Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/06/07

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Three "real" B.D.s/hands and eyes
From: "Jeffery L. Smith" <jsmith@dcc.edu>
Date: Sat, 07 Jun 2003 11:05:13 -0500
References: <000801c32d05$5c2fd1b0$0316fea9@ccasony01>

The cropped version works for me because the original has that distracting 
black triangle in the upper left.

The contrast of the child's unfortunate situation and the smile of the toy 
works well. I saw the same thing in the smiles of three of the four toys 
left on the grave site in Holt Cemetery.

http://www.jeffery-nola.com/PAW_28.html

Much of what you shoot is marked by tragedy, but you generally manage to 
put something that denotes hope. Without that contrast, the images would 
simply appear sad. I think you're well on your way to a great portfolio!

Jeffery

At 08:32 AM 6/7/2003 -0700, you wrote:
>Terrific, Steve...Really compelling shot.....now, if I can do a Ted for
> > an instant, I'd bring the left-hand border into about the inner edge of
> > that black shadow, and the bottom up to the top of the child's
> > knee....but that's just me...It's a great image that really tells a
> > story...
> >
> > B. D.
>
>thanks very much BD.... here....
>
>crop...   http://www.leica-gallery.net/barbour/image-46788.html
>
>original...  http://www.leica-gallery.net/barbour/image-46787.html
>
>
>which do you prefer?
>
>Steve
>
> > > bdcolen showed:
> > > Subject: [Leica] Three "real" B.D.s
> >  G'day B.D.,
> > > Well done on all three illustrating once again B&W without pretty
> > >colours  distracting from the content. My preference in order:
> > > # 1: Hands.
> > > Even though viewers have seen this type of picture before, yours has a
> > solid
> > > mother-child feel, rather than the usual male hand, brute strength
> > > look
> > with
> > > tiny baby hand.
> > >
> > > Question?.....
> > > did you try a crop just below the baby's lower eyelids leaving hands
> > only?
> > > I'm not totally convinced they should be, but it appears to strengthen
> > the
> > > hands more so. The eyes are so strong and slightly out of focus that
> > > it
> > sort
> > > of pulls the viewer there rather than solidly staying on the hands.
> > > Have
> > a
> > > look.> # 2:  mother & child.
> > > Me and my always relating to the eyes of the subject, as in "LIGHT -
> > EYES -
> > > ACTION." What we have is a teeny negative here, again due to the
> > > baby's eyes. No it's not a big deal item nor does it spoil the picture
> >
> > > because
> > the
> > > child's eyeline is off camera and it "might have been"  read again
> > > ...."might" .... be a better overall photograph if there were someone,
> >
> > > or yourself, doing something to catch the baby's eyes in the same
> > > direction
> > as
> > > the very attractive mother.
> > >
> > > Again this is a minor point, but quite often it's a minor point that
> > sorts
> > > out the really great photographs from the "not bad" photographs. My
> > > comments are minor, but by no means to pull the photographs down, as
> > they
> > > stand quite well as we see them. My thoughts are merely a kind of
> > tweaking
> > > slightly." ;-)
> > good on you B.D.
> > > ted
> >
> > BD's excellent image of hands and eyes (above) and Ted's comments about
> > it , poked me to post this little  "je ne sais quoi"....
> >
> > http://www.leica-gallery.net/barbour/image-46787.html
> >
> >
> > another in the PICU....
> >
> > good weekend. Steve
> >
> >
> > --
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> >
> > --
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In reply to: Message from "bdcolen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net> (RE: [Leica] Three "real" B.D.s/hands and eyes)