{"id":7851,"date":"2011-12-15T08:55:45","date_gmt":"2011-12-15T12:55:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/?p=7851"},"modified":"2011-12-22T09:32:53","modified_gmt":"2011-12-22T13:32:53","slug":"images-for-your-critique-revelations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/2011\/12\/15\/images-for-your-critique-revelations\/","title":{"rendered":"“Images for Your Critique” Revelations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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“Salt and Pepper Snow Geese.” This image of both light and dark (White-fronted) geese blasting off was created at Klamath NWR, OR with the Canon 800mm f\/5.L IS lens<\/a> and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body.<\/a> ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 1\/3 stops: 1\/640 sec. at f\/6.3 in Tv Mode. For a greater appreciation of the image above, click on the photo to view a larger version. Then click on the image or the X in the corner to close it.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

“Images for Your Critique” Revelations<\/h3>\n

On June 16, 2011 I posted “For Your Critique: Image #1.<\/a>” It proved to be a popular post as it garnered 46 comments. (I followed that post up the next day with “My Comments on Your Comments\/Image #1<\/a>.”) In all there were 20 images in the series that ended just the other day with the Northern Gannet image in “For Your Critique: Image #20.<\/a>”<\/p>\n

Each image in the series included language to this effect: This image is presented for your critique; feel free to praise it or rip it to shreds. Would you keep it or delete it? Let us know why either way, what you like or what you hate. What would you have done differently? <\/p>\n

This was always followed by the promise to post two major revelations when the series was complete. That time is now. <\/p>\n

Revelation #1<\/h3>\n

Despite the fact that virtually every image in the series was trashed by someone, and often by many, the twenty images in the series were my entries into the 2011 Veolia BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPOTY) Competition. I felt that each had contest-winning potential. I will be sharing my thoughts on the 19 remaining images in future blog posts. <\/p>\n

Revelation #2<\/h3>\n

When I posted the first image in the series, Image #1 above, “Salt and Pepper Snowstorm,” I had just learned that the image was Highly Commended in the Creative Visions category of the competition. I was thrilled and honored. (Click here<\/a> for proof :)) <\/p>\n

A Sampling of the Positive Comments<\/h3>\n

“It reminds me of prehistoric cave art. Beautiful, in an abstract way.”
\n“I think it is very special and it reminds me of a Japanese print. I agree with David P that it is a beautiful abstract.”
\n“I like this one because it doesn\u2019t look like a photograph. I looks almost like it\u2019s done with rubber stamps.Or ink strokes. Amazing what can be done with just a camera and a lens.”
\n“I really like it, tho\u2019 I\u2019ll have to study it a bit longer to figure out exactly why. One thing seems obvious to me: It\u2019s not a blur; look at the well-defined snow flakes, some of the wing tips, and legs; and all the birds in lower right corner are sharp. The blurry effect seems to come from the snow obscuring the bodies behind it. At least part of the appeal is the muted color, which accents the black-&-white impression. Photography works in many different ways, and a \u201cpainterly\u201d photo isn\u2019t bad just because it doesn\u2019t look like what we normally think of as a photo.”
\n“There is a balance in this image between chaos and order that\u2019s very visually intriguing, and that makes the image work on multiple levels. Interesting chaos such as this is hard to come by.”<\/p>\n

The Negative Comments<\/h3>\n

Not everyone who commented on the image agreed with the judges; here–in part–are excerpts from some of the comments that were posted:<\/p>\n

“I might not delete it but neither would I call it one I would want to showcase.”<\/p>\n

(Note: I am glad that I like the image enough not to follow that advice!)<\/p>\n

“Personally I would delete it… This photo just seems washed out and almost looks like …. something that I tried to clean off a wall. I get the pattern and repitition but think that it’s too irregular to work well in this instance. I like nearly every photo you post, but this one just doesn’t do it for me.”<\/p>\n

(Note: it is important that folks form there own opinions. But I am glad that I did not scrape this one off of my wall.) <\/p>\n

“I’m also not a big fan of blurs, although I do find some of them visually pleasing. For this shot, it would be an instant decision to delete.”<\/p>\n

(Note: this is not a blur. I like folks that are decisive as in “insta-delete!”)<\/p>\n

“I would probably delete or modify. There isn’t anything contrasty to catch my eye or hold my eye.”<\/p>\n

