Weekly Competition #144 - Ground level Competition

Greetings from Woodstock! One advantage of being stateside is the competition finishes at 7pm. As usual, the comments made in the following are just my take on the images, and are intended to be helpful and constructive.

In judging this competition I considered three things. Firstly, does the photograph fulfill the brief? No matter how good the image is --- spot the lecturer in me here --- if it doesn’t follow the theme of the competition it cannot win. Secondly, I looked at technical aspects such as the point of focus, exposure and so forth. Lastly, and most subjectively, what I call my “wall factor”: would I like a copy of this image printed up large and on my wall? I found that the first two factors made it easy to create a shortlist, but then choosing from that shortlist to pick a winner was very largely a matter of taste, and thus very difficult.

So here goes!

Behind Bars by RR
This picture made me laugh when I saw it. It does indeed follow the brief so full marks for that. The eye appears to be in focus, although there is something in the way (a blade of grass perhaps?) and the depth-of-field is very shallow at f4 and I would have been tempted to use a smaller aperture at with a higher ISO. This image scores well on my “wall factor” largely as it makes me smile. Great start to the competition.

Seaside Cinderella by TOZZA27
Although the shoe is on the ground, and you have had to get fairly low to photograph it, it doesn’t really use being low as a way of making a dramatic impact so only half marks for that factor. Technically there isn’t much to fault but I would like to have seen all the shoe sharply in focus and given you had plenty of light a smaller aperture would have helped here. Although a very intriguing image (what on earth happened for someone to leave their shoe here, or would we rather not know?), it doesn’t hold my interest enough to go on the wall. Well spotted though, and quite a mystery.

Don’t panic by Hyram
A very dramatic low level shot! Despite the weather proofing of Pentax gear I’d still be worried. Many moons ago my then girlfriend’s ME-F died when salt-water corroded the electronics! Technically, the image uses a fairly narrow band of tones and I would have been tempted to increase the contrast a little to give it a little more punch. As to the wall factor, I do like this image but find it lacks something for my eye to rest on and so it looses a little on that score.

Looking down, looking up by Darlene.
Although a nice photograph of this cheeky chappie the image doesn’t really follow the brief being more an image of something on the ground rather than one taken from ground level. The image is well exposed and the head an eye seems sharp so good marks for that, although again I might increase the contrast a little.

Induruwa curves (3) by Dr. Mhuni
Having spent most of my photographic years saying I dislike fisheye images, since joining the PUG image after image has made me change my mind, and this is one of them. It fulfills the brief perfectly and I cannot think of anything to say technically. The largely symmetrical composition but with the offset ball is superb and I love the blues. It would look lovely printed large on the wall. This image is a real contender, super stuff.

Growing up by GlynM
This fulfills the brief perfectly and uses a very difficult and dramatic viewpoint to give a new view on my favourite flower. Technically, the exposure is well controlled and the flower is nicely in focus. If I was being very fussy I would suggest that a reflector and/or a diffuser would help to soften the hard shadows on the head of the flower, but without trying it and comparing the two I am unsure whether that would improve things or just remove a little of the drama. As to the wall factor, the minus point is the wooden fence in the background which doesn’t lend itself to a pretty image and detracts from what would otherwise be a good candidate.

Bugs-eye view by photographiclife
This image definitely fulfills the brief, you must have been lying on your stomach! The black and white conversion is an interesting take on IR and does have a full range of tones. Everything looks nicely sharp. I assume it was taken with a very wide angle lens but as no EXIF data was given I couldn’t check this. The composition, however, does not really work for me. I feel that there is too much featureless grass at the bottom of the image and that the fence is too far over. Perhaps if you were much closer to the fence and used it to guide your eye to the walkers in the distance it might work better.

Tumbling water my Mera.
You have a nice low viewpoint and so full marks for following the brief. Technically, however, you have a very shallow depth of field at f/2.8 and have focused a fair way back so that one’s eye has to hunt for the plane of focus. The dramatic tumbling water does lend itself to an image, but the eye needs a focal point to rest on such as a larger stone sticking up, or a branch/plant.

