August Challenge - Still Life - Voting

August winner


  • Total voters
    39
  • Poll closed .
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Vote for as many as you like, votes will be public.

I'd suggest that you include in your criteria whether the photograph meets the theme, knowing that most just vote for their favourite picture anyway.
 


My favourites:

2310Return
Really like the contrast in the colours, works particularly well with the depth of field.

BiffaBeercan / Slippery Jim Vote
Love the lighting and the blurring around the edges on this. Can almost smell the old books.

Peachbum Vote
I don't find it interesting, it doesn't make me think, but I really like the almost airy feel to the photo. Really bright and summery. I like it.

Ayesane Vote
Really like the way the lighting emphasises the subject. It makes me realise that it's something that I really need to learn about and practice. Are they finger prints in front of the apple on the left though?

My Left Foot
I like the symmetry to this and the back lighting. Would this count as Contre jour?

Amnorrageordie
I like the subject and the photo overall. I just wish the tools were a bit more haphazard. It just seems to be too 'tidy.'
 
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TGS I think, but will ponder a bit and run out of time to vote

Some good stuff
 
Stand outs:

Slippery Jim/BiffaBeercan: The subject is interesting & I like your arrangement. I feel like we're missing out of the colours of the flys mind, not sure if sepia was a great idea.

UaeExile: not really fitting the theme but thought I'd give you props anyway because i like the image. Excellent symmetry, I really like it.

peachbum: A really welcoming image with lots of contrasty, bold colours - I love the natural-looking arrangement as well. One criticism (although I can see why you have done it) is the fact you have lopped half the tea pot off; not a massive crisism by any means. VOTED

Kid Galahad: I really like this, although not strictly meeting of the theme. I thought it was a very very good idea. Not sure if you have processed the image but I like the way the flowers are semi-isolated on to the colder backdrop of the headstones.

The Great Soprendo: First off; I love the DOF, is it created with a LensBaby? I like the theme and arrangement, although the bowl far left needs to be either added or removed, it's spurious to the image as it stands. I absolutely love the detail in the step, the blue and stone contrast brilliantly. The nail has meaning within the image as well, i like that. VOTED

My Left Foot: a really nice warm image, although the main subject is slightly phallic. I like the symmetry, and especially like the semi-reflective surface you took the image on.
 
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2310 Return - Nice, fits the theme, like the colours.
HellsBells - I really like this but for me it's not still life (who am I to talk, i know!)
Tom Tom Macute - Canny shot but for me doesnt meet the theme.
Minkeysteve - I'm a sucker for b&w and this is no differnet. Love the mirror and reflection. Nearly a vote had you have aranged them a little different.
Super-Niall - sorry marra, it creeps me out and I can barely sleep without a light on :lol:
Ajax_Andy - A nice shot, but a little distracting with the huge flower on the left.
BiffaBeercan - really like this, loving the sepia tone if only there was a bit more in focus.
Robcal - Sorry, don't like the subject or composition. You need your new camera man ;)
Tiredeyes - Doesnt meet the theme... its just a snap IMO.
Me - definately doenst meet the theme.... enough on that.
Peach - nicely aranged, nice colour.... almost a vote.
Ross - Love it. Quality lighting of a good subject and good background. Some effort went in here VOTE
Kid Galahad - wansnt sure what to say here as I don't want to be critical of something that might be very personal to you. But from a composition perspective it's not great. Kind of like taking a photo of a pet or child, you need to get down to eye level and get some bokeh in there (know this is a phone pic, but still...)
The Great Soprendo - washed out colours, interesting subject and nicely arranged - VOTE
Malmo - a decent pic, just not interesting enough to get a vote.
Ayesean - almost a vote from me, if it was a little "cleaner" such as the table, bottles etc. The smudges are a little distracting.
My Left Foot - Yes it looks like a cock. But it's well composed, interesting and nice colours. VOTE
Amnorrageordie - Nice shot, the arrangement is a little busy for me personally.
 
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Voted for five this time but could easily have voted for ten!

I've voted for my photo which really is nothing to do with me as it's my brother's entry (Slippery Jim) and I really like it so don't bollock me!

2310 Return - I love the depth of field on this, it's perfect. How long did it take you to get it right?

Tired Eyes - Come on, it's Blep, how could I not vote for it!

ROSS - The subject, the lighting, even the angle of the camera are superb, my number one. Well done.

My Left Foot - Again, fantastic lighting, I wish I could take shots like that!
 
All through this month I've really liked 2310 Return's entry and thought to myself thats what is getting my vote then right at the last minute Left Foot came in a slightly edged it for me, love the tone of it.
 
ok I have a bit more time to look at this properly now and give some thoughts on the pics (been a hectic weekend so my original post was very short).

