Weekly Competition #248 - Pastel Shades Competition

Hi David - just a question before I upload a picture - what exactly do you mean with pastel colors - for me, pastel was always a color range of very pale, soft colors (like in Degas paintings) - However - spring for me, typically shows very strong and vibrant colors, as so many of the entries which are already uploaded. So what exactly did you mean with pastel colors?
BW
Axel

Excellent question Axel, I interpreted pastel in the same way as you have - soft, gentle shades. I think there may be some controversy brewing - as you have pointed out a lot of the images have very bright colours!

Regards
David

The words "spring-like colours" and "bright fresh colour" in David's post could explain some of the bright colours

Light, bright colours as opposed to dark and moody. Spring-like as in fresh, clean and airy. Pale blues, pinks, spring greens, pale yellows etc. Not dark oranges, dark greens, vibrant reds or browns which I associate with autumn. After that its up to the photographers to interpret the theme and use the colours in whatever way they see them.
David

PPG: http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/davidtrout

Thanks for the clarification David!

Regards
David

yep - this helped - thanks david

Weekly competition #248 Pastel shades

I’ve decided against using the popular new points judging system because there are several other factors I want to take into account, not least among them image quality and aesthetic appeal. Importantly the points system identifies photographers with low scores which I fear is unfair and could discourage less experienced members.
Despite some early confusion about what I had in mind for pastel shades the competition has resulted in some fine images which were a pleasure to view. The variety of interpretation has been fascinating.

Morning at The Lake by David Storm

You feared that this being shot in winter might not qualify but that’s OK by me. I asked for spring-like colours, not depictions of spring so this picture is on theme for me. The colours are quite amazing and have a richness that’s very appealing. The line of trees on the far shore is a little heavy for pastel shades but the colours in the water and sky are good.

Trafford Centre dome by mudge

This is another picture with very pleasing colours, gold, blue and yellow together being very attractive. It’s a graphic shot in the sense that design and composition play an important part in the image. But this is where it is let down slightly. The cropping of the sides of the dome lacks balance to my eyes with two edges of the circle chopped off. I suspect you needed a wider angle lens to get this all in to perfection.

Sunny Trees darkskies

The central area of this photograph is the important bit. The dark areas top and bottom frame the yellow very nicely. Yellow with a hint of a red tint makes an appealing picture but I wonder if a slight darkening of this area might bring out more detail.

Benodet France by Alun

These colours are truly pastel shades and the simplicity of this image is its big appeal for me. Basically it’s just blue and two shades of yellow in a minimalist but extremely satisfying image which does exactly what it says on the tin.

Trifid by betyswolloks.

I’m not sure what this is, some sort of seed heads or buds I suspect but as I’m no botanist I’ll have to pass. The minty green colour is certainly pastel but somehow the image doesn’t give me that light airy feeling I’m looking for here. If this were a natural history study the judge would want more clarity in the very dark circular areas.

Dancer by milamber

The high ISO hasn’t spoiled this image; you needed the high sensitivity because of the low light levels. You’ve recovered the image very well from the accidental under exposure without losing too much quality. The colour is lovely, and there’s plenty of it. It’s a classic effort for a snatched action shot in low light.

Low tide lichen by Stopher

The muted colour is attractive and the shades of green, yellow and brown very harmonious. I fear they are more autumnal than spring-like but the picture has huge appeal with excellent foreground interest and enough visual appeal with what appears to be a cottage on the skyline.

Blue Danube by Aliengrove

This has instant appeal with the misty hills dissected by the river of light which I assume is the course of the Danube. The colours are light and delicate, just what I was hoping for, and the picture has an abstract feel which is most attractive. The line of dark atmosphere at the top of the frame suggests the mysterious reaches of the upper atmosphere.

Pastel evening by Hyram

Lovely tones stand out in this beautiful picture which has a peaceful effect. Towards the horizon the warmer tones of the sunset creep into the sky without any harmonic clash. The Society for the Preservation of Conventional Composition might quibble about the horizon being near the centre but I believe many rules of composition should be broken from time to time. In this case it adds to the harmony of the scene.

Some pastel shades by Tyronet 2000

This does what it says on the tin in that I asked for pastel shades and this what I’ve been given quite literally. However it’s not what I had in mind. Pastel this may be but it’s not bright, fresh and spring like which is what I hoped for. Perhaps it was shot in artificial light without any post capture colour temperature correction or possibly it was just dull lighting. In photography I always look for some artistic or interpretative input from the photographer or for images with a story to tell unless they are quite simply record shots. I know from your portfolio you can are an expert at the artistic stuff.

Pensive by Dr Mhuni

The pastel shades here are in the background – the sky, the ground and the building. However the main subject is partly in the shade. The shadow cutting across the face diminishes what was almost a fine profile portrait. The lovely colours in the clothing are also reduced by the shadow. It would have been a good entry in a travel photography competition.

Pink carnation by Father Ted

I was hoping my opening comments to this competition wouldn’t put people off too much when I said I didn’t want to see flower and spring bud shots unless they were artistic. Well this is just fine Ted because I think it is artistic. There’s a lovely abstract feel to these close up petals and the colour is divine. The hint of a green leaf, bottom right catches my eye Just a little, although it is pastel and spring like. However I would have cloned it out.

Every seed dies before it grows by dannyh

It’s a picture that tells the natural life cycle story of a plant but I’m not convinced that dying buds qualify as spring-like. The colour isn’t quite how I understand pastel shades should look and the bubble-gum green colour of the supporting trellis doesn’t help. It’s a pity the dying bud, bottom left, has been cropped off.

