The second assignment for this week reads: "A photo of some sort of sport or leisure activity, this may or may not be sport in progress, it could be players relaxing etc."

Since I am even less interested in sport than I am in boats - in fact, I'm spectacularly DISinterested in sports! (but don't tell that to the rest of Australia or I'll certainly be deported!) - this is an even more arduous task. So here I need some ideas as well as C&C on the images below, please! At the weekend when I have a model to fit the shoes, I might experiment with a multiple-exposure shot of a "ghost" runner in the National Park... d'you think it might work?

Please comment as brutally as you like - I would far rather get it on the chin from you guys than have the Canon- and Nikon-users sticking their noses in the air next Monday evening!!! Help, help, the reputation of Pentax in the entire South Sydney region depends on YOU!

Luckily my husband runs for "fun," (yes, some people do that, you know) so I made use of his oldest and tattiest running shoes as follows:

Shoes 1 Shoes 2


Shoes 3 Shoes 4


Shoes 5

Thanks in advance for your input!

[atupdate]

I like the b&w one the best, as it conveys both sport and leisure. The shoes lose some of their "tattiness" in the color versions.

Tim

[Peter Zack]

Shoes 1 works but the sandals in the background have to go. An isolated still life is a good idea and the multi exposure idea might also work well too. Since you don't like sports then thinking outside the box is a good approach to this topic. Getting a few sports items and creating a still life shot, maybe golf clubs or any other gear that converys the idea. You might even have some fun at a new or better yet used sporting goods store. Do something abstract with the items on display as long as you get a cooperative store owner....

Was the water shot already submitted?

[Syb]

My vote is for shoe 1.

[JCSullivan]

Mandi, please don't be offended but you're defeating the purpose of taking this course. I might be wrong if the course is a competition between name brands. Presumably the reason for the "sport" shot is to learn to shoot action/speed, panning and angles not stationary objects.

You as well as others keep wanting to come to the defence of Pentax. They don't need defending. Do we become good or bad photographers because of the camera we use!!! Absolutely NOT. It's not the darn camera that makes the image. It is YOU and your imagination the technical knowledge of light (aperture + speed) with help from the "glass".

Having said that, #1 would be my choice but leave it as it is (sorry Peter) the sandals add to differentiate between the sport and the leisure side of shoes - kinda setting aside leisure for sport.

I just love photography I'm not even a serious amateur.

[Syb]

You may not love sports. But have you aver sat along the sideline of a soccer game? It may turn out to be interesting to look at (and, photograph) the faces of the players/supporters. Children on a sports field may be even more interesting...

I agree with JCSullivan that we should not rush into a brand battle. But I think Mandy intends to do her class feedback beforehand, here on the forum. And that's a thing (feedback) we do alot on this forum. The only thing is that we do not have the same assignment to fulfill in the same limited amount of time. When we show a picture, it was made once, and for another occasion.

Maybe you should try and forget that "they" have not "your" camera brand. And look at the IDEA behind their pictures. That's where the real learning begins: seeing ideas, making some of them yours, and putting them into pictures.

Good luck!
Syb

[ChrisA]

And that's a thing (feedback) we do alot on this forum.

There's a lot of it, but I fear that it's largely the wrong sort of feedback to be much use to Mandi in what sounds like an extremely harsh environment.

There is an awful lot of feedback of the gushing sort:

"Awesome shot"
"Nice shot"
"Thanks for sharing this"

Of the positive feedback, very little of it says why the picture is good.

There is very little negative feedback, and what there is, is usually very tentatively given, presumably out of a desire not to hurt someone's feelings.

Either 95% of the photographs posted on this forum really are awesome, or there is a lack of balance that isn't going to help anyone in a more hostile critical environment than this.

[Syb]

Of course there is a problem in criticizing photos. I think the cause is that we mostly do not know what kind of feelings we would hurt when posting a critical response. My assumption is that people do not post photos they are not proud of (or they post to ask for help. what went wrong here? etc) - although I must say I sometimes doubt this...

I therefore choose NOT to feedback on photos that I do not like. Photos that I do like get complimented. And then I try to find a way to give added value to my response. Either I try to explain why I like the picture, or I try to point out how the image could be improved. In my opinion, that helps.

Isn't there a thread on "how to comment on each others work" ?

Syb

[carpents]

You as well as others keep wanting to come to the defence of Pentax.

I agree with JCSullivan that we should not rush into a brand battle.

Guys, just an FYI - Mandi isn't really going to save Pentax in South Australia. It was tongue-in-cheek.

Mandi, please don't be offended but you're defeating the purpose of taking this course. I might be wrong if the course is a competition between name brands. Presumably the reason for the "sport" shot is to learn to shoot action/speed, panning and angles not stationary objects.

Now here's an interesting presumtion. Perhaps you are right, but perhaps not. I have entered a great many contests/challenges/photo sharing where a creative interpretation like Mandi's would be rewarded greatly! My first reaction was - "creative, I like how you found something interesting in a genre that doesn't interest you."

Now JC, your point is a good one and Syb's suggestion good as well. It obviously doesn't hurt to step outside your comfort zone and try new techniques or genres. And Mandi, don't fret about not having a big white telephoto lens, I'll attach a picture below that was taken at a whopping 85mm:

Of the positive feedback, very little of it says why the picture is good.

