, 3 May 2010.
Photo Submissions
1. Camera -- Canon G-Series Camera (G1, G2, G3, G5, G6, G7, G9, G10, G11) or Pro 1 only.
-
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-
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-
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-
5. Posting --
* One photo per photographer in each challenge.
* Photo Title in the message subject line.
* Camera model.
* EXIF data, if you like.
6. Commenting -- No commenting on photos by anyone, including the photographer. Once the winners are declared, photographers can add comments to their images and everyone is invited to discuss.
-
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-
Time
One challenge every week, on the following schedule:
* New Topic ... As soon as possible after winning.
* Posting Starts ... Right after topic is announced.
* Posting Stops ... Monday noon GMT
* Winners Announcement ... Tuesday noon GMT.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click this sentence for Hosting Rules and Winners List (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=113480).
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I was chatting with an old photographer last week; he still shoots only B&W film, and doesn't feel that digital can catch the range, softness and subtlty of film.
I tend to agree with him, but I hope you can prove us wrong. However, I'll make this more difficult, and move further back in photographic history- instead of B&W, I want Sepia. Make the sepia part of the story, so it doesn't feel like a gimmick. Think of the richness of those photos from the 1800's.
I'm especially interested in lighting, composition, and a story which makes the imagination travel.
________________________________
1st place: Michael Wells – Olde Tyme
Stunning. Beautiful use of sepia and tonal range. Very rich. I keep thinking I see cobwebs on the clock, this timepiece patiently passes through the eons. The dramatic composition works very well.
2nd place: Objetda – morning drift down the Phuoc An River - Hoi An
This really grows on me. That small boat with people in the background, right smack in the center, actually works really well. Usually putting an element right in the middle makes a composition static, but here it adds movement and interest. This is the only shot in which the huge white areas don’t feel burned out, but rather contribute to the misty ancient tone. It seems like it could have been shot by someone who was trained in Asian brush painting in the 19th century.
3rd place: KevanG9 – Pickles
Excellent, a good story, your picture makes me want to be there, to enter the scene and the town. It is richer in sepia than it would be in B&W or color, although a tiny bit of tweaking with desaturation or tone curve might have helped. You caught the bicyclist at just the right spot, which isn’t easy with the lag in digital shutters.
________________________________
Honorable mention: Corythosaurus – High Plains Barn
Ominous sky, good texture, sharp focus and the disturbing angles all contribute to create the mood and depth. It’s like the air and light just before a tornado hits, the nervous calm before the storm. It feels like an old Alfred Hitchcock movie.
Honorable mention: Afkenner – hidden hilltop hotel
It feels abandoned, and creates an interesting, disconnected feel. The fact that I can’t see the ground, I don’t know how high I am, and the sky and atmosphere, which leaves me unsure of the time of day, and the perspective, with the second building slanting away, and the stone tower which seems out of place with the wood structures, all contribute to a wonderful deep mystery. I like the sense of unease and timelessness that it creates.
Honorable mention: Teekay – Heritage Lane
This is one where Sepia really contributes. It would not be very appealing in color, and if it were B&W it would lack the depth and wouldn’t draw me in as much. The sepia puts magic in the scene, but the coloring is a bit strong, at least on my monitor; a bit less saturation would make it a considerably stronger contender. I’d like a bit more range on the right side block wall; that would frame the alley and send me deeper towards the lone figure way that I think I spy back there.
________________________________
Susikamikaze – fiddle
Intriguing, but I wish there was more shading and depth in the background to add some complexity to the story. I’d like just a bit less bokeh, a bit more focus in the foreground to introduce the story and draw me in.
Erik1974 – Frozen in time
It makes me wonder what she has in her hands, what she’s looking at. The shadow rings behind her ear from her tiara kind of throw me off, they’re very distracting. The gray scale in her sweater, especially in her arm, breaks down- film would certainly have more range here.
JimAskew – Time long ago
Another case where digital doesn’t approach film- the dynamic range is limited. Note the whites of the tops of the clock bodies, they all burn out. More range would make this more subtle and dramatic. I think this is a case where black and white would have been stronger than sepia.