2310 Return - Very good shot... nearly got a vote, didn't think it was quite creative enough for me due to the cans of pop being not the most original choice of subject, but you were VERY close to getting a vote and it's an excellent shot

Hells Bells - not bad, not really sure it meets the criteria of the comp though

Tom Tom Macute - Erm not really for me tbh

Minkey Steve - Really good shot, nice conversion... almost a vote but not quite

Biffa Bearcan - Another strong entry that nearly got a vote... made me think of J R Hartley :lol: Good sepia tone conversion too.

Robcal - Flat lighting and not the best subject tbh

Blep - Looks like my entry from last week where it was just a phone snap and no real effort put in

UaeExile - I liked this, I wasn't sure it met the theme exactly but it is a cool shot non the less

Peachbum - Found this quite uninspiring tbh, a mixture of several objects all cut in half, quite an uninteresting angle, composition and subject matter. Colourful though so I can see why it might get some votes.

oROSSo - I liked this shot, good lighting, nice subject but the dead centre composition is a bit boring, and shooting more abstract would have worked better

Kid Galahad - I didn't like the mixture of speia and colour pop tbh. I'm not a fan of colour pop at all and mixed with sepia seemed an odd choice

The Great Sprendo - Nice pastle colours, interesting subject and lighting is nice and soft. I just think again compositionally it's a little flat and also the bit of the bowl on the left hand side should have been cropped out.

Malmo Mackem - I think this shot must have been lost on most people due to it only getting my vote so far. Creative in the sense it's a lens but the reflection is a window... kind of saying photography opens windows to the world around us. Maybe that's not what was intended, maybe it's just me looking too deaply in to it, but either way I love it.

Ayesane - Good shot, nice lighting but again it's a dead centre composition, no real creativity in the angle or way it's been shot. Yet another shot that could have been great with a little more creativity applied to the composition.

My Left Foot - Excellent shot, lit perfectly, compositional elements are very well done (framing man object and giving sense of depth). Probably should have voted for this too and regret that I didn't now as it's a great shot.

Ammnorageordie - It's ok but there's no real focal point to the image and it suffers because of this... lots of little pieces of interest but nothing to really make me want to sit and look at it for very long
 
My Left Foot for the drama of the composition and lighting. Nicely executed.

Thanks for votes and comments on mine. To answer specifics, it wasn't done with a lensbaby, just with a Nikkor 50mm f1.2 lens. I can't remember the exact aperture, about f2 I think, so the depth of field is a bit unusual due to the angle it's taken at. I take the comments on board about the composition...perhaps more of the metal plate would have been better with hindsight (or none). Maybe arranging the scene like a traditional still life would have made for a better pic viewed objectively, but I wanted to take a picture of these items in their abandoned state without interfering, which narrowed the compositional options.

Since there were a couple of comments about the colours: the film used was Kodak Ektar, which tends to give fairly strong colours, but the colours in the scene itself under natural light were very faded and muted - I was pretty happy with how that combination came out.
 
2310 return - Nice shot, not sure it meets my idea of the theme.

HellsBells - Great shot, love it but more Urban Fragments than Still Life imo.

tom tom macute - Doesn't do it for me.

minkeysteve - Well thought out but not enough pizazz for me.

super-niall - Doesn't do it for me.

ajax-andy
- Doesn't do it for me.

Slippery Jim - Nice composition but a bit dull colour wise, considering the potential colours available in those flies.

robcal - Doesn't do it for me.

Tiredeyes - Doesn't meet theme :lol:

UaeExile
- Harry potter villain doesn't do it for me.

peachbum - I like this but the tight crop spoils it imo, it appears too busy and you've chopped it up too much I think.

oROSSo - Well lit, looks professional but a bit boring subject/composition.

Kid Galahad - Doesn't do it for me.

TheGreatSoprendo - Doesn't do it for me.

MalmoMakem - I like this, reminds me of HAL, the composition is a little odd, I'd like to of seen it more to the top right hand corner and see the shadow in it's entirety.

ayesane - Winner this month imo, great still life shot, although one niggle, the bottle appears to be leaning to the right. - VOTE

My Left Foot - Nice shot, perhaps a bit contre jour and I cant get the "it looks like a cock" thought out of my head, sorry :confused:

Amnorrageordie
- Nice idea but I think it's let down a little by the composition being slightly unnatural.
 
For me there weren't that many shots this month that actually met the theme as I was interpreting it, e.g. small grouping of objects which the photographer has arranged, paying much attention to composition and lighting. This isn't to say that they aren't nice pics, just don't meet the theme.

