Your Best Photograph from the Previous Month - Critique and Discussion Encouraged

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Darkroom Print 7 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Devil's Bathtub Sinar 4x5 Norma, prolly a 180mm chrome f5.6 Symmar auto Norma lens, expired Tri-X filmpack developed in D76. 4X RC print Ilford Multigrade and Multigrade developer.

Well done. I like the contrast and how it goes from light to dark in a spiraling fashion. Like being sucked into a black hole.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Here is another Grand Canyon Shot from Point Imperial at Sunrise last September Portra 160, Nikkor 75mm F4.5, 0.9 (3 stop) Reverse Grand ND. I slightly missed the top of the cliffs as they are basically black (no information to process) Was back there just a few weeks ago, in the driving wind and some rain. I almost packed up and left without taking a shot, but stuck it out and made 4 I think. Same set up.

[Ken Lee]

Here is another Grand Canyon Shot

In documentary photography we try to include everything and deliver a literal interpretation. In fine art photography showing fewer details can leave room for the imagination.

[Corran]

I like the above crop. The white rock in the corner is an anchoring point, but also the brightest thing in the foreground, so competes a bit for attention.

My best LF image from this past month was probably this:

[Steven Ruttenberg]

I like the play of light on the water wheel. The way the image goes from bright on the left, to dark on the lower right leads you into the subject, then out of the scene very smoothly. Good job.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

In documentary photography we try to include everything and deliver a literal interpretation. In fine art photography showing fewer details can leave room for the imagination.

I would agree with your fine art assessment. I find myself preferring the large panoramic/immense scene. I try to look and shoot a scene with fewer details or more focused on a smaller subject. But I always find myself going back to the large, expansive scene. Which in my opinion, is a very hard type of scene to convey properly. I do agree the white rock is an anchor and is why I included it. I also agree it competes and I should darken/tone it down so it does not detract from the expansive scene of the Grand Canyon. I can see the crop you present as working very well. Thank you for the alternate look to ponder. I can see at least two different images in this one image.

[Corran]

Thanks Steven. Also something else I'm seeing in your image - the "pillar" on the right and the sun are on opposite thirds, or almost. I would consider a slight crop to get them more directly on the thirds. The more I look at it the more the image seems slightly unbalanced to the right.

[germansaram]

Well done. I like the contrast and how it goes from light to dark in a spiraling fashion. Like being sucked into a black hole.

I agree. It's an amazing shot and the darkness really creates this feeling of getting drawn in.

[scheinfluger_77]

Bryan nice job on the waterwheel. The way the light plays around the center of the wheel implies movement for me but obviously not as the spokes are sharp (unless you are really good with that Galli shutter). I wasn’t sure about that tree on the right. Perhaps a tighter crop, balance it with the the small background tree right next to it. Put as much space between it and the frame as there is between it and the foreground tree? Maybe step to the left slightly? Maybe there wasn’t room to do that.

[Corran]

Thanks Steve. The waterwheel wasn't moving (locked in place) but the water was flowing and splashing everywhere, which is what made that misty effect.

I think there's some cropping potential - I think the image is slightly unbalanced which is what you are saying I think. A square crop has grown on me:



Haven't gotten around to printing it in the darkroom yet.