POTN G-Series Speed Challenge #32: Point - Counterpoint

Thanks Megatrixel - great comments and very well-judged. I really liked a lot of the photos but your top three really nailed the theme well - congratulations to Bryan Beddel, BottomBracket and In Japan.

Like I said, I wasn't sure that mine fitted the theme all that well but I liked it so much I had to share it.

Congrats to the winners, all entries were great shots. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get an entry in this time but I am looking forward to the next challenge.

Golly Golly Go Buddy! I won! Wow! thanks!

I'll post a new challenge in an hour, once I tuck the little drummer girl into bed and figure out how to post a new challenge. I've got a good idea in mind...

OK, new topic posted, and I have more time to thank MegaTrixel for his compliments and congratulate the other winners. All the photos were great as always.

I especially liked rpolitsr and abat's photos. I agree maybe abat's maybe wasn't right on-subject, buit what a shot!

Partridge, your composition and concept was perfect, if only the lighting was more cooperative!

Thanks again everyone for all your great tips over the last six months, maybe they're finally sinking in!

Bryan

Congratulations to Bryan Bendell, BottomBracket and in Japan.
Now that MegaTrixel granted us explicitly the right to express a different preference, if any, I most agree that he chose the winners very well and there was little left to further comments.

abat, I love music, JS Bach is my absolute favorite and your photo is a master piece.

Street harmony with the sweet expression of the young girls and their nice instruments is for me another favorite. About the background, just keep reading!

Thanks for your comments, MegaTrixel. I did not find this week a shot that meets the requirements for the contest so I used one of the many pictures shot for the Street Candids contest. The person in the very colorful clothes is the same clown that crossed the street in the picture I submitted for that contest.

To follow the directive “Take care to pay attention to the background and make sure it doesn't take away from the subject” I had to create the depth of field entirely in photoshop. The Lens Blur filter with the Alpha Channel used for mapping the distances works great!

I was late to show the faces. The clown already realized that I was shooting pictures and the soldier (Guard of the Presidential Palace cars gate) asked me to move away.

Here the faces, just in case

Thanks Bryan and Rpolitser. The faces in your second shot Rpolitser are fantastic - what a contrast!

For those yet to encounter Bach, here is a nice introduction - "The Goldberg Variations" played by Murray Perahia:
http://www.amazon.com …ance&s=classica​l&n=507846

Thanks, Megatrixel, for hosting such an interesting challenge. I hadn't realized it, but I often think about opposites and contrasting scenes when I'm out taking photos. So, I found this week's entries particularly interesting and creative!

Congrats to Bryan Bedell and BottomBracket for their top finishes. And thanks, Megatrixel, for placing my photo in the top three. For the first time, I've made a point this year to go out to the countryside and observe the planting, fertilizing, nurturing, and now, the harvesting of rice. I was quite happy to be able to share a bit of my experience with you in this challenge.

Now, it's time to take photos of a different type.[:o] (sorry)

Congratulations to the winners

# 1 Bryan

# 2 BottomBracket

# 3 In Japan

and to everyone who entered


I enjoyed all the shots very much


thank you MegaTrixel for the nice words and the tough job of judging and taking time.
it does take time and is hard work


I had a tractor and field shot ready (among others) but could not decide especially after I read Abat's message re music (included with his great shot )
the dictionary says many things explaining 'counterpoint' but mainly : the harmonious combining of two or more parts or melodies'
so I decided........... 'way to go'


even though I didn't like the background too much in my shot I decided it added to the 'feel' of what the musicians had to put up with around a very, very busy city street.
I had just read your 'background' message
why I put the

I usually watch backgrounds a lot,
or else leave some ' seemly clutter' in,
to convey a message which may go with the shot I am taking..
sometimes it does and needs the background to ' tell the whole story'




regards your question, I took two shots but each different of the girls as I was passing by and saw them
one with the 'sunlight on her hair'
crowds were passing all around so it was diffiicult to catch her quickly and smiling like that

many thanks Rpolitser for the advice on backgrounds
good to know



thanks all

loved your shot and story

loved them all

Aha! I knew it! heh. I knew there was no way you could pull that DOF with a G6 but i figured maybe the Pro-1 was better. : )

Thank you Megatrixel for your kind comments about my photo. I will definitely be entering more of the challanges. I had lots of fun with this one and I am sure I will have fun with the rest. These challenges really get the creative juices flowing. And it is great practice for a beginning photographer like myself. Congratulations to the top 3...all very beautiful photos. And of course to everyone else that entered. I always enjoy looking at everyones photographs, they absolutely amaze me. Well good day to all, hope to talk to everyone soon.

Thanks Megatrixel for great topic. I have lerant any dimension of taking pics through this subject you picked! Great pics everyone, especially the first place getters - Byran, Bottombracket & in Japan.

I am travelling now for 2 weeks. I hope I can submit a pic for the next challenge!:p

Boutty

Congratulations to Bryan and In Japan, splendid pics! Thanks to MegaTrix for a well run challenge, and awarding me the sweet spot. There were a lot of entries this time that could easily make the top three I believe. welcome to the challenge first timers, I hope to see your entries in future challenges.

I really liked Partridge's shot, though it is a tad overexposed. Abat's is a pic that I wish I took, and the woman there looks a bit like Julia Roberts. Rpoltisr, that's a great shot and post-processing, the shallow DOFeffect really works well. Did you use the technique outlined in a recent Pop Photo article? Boutty, that's a crisp shot you took, and Marie, one can think of counterpoint, in the musical sense, when looking at your pic. And welcome to the newbies, may we see your entries in future challenges!

My shot was taken a couple of Sundays ago while I was marshalling the NYC Century bike ride. We were passing by through the Chinatown area, when I saw this photo op, I stopped and grabbed my G6 from my bag and snapped a few shots before the man moved away.

By the way I am a big Bach fan too! I especially love his Suites for Solo Cello, Air on G String, Two Part Inventions, among others

Bryan, as a graphic designer you will enjoy this procedure for creating Depth of field, although you may already know some procedures that yield similar results.

I do not have that article on hand, BottomBracket.
I did the following:
I read in photoshop CS help that ‘The Lens Blur filter uses a depth map to determine the position of pixels in an image.’
I remembered the work of my son Rafael for rendering 3D images with Depth of Field and borrowed the Z-Depth Channel technique used by him and adapted it for creating an Alpha Channel in photoshop I got what I think was an interesting result.

You can see the original image, the alpha channel and the final image after applying The Lens Blur Filter in Photoshop CS:

Counterpoint_rpolitsr_​OrigPictur_480.jpg
Counterpoint_rpolitsr_​AlphaChann_480.jpg
Counterpoint_rpolitsr_​gradualDOF_480.jpg

Wow, there's some talented people around here!

Pretty cool, rpolitsr!