People Reading Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu

Mikhail_Kriviniouk · 09-04-2010, 02:46 AM

Just playing with my SIGMA 30mm f1.4

Attached Images

Adam · 09-04-2010, 07:46 AM

This doesn't work for me. Not enough is no focus here, and the blurry foreground is particularly distracting. Also, if you're going to go B&W, make sure there's no grain, as it completely kills most shots. This composition has potential, but the position of the book and other elements in the foreground would have to be changed to reveal more of the face.

**Ash** · 09-05-2010, 04:08 AM

Sorry Mikhail - I agree with Adam.
There is minuscule subject matter in focus, leaving me wondering what it is about the hidden face that I should be looking at. The PP, whether sharpening and/or grain effects, is well overdone and doesn't add to the quality of the image. A distracting background also doesn't help.

Boris · 09-05-2010, 04:19 AM

I respectfully disagree both with Ash and Adam. There is nothing wrong in my view if a b/w image has grain. It is of course rather distracting if some parts of the image have visibly more grain than others. But still, this can be quite tolerable. In fact, this particular image for ISO 1600 at which it was shot looks surprisingly clean of grain/noise.

An interesting effect here: the OOF leaf with ladybug on it seems to be in front of the book, yet it is obviously attached to the wall behind the ladyreader... The unfortunate thing is that it grabs (my) attention and thus distracts from the image. Not having read this author I fail to see if there are any visible clues and/or allusions as to his writings.

To summarize - this is an interesting photograph, although I would like to see other takes on the same subject as certain things seem like they can take some improvement or slightly different interpretation.

Mikhail_Kriviniouk · 09-05-2010, 04:30 AM

Originally posted by Boris

The unfortunate thing is that it grabs (my) attention and thus distracts from the image. Not having read this author I fail to see if there are any visible clues and/or allusions as to his writings.

Thanks, Boris, for kind words. Yes the silly leaf is most unfortunate there in the background.

But then, as it says in the initial post, I was just playing with my SIGMA 30mm f1.4.

As to the visible clues - how about the portrait of Cardinal Richelieu on the book cover?

Boris · 09-05-2010, 04:35 AM

Well, does it have to do with ladybugs or eating apples while reading? Also I am seeing something like half the pirate face on the top right corner...

Mikhail_Kriviniouk · 09-05-2010, 04:47 AM

Originally posted by Boris

Well, does it have to do with ladybugs or eating apples while reading? Also I am seeing something like half the pirate face on the top right corner...

Absolutely, you always have to read Richelieu under pictures of ladybugs, smiling fly-agarics (that is what that picture in the right top is) while eating nectarines (that is what she is eating, not an apple!). There is no other way! I am sure that's what Richelieu would have wanted.

Boris · 09-05-2010, 04:50 AM

Evidently, I've been reading too much into this photo

.

09-04-2010, 07:46 AM	#2
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,597	This doesn't work for me. Not enough is no focus here, and the blurry foreground is particularly distracting. Also, if you're going to go B&W, make sure there's no grain, as it completely kills most shots. This composition has potential, but the position of the book and other elements in the foreground would have to be changed to reveal more of the face. Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

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09-05-2010, 04:08 AM	#3
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	Sorry Mikhail - I agree with Adam. There is minuscule subject matter in focus, leaving me wondering what it is about the hidden face that I should be looking at. The PP, whether sharpening and/or grain effects, is well overdone and doesn't add to the quality of the image. A distracting background also doesn't help.

09-05-2010, 04:19 AM	#4
Boris Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Israel Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 932	I respectfully disagree both with Ash and Adam. There is nothing wrong in my view if a b/w image has grain. It is of course rather distracting if some parts of the image have visibly more grain than others. But still, this can be quite tolerable. In fact, this particular image for ISO 1600 at which it was shot looks surprisingly clean of grain/noise. An interesting effect here: the OOF leaf with ladybug on it seems to be in front of the book, yet it is obviously attached to the wall behind the ladyreader... The unfortunate thing is that it grabs (my) attention and thus distracts from the image. Not having read this author I fail to see if there are any visible clues and/or allusions as to his writings. To summarize - this is an interesting photograph, although I would like to see other takes on the same subject as certain things seem like they can take some improvement or slightly different interpretation.

09-05-2010, 04:30 AM	#5
Mikhail_Kriviniouk Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Ekaterinburg Posts: 111 Original Poster	Originally posted by Boris The unfortunate thing is that it grabs (my) attention and thus distracts from the image. Not having read this author I fail to see if there are any visible clues and/or allusions as to his writings. Thanks, Boris, for kind words. Yes the silly leaf is most unfortunate there in the background. But then, as it says in the initial post, I was just playing with my SIGMA 30mm f1.4. As to the visible clues - how about the portrait of Cardinal Richelieu on the book cover?

09-05-2010, 04:35 AM	#6
Boris Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Israel Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 932	Well, does it have to do with ladybugs or eating apples while reading? Also I am seeing something like half the pirate face on the top right corner...

09-05-2010, 04:47 AM	#7
Mikhail_Kriviniouk Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Ekaterinburg Posts: 111 Original Poster	Originally posted by Boris Well, does it have to do with ladybugs or eating apples while reading? Also I am seeing something like half the pirate face on the top right corner... Absolutely, you always have to read Richelieu under pictures of ladybugs, smiling fly-agarics (that is what that picture in the right top is) while eating nectarines (that is what she is eating, not an apple!). There is no other way! I am sure that's what Richelieu would have wanted.

09-05-2010, 04:50 AM	#8
Boris Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Israel Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 932	Evidently, I've been reading too much into this photo .