Ill-disguised effort to show of your bike? I'd say more "blatant." And I admire you for it, as there's no one worse than I for taking pictures to show off my bike. Well done, sir, I tip my hat to you. (Note: golden mean composition)
MLS2GO is on board this week with a couple of beauties. The first one--which I shall call "orange"--is a neat shot if only for the fact that I have no idea what it is. And I don't think he's told us yet. What a tease. It may be a frozen something, perhaps a texture coating or concrete. . . . I really have no idea. It's an interesting and seemingly natural pattern with a really interesting texture. I note that there is a lot of light falloff in the corners. Taken with a flash? That happens with some built-in flashes sometimes.
The second shot is even more interesting, as it is clearly not natural and rigidly symmetrical nearly to the point of infinity. When asked to guess I dismissed the notion that it might be a screen, but apparently that's what it is. I don't really do snow or freezing, so what do I know? I really like close-ups and this one is very effective.
JohnF is one of our regulars who is emerging with a certain style. His shots always exude some sort of humor, whether in the title or subject matter or what have you. I don't know why, but this strikes me as funny--a self-conscious and perhaps contrived interpretation, and a successful one. I like the staging of the football and helmet. I don't read football plays, but I assume it's accurate based on the discussion that ensued. One of the indicators of a photo's success is how much conversation it generates. Fun shot. Gayle Sayers? Inflate that thing and put it under glass, for crying out loud.
WMUBrown brought us another little bit of inspiration in this shot. I was surprised that you want all the way to "bulb" to shoot this (the "bulb" setting holds the shutter open as long as you depress the shutter release, seconds or even minutes are possible). Nonetheless, it's clever and I like it. The firing of the flash is what eventually gives some solid state to the subject, albeit semi-transparent. Many newer mid- to high-end cameras give you the option for a "rear-curtain sync." This causes the flash to fire just before the shutter closes, as opposed to immediately upon the shutter opening. This is so the trails of the long exposure seem to emanate from the subject rather than precede it. As it stands this is a really interesting image. I've been kicking around the idea of having an assignment with motion as a component. You've given me something to cogitate on.
Not to be outdone, GrossJohann returns with his own tree shot. This is an interesting and intricate pattern with a ghostly, ethereal feel. Normally, over-exposure is a problem (as these lights clearly are) but here the effect is really nice. It renders that sort of fuzzy, gee-I-may-had-too-much-egg-nog sort of quality. Frankly, it looks very much like one of many Christmas cards that you can buy. Nice.
Voni's submission this week is a really nice photo. Filled with patterns, not the least of which is the intricate adobe bricks, it's also a masterful composition. By offering us just a part of the church, it forces the eye to focus on the detail of the brick rather than the entirety of the structure. The brush, mountains, and sky form a perfect rule-of-thirds. The wispy clouds are nice against the azure sky. I really like this shot. It reveals thought on the part of the photographer. I often remark that a photo is a "snap shot." This one doesn't come off at all like that. 250 bonus points on general principle.
Is it just me, or is this bloke scary? And why is he walking around the MGM with a target? An interesting shot, especially in it interpretation of the theme, which Burnzilla found after the fact, even cooler still. In terms of posing--which I'm not always great at--he's pulling away from the target. I want him to lean in. I'm sure you didn't have a lot of time to discuss it. 100 bonus points for photographing a random stranger.
I really like this simple composition from Rapid-Roy. Maybe it's a picture of an iron candle holder, but I think it's a picture of shadows. The extreme angle of the source light adds so much interest to this shot. To be picky, I would have shifted the camera ever-so-slightly to the left, trying to make even the margins of the right-most candle and the left-most shadow. It's a minor detail but they often make the most difference.
I'm assuming your wife would have shot you, but imagine this photo with the votives lit. Of course then the temptation would have been to turn down the source light which may have eliminated your shadows, making this an entirely different photo. The one you took is great.
I love all three of kbasa's submissions this week. I struggled with numbers 1 and 3 in terms of which I preferred. Bluestune points out something I completely overlooked which is the red reflection in the chrome. That, set against the beautifully blurred blue background is what makes this such a compelling image. Again, what we have here is not a photo of a thing, but a photo of light and texture and shapes. It forces the viewer to think or play with possibilities. It's challenging in that respect. I like a photo that challenges me as a viewer.
On the one hand, simply a picture of hanging art. On the other hand, the compositional decision is what makes this so intriguing. The round form, the colors and textures, play so well against the vertical lines on which they rest--especially given the neutral color. It's a neat image--puts me in mind of tie-dye for some reason.
What a great and interesting crop of photos this week. I really enjoyed them. It appears that our assignments are impacting the way in which we are taking pictures, forcing us to think and try new things. I know that it's having that effect on me, at least.
Next week's assignment will be a "special" of sorts. It will be seasonal and will allow those of us whose riding season has gone into hibernation to get back to thinking "motorcycle." It'll be up in less than 24, so watch for it!
Thanks for another fun week!
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Originally Posted by SNC1923
We could make Tom our leader ! Would we use terms as Director, Producer, Gripper and Best Boy/ Girl instead of Grand Wizard, Poopah, or flash ? 