Wild flowers by wvbarnes
Wild flowers are one of my favourite subjects and my knees ache in sympathy! You have clearly got down low for this shot. Technically, I feel that your choice of aperture was a bit of a half-way house. I would either have gone for a smaller aperture to get more of the image in focus, or picked out one flower to be the focal point and shot close to wide-open so that the rest were more blurred and perhaps created a nicer bokeh. This may also have helped to create a stronger focal point for this image.

Foot + ball = football, of course by JudithAnn
This image is one of my top contenders. A very clever idea well executed that both fulfills the brief and creates an interesting and clever image. Very well done! Technically, I assume the flash was used to create this image, and the EXIF reports an unhelpful 11111/500000ths of a second (about 1/60th I think)? If I am right in my guesses, this is one of those occasions when using “trailing curtain flash” may have helped create a better image by having the ball at the end of the blur rather than the start of it. Nevertheless, a strong contender.

Early morning spider’s web by summiteverest.
This image was obviously taken down low although this doesn’t hugely add to the dramatic effect of the image, so high but not perfect marks on that score. Technically, nicely seen and shot with the light picking up the dew on the threads beautifully. There is, however a little flare which could have been avoided by shading the lens a little more. I do, however, like the overall feel of this image and it scores well on my wall factor. Perhaps having the spider a little further off centre would improve the composition?

The wheel from ground level by mayday
This is another fisheye image which fits my brief perfectly so full marks there. Technically, the image is nice and sharp but some of the clouds are a little burnt out (assuming the histogram in photome is accurate). In terms of my wall factor, this image also scores very highly with the lovely dramatic clouds and the fisheye effect suiting the wheel nicely. Perhaps a getting a little closer and using a portrait orientation might make a good image even more dramatic?

Shearing Shed by i-Berg
I liked this image from the moment I saw the thumbnail. It clearly follows the brief. The BW conversion and the toning is lovely and suits the topic. The only technical thing I can suggest is the use of a smaller aperture as the very foreground is just a touch unsharp. As to my wall factor, print it at A2, frame it and put it up in pride of place. The wooden floor has a lovely texture, the position of the camera has used the lines in the floorboards to give interest. Just a super image and a strong contender.

Tyre Wash by Father Ted
Another image relying on Pentax weather proofing! Very dramatic image shot at the perfect moment with maximum splash and the car entering the image well. There are some very odd patterns in the water though which I am going to put down to the website software resizing algorithm, or maybe too strong a jpeg compression? Not sure! Excellent photo.

Dandilion by nathanever82
This shot is very cleverly set-up and fits the brief excellently. Technically, the exposure must have been almost impossible but you have hardly any burnt out highlights. There is, however, a bit of noise in the middle distance suggesting you have had to bring quite a bit of detail out of the shadows? From the wall factor point of view, there is a little too much in the foreground for my taste. I wonder if a square crop would make for a better image?

High Street, Oxford by mecrox
A nice low image and a well spotted opportunity to take advantage of a abandoned bicycle and a passer by (unless that was staged? ). Technically, however, the BW conversion looks awfully flat to me. The buildings in the background are almost like scenery from a stage set. Although you have a wide range of tones according to the histogram, they cluster strongly in the centre. Sadly, the flat conversion means that a well-spotted image doesn’t score as highly on my wall factor as it might otherwise have done.

The Arsenal Ground by dougf8
Although you have got down low for this image, the main result was lots of rather dull tarmac. The idea was a good one, however, but I would have got much, much closer to the large letters and made something of them, maybe just one of them? They give lots of potential for playing around with scale.

The Church by GaryJohn
You have got down low here to create a dramatic juxtaposition between the church and the gravestones / daffodils. Technically, the biggest problem is that the sky is completely burnt out as can be seen in the histogram. I would have “shot to the right” (i.e., used the histogram on the camera to ensure that none of the highlights were burnt out) and then if necessary lightened up the shadows in post processing.