(Note: well, it caught the eyes of a few influential folks at least.) <\/p>\n

“… but to me it is not photography.”<\/p>\n

(Note: Well, that comments leaves me quite confused as I can assure all that it is a digital photograph….) <\/p>\n

“Can’t find order out of such Chaos. Delete it.”<\/p>\n

(Note: I find the somewhat ordered Chaos to be a big plus.) <\/p>\n

“I don’t like it. I feel it is so busy, it makes me feel nervous. Someone, a very well known and talented bird photographer, once told me that you should never have wings that cross one another. Since then I have tried never to have that happen. This image definitely breaks that rule. Sorry that I dislike this image but that’s the way it is.”<\/p>\n

(Note: No need to be sorry if you do not like an image. But you gotta love being mis-quoted and misunderstood at the same time.) <\/p>\n

“I would probably delete image. Actually I would never have taken it except by accident.<\/p>\n

(Note: it was not an accident :))<\/p>\n

And finally, “I would DELETE. It does nothing for me. Just a boring image. Nothing to get excited about.”<\/p>\n

(Note: If only the judges had realized that….)<\/p>\n

My Thoughts<\/h3>\n

First off, I always get excited when one of my images is chosen to be honored by WPOTY judges. \ud83d\ude42 Was I insulted by so many negative comments? Not at all. Amused would be a better word. I am a lover of what is (see The Work of Byron Katie here<\/a>.) And I strive to never take things personally. Of the 46 comments there were many positive comments. I strive not to get too excited by those either. All of the comments are appreciated. I am fine with those who hate non-traditional nature photography images, out of the box if you would, and I am fine with those who love them as I do. <\/p>\n

Are there any lessons to be learned? Probably the most important would be: “If you decide to enter a contest it is a good idea to study the results of previous competitions very carefully.” In recent years the BBC has moved away from what we used to think of as traditional nature photography towards images that many would consider way out of the box. Like “Salt and Pepper Snowstorm.” <\/p>\n

A comment made by Linda Jones seemed a perfect way to end this blog post: <\/p>\n

“It is interesting to see the different views of this photo! I guess that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. From the artist side of me, I see a workable abstract; on a very large textured canvas it would be very provacative! I like subtle. Not everything has to be glowing, oversaturated and perfect. Breaking the rules is pure bravery, with excellent results! It means you have a brain that can think and create. Photography becomes pretty boring if you choose to go by all the rules.”<\/p>\n

Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Portfolio 21<\/h3>\n

I must say that this year’s Portfolio is the most stunning edition ever. Though they are understandably out of stock, you can order a copy here<\/a> from Amazon. You will be helping support the Blog and the Bulletins to the tune of a few pennies and will be getting to see some amazing photographs a lot larger and more dramatically than on the web where they are pretty much presented tiny…. Once the book is back in stock I will be discussing various images on the blog (as promised previously). <\/p>\n

Shopper’s Guide<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Below is a list of the gear used to create the image above. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Canon 800mm f\/5.L IS lens.<\/a> Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
\nCanon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body.<\/a> My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies. <\/p>\n

And from the BAA On-line Store:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

LensCoats<\/a>. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
\nLegCoat Tripod Leg Covers.<\/a> I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders \ud83d\ude42
\nGitzo GT3530LS Tripod.<\/a> This one will last you a lifetime.
\nMongoose M3.6 Tripod Head.<\/a> Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head<\/a>.
\n4th Generation Design CR-80 Low Replacement foot for the Canon 800.<\/a>. When using the 800 on a Mongoose as I do, replacing the lens foot with this accessory lets the lens sit like a dog whether pointed up or down and prevents wind-blown spinning of your lens on breezy days by centering the lens directly over the tripod.
\n Double Bubble Level.<\/a> You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
\nBe sure to check out our camera body User’s Guides here<\/a>.
\nThe Lens Align Mark II.<\/a> I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.<\/a>
\nCanon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide<\/a>. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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“Salt and Pepper Snow Geese.” This image of both light and dark (White-fronted) geese blasting off was created at Klamath NWR, OR with the Canon 800mm f\/5.L IS lens and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 1\/3 stops: 1\/640 sec. at f\/6.3 in Tv Mode. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-90","odd"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7851"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7851\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}