Challenge 87 - Triptych

[AlexR!]

The Challenge is for a Triptych, that is a set of three images intended to be appreciated together. This could be a single image that has been split into 3 panels in order to emphasise the subject matter, or 3 distinct images of related subjects. Either post them as a single combined image or 3 separate images, whichever suits you best. I hope that you will have fun with this.

I will provide a critique of every entry and my score will be based on a combination of the overall impact of the image, how the subject suits the triptych treatment and the quality of the photographic images. I want to encourage as many entries as possible, so if you have never entered the Challenge before, now would be a good time; be assured that my comments will always be constructive.

The Challenge starts immediately and finishes at midnight (UK time) on Sunday 25 May 2014. That gives everyone two weekends (plus tomorrow as a bonus) to create their entry, do any PP and post it.

The standard competition rules (nearly all) apply:

• The competition subject shall be selected by the winner of the preceding competition who will also judge the competition.
• One picture per person; images should conform to general image posting rules.
• Please use a Canon DSLR.
• Posted images should be taken during the running period of the competition. Any images submitted that were taken before the competition started, or after the competition has ended, will be deemed invalid.
• Images 800 pixels widest max (to help those with small monitors).
• Normal competition rules state 'No Photoshop frames and borders' but artistically I think they are relevant for this particular Challenge, so are allowed if you wish.
• Include a title; the image must convey the theme without title description.
• Please, no comments, on images until the round is over.
• No canvassing e.g. “I’m thinking of posting this image for the challenge, what do you think?”
• I will pick 1st 2nd and 3rd favourite images (please don’t PM me to discuss my choices).

Good luck, and I'm looking forward to seeing your entries; hopefully your artistic juices are all flowing!

[hoopix]

Re: Challenge 87 - Triptych

Cassoulet

[tesarver]

Re: Challenge 87 - Triptych

The Graduate

[CountDavid]

Re: Challenge 87 - Triptych

Original, automatic, inverted Californian Poppy

[ST-EOS]

Re: Challenge 87 - Triptych

One from me, or should that be three

[AlexR!]

Re: Challenge 87 - Triptych

A quick bump to remind forum members that this closes on Sunday night. Some nice images already but let's get some more entries in, please. Get creative!

[Opifex]

Re: Challenge 87 - Triptych

That's Life

That's life.jpg

[markyreds]

Re: Challenge 87 - Triptych

Light

EOSTrip by markyreds, on Flickr

[AlexR!]

Re: Challenge 87 - Triptych

Thanks to everyone for your entries. The theme was slightly different this time around and we have struggled for entries in some recent weeks so I wasn't sure how this would go. But in the end I was pleased to see 6 entries to the high standard that we have come to expect.
My comments are below (laid out as pros and cons) and then my top three. Caveated with the usual 'I'm no expert; it's just one person's view'. The ranking hasn't been arrived at particularly scientifically, just my gut feel.

Hoopix (Phil): Cassoulet
Pros: Great concept of purchase, cooking and eaten. I like that you seem to have retained the same depth of field in each image to provide consistency across the 3 images. The rich colours, particularly of the second image, really make them stand out.
Cons: The point of focus of the third image seems to be at the end of the utensils, which is in a different place in the image to the other two; having it halfway along the utensils would have aided consistency I feel. A minor point, but purely presentationally having to scroll up and down to see the images is not ideal; I would love to see them all on one screen together, but I can see that is tough with 3 landscape images.

Tesarver (Tom): The Graduate
Pros:There's clearly a lovely and loving story behind the images. Rotating two of the images makes the whole set stand out and breaking the bounds of the second image is a great idea and well executed. The border and surround make it feel a nicely packaged whole just waiting to be printed and presented.
Cons: The second image is such a 'money shot' that it almost doesn't need the other two, so the triptych has become slightly unbalanced. And a minor criticism is that the first, being just a straight head and shoulders seems slightly at odds with the second and third, which have lots of stuff going on.

Count David (David): Californian Poppy
Pros: Lovely simple yet striking image. I do like the power of a repeated image. Well laid out on the page with clean white between. At first sight I thought that two yellows and a blue didn't quite work, but then I spotted the blue in the second image so I see how it builds from left to right.
Cons: Very slightly soft on my screen, as uploaded images to this forum often are.

ST-EOS (Peter): Auricular Triptych
Pros: Lovely interesting images, well taken and set off by their black backgrounds. Good detail in the flowers, and I like the colour variation. Border really ties the images together and presents them as a whole.
Cons: The flower heads in the third image aren't quite lined up with the other two - perhaps bring them down a touch? Pedantically, I'm not sure that there should be shadow all around the outer frame, when there is only shadow from the top and right of the internal mounts.

Opifex: That's Life
Pros: What a great idea, the stages of life. And the fact that they are walking in a circle (i.e. out of the screen, across and back in). And the fade from colour to monotone. It all hangs together.
Cons: For it to work perfectly, the first really should be a young girl, though I fully recognise the problems inherent in taking such an image. My main concern is that the third image does not quite fit with the other two, which have lots of background clutter and are on similar-ish brickwork/cobbled walkways. You probably did take the third at the same time and place but it isn't obvious. But maybe a quieter feeling street was what you are after, but then there also needs to be a distinction between the first two (oh, I'm probably over-thinking it now, that's the trouble with this judging lark...). The second image has come out with the lady slightly dark and, as with Count David's they are all slightly soft.

Markyreds (Mark): Light
Pros: What a wonderful idea, and really well executed. I like how the first image makes no sense on its own; it needs the other two. The consistent exposure across the images is great. You've got some really interesting shapes going on inside the bulb.
Cons: You've changed position between the second and third images which somewhat breaks the principle of the concept for me.

So overall, my top three, in reverse order are:
3rd: Hoopix and Cassoulet
2nd: ST-EOS and Auricular Triptych
1st: Count David and Californian Poppy

So, over to Count David for the next one, but well done everyone. For anyone who hasn't entered one of these, I cannot say too much to encourage you to do so. One great benefit gained from being lucky enough to win is that you are forced to really look hard at other people's images and decide why you do or don't like them. This gives a fascinating insight into not only what you like, but also how others may be looking at your images.

[CountDavid]

Re: Challenge 87 - Triptych

Many thanks for organising and runnng the competition Alex..... and thanks for choosing my submission against many worthy offerings.
Off now to a dark room to think about the next challenge.

David

[Bhuna]

Re: Challenge 87 - Triptych

Well done everyone on your entries and to AlexR for choosing and judging such an interesting topic to do. (Was hoping to have entered but sadly work took precedence over my time)

[Opifex]

Re: Challenge 87 - Triptych

Congratulations to CountDavid and the other winners.

Thanks Alex for setting and judging. Your comments are very much my own criticisms. My first reaction to the subject was that getting one decent picture was difficult enough and you wanted three!

With each challenge I'm learning a little more. This time the lesson was if you want to do street photography don't choose the centre of a city on a Saturday morning - there were far too many people around to get clear shots.

[ST-EOS]

Re: Challenge 87 - Triptych

Thanks for running and judging challenge Alex, great feedback for the entrants. Congratulations David, well done

[hoopix]

Re: Challenge 87 - Triptych

Well done David and thanks Alex for a very though provoking challenge.

[tesarver]

Re: Challenge 87 - Triptych

Congratulations David on the win. Well done.

Tom