Haven't really much time to comment on them all, however I've voted for;

Ayesane - hands down my favourite this month. Meets what I think of in still light photography. Very nice lighting, colour selection and reflection.

Peachbum - although I'd prefer to see the whole cup and tea pot, in a summer that has included the jubilee and the olympics, the picture captures something quintessentially English.
 
For me there weren't that many shots this month that actually met the theme as I was interpreting it, e.g. small grouping of objects which the photographer has arranged, paying much attention to composition and lighting.
Peachbum - although I'd prefer to see the whole cup and tea pot, in a summer that has included the jubilee and the olympics, the picture captures something quintessentially English.
Thanks Steed.

Nearly everybody has commented that I've cropped half my "still life" picture out. My reasoning was that everybody can see that it is a teapot and a cup of tea plus some flowers; you don't have to have the whole of each item in the picture to see what it is - I like close up and punchy and feel it works better (for me anyway) :)

I think I have a couple of pictures where the complete mug/teapot/flowers are in the picture = I'll see if I can put them in my albums. See if they are preferred or not.

Two that I didn't like
 
I think you are right to crop, and ayesane, for example could have benefitted from a tighter crop
 
Thanks Steed.

Nearly everybody has commented that I've cropped half my "still life" picture out. My reasoning was that everybody can see that it is a teapot and a cup of tea plus some flowers; you don't have to have the whole of each item in the picture to see what it is - I like close up and punchy and feel it works better (for me anyway) :)

I think I have a couple of pictures where the complete mug/teapot/flowers are in the picture = I'll see if I can put them in my albums. See if they are preferred or not.

Two that I didn't like

The problem is that when you crop all 3 items you end up without a focal point, so it becomes a problem as every picture should have a focal point. If you have 3 items, all chopped in half and composed without one being dominant (i.e. one in front and the rest blurred behind) then all bits compete for attention without any being the main point of the image.

Kind of the opposite to mine where the flower competed for attention with the intended focal point of the rings, and I ended up with 2 dominant focal areas which is too many.
 
ok I have a bit more time to look at this properly now and give some thoughts on the pics (been a hectic weekend so my original post was very short).

2310 Return - Very good shot... nearly got a vote, didn't think it was quite creative enough for me due to the cans of pop being not the most original choice of subject, but you were VERY close to getting a vote and it's an excellent shot

Hells Bells - not bad, not really sure it meets the criteria of the comp though

Tom Tom Macute - Erm not really for me tbh

Minkey Steve - Really good shot, nice conversion... almost a vote but not quite

Biffa Bearcan - Another strong entry that nearly got a vote... made me think of J R Hartley :lol: Good sepia tone conversion too.

Robcal - Flat lighting and not the best subject tbh

Blep - Looks like my entry from last week where it was just a phone snap and no real effort put in

UaeExile - I liked this, I wasn't sure it met the theme exactly but it is a cool shot non the less

Peachbum - Found this quite uninspiring tbh, a mixture of several objects all cut in half, quite an uninteresting angle, composition and subject matter. Colourful though so I can see why it might get some votes.

oROSSo - I liked this shot, good lighting, nice subject but the dead centre composition is a bit boring, and shooting more abstract would have worked better

Kid Galahad - I didn't like the mixture of speia and colour pop tbh. I'm not a fan of colour pop at all and mixed with sepia seemed an odd choice

The Great Sprendo - Nice pastle colours, interesting subject and lighting is nice and soft. I just think again compositionally it's a little flat and also the bit of the bowl on the left hand side should have been cropped out.

Malmo Mackem - I think this shot must have been lost on most people due to it only getting my vote so far. Creative in the sense it's a lens but the reflection is a window... kind of saying photography opens windows to the world around us. Maybe that's not what was intended, maybe it's just me looking too deaply in to it, but either way I love it.

Ayesane - Good shot, nice lighting but again it's a dead centre composition, no real creativity in the angle or way it's been shot. Yet another shot that could have been great with a little more creativity applied to the composition.

My Left Foot - Excellent shot, lit perfectly, compositional elements are very well done (framing man object and giving sense of depth). Probably should have voted for this too and regret that I didn't now as it's a great shot.

Ammnorageordie - It's ok but there's no real focal point to the image and it suffers because of this... lots of little pieces of interest but nothing to really make me want to sit and look at it for very long

Spot on.

Feel my composition might be lacking a little to much. Prob could have done with more of a shadow or a closer crop perhaps.
 
Spot on.

Feel my composition might be lacking a little to much. Prob could have done with more of a shadow or a closer crop perhaps.

And the number one rule of photography ... even if you didn't mean it, pretend you did :p :lol:
 
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