There is very little negative feedback, and what there is, is usually very tentatively given, presumably out of a desire not to hurt someone's feelings.

You are completely correct in this assumption. Even those who sometimes ask for critique get very defensive when a negative comment is made.
It is unfortunate, but in several years engaging in these sorts of things I have yet to see a good suggestion, really. Even the more critical photo-critique sites, like photoSIG, turn into more of a clique/"you pat my back, I pat your back" sort of environment. Unavoidable.

Since I am even less interested in sport than I am in boats - in fact, I'm spectacularly DISinterested in sports!

I really like your first shot, as I said above it is a creative interpretation. Agree with JC that the sandals offer a nice contrast. The others lack the same feeling as the first.

You also might take some of the other advice and actually get out to try some action shots. While it is a genre that doesn't particularly appeal to me, I do find it very fun to shoot. You might, too.

[hamidlmt]

I do agree with others... enjoy the class and get what you can out of it. It's about photography... the taking of pictures... not about camera brands.

As for the pictures... the only one of any interest if the first shot... I like your sepia toned treatment and the contrast between the shoes and sandals. The others... well, they just look like stinky old shoes. But, the contrast in the first shot makes a statement worth saying.

[jfdavis58]

On the chin, huh?

We shall see.


I think what you are doing sucks! If I were your instructor, you'd fail and I'd dis-enroll you for good measure. Push just a little and I request you be banned from the department for llife.

Yep, that's a cold shot, baby!

You're not just missing the point, you avoiding it entirely--complete denial.

One of two things has happened: you were born without a soul or yours died!


And people here who are helping have fallen for your little ruse--they've been suckered.

DO YOUR OWN HOMEWORK!

Ahh, but I'll still give you one freebie insight: It ain't about shooting the hated boat, or snapping the despised sporting event. It ain't about twisting your mates arm so he 'poses' some sport shots for little ol' you.

It's about finding your dead soul through a boat or an athlete or whatever and making an image that reflects your vision, not mine or Pentax Forums composite skewed view or anyone else but you.

Get up off your lazy butt, turn the computer off and go make some photographs--that requires a camera and a little self evaluation, not forum malingering!

The second assignment for this week reads: "A photo of some sort of sport or leisure activity, this may or may not be sport in progress, it could be players relaxing etc."

Since I am even less interested in sport than I am in boats - in fact, I'm spectacularly DISinterested in sports! (but don't tell that to the rest of Australia or I'll certainly be deported!) - this is an even more arduous task. So here I need some ideas as well as C&C on the images below, please! At the weekend when I have a model to fit the shoes, I might experiment with a multiple-exposure shot of a "ghost" runner in the National Park... d'you think it might work?

Please comment as brutally as you like - I would far rather get it on the chin from you guys than have the Canon- and Nikon-users sticking their noses in the air next Monday evening!!! Help, help, the reputation of Pentax in the entire South Sydney region depends on YOU!

Luckily my husband runs for "fun," (yes, some people do that, you know) so I made use of his oldest and tattiest running shoes as follows:

Shoes 1 Shoes 2


Shoes 3 Shoes 4


Shoes 5

Thanks in advance for your input!

[carpents]

And people here who are helping have fallen for your little ruse--they've been suckered.

LOL!

Jeez Dad, we were just having some fun...

...okay, I'll go outside and play.

[Syb]

Oooops...

We've been caught in the act!

Sorry!

I hereby solemny promise won't do it again.

Let's not intrude in the holy mission of looking for one's own dead soul.

Let's just wait for the fruits of this mission to be posted!

Amen!

[ChrisA]

self-indulgent sanctimonious rant snipped

Just for the record, I'm no more in favour of negative feedback - such as this - that is as lacking in substance as the gushing positive feedback that I was railing against earlier.

IMO, C&C, as I've said elsewhere, needs to be reasoned, otherwise it is useless.

I'd salvage just one thing from that extraordinary outburst:

Do your own homework

Despite its rather unpleasant context, this is actually quite good advice.

It will be a long, painful, grind, both for Mandi, and for those commenting on her photos, if the method by which she improves is to post a few pictures here, and have people comment (rather tentatively, as we've said) on them.

Much better IMO would be for her to undertake some self-directed learning about composition. Good composition is much harder to learn than good focus and good exposure, which are trivial in comparison (this is why auto-focus and auto-exposure are so good - auto composition is not yet very good).

This course of hers may or may not be a good environment to do this sort of learning. But it should be used for learning - not as a vehicle for not feeling inferior because you have a Pentax. Indeed if the learning was not as much needed, the feeling of inferiority would not be there.

I particularly like this article. I still spend a lot of time frustrated with the fact that my photos are rubbish, but mostly I usually know why.

[JCSullivan]

Where's Mandi!!!! Anyway, just a couple more comments from me.

The only sport I'm really interested in is soccer but photography takes me to others as well. The thing is, what happens if you were asked to shoot a game or sport AND get paid for it!!!???? Say NO!

The other thing I want to say was said in the other thread, the one about boats...if you're not going to enjoy this course then get out NOW...most schools will issue a refund before the third class starts, if you apply.

Finally, if you're that strong-willed then go for it and kick some butt.