Considering for entry to contest

I don't believe I've posted this image before (and apologies if I have). I took this in May at an awards ceremony and I'm seriously considering submitting it to the Greater Michigan Art Exhibition. Any thoughts?

ISO 400, f/5.0, 1/1000.

What do YOU like about this image, Rachel? What do you feel makes it a contender in a competition?

One thought, probably not what you're looking for, it appears the deadline was July 10th?

I have not heard of this competition - are there other Michigan competitions you've been holding out on? =)

I do believe its Friday the 17th but i could be wrong.

I like the symmetry, the lines formed by the roundness (if that makes sense). I like the fact that a mondane, everyday sight, when looked at closer, can be enchanting (for me). I like the repeated images of glasses within glasses. I love the colors also.

That's the only one I know of, Ed......



49TH ANNUAL GREATER MICHIGAN ART EXHIBITION
October 17, 2009 - January 3, 2010

One of the few remaining statewide visual arts competitions in Michigan. Organized by the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science & Art at Midland Center for the Arts, this exhibition provides a forum for the most recent developments by Michigan artists. Reputable arts professionals from around the country are invited to serve as jurors for the exhibition.

Learn more...

Downloadable application forms (pdf, 2.9 MB)
Deadline for submissions: Friday, July 17, 2009


here.

Rachel Foster said:

I don't believe I've posted this image before (and apologies if I have). I took this in May at an awards ceremony and I'm seriously considering submitting it to the Greater Michigan Art Exhibition. Any thoughts?

Click to expand...

ISO 400, f/5.0, 1/1000.

I have centered this just to get it on a white background so I can consider this. I would like to hear from you, Rachel as to what this means to you. What is impressive to you?

If you had already shown a series of other pictures related to this, then I'd have a basis for immediate comment. So that's why we'd like to know what's on your mind. It could have been, "This is in the style of..... " or whatever else buttresses this for you.

Don't take this reticence as a "no vote" which it is not!

Asher

Ah, the PDF says the deadline is July 10th - the website says July 17th - hopefully it really is the 17th!

The warm colors in the glasses - is it picking up a lawn or the sun setting outside or colors from the decor or ?

I don't think I can answer that, Asher. I just like it...but I'm not able to really say more than I already have.

The darker bottom part of the image with all the successive cones jammed into that space reminds me of a beehive.

Rachel Foster said:

I do believe its Friday the 17th but i could be wrong.

I like the symmetry, the lines formed by the roundness (if that makes sense). I like the fact that a mondane, everyday sight, when looked at closer, can be enchanting (for me). I like the repeated images of glasses within glasses. I love the colors also.

Click to expand...

OK. Now if you had to call out the image's weaknesses what would you cite?

I think somehow it needs to be a wider crop. I will look to see if I have that but I don't think I do. Or maybe a tighter crop.

The reflection in the upper right may be a problem, but I'm ambivalent about it.

I like the bokeh'd "reflection".

Rachel Foster said:

I do believe its Friday the 17th but i could be wrong.

I like the symmetry, the lines formed by the roundness (if that makes sense). I like the fact that a mondane, everyday sight, when looked at closer, can be enchanting (for me). I like the repeated images of glasses within glasses. I love the colors also.

Click to expand...

If, as you say, the motif you like is the repeated image within the glasses, then look at this again: "What is needed" and what is not?" Just imagine this "what is needed" is a person. What is the minimum material needed to define this "person" with the qualities you admire?

I think you were entirely correct in choosing this subject. There's fascination there. If it was a cat, a child or a person you'd know immediately what the whole thing is and what of that you must include. Maybe this way of looking at what you aimed your camera will allow you to revisit your ideas of what to rank as the essence of your inspiration and the core of what you might need to show.

"What you might not need to show, or show in the same clear way?", is the tougher question you must answer too!

This nudging of mine is predicated on the assumption that I have good taste, it's worthy of your attention and it's aiming for the sort of experience you found interesting in the glasses in the first place.

With that caveat, I encourage you, if I may, to look at this anew to find the "person" within your picture, so to speak!

I myself feel there's at least one maybe more there!