Keep On Trucking by Alec
Excellent entry by a new member (welcome to the forum!). The image clearly fulfills the brief, and is another excellent use of a fisheye lens. Technically, the use of a camera mounted flash means that there are quite harsh shadows around the skateboarder, and the board/foot is quite bright compared to the person. It is a dramatic shot, however, and I love the look on his face. How did he not run into you?

Bufo bufo by Bluejohn
That toad seems to be saying “are you looking at me?” This is a great image and very well captured. Sadly the EXIF data is dodgy (I am sure you didn’t shoot this image at f/1!). Although the eyes are sharp, the tip of his lips is not. A slightly smaller aperture may well have helped here. This image scores highly on my wall factor, I just love that expression, if toads can have expressions!

Rustic fisheye by Belinda B.
Another low level fisheye! A nicely spotted dramatic image which appeals to my rustic sensibilities. Technically, it is well exposed and nicely sharp. I might have tried to get even closer to make the most of the fisheye effect. I might also have upped the vibrance/saturation a little in post-processing to make a little more of all the greens on the fencepost and gate rails. This image does well on my wall factor.

Grasses in the dunes by mikew.
Mike is always asking “is this image sharp”? Well, this one is where it counts. Superb use of narrow depth of field and critical focusing to give a dramatic and lovely image. Scores very highly on my wall factor. Just superb.

The road by Anvh
Well it may have been luck but you have managed to get the man and his dog in focus and nicely between the legs of the two pedestrians. I don’t think the foreground adds much, however, and would be strongly tempted to go for a square crop whilst keeping the dramatic angle. I also wonder whether a contrasty “grainy” BW conversion might give it that street photographer feel?

Castrovalva by John Riley
This is an interesting image to judge, very different from all the other entries. My first impression is that although the stepped path is important in this image, it doesn’t really appear to be shot from all that low a viewpoint. The PP work is clearly extensive and expertly done. This is where the “it is all subjective” comes in, because this image isn’t my taste and so gets an average score, for no good “objective” reason, on the wall factor. This probably says more about me than John!

Light Angle by sandy
A nice angle of view to fulfill the brief, and picking out the coat of arms to add foreground interest works well. I think you might have focused on the base of the lamp post which seems sharp at the expense of the coat of arms. It might have worked better to focus on the coat of arms, or to try and get the whole thing in focus by using the hyperfocal distance, You have managed a good exposure for a difficult contrasty scene with only minimal burnt out highlights.

Thistle do by Coriander
Excellent use of low view point and a nice early evening light. My main problem with this image is that nothing really seems very sharp. It would work much better if the teasels were crisply defined against the evening sky.

Gravestone at Cwm-yr-Eglwys, Pembrokeshire by Jo
The raking light has picked out the letters very nicely on this weathered tombstone. Although shot from low level, the level itself doesn’t add especially to the image. The exposure is excellent however, and the image is nice and crisp which given the slow shutter speed is to be highly commended. I am a sucker for old gravestones so it does well on my wall factor.

Firstly, apologies if my comments get shorter towards the end, my host wants to go to bed and the computer is in her room!

Secondly, having gone through all these there were, for me, two outstanding images either of which could have got first place. As awarding joint first isn’t feasible I had to plump for one or other. In the end, the lovely BW conversion and toning swayed my choice.

1st i-Berg and Shearing Shed
2nd MikeW and Grasses in the Dunes
Joint 3rd Dr Mhuni and Induruwa curves (3) and Foot + ball = football, of course by JudithAnn

Highly commended to
Early morning spider’s web by summiteverest.
The wheel from ground level by mayday
Tyre Wash by Father Ted
Keep On Trucking by Alec
Bufo bufo by Bluejohn
Rustic fisheye by Belinda B.

Special mention for the photograph that made me laugh:
Behind Bars by RR

Lastly, please take my notes in the spirit in which they are given, as constructive comments given with the intent of being helpful!

Best wishes (and good night), Kris.

Excellent job, Kris. Many thanks for the judging and setting a theme which resulted in some great images. Congrats to i-berg & Mike, two excellent photos. And it's a pleasure sharing third with JudithAnn's, which was such an inventive shot!

