Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/01/10

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Subject: Re: [Leica] new picture story
From: David Degner <david.degner@wku.edu>
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 2004 09:50:09 -0600
References: <20040109230842.52067.qmail@web40708.mail.yahoo.com>

Liam,

I love it.  This is the type of work we need to see more often on the 
LUG.  Almost every picture holds its own.  The editing could be just a 
little more concise IMHO.  I might remove the 2nd 3rd and 4th image 
because they are redundant and the 5th 6th and 7th images are much 
stronger.  The 9th image as a well composed metaphor for the whole 
situation and my favorite.

Just to blather I will share my thoughts about each individual image 
into picky detail.  I want to hear what other LUGers think as well.  
Liam put a lot of time into this, the least we can do is give her a few 
minutes of feedback (especially from the more accomplished photogs on 
the list).

1) http://www.leica-gallery.net/getcloser/image-59104.html
This is a good opening scene for your story.  The photo though is in the 
middle of being too straight on and not quite straight on enough.  It 
shows well what he is doing but it is reminiscent more of a portrait.  
Hindsight is 20/20 so I would rather see him from the front with a 
horizontal frame from the waist up (with him either centered or of to 
the right of the frame.  This might also get rid of the distracting 
lights in the background.  Showing more environment would give the 
picture more depth I believe.  You caught the perfect moment with his 
head cocked to one side.  And I like the glancing light off of him.

2) http://www.leica-gallery.net/getcloser/image-59101.html
Originally I was thinking this picture should be dropped in favor of  
http://www.leica-gallery.net/getcloser/image-59103.html . Now though I 
like picture 2 more.  Showing the group interaction is important and I 
really like how you composed it.  I might crop off some of the left and 
bottom to take away the distracting blob and hand on the left and 
emphasis the line of people and the stick.

3)http://www.leica-gallery.net/getcloser/image-59090.html
This is my least favorite photo.  The rest are too good for this one to 
be included.  It is just a "doing" photo.  Also the lady helping and 
smiling in the background looks like one of the fake plastic people like 
my mom.

4)http://www.leica-gallery.net/getcloser/image-58702.html
I like the moment of solitude and separation here but the rest of the 
photo is too busy and distracting and it can be replaced by the next 
photo.  If you had gotten in closer with a really shallow depth of field 
and cut off the bright head of the man standing in the background it 
would say what you want in a more precise manner.

5)http://www.leica-gallery.net/getcloser/image-58927.html
I love the moment and like the composition.  It makes a the perfect 
couple with photo 2.  With the 3 people I wish they were lined up a 
little more in 3rds and the lines in the mirror cut perfect separations 
between them (thats almost impossible unless you have an SLR). 

6)http://www.leica-gallery.net/getcloser/image-58708.html
This is a good "doing" photo.  The light isn't beautiful but it shows 
one of those hidden moments.  I wish you hadn't cut off half his body in 
the mirror.

7)http://www.leica-gallery.net/getcloser/image-59103.html
As a standalone photo this would work very well.  The 2nd and 9th photos 
both say similar things better though so I would drop it.  The bright 
line going through the background could have been used to outline his 
face a little more or if you can get low enough I would have also tried 
silloetting(sp) his hands.

8)http://www.leica-gallery.net/getcloser/image-59105.html
It's the fake looking woman again which turns me off but it is an 
important moment.  If you have another frame where she isn't grinning 
like she is posing I would use that.  I don't really like her elbow 
being cut off but that doesn't bother me too much.

9)http://www.leica-gallery.net/getcloser/image-58704.html
:) beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful 
beautiful.  Light, composition, moment, all colide into beautifully.

10)http://www.leica-gallery.net/getcloser/image-58930.html
The perfect ender.  The more I look at it the more I like it.  How she 
is listening to the applause and is accepting it as due to her while the 
lady in the background is trying to control/coddle/guide her independent 
soul.

Nothing is missing, it shows me a different world and brings that world 
to life. Composition, moments, and light are well under your control I 
see.  Watch the backgrounds a little bit and don't be afraid to move in 
and out a bit more.  Drop a few of the photos because they get redundant 
(Which is a good problem to have). Well done and I want to see you post 
more in the future.

David Degner




Liam Maloney wrote:

>www.leica-gallery.net/getcloser/folder-6099.html
>  
>

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In reply to: Message from Liam Maloney <kine_scope@yahoo.com> ([Leica] new picture story)