PFM Help Sought: Choose my son's final eight...

[RPSGC]

Voted, and another one for 12.

 

[farfromthesun]

Same as the rest. Voted + 12.

 

[PaulMB]

I'm thinking that some of them might benefit from a bit more contrast, which might emphasise the starkness, the visual impact But I don't know if these are digital or "wet" prints, and in any case there are the various monitors involved. And of course it is a matter of personal taste.

 

[Darren555]

Voted +12

 

[Space is the Place]

4. for me, it's looking out into an uncertain future, the tops and bottom of the structure leading your eye to the vagueness and threat beyond, your last view of the world, trapped inside a modernist, brutalist structure a part in the machine of war. It reminds me a bit of Koudelka or Peter Marlow.
A good essay, well done your Lad.

 

[eternumviti]

Tough one. I think I would exclude 1,2,6 and 10.

1 and 2 both contextualise the portfolio. However, #1 is not that well exposed, the composition is a bit awkard with the headland falling away on each side, drawing the eye off, and the ripples on the water aren't that comfortable to look at, again, distracting. #2 is rather good, but it takes a moment or two to see what it is - it is tonally flat, and some contrast grading would definitely help here. #6 is a repeat of #7, and to me #7 is stronger, with a lovely lead in through the enticingly shadowed channel to the pill-box in the distance, and a lovely luminous light. For me #7 is actually the strongest. I actually thought #8 was two photos - the idea is good but the water's edge cuts it in half, though the 3:2 aspect ratio may also be an issue, as it tends not to work in vertical/portrait format, so perhaps worth trying a 4:5 crop? It also lacks a bit of front-to-back recession. #10 should work, but I'm put off of it because it is too confusing - the bloody graffiti ruins it, and the exposure seems a bit muddy too. This is all of course highly subjective, and my points of deduction may well be attributes to others.

I think several of the photos need some further work on contrast grading.

Oh, and he's chosen a subject that I love!

 

[Rockmeister]

ex a level photo teacher
7, 8, 9,10 and 12 must be in. You looking for a brain, not a technique.
Thoughts rule.

 

[digestive]

As per vote and 12

 

[JTC]

Thanks everyone for your feedback. We'll review it over the weekend and I will announce the final 8 and (eventually) put up 'final' versions. (This in regard to a few comments about exposure; straight B&W conversion doesn't work equally well for every image.)

Will hold the vote open until tomorrow night for any stragglers

Thanks!

 

[Darren L]

Voted +12

 

[Hoopsontoast]

Hey all, my son is doing photography at school and has been working on a portfolio documenting some of the coastal military defences in our area as his theme. We got down to a long-list of 33 images in a mix of colour and black and white, and then he made the decision to keep the final eight in black and white, so here are his 12 images and we've hit a bit of a problem whittling down to the last 8. So I figured, why not ask PFM and have a bit of fun. I had thought of putting it in the gentle ox-bow lake of the photo forum but figured it might get a bit more interest in the cascading rapids of the off topic forum.

So, if I can ask a favour from anyone who doesn't mind giving up a bit of time? If you could vote for your favourite images from these 12, up to 8 in total per person. Since I can only do a poll of up to 10 choices, if you want to vote for 11 or 12 say so in a comment.

My son can then get a better idea of what a wider audience might like. These aren't the absolute final edits, just first takes and he'll refine the images a bit before final submission. This might work and it might not. Let's see

1.


2.


3.


4.


5.


6.


7.


8.


9.


10.


11.

4,5,6,7,8,9,10 & 12

6, 7 & 9 especially are superb!

 

[John]

1,5 and 12 define the subject the best.

 

[MartinC]

My vote was for 1 but I think 12 would be my fave, excellent shots all, great job!

 

[JTC]

Thanks. His submission deadline is this coming week so I'll close the vote and pass the comments/results on to him.

 

[JTC]

OK, doesn't seem like I can close the vote. He's not up yet (bloody teenagers!) so I guess if anyone wants to sneak a last vote in you have time....

 

[paulfromcamden]

Voted - plus #12 (like everyone else it seems!)

 

[boneman]

Voted + 12. Do love shots that show depth like that. All lovely, nice work!

 

[JTC]

OK, he's made his final selections, though he was quite adamant about a couple despite feedback. One that didn't fare well here, possibly due to rushing the b&w version originally or maybe because it wasn't in the first 10 options, was this one, which I helped him edit. He's chosen it as it's one of his own favourites, which looked a bit underexposed (it was a dusk shot and a composite of a sky at 9s and the foreground at 30s) but I think it's better now. His final eight are: 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. We had a long discussion about 10, as it stands out from the others, but then his original proposal included night shots and this was the only surviving one, and it has cohesion with the graffiti stuff too. The rejects were 1, 2, 3 and 6.

 

[martin clark]

OK, he's made his final selections, though he was quite adamant about a couple despite feedback.

That (my emphasis) is superb; the bit you should celebrate. It's his choices, that matter.

- it's essential to have that defining sense of 'my choices, for my reasons, and here is why..' in any creative endeavor. It's the fundamental learning point in the 'crit' as an architect at Uni (- and ever-after!) for example. See it as witness to a sense of developing, professional vision, and purpose.