Boutty – This old church
Too much noise distracts from losing myself in the mood of the scene. It feels a bit too photoshopped and the reflection in the water, which could have been a wonderful element, gets lost.
Maureen Souza – Abandoned farmhouse
Beautiful composition, but needs a more subtle dynamic range. The sky is washed out, the wall too dark. This is one where I think it would be stronger in B&W, and the sepia weakens it.
Paul B – all aboard
The conductors face, just a bit grainy, becomes an interesting mask. It makes me wonder what is going on behind those shaded eyes, what he is seeing and judging. I think a one or two degree rotation clockwise would help the composition and add a hint of movement. This is another one where I’m not sure the sepia helps, or whether the nature of the photo is more oriented towards B&W.
Tadaaa – old sand
A time traveler, it feels like a snapshot of 1990’s woman on an 1890’s beach. The softness and slight grain help the effect. If this were the cover of a novel, it would make us want to pick up the book and learn the story.
Marie – good companions
Wonderful lively feel. The movement and composition is very rich, but the dynamic range is limited. More subtle shading and shadow on the women’s skin would add considerably.
Rpolitsr – cake decoration in grand grandmothers style
The bokeh throws me off a bit. The out-of-focus upper area draws attention to the limited range of depth in the whites. A bit busy around the edges; I think a tighter crop would have helped.
Mrshobden – summer dress
This feels like an old, faded glass plate photo. Good range and texture, but the strong vertical of the dress is too centered. A bit off to the side would be better balanced.
Xhack – pensive
Needs more range in the skin tones; that would create more depth to his pensive character.
Car – The Peoples Palace, Glasgow
The color is surreal. It looks like a UFO which has landed, perhaps in a Dr. Who episode. The mullions of the gazebo are all stark white, burnt out, and the shadow areas to uniformly dark; I’d like more range.
IVOlution – Pueblos Blancos
My initial thought was that I wanted it a bit darker, with fog or shadow to create mood, but with a title Pueblos Blancos it clearly is a bright, white place. Still, a little more of the range of old film would put some texture and character in the walls, and a bit more shadow down the road would draw me in further. The lack of detail in the bright white sunspot over the mans head is distracting.
CarloY – no title
The building is very dark; it needs more subtle range to give it the look I’m after. Tweaking the tone curve would help.
Ahobden – remember
I’d like a tight crop, just her face and the sprig of branch and one flower right below her. That would really focus the mood and the story of remembrance.
________________________________
To submit, click Post Reply and put your Photo Name in the Subject Line. Don't forget your Camera Model.
Post until Monday noon GMT, 3 May 2010.
Photo Submissions
1. Camera -- Canon G-Series Camera (G1, G2, G3, G5, G6, G7, G9, G10, G11) or Pro 1 only.
-
2. Time -- any on-topic photo taken at any time is eligible, although photos that have won other competitions should NOT be entered.
-
3. Size -- photo must be EXACTLY 800 pixels on the longest side, with NO BORDERS.
-
4. Post-Processing -- do whatever you like and the host will decide if it works.
-
5. Posting --
* One photo per photographer in each challenge.
* Photo Title in the message subject line.
* Camera model.
* EXIF data, if you like.
6. Commenting -- No commenting on photos by anyone, including the photographer. Once the winners are declared, photographers can add comments to their images and everyone is invited to discuss.
-
7. Photo Display -- Photos must appear in this thread to be eligible.
-
Time
One challenge every week, on the following schedule:
* New Topic ... As soon as possible after winning.
* Posting Starts ... Right after topic is announced.
* Posting Stops ... Monday noon GMT
* Winners Announcement ... Tuesday noon GMT.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please consider turning on Private Messaging in your profile.
This will allow the host to contact you about winning or ineligible photos. You turn this feature
on by clicking "User CP, Edit Options, Enable Private Messaging"
(about a third of the way down the page).
Thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click this sentence for Hosting Rules and Winners List (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=113480).
Click this sentence for Discussion of Rules thread. (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=59640)