Asher

Rachel; A significant proportion of the enjoyment of such a contest is just participating and seeing the other entries. Although you've solicited critique I'll not offer any. Rather I encourage you to enter the image and just enjoy the experience, win or lose. Good luck!

Thanks, Ken.

This is another I took at the same time. It's nothing special, but I just like it. Posting to share only.

Asher's edit.....Very nice!

I lik your version

I like both your version and Asher's. The warm tone is from the lighting beinf reflected back at the glassware. I shot a very similar scene earlier this year. I like in this one all the multiple reflections within the glasses.

Asher Kelman said:

If, as you say, the motif you like is the repeated image within the glasses, then look at this again: "What is needed" and what is not?" Just imagine this "what is needed" is a person. What is the minimum material needed to define this "person" with the qualities you admire?

I think you were entirely correct in choosing this subject. There's fascination there. If it was a cat, a child or a person you'd know immediately what the whole thing is and what of that you must include. Maybe this way of looking at what you aimed your camera will allow you to revisit your ideas of what to rank as the essence of your inspiration and the core of what you might need to show.

"What you might not need to show, or show in the same clear way?", is the tougher question you must answer too!

Click to expand...

So Rachel,

I set a high bar. I thought I was bound "to put up or shut up", so to speak. So with your permission, had a try myself. The essence of the picture is the pattern of the rows of glasses and the repeats at depth through them too. This, with the blue from the sky.

So I thought how much can be removed and have the sense of the shot become clearer. So here's my selection:




Here the mage is only optimized from RAW showing the detail of the glass and its depth as well as reflections. It's not yet sharpened. I've added a white matte since I believe this image must be set on a background other than the tint in use on our pages, LOL! I've added a thin gray frame to further set it off from the blue page.




Now the image has been sharpened and then the majority of the gently sharpening masked to about 35% to 75% or so. I'm sure there are many other enjoyable selections you might choose. I agree it's hard to do, but it's necessary to crop and print with a white space around t and put the print on the wall. Keep choosing and thinking about it. Now go back and look at the glasses and take another picture if you wish. This is an excellent project. No hairstylist, no makeup artist or models to arrive late or not show up or have the clothes not quite right. Lighting these glasses and making a composition is harder than shooting a person. There's no inherent beauty of a look or smile, you have to construct that.

Thanks for challenging yourself and us in the process!

Asher

I'm going to see how close I can come to recreating what you've done.

Nice job Asher. I don't know as though I would have arrived at the same result, given the impetus to"play" with this image. Thank you for demonstrating the technique of questioning your intrigue as a driving force in the development of an image.

A technical question - it looks like you may have done some white balancing on this image. What was your process for doing that?

Edward Bussa said:

Nice job Asher. I don't know as though I would have arrived at the same result, given the impetus to"play" with this image. Thank you for demonstrating the technique of questioning your intrigue as a driving force in the development of an image.

A technical question - it looks like you may have done some white balancing on this image. What was your process for doing that?

Click to expand...

Ed,

I started from RAW and then simply worked with exposure, contrast, brightness, saturation, vibrance in Adobe RAW. Afterwards a curves layer was used in CS4. At each stage I use a mask to remove changes where and to the extent they are not absolutely needed by painting in the mask with a grey brush. That, in the final stage of sharpening gives the 3D effect that makes the image "pop", so to speak.

Asher

I am not familiar with the grey brush mask. 128,128,128?

Edward Bussa said:

I am not familiar with the grey brush mask. 128,128,128?

Click to expand...

Hi Ed,

When you make a mask you select the mask in the layers palette and now have to select a brush and the color, black or white. Well, instead of using black, one can pick a grey from the color wheel, say 35% grey and then use the [ or ] square brackets to decrease or increase the size of the brush and the percent level in the command bar to alter the strength of that grey that's used. This allows very fine control of revealing to some extent the layer below which was not brightened, sharpened or otherwise modified. By constantly altering the size and density of the grey brush, you are essentially carving away the effect layer in a totally controlled and intuitive way.

Using black as the color, is rather harsh and of course quicker!

Asher

Neat. I must play with a gray brush next time and look to see the difference. Thanks!