1st photo project - comments appreciated

[Norm Buchanan]

I have been working on my first serious, to me anyway, photo project and I'd love to get some feedback so that I can improve upon what I am doing. Honesty is encouraged - my feelings don't hurt easily.

http://www.pbase.com/nbuchanan/intimate_fermilab

Thanks
Norm.

[Michael Graves]

I'm jealous.

[John Kasaian]

Powerful images Norm. The warm tone gives an interesting effect to the ultra technical subject matter---good choice! I really enjoyed these photos---thanks!

[Donald Miller]

Great images Norm. You are very adept at depicting powerful shapes.

[Peter Lewin]

Really nice work - I liked the mix of detailed close-ups and broader view environmental shots, and particularly liked your shot of the computer room with the blurred humans (i.e. you made the shot work despite the need for slow shutter speed to get the DOF you wanted). So much for the need for thick skin - so far you're running 100% praise, and no criticisms!

[Kirk Gittings]

Norm, You have a good eye for architecture.

[Capocheny]

Hi Norm,

If that's a first project... you have a lot to be proud of.

Images are in focus, vertical lines are vertical, great subject matter, and exposure looks to be spot on!

So, congratulations on a job well done. Keep it up. :)

Cheers

[Scott Knowles]

Excellent. Thanks for sharing. Question. Did you have to ask to use the 4x5 on the grounds and inside? Or do they give staff latitude to take photos on their own time wherever they want?

[Mark Sampson]

Beautiful work. The difficult part, as with most self-assignments, will come when you try to decide if the project is finished or not.

[Martin D.]

Nice work. A tiny bit of perspective correction/rotation could be applied to the "Atrium" photos.

[scrichton]

The first 2 are beautiful. Such incredibly horrible architecture, but in the best of ways :D

[Norm Buchanan]

First off, thank you so much for the encouraging comments!


Excellent. Thanks for sharing. Question. Did you have to ask to use the 4x5 on the grounds and inside? Or do they give staff latitude to take photos on their own time wherever they want?

Scott, parts of the lab are open to the public during daytime hours and I can't imagine there would be any problem with anyone setting up a 4x5 there. As a user I can go pretty much where I want as long as I have my ID badge on my person and obey safety procedures, signs, etcetera. I keep waiting to be approached and questioned but it hasn't happened yet.

[alanps]

Probably just and echo of others - but if this is your first project then wow you are doing very well indeed! There are many who are on their 10th/50th project not up to this standard...

And because I think so highly of this - I am going to throw out some honest criticism.....

They are technically nice - and aethetically very pleasing - however my take is that they tell me nothing about you - they are a little too nice frankly...

In future projects you will become confident enough in your ability (heck if the comments here haven't given you some confidence nothing will!) and you will start to play around a little and we will start to see something of your own personal style and take on things...

Hope this is taken in the right spirit - your work is excellent - and what you need to ask yourself is how to move to the next level - at the pace you are going (judging by this) you can move up a notch quickly

[Norm Buchanan]

They are technically nice - and aethetically very pleasing - however my take is that they tell me nothing about you - they are a little too nice frankly...

In future projects you will become confident enough in your ability (heck if the comments here haven't given you some confidence nothing will!) and you will start to play around a little and we will start to see something of your own personal style and take on things...

Hope this is taken in the right spirit - your work is excellent - and what you need to ask yourself is how to move to the next level - at the pace you are going (judging by this) you can move up a notch quickly

Thanks for the critique Alan, it is truly appreciated. What you say is what haunts me. There is nothing I want more than to make unique photographs that move people. In many ways learning technique is the easy part but creating something that causes an emotional response from a viewer is another story. I hope that if I keep shooting I'll eventually find what I am looking for. Thanks again for the comments and kind words.

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

Show off.... LOL... very nice work