Forum Challenge Number 4: 19th April - 2nd May

[briansquibb]

Re: Forum Challenge Number 4: 19th April - 2nd May

5d,24-105@80,is01600, 1/60, f4.5

[colin C]

Re: Forum Challenge Number 4: 19th April - 2nd May

Ok, sorry people but I have been a wee bit remiss in judging and marking this.

Marking will be for: 1. Interpretation, 2. Technical Execution, 3. Composition, so here we go in the order posted:

Nathaniel

1. 5 Delightful Portrait, but doesn’t necessarily bring “Childhood” to mind.
2. 7 Good skin tones, overall a bit soft, well done for having the phone at an angle to avoid reflections.
3. 6 Moving the subject up the frame would have included her elbows. Background a bit cluttered.
18

TheGFB

1. 10 Very good interpretation of the theme.
2. 9 Black & White was an inspired decision and the cropped action works very well.
3. 10 The attention of focus starts at the mouth, through the bubbles, which curl back towards the mouth again.
29

Ron Lander

1. 8 Lateral thinking with the theme, which very much appeals to me.
2. 7 Sort of an induced dreamy quality to the shot, not too sure about the treatment?
3. 8 Composition works nicely.
23

Eeyore

1. 9 Another good lateral theme interpretation.
2. 10 Contra Jour lighting and good use of DOF to gradually blur the background.
3. 7 Good composition, would have been stronger with just the one bike, further back on the path, in the lit area.
26

djguk47

1. 9 I like the interpretation. Picnics and childhood just go together.
2. 8 Good side lighting. Slightly more blur to isolate the background would have helped.
3. 7 Like the pose of the figures. The chopped picnic basket is OK, but a wee bit tight on the left hand side teddy.
24

X-ray-spex

1. 5 I’m not really seeing a childhood theme, but like the humour of the title.
2. 8 Nothing to really fault here, but the white legs at the top above the group of three lambs are a slight distraction.
3. 6 Even numbers don’t work quite so well compositionally. Perhaps just the group of three in a portrait format?
19

DianaS

1. 10 Very good interpretation. Extra mark for the title.
2. 8 Black & white works well and the stroke border holds in the plain sky.
3. 9 The bridge is a very good lead-in to the child. Central main subject doesn’t normally work well, but it does here.
27

Chris J

1. 7 Child mum and Granny adventuring together is a good interpretation and comes across quite well.
2. 6 Because of the strong side lighting, drop the exposure by a stop and use some flash to fill the shadows.
3. 7 Good use of the line in the diagonal and overlap between the subjects.
20

Muscat

1. 5 She is cute beyond measure, but it is a portrait, rather than a depiction of childhood.
2. 6 On camera flash has lit the face well, but not lit the hair or background. Catchlights a little too central.
3. 7 Central, but no wasted space.
18

Briansquibb

1. 5 Excellent informal portrait, but not strictly “childhood”.
2. 9 Very well controlled soft lighting to suit the subject. Catchlights in the perfect position of top right.
3. 8 Very tight crop works well with the landscape format.
22


The winner is: TheGFB 29 points
Second: DianaS 27 points
Third: Eeyore 26 points

Very well done all of you and it’s now down to TheGFB to set the next competition.

Colin

[djguk47]

Re: Forum Challenge Number 4: 19th April - 2nd May

Congratulations TheGFB. (you will now have to confess your name as we cannot keep calling you Mr, Mrs, Ms The GFB )
When I saw this I thought this is going to be at the top of the list.

Well done to DianaS and Eeyore.

Thank you Colin for doing what is obviously becoming a more difficult task with each competition.

Thanks to Millie for having the idea initially and then persevering in getting the idea to actually "happen".

David

[Nathaniel]

Re: Forum Challenge Number 4: 19th April - 2nd May

Congratulations the GFB on the good win. I thought your photo was a cracking shot. For a "newbie" you have done very very well.

Keep it up.

[eeyore]

Re: Forum Challenge Number 4: 19th April - 2nd May

Thanks Colin,

The bikes were actually owned by twins I think, ( they were looking at the ducks in the stream to the side of the path) and don't know them from a bar of soap. An opportunity presented itself that just screamed out childhood, and so I took what was straight in front of my eyes. So in a sense it wasn't planned, but I did think about all the general photographing stuff. Although I had to be quick, because the owners came back with their parents. The moral of this story is there is always some opportunity to take advantage of when your out with your camera!!!

I wonder what the next 'challenge' will be. It's great to see how people interpret a theme, and fun in taking it!!

[DianaS]

Re: Forum Challenge Number 4: 19th April - 2nd May

Well done GFB - yours was a super pic - almost did not think it worth entering mine when I saw it!! Lots of goodshots - well done everyone.

Di

[Muscat]

Re: Forum Challenge Number 4: 19th April - 2nd May

Congratulations GFB, certainly well deserved it is a fabulous picture

[TheGFB]

Re: Forum Challenge Number 4: 19th April - 2nd May

Wow! I certainly didn't expect that - thanks for all the comments too. As a newcomer to the community, I have to say how much I'm enjoying being a part of it and learning from you all - everyone is so helpful!

I'm having a little think about the next challenge, and will post it as soon as something appropriate comes to mind. It must be said, I'm not very comfortable with the prospect of passing judgement on your entries given my lack of knowledge

I'm "Mr" TheGFB incidentally djguk47 - I used to be a bit of a hippy mountain biker, and would frequently be wolf whistled by boys in cars who thought they were behind a girl due to my flowing locks - needless to say these were always closely followed by cries of disgust when they realised their mistake - hence I was christened:
The
Girl
From
Behind

Thanks once again, I really enjoyed the other entries too!

Scotty

[Woolley]

Re: Forum Challenge Number 4: 19th April - 2nd May

Wonderful entries again, and an excellent choice of winner. Now it's all over, I'll tell you my little story.

Had the idea of finding old childhood toys out of the loft and setting up a still life shot in the loft to show them in their disgarded state. Planned the shot, worked out the lighting, dragged out the ladders, climbed into the loft with camera, lamp and tripod. Set up all the kit and worked out where to place the props and only then looked for the box with my wife's old dolls and other kids stuff to realize... We tidied out the loft a few months ago and threw it all out! Retreated back down the ladder with all the kit and packed up again with a wonderful photo - in my head - and no time to do anything else. Oh, well.

Congratulations to the worthy winner.

[colin C]

Re: Forum Challenge Number 4: 19th April - 2nd May

That sounded an excellent idea for a shot and in my opinion would have worked very well. Bet you uttered a couple of "naughty Words" when realisation dawned!

Colin

[TheGFB]

Re: Forum Challenge Number 4: 19th April - 2nd May

And also sounds like a lot more effort than mine - I say let's make Woolley an honorary challenge winner (it sounds like the shot would have won in any case )!

[colin C]

Re: Forum Challenge Number 4: 19th April - 2nd May

A wonderful idea in theory!

I have this wonderful shot in mind of a Pola Bear stalking Emperor Penguins, just as the sun is breaking the horizon. Unfortunately, when Pangea broke apart and became separate continents, the Arctic went North and the Antarctic went South.

Now if only I could improve the stamina of Polar Bears, they could swim all the way and I could get my shot!

Colin

[TheGFB]

Re: Forum Challenge Number 4: 19th April - 2nd May