#155 - Hands

[John]

The new forum competition subject is Hands. The interpretation is up to you, and I have a very open mind on that so it should make it easier to successfully think outside the box.

This time the competition is going to run three weeks, so the deadline is midnight on Friday 16th October.

Have fun and let's see lots of entries!

[mikeaspinall]

Can't think of anything more appropriate than this one.

[Janice Freeman]

With These Hands....

20150930_45hands_pp.jpg (66.49 KiB) Viewed 9963 times

[yachtsman1]

This one was taken at one of the summer band concerts in the Botanic Gardens Churchtown Southport.
Eric

[Mrs Yachtsman1]

This one was taken during the conversion of our Renault Trafic panel van to a camper van.
Margaret
Mrs Yachtsman1.

[Gordon Armstrong]

"ADAPS" in sign language. I wanted to show hands doing something.

ADAPS sign.jpg (144.01 KiB) Viewed 9899 times

[Bobby]

Wet Henna on a hand

IMG_0689_edited.jpg (185.66 KiB) Viewed 9882 times

[Stbourne]

Hands with a couple of feet.

[John]

Sorry for the delay in judging - watch this space a little later today!

[John]

Sorry again about the delay - some urgent work came in and needed dealing with.

Mike started us off so well with his The Little Hands of the Future. There's no arguing with the emotional input and impact of this one. It's photographed well and it has a serious and warm message to it. Mike comes in second place!

Janice's With These Hands is another thought provoking idea, and it very nearly comes off. I like the model's face being in darkness, with just enough of her visible to add context. The hands are brilliant, but I would argue that they are lit on the wrong side. If she is looking at them, then perhaps the light should be falling on the side she would see? That would complete the idea for me and then be very, very powerful. Third prize for Janice!

yachtsman1 shows us a reportage shot, maybe also a selfie? Applause encourages the performer and expresses our approval, so a worthy message to get across in an image. It does not seem to have moved our subjects to a state of excited approval though, as the hand clapping does seem quite sedate and polite. That is the thing that reduces the shot's potential intensity for me.

Mrs Yachtsman1 gives us a little more of that intensity in her study. Having someone actually doing something is a good technique in a portrait, and the sense of concentration and effort comes across well.

Gordon has picked up on the idea of hands doing something and it's a brilliant idea too. That spark of creativity has won the day, leaving Gordon with a very creditable win. Thumbs up for a beautifully creative concept.

Bobby's image is a little small, but as the detail is so clear doesn't suffer against the other shots posted. 1000 pixels wide is just about right for the forum, then the image will fill the available space better. It's a technically excellent shot, with utterly crisp detail and a nicely out of focus background. Nothing interferes or distracts from the subject, impeccably rendered.

Shaun has a similar idea to Mike, and it's beautifully rendered. However, the feet are sharp but the hands are not, so although it is superb as an image it doesn't quite match the brief as closely as other images do. The brief was Hands and this image is all about those tiny and wonderfully photographed feet.

So, a nice set of images, with some strong ideas.

First: Gordon Armstrong
Second: Mike Aspinall
Third: Janice Freeman.

Well done everyone, and now over to Gordon for a new competition!

[Janice Freeman]

Some nice shots and a very helpful comment on the lighting on my shot John, thanks for that. Congratulations Gordon - an innovative image - which I could actually read. As someone whose hearing is rapidly diminishing, this shot really appealed to me. Look forward to your choice of subject.

[yachtsman1]

(yachtsman1 shows us a reportage shot, maybe also a selfie? Applause encourages the performer and expresses our approval, so a worthy message to get across in an image. It does not seem to have moved our subjects to a state of excited approval though, as the hand clapping does seem quite sedate and polite. That is the thing that reduces the shot's potential intensity for me.)
Judges comments have me confused, selfie? If you think that was quiet & sedate the attached shot shows the same couple just before being called to applaud. The first is my wife's shot of me.
Eric
Yachtsman1.