Competition #78 - The Application of Technique

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Re: Competition #78 - The Application of Technique

Post by bazzasmeg »

Back lit. I exposed under the studio ( back kitchen ) lights, set self timer, fired the shutter, switched off the main ligths and triggered a flash unit behind the light box. A bit of a rough and ready technique but I got the desired effect.

Regards, Barry
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paulinefisher
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Re: Competition #78 - The Application of Technique

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Layers, all 26 of them :c:-):
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Re: Competition #78 - The Application of Technique

Post by John »

Thank you all for your entries! The competition has now passed its deadline, so a little later on today I'll do the judging and post the results.
Best regards

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Re: Competition #78 - The Application of Technique

Post by John »

And here we are in the early hours, ready to look at this very daunting task. The response to this competition has been both high quality and the reasoning behind the shots has been highly intelligent. We done!

Paul - Paul showed us the way by kicking off the competition with a well thought out explanation and a well thought out image. This is really excellent, even the slight background tilt adding another slightly off-beat dimension to the shot.

Pammie - A good demonstration of the effect of depth of field, with a more interesting subject than the usual set of dominoes....a graphic approach to the brief.

Janice - Janice is showing some real imagination in her shot, a delighful close up study. I like the pictorial approach and the way she has demonstarted the chosen technique with a spledid picture. There are one or two slight distractions in the background, but overall the suppresiion of background detail has worked extremely well.

Des - Des is our Master of Water Photography if ever we had one, and indeed knows more than most about this interesting genre. Something needs to be crisp to offset the blur of the water and the top left leaves fulfil this. Different and showing an interesting whirlpool effect in the foreground.

Gerry - Showing layers, Gerry has made a great image with huge potential. I particularly like the animals and the way they have been arranged, but am less enthusiastic about the pose of the model. She seems uncomfortable, but notwithstanding that this is a high quality piece of work. It shows what is possible using Photoshop layers.

Bert - Another master at photography and talented in so many areas, Bert demonstrates panning with panache and ease. This technique is invaluable in sports photography and worth practising, and practising and you'll need a lot of that practice to reach the standard Bert has achieved.

oakeycoke - Phil has subdued unwanted background details well using depth of field control, throwing out attention fully onto his main subject. The ear in the background was unfortunate, but it has been reduced as much as practical by the careful application of technique.

mike-e - It would be so easy for the exposure here to go astray, but Mike has applied the correct compensation and we have a beautiful young subject who appears cocooned in an aura of light. The use of monochrome is entirely appropriate.

angie.eldon - Angie makes a cunning move and puts yours truly in front of a totally different background. The job has been well done and the background chosen is much more interesting than a plain white roll of paper. It is possibly a little sharper than ideal, and a diffused background would highlight the subject even more.

Sentimental - Great choice of colour here, and an apprpriate use of the technique. The idea of mirroring the shapes and colours in the background is good, although I might have looked to make more of a pattern out of it. If the main subject could fall into a natural space in the background scene, that would be an improvement I think.

PhilipHowe - Philip has made a very individualistic image to demonstrate the use of manual flash and the control of that flash for specific requirements. The idea and setting are great, I just find I am looking at the model's knees and legs instead of her face. That may of course be the intention, but usually we expect to look at the face and especially the eyes as the dominant place in a portrait.

Tracey McGovern - Tracey has produced an extremely professional looking shot. The models's face and eyes sparkle with life. There is just separation of the hair from the dark background, very finely judged indeed. A tiny point would be the light falling on the hat on the right edge of the shot - it's a pity that brighter area has been created. But that's a small point to make in what is a splendid portrait.

IanUK50 - Lucky that Pammie isn't judging this Ian! The technique chosen is depth of field and this works. I might make the image a little darker, but otherwise a cheeky shot indeed and I hope you got away with it...

KT - KT is to be commended for her adventurous use of Photoshop and here shows the IR technique using Channel Mixer, plus the rest as described! The IR effect is not very strong, perhaps because the camera used does not transmit much IR to the sensor or perhsps because there wasn't much IR light about. However, use of IR is bold with portraits and here looks very effective. Worth noting these steps and a good shot that shows some rapport with the model, plus full details of the technique used.

bazzasmeg - Barry has detailed his technique well and the use of backlighting is well used. Not quite a silhouette and a very subtle, subdued image that does the job.

paulinefisher - Pauline gets in a cheeky last shot in the competition, and this one made me chuckle. 26 layers indeed, but that's great, what a fine idea. Simple, effective and a good exercise in technique.

Now the results. This is actually very difficult to judge as several people have completely fulfilled the brief, explained well what they have done and produced an excellent image to demonstrate it. So those photographers who have all achieved this high standard are:

Paul Jones, Janice Freeman, mike-e, Tracey McGovern, KT and Pauline Fisher

Of these, the one that stands out for me and is therefore the winner is the very fine, beautifully lit portrait by Tracey McGovern

But lets be clear that this was very close indeed and those who didn't make that list made very fine images of their own. The standard was very high, but we need to declare winners.

Well done Tracey and please let us have a new competition as soon as you can!
Best regards

John
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Re: Competition #78 - The Application of Technique

Post by PhilipHowe »

Tracey, worthy winner.

John, just a word on your comment on Gerry's entry:
I particularly like the animals and the way they have been arranged, but am less enthusiastic about the pose of the model. She seems uncomfortable
Would you be able to look comfortable stood in your knickers, between a lion and a zebra, I wouldn't. :lol:
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Re: Competition #78 - The Application of Technique

Post by Paul Jones »

Well done, Tracey.

I have to commend, both for technical ability and subject matter, the portraits by Mike-E and KT. Lovely shots both of them.
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Re: Competition #78 - The Application of Technique

Post by kevinlowe »

PhilipHowe wrote: Would you be able to look comfortable stood in your knickers, between a lion and a zebra, I wouldn't. :lol:
I don't think I'd be able to look comfortable in John's knickers no matter where I was stood. :]
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Re: Competition #78 - The Application of Technique

Post by mike-e »

Congratulations Tracey, As I pointed out in another thread the portrait you had produce is a lot better than many commercial portraits studios. Lovely expression, and the use of the reflector brought both balance and soft light back into the image.Really really like it and a worthy winner.

Its good to see such strong images making their way to this segment, no doubt Tracey will set us an erstwhile challenge.

I did feel for Bert, you are real master of your craft and exemplied what our club is about , an A class image.

Paul, John ;- thanks for your kind comments its nice to have feedback and I always feel humbled and priveleged to have created - made - an image someone else appreciates, even more so from well respected - talented- members. Thank you
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Re: Competition #78 - The Application of Technique

Post by bert haddock »

Congratulations Tracey, some superb images demonstrating the differant techniques used.
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Re: Competition #78 - The Application of Technique

Post by paulinefisher »

Well done Tracey, I must agree it is a lovely portrait. My husband did prefer Pauls - not sure why ;-] ;-] ;-]
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Re: Competition #78 - The Application of Technique

Post by Tracey McGovern »

Hi All

Thank you all for your lovely kind comments, especially to John for making mine the winner - chuffed to bits :lol:

Just got back from a 4 day rockfest in Prestatyn, as soon as I have come round a bit I'll post the next subject - best get my thinking cap on. As Arnie said "I'll be back...!!!".

Tracey x
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