What do you think of this?

[JWellman]

Hi everyone! I took this photo a few days ago. I can always tell how liked a photo is by posting them all on Facebook. Some are received with oh's and ahh's (thank you non-photographer Facebook friends :mrgreen, but others are not so favored.

This one didn't seem to be too favored, yet is one of my personal favorites in the 365 collection. (111/365). Since it was still daylight it took me awhile to figure out where to aim the flash to black out the brick. I'm not much for selective coloring but after turning the photo B&W I felt it needed the color of the greenery added back in, so that's what I did.

I like how the flash brought out all the details in the concrete, especially on the set of wings in the bottom right. My disappointment was that part of the greenery was not in focus.

Comments welcome! :hugs:

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Jess, that's lovely!

From your garden?

Why did your FB friends not like it? It looks like a Hallmark card.

 

[JWellman]

Gracious! Yes, from my garden so retakes are always an option! (At least it would be easier than the crow) :mrgreen:

 

[lyonsroar]

I really like it. I don't think the OOF greenery hurts the image. I could see this being on a Hallmark card. Maybe :gasp: a funeral card? How morbid...

I don't usually even bother posting anything to facebook anymore. My stuff get no comments, however a freakin' cat picture taken with instamatic, hipstamatic, whatever the heck is "in" right now gets a million likes! :x
/rant (sorry...)

 

[cardinals1970]

I like it the way it is but I am still a noob so take it for what it is worth.

 

[NayLoMo6C]

hmmm honestly im on the fence about whether the plant actually helps in the composition, but i guess majority wins

 

[manaheim]

I think it's ok, but not great.

Taking pictures of statues is very hard.

First, lots of statues are just crap. Poorly slapped together attempts at mass-produced "art".

Second, lots of statues are very uninteresting. Either too perfect, too much a wreck, just not that well done, or overly done. It's hard to find just the right balance.

Third, taking pictures of statues has many of the challenges of portraiture. If you're not a good portrait photographer, you're likely not going to be a good statue photographer.

Fourth, you're making art that is really just a picture of someone else's art. That is 1> Cheating like hell, and 2> very hard to pull off in a way that makes the picture a unique perspective on the subject.

Fifth, environmentals become key because it is a big part of what makes #4 above really connect.

I think you've done a reasonable job capturing a mood, but the statue itself (IMO) isn't interesting enough as a piece of art and lacks any sort of real interesting imperfections or details that make it really interesting. Frankly, if the plant wasn't there I think it would be a TOTAL non-starter.

If you're curious and wouldn't mind, I'd be happy to post a few of mine that I think are rather good to show you some examples... but I'll tell you... flat out... while I genuinely think they are good examples of this kind of work and while I absolutely love them personally... they are still just vaguely interesting pictures of statues, and generally people don't get too excited over them.

 

[NayLoMo6C]

lets see em captain kirk

 

[JWellman]

Fourth, you're making art that is really just a picture of someone else's art. That is 1> Cheating like hell, and 2> very hard to pull off in a way that makes the picture a unique perspective on the subject.

Thanks Manaheim... slapping hands! *Mental Note* - No more playing with my garden statues.

lets see em captain kirk

If you click on the tab that says "Other" on his website you can see a few of them there.

 

[subscuck]

hmmm honestly im on the fence about whether the plant actually helps in the composition, but i guess majority wins

It might just be me, but it gives it a noticeable 3D effect. I like that.

I like the lighting, too. I don't mind the shadows or the fall off at all. Without them, there's no "moodiness". :thumbup::thumbup:

 

[JWellman]

hmmm honestly im on the fence about whether the plant actually helps in the composition, but i guess majority wins

It might just be me, but it gives it a noticeable 3D effect. I like that.

I like the lighting, too. I don't mind the shadows or the fall off at all. Without them, there's no "moodiness". :thumbup::thumbup:

That was my thought with the plant. It's not normally there... I added it for the shot. I really like the shadows as well.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Fourth, you're making art that is really just a picture of someone else's art. That is 1> Cheating like hell, and 2> very hard to pull off in a way that makes the picture a unique perspective on the subject.

I disagree somewhat.
Manny, if you took all the pictures on your website that are photos of someone elses work/art, how many images will you have left?
With her image, she clearly thought about it, clearly had intent, clearly thought about how to create a mood, clearly thought about composition, clearly thought about what to include, and what not to.
Nearly all photographs have subject matter that was just "there", and was not created by the photographer. Ansel Adams didn't move mountains hills and trees to create his work. He merely went to a spot, and took a picture. Anybody can go to that spot and take the same image. Where's the creativity in that?

 

[mishele]

I disagree somewhat....lol
The difference is that w/ a statue emotion has already been created for you. That is where the "cheat" comes in.... Emotion is one of the hardest things to portray in a photo.
Ansel Adams had to still create a mood w/ his shots, no matter how beautiful the setting was.

 

[joealcantar]

Plant is too distracting , I would have got a different angle or moved them back.
-
Shoot well, Joe

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Ansel Adams had to still create a mood w/ his shots, no matter how beautiful the setting was.

Jess created mood with her use of supplemental lighting. Jess=Ansel