Glove and broken shadow by Pascal Riben

[pascalriben]

I think the main subject looks overexposed, and the overall image is soft. The car in the backround is distracting.

Thank you for your comment kathythorson. I'm sorry, but I disagree with everything: the main subject - my shadow - isn't overexposed, but the "white" girl isn't too - nothing is burn, I can't find the image soft and the car is not distracting in this kind of picture.

Alrighty then. I guess it is a stunning masterpiece.

Don't be sarcastic Kathy (or at least, if really you want to be sarcastic, try to be funny and imaginative): have you a so big ego and are you a so experimented and talented photograph that you think your non-argued comments cannot be discussed?

 

[pascalriben]

Thank you for your comment kathythorson. I'm sorry, but I disagree with everything: the main subject - my shadow - isn't overexposed, but the "white" girl isn't too - nothing is burn, I can't find the image soft and the car is not distracting in this kind of picture.

Alrighty then. I guess it is a stunning masterpiece.

Is it possible even if all those things were accurate that it wouldn't matter. The reason the shot works is beyond technical perfection. You might have to take a little deeper look at it.

Thank you for your comment mishele

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

I think the main subject looks overexposed, and the overall image is soft. The car in the backround is distracting.

Thank you for your comment kathythorson. I'm sorry, but I disagree with everything: the main subject - my shadow - isn't overexposed, but the "white" girl isn't too - nothing is burn, I can't find the image soft and the car is not distracting in this kind of picture.

Alrighty then. I guess it is a stunning masterpiece. Hey, I tried.

Why do you have to jump to "stunning masterpiece"?
We could argue back and forth whether a soft image can still work and be a wonderful image to look at, or not.
I said wonderful, not stunning, or masterpiece.

What is the subject in this image, I think depends on the viewer.
You are a portrait photographer, aren't you?
Does that make you tend to think of any person in an image as the subject?

So much more in this image demands your attention. The girl, far from overexposed, actually gets a little lost in the white wall with dappled sunlight behind her. Heck, the line of the bottom of her purse, and it's tone, match the line and tone of the wall behind her. This further camouflages her.

What sticks out, to me, is her shoe! Her pants are even a similar tone to the pavers. But that bright white shoe! At an area of intersecting lines, that pretty much point right to it!

Further, look at the line of the girls coat, how it lines up with the line on the side walk... Squint at that image, and tell me you don't simply read a large, white, tilted, square.

While squinting, what is most prominent is indeed the photographers shadow. It's large, bold, and runs the length of the image.
It's even larger than the white "square" of lost girl.

To me, the glove is a "neat find" in the shadows. It's a little bonus. I personally don't find it important, but because it's in the title, many people may place too much importance on it.

And look at all the angles!!!

I find this to be a joy to look at. It's a wonderful image. "Stunning masterpiece?" Nah.
Would I hang it on my wall? Nah. Would I enjoy seeing it in a book? Yes!

Frankly, Kathy, your critique sounds like you simply tried to come up with as much wrong with the image as you could.
Did you find absolutely nothing appealing here?

 

[Derrel]

I've always referred to this type of a photograph as "shadow play". There is a long tradition of making such photographs, where the photographer's shadow plays a central role in the shot. In some ways, this type of image, a shadow play image, can be considered a type of "in joke". The kind of image that will not be fully understood or appreciated by many viewers. Shadow play images...you know, I just typed in the term shadow play photographs + define and OMG...look what Shutterbug magazine ran in the September, 2013 on-line issue....a small featurette on Shadow Play Shadow Play | Shutterbug

Shadow Play


By Jill Rahn • Posted: Oct 1, 2013 • Published: Sep 1, 2013

This month’s Picture This! assignment was Shadow Play, the role played by shadows in a photograph’s composition and, often, meaning. Shadows define form and shape, but they also can add an aura of mystery and intrigue, one where the recognizable subjects are altered by their presence. They can also be the subject of the image, and dominate the frame to create an abstract view of the world. Readers sent in images that accomplish all the above, with photos of people, places, and things that are enhanced by the sense of depth and space created by these light-formed elements.

 

[pascalriben]

Thank you for your comment kathythorson. I'm sorry, but I disagree with everything: the main subject - my shadow - isn't overexposed, but the "white" girl isn't too - nothing is burn, I can't find the image soft and the car is not distracting in this kind of picture.

Alrighty then. I guess it is a stunning masterpiece. Hey, I tried.

Why do you have to jump to "stunning masterpiece"?
We could argue back and forth whether a soft image can still work and be a wonderful image to look at, or not.
I said wonderful, not stunning, or masterpiece.

What is the subject in this image, I think depends on the viewer.
You are a portrait photographer, aren't you?
Does that make you tend to think of any person in an image as the subject?

So much more in this image demands your attention. The girl, far from overexposed, actually gets a little lost in the white wall with dappled sunlight behind her. Heck, the line of the bottom of her purse, and it's tone, match the line and tone of the wall behind her. This further camouflages her.

What sticks out, to me, is her shoe! Her pants are even a similar tone to the pavers. But that bright white shoe! At an area of intersecting lines, that pretty much point right to it!

Further, look at the line of the girls coat, how it lines up with the line on the side walk... Squint at that image, and tell me you don't simply read a large, white, tilted, square.

While squinting, what is most prominent is indeed the photographers shadow. It's large, bold, and runs the length of the image.
It's even larger than the white "square" of lost girl.

