Finally got the shallow DOF entries judged. Thank you for your indulgence of the delay. I was in a foul mood earlier today due to certain personal matters and was concerned that I would not do a good job of providing constructive comments. So without further ado...
Judging this week's images was an incredibly difficult task! Limiting depth-of-field to isolate the subject or to create an abstraction is a classic tool in the standard "bag of tricks" that photographers commonly use. As a result, most of us are pretty capable with this sort of image. Congratulations to everyone for putting this tool to good use. See all images and member comments here:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/mini-challenges-games-photo-stories/71289...d-shallow.html.
While all of us use this tool, it is not always easy or straightforward to get the desired result. The challenge from my perspective is to:
- Provide adequate isolation while retaining adequate context
- Control focus so that the subject is still adequately sharp for a strong composition while appearing natural and/or appropriate to the eye
- Control the out-of-focus areas so that they do not distract from the subject or composition
Comments (in no particular order):- Bruce (bramela) -- I liked the primary subject (flower head) with similar objects in the background, but the high contrast put me off a little. I wonder what it might have looked like with softer light.
- Dave (daacon) -- Good isolation of the subject. Unfortunately the harsh light highlighted the imperfections on the face of the hood ornament.
- xjjohnno -- The flowers are a blast of color, but the background is in competition with the subject even when blurred. A small change in camera angle with tighter composition?
- rockmaster1964 -- The exposure, contrast, and focus are handled very well. Vertical composition with the hanger going out of focus perhaps?
- Jeff (legacyb4) -- The bright green background is in strong competition with the shelf fungus. I was really interested in what textures might have been present in the surfaces of the fungus.
- Gary (Damn Brit) -- The depth of field is very narrow, but the subject does not "jump" out at me. Some PP for contrast or saturation? Higher camera angle?
- bluebronco -- The full size version of your ant picture has a lot of impact (particularly on a larger monitor). A little more of the ant would be helpful to the viewer. (I can hear it now..."Mr. Ant, could you please turn a little to the left to show more of your abdomen...")
- photolady -- Your rooster has tons of character. I eye says it all! Busy bokeh (probably unavoidable) hurts this photo. The background blur was playing tricks with my eyes.
- ovim -- The subject leaves are sharp and well exposed, but I found the jewel-like rims of the background leaves more compelling. A missed opportunity for a dreamy abstract?
Very Honorable Mention:- ceericks -- The extended hand is a powerful symbol. I came back to your image several times and, sadly, each time felt that it was missing something. A little more color perhaps...say, serious desaturation as opposed to a full B&W?
- seacapt-- I like the intrepid gnat on the summit of the flower. A tighter crop perhaps. (I also really liked your "also ran" images posted on POTW.)
- dragonfly -- The intense colors of the art glass really grab the viewers attention. I think I might have chosen the second of the two images, however.
- ohce -- Your composition is simplicity itself. I was drawn to the clean grain of the wood.
- John Araki -- I really liked the abstraction and the dramatic colors, but was left searching for the center of interest
Third Place: DanLoc78
My eye was drawn immediately to the abstract elements of the curved side of the guitar. I don't know if it was your intent, but it was only after looking at it several times that I was able to see how the pieces fit together with the face above and the curved side below.
Second Place: Rense
I like the concept of limited DOF in landscape. Did you consider cropping out the sky and letting the plants and ground stand by themselves?
And the Winner Is: Tsukiouji
I guess I am a real sucker for incisive pictures of optical components, but this one jumped out at me when I first saw it and kept rising to the top. "Good Job" to a relatively new forum member.
As the winner of last week's competition,
Tsukiouji will have the difficult task of judging this week's entries as we explore the world of "high key"
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/mini-challenges-games-photo-stories/71784...-high-key.html
Steve