Kris - excellent judging, excellent comments throughout and many thanks for the second place. i-Berg's excellent shot which was definitely the one to beat and a good winner.

Mike

Thank you Kris....I am so pleased. My picture was done using the in camera flash....I have not yet invested in a flash. I find the in camera flash weak...and in my shot, the flash was better able to reach and freeze the white ball, yet leave the dark foot blurred. I do believe that the ball was moving toward the foot, as another child had kicked it toward the moving foot. This was a neat topic and I loved the challange.
The best to you Mike for second and congrats to i-Berg our top dog!!!...and I am honoured to stand with Dr Mhundi.

Regards

Kris, many thanks for your excellent judging on such an interesting and open subject.

Congratulations to i-Berg, MikeW, Dr Mhuni & JudithAnn. I thought the winning shearing shed shot was absolutely stunning.

Well done to all for another set of fantastic pictures.

Glyn

Wow Kris, many, many thanks. I had a number of entries picked this week that I thought would be contenders. Mikew in particular - I'd have that on the wall in a flash. Doc M, JudithAnn, and the strong contenders with HMs - well done. And one for the Guinea Pig, RR!

Keeping the standard of judging up to the level of Kris and many before him will be a challenge, but I will do my uneducated and subjective best.

Thanks again all, see you at Number 145

Congratulations to i-Berg and many thanks to Kris for the competition and judging.

Good tip to fly to the USA when judging so that the competition finishes at a sensible time

Great judging and entries, well done Kris and winners. Thought-provoking brief - if there'd have been marram grass around here I might have thought of that, loved it, it would go on my hypothetical wall.

(Might even frame your kind comments Kris, this is my first use of a tripod, albeit a teeny weeny one my father passed on to me, will certainly carry it with me as standard now )

Jo

THank you very much Kris for your judging, interesting and in depth.

COngratulaytions to the winner!!!

THank you!
Nathan

Thanks for the great judging Kris and congratulations to i-Berg. I'd picked yours out as a top 3 as soon as I saw it.

Thanks also for the HC Kris.

Congratulations to i-Berg, who has already put up the next competition.

And thank you to our fine judge for keeping up the "roll" that we seem to be on with excellent, prompt judging!

Congrats to the winners & thanks to Kris for a comprehensive judging effort. I'll go and give the guinea pig a treat for his efforts !

Congrats to i-Berg.

Thanks to kris for the judging and my HC

Well done everyone, judge and competitors. This was a very enjoyable competition. Much as I love these competitions I'm sorry I didn't enter, nor will I be able to enter the next one, i-Berg's Retro because of other demands on my time right now. Same goes for the current fortnightly competition. But I will be back soon.
david

And no pressure of course John...

Thank you to all here for your kind comments. They're really appreciated.

Hope to see you back soon David, I'm sure that anything that keeps you away for two comps is important to you.

Jo - that is a nice touch with your father's tripod. You'll probably use them a bit more, now that you've started?

My compliments and congratulations to i-Berg and my fellow competitors - glad I wasn`t judging this one.............

Lovely evocative shot.

I`m off to the wardrobe now to see what`s left of my retro gear !!

Tony

Thank you Kris, great judging so thank you for your time and congrats to I-berg in winning this comp, it's a stunning shot!

For my photo, I was hoping the bland forground with the cigarette bud would put more empathise on the "lonely" man sitting on the ground with his dog while people just walk by. I was hoping to get that feeling of loneliness in it a tighter crop would have destroy that feeling I think.

The winner's is a great shot, and so are many others. Thanks for the judging, and no it wasn't staged. Just lurking around, waiting for a tempting prospect.

Thank you Tony, Stefan and Mark for your comments.

Congratulations to the Winner.Thanks for the good judging...

Many thanks to Womble for an interesting competition and for the judging.

Congratulations to i-Berg for the winning entry.

Interesting the comment about possibly increasing the saturation, because in fact I desaturated the original photograph slightly

Thanks Kris for Judging and your comments and congratulations i-berg on winning with a great image

Sandy

Thank you Darlene, Belinda and Sandy.