To me, the glove is a "neat find" in the shadows. It's a little bonus. I personally don't find it important, but because it's in the title, many people may place too much importance on it.

And look at all the angles!!!

I find this to be a joy to look at. It's a wonderful image. "Stunning masterpiece?" Nah.
Would I hang it on my wall? Nah. Would I enjoy seeing it in a book? Yes!

Frankly, Kathy, your critique sounds like you simply tried to come up with as much wrong with the image as you could.
Did you find absolutely nothing appealing here?

I never could write so much on my own photos - or somebody els photos.

Thank you very much for your full comment Bitter: it's really appreciated

 

[Juga]

I've always referred to this type of a photograph as "shadow play". There is a long tradition of making such photographs, where the photographer's shadow plays a central role in the shot. In some ways, this type of image, a shadow play image, can be considered a type of "in joke". The kind of image that will not be fully understood or appreciated by many viewers. Shadow play images...you know, I just typed in the term shadow play photographs + define and OMG...look what Shutterbug magazine ran in the September, 2013 on-line issue....a small featurette on Shadow Play Shadow Play | Shutterbug

Shadow Play


By Jill Rahn • Posted: Oct 1, 2013 • Published: Sep 1, 2013

This month’s Picture This! assignment was Shadow Play, the role played by shadows in a photograph’s composition and, often, meaning. Shadows define form and shape, but they also can add an aura of mystery and intrigue, one where the recognizable subjects are altered by their presence. They can also be the subject of the image, and dominate the frame to create an abstract view of the world. Readers sent in images that accomplish all the above, with photos of people, places, and things that are enhanced by the sense of depth and space created by these light-formed elements.

Pascal is good at it...this isn't my favorite of his but the shadow is definitely interesting. He just isn't very open to critique...granted Kathy's critique on this image were a bit harsh.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

I think sometimes others see more (and sometimes less) in our photographs than we the photographers do.


I've enjoyed the images you have posted for quite a while. It has often been the only reason to pass through the forum.

 

[pascalriben]

I've always referred to this type of a photograph as "shadow play". There is a long tradition of making such photographs, where the photographer's shadow plays a central role in the shot. In some ways, this type of image, a shadow play image, can be considered a type of "in joke". The kind of image that will not be fully understood or appreciated by many viewers. Shadow play images...you know, I just typed in the term shadow play photographs + define and OMG...look what Shutterbug magazine ran in the September, 2013 on-line issue....a small featurette on Shadow Play Shadow Play | Shutterbug

I had a look: there are some very good pictures. Of course, as I use myself frequently shadows in my work, I'm receptive to this kind of work!

To come back to this thread, this photo is part of the gallery/serie "The Selfportrait Game" where there are mainly "fake" selfportraits with my shadow... which is the reason why there is the word "game" in the gallery title.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

He just isn't very open to critique...

You know...so what? There's plenty of pretentious blowhards, plenty of people who think they know what their talking about, but don't have a clue.....so yeah.....full spectrum.

 

[pascalriben]

I think sometimes others see more (and sometimes less) in our photographs than we the photographers do.

I agree

I've enjoyed the images you have posted for quite a while. It has often been the only reason to pass through the forum.

Thank you very much for this very kind comment Sweeter Jeweler :heart: !

 

[Derrel]

The Online Photographer: Great Photographers on the Internet

 

[Juga]

He just isn't very open to critique...

You know...so what? There's plenty of pretentious blowhards, plenty of people who think they know what their talking about, but don't have a clue.....so yeah.....full spectrum.

He isn't the first nor is he the last...

...and you don't NEED to be an expert to critique something. Hell I am a HUGE noob but I like to give critique because I believe it is part of the learning process. So throw me into that pot of people that don't have a clue. With that said I am going to go about and noob it up somewhere else on this forum.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

He just isn't very open to critique...

You know...so what? There's plenty of pretentious blowhards, plenty of people who think they know what their talking about, but don't have a clue.....so yeah.....full spectrum.

He isn't the first nor is he the last...

...and you don't NEED to be an expert to critique something. Hell I am a HUGE noob but I like to give critique because I believe it is part of the learning process. So throw me into that pot of people that don't have a clue. With that said I am going to go about and noob it up somewhere else on this forum.

My point was, if it's perfectly acceptable for people "without a clue" to critique, it should also be acceptable for people to not really care what anyone has to say. So neither really needs to be pointed out.

 

[pascalriben]

The Online Photographer: Great Photographers on the Internet

Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! I'm dying!!! I knew this one:
Why You Shouldn't Give Too Much Weight to Anonymous Online Critics
but your link is by far better!... "Bonjour Henri, assuming you are French, or at least understand it... Your problem here is that your AF has focused on the wrong place." Who said the M has not autofocus? And the one on Alew Webb (I love this photograph): "Only two thumbs up But I like some of your other work please vote for mine too."


BOOKMARKED: THANK YOU 100 TIMES DERREL!

 

[pascalriben]

...you don't NEED to be an expert to critique something.

In fact, it's better if you know nothing about what you're talking: it's a good raison, when people politely disagree on your critic to act like a... heu... what is the english name of this dog who barks all time but is too small to beat?...

Hell I am a HUGE noob but I like to give critique because I believe it is part of the learning process. So throw me into that pot of people that don't have a clue. With that said I am going to go about and noob it up somewhere else on this forum.

How old do you think he is?