Competition # 49 – "FOOTWEAR"

[Tom Gerrard]

Competition # 49 – "FOOTWEAR"

Anything worn on the feet – stockings, hiking boots, ballet pointes, trainers, clodhoppers, flip flops, sneakers, flippers, ice & roller skates, football boots, slippers, salsa shoes, riding boots, skis, pumps, stilettos, just a few suggestions of the many available. So no excuses for not entering especially from our lady member who will have thousands of items to choose from. These can be photographed in use or as a ‘still life’ (don’t make it too static ???!!!)

The closing date will be midnight Wednesday 6th Jan 2010 – so oodles of time over the festive period to create a masterpiece.

Good luck and Yuletide Felicitations to you all.

Best Regards, Tom.

[John]

Here goes something to start the ball rolling - my best boots.

[bazzasmeg]

My entry, my boots...

Best regards, Barry

[Ruth McNally]

This is my entry Tom.

Just click twice Dorothy to go home

Red-Shoes.jpg (219.46 KiB) Viewed 8257 times

[paulinefisher]

I've been dusting the cobwebs off these ready for my first ski trip of the season.................

[PhilipHowe]

Chartres, Le Francais. Ils sont dans la place principale et les chaussures sont d'environ huit pieds de hauteur. L'arrosoir est légèrement plus petit, environ six pieds.

LesBootsDesWellington.jpg (152.69 KiB) Viewed 8205 times

[TerryMooney]

NOSTALGIA
TerryMooney

[Tom Gerrard]

Thanks to everyone entered this competition. My comments are as follow:-


John - Best Boots. It never fails to amaze me how Mother Nature pushes through or grows over man made objects. With the different amount of growth on each boot we have a kind of before and after effect. Although correctly exposed, I’m a bit worried about the lack of sharpness on the left hand side. Perhaps cropping a chunk off this side where there is not much happening at the bottom and some distracting confusion at the top may help. Nevertheless a well seen subject, which I’m sure many of us, would have walked by unobserved.

Bassasmeg – My Boots. I do like the subject and the composition of this photo’ very much. It just goes to show how everyday mundane objects can make interesting images. Interesting it is because I find my eyes wandering around the boots several times seeing something new each time. However I think the lighting is too flat and by experimenting a bit you could have emphasized the many interesting textures which are there and help to enhance the contrast which is not there. Also I find the image just too brown and not being sure of the treatment you have used, which puts a halo around the boots (HDR?) I think with different lighting and treatment you could have a winner on your hands.

Ruth McNally – Red Shoes. I thought Dorothy had tap her heels three times and think of home – Kansas if I remember correctly. Anyway a very simple but effective shot. Red and black always seem to work together and particularly work well in this instance. I think lighting the subject from a different angle to eliminate those highlights and perhaps changing the angle of view to show more side of the shoes may help. But as I said earlier simple but effective, well thought out and executed.

Pauline Fisher – Ski Boots. Technically I think this a good piece of photography. Taken in snow it shows a full range of tones with details in the shadows all the way through to the highlights. Everything is in focus and sharp displaying all the different textures from the fur edgings, the smoothness of the clamps, boot surfaces and the indented snow. Cropping down the left and right edges would get rid of none contributing information - nit picking perhaps, but apart from that an excellent piece of work.

Paul Jones – Stripper Shoes. As described by the author as something different into mix and it certainly is that. For a competition entitled ‘Footwear’ I feel the amount space devoted to the footwear inadequate and find my eyes inadvertently wandering upwards to look for something more interesting to look at. I have a fair idea why you entered this pic and I thank you for that.

Phillip Howe – Les Boots Des Wellington. Like Barack Obama I like all things French and like all US Presidents I tell lies! Do our amphibian cousins know who these boots are named after; if so I am surprised they are still standing intact. They have an issue about the English, Agincourt, long bows, Waterloo and similar things – I can’t think why. You inform us that these ‘shoes’ are eight feet tall and the watering can is slightly smaller standing at six feet. Making an interesting and curious picture which I felt could be made more so if you had included someone in the pic to show the scale of these sculptures. As it is it just looks like normal pair of wellies. Maybe a shallower DOF would have subdued a fairly uninteresting background.

Terry Mooney – Nostalgia. What a great capture, I really appreciate this kind of photography and know how difficult it can be to accomplish. Reminiscent, perhaps of Brassaϊ or Henri Cartier-Bresson two of my favourite photographers, it certainly wouldn’t look out of place in either of their portfolios. I can only say well done, I wish I had taken it.


3rd Bassasmeg
2nd Terry Mooney
1st Pauline Fisher


So it’s over to Pauline to set the subject for the next comp’


Best Regards,

Tom.

[John]

Well done Pauline and well done Tom with an excellent judging. Perhaps there's a new vocation out there for you in L&CPU-Land?

[paulinefisher]

Thanks John and thank you Tom for your vote . Apologies in advance though as my judging for the next comp will be very amateurish in comparison. I hope that you all like my chosen subject.