Orange tip on a cuckoo flower by Dr Orloff

This is spot on. Lovely pastel shades, a spring-like image and artistically handled. The butterfly is a bonus in that its own colours are in harmony with the plant. And look at that bokeh; it’s to die for. I’m indebted to Adrian for identifying both flower and bug as I’m no natural history expert.

Alone on the beach by Frankie

Attractive colours, mainly blue and yellow, of the correct shade for a pastel competition are the main feature of this picture. Compositionally the shingle beach dominates the picture rather a lot, occupying more than half of the frame so I believe a generous crop along the bottom would enhance this. The figure provides a focal point with the distant cliffs forming a good backdrop. The overall yellow and blue are fine. The image needs straightening as there’s an alarming list to the left (our nautical experts could advise me as to whether that’s port or starboard).

Windmills by Nipper

This certainly has impact. The colours are wonderful and the picture packs a punch with its graphic simplicity. I’m still debating with myself whether the colours are totally pastel but some of the tones, particularly the lighter areas of the blue sky, are fine. The moon isn’t crucial to the image but it does add much interest. It’s a pity the tip of the left turbine blade is right on the edge of the frame.

Painswick Beacon by stevepresto

Spring is a wonderful time to be in the Cotswolds and I envy your visit to Painswick Beacon. This is a fine view but it is primarily a landscape as opposed to a picture which demonstrates pastel colours.

Dawn Promise by Gary John

I like the colours in this, there’s a Turneresque feel to it, perhaps it’s because for me it recalls Turner’s famous painting of the old warship being towed in for breaking up. The sky could have been heavy and dramatic, more like the painting, but you’ve managed to keep it light and airy so it stays within the brief of this competition.

Pastwool shades by drofmit

These are the sort of colours that I had in mind. It’s a nicely seen picture and I like the angle you’ve used, instead of a straight on shot. The brickwork provides a useful frame for the image. But to get among the award winners this week it needed a little something else , perhaps a length of wool in a contrasting colour.

Tiffin by Axel Luther

There’s loads of interest in this attractive picture Axel and you’ve shown great restraint in resisting the urge to boost the colours to give us a supercharged feast of saturation. The pastels are excellent, from the cream of the shop front to the pink in the windows and spots of lights green on the signs. It’s the sort of picture I like to explore with my eyes, finding interesting details as I go.

Stannage Sunset

The colour of the sky is delightful, if a little heavy for the purpose of a pastel shades competition. I really like the recession of tones through the landscape but the dark foreground occupies rather a too much picture space. A small crop along the bottom might help the balance.

Moon with clouds by Noelcmn

This arresting picture doesn’t really say pastel shades to me but it is an image I’ve enjoyed looking at. It has the feel of an epic oil painting depicting some great drama of Wagnerian proportions. Perhaps Brunnhilde will come charging through the hole in the clouds on a white horse. Compositionally it might improve if the light area and the moon were not quite so centrally placed. A crop from the bottom and a sliver taken off the right hand side would help.

Angkor Wat at sunrise by JamieT

Not quite pastel shades but an impressive dawn shot. The reflected sky in the water overcomes a common problem with sunsets and dawns which are usually bright at the top of the frame and solidly dark at the bottom.

Blushing by Tozza27

There’s a lovely pastel pink in the opening rose bud and the subdued green leaves in the out of focus area behind makes a good backdrop. However the rose is not critically sharp enough for it stand out against the bokeh. Can I suggest that the central placing doesn’t help the composition which might benefit from a crop to place it on either the top left or right third intersection.

Result:
1,Dr Orloff.
2, Aliengrove.
3, AxelLuther.
HCs: Hyram, Alun, Nipper

Congratulations to the top three and thanks for the comments.
Looking forward to the next competition, "if at first you don't succeed" etc

Congratulations to Dr Orloff for a fine winning entry.

Many thanks to David for the HC and for an interesting competition with comprehensive judging comments.

I am glad that you ignored the SPCC - I moved the horizon up and down many times and finally settled on the version that you see.

The photograph was taken on an X70.

Dr. = - this is a suprb picture - the combination of pale purple and green is so classical and works so good and the photographic quality is outstanding.
Congrats also to Aliengrove and the HCs

Dave - superb judging of an interesting topic

Congratulations to the winners and HCs. Another lovely set of pictures. Thanks Judge for a challenging subject.

Oh dear pastel fail maybe i need to get the dictionary out

Thanks David for your efforts in judging

Many thanks for the in depth judging and prompt result, David. Congrats to Doc. O for what was a clear winner (you must have desaturated that quite a bit if it was taken with the DFA Macro, Adrian). Congrats to the others singled out.

I actually quite like the way the shade falls on the face, David, though I can understand how you may feel otherwise.

Congratulations Adrian on a great winning image, and to Axel, and thanks for the second place! Congrats to the HC's too, I really liked Nippers shot. Great judging and competition!

Thanks for the judging and comments David - I must admit I was stuck for a subject and this was a bit last minute.
Well done to Dr O and the runners up - some excellent interpretations this week and I was nearly going to miss out but thought that cowardly.

regards

Tony

Thanks David for the competition and considered judging as always. This was a bit of surprise as I didn't heed your initial warning, plus I thought AG and Axel's were excellent amongst a very good and varied field.

I'll get my thinking cap on for the next comp.

Thanks for the comments David and for the thorough judging.
I was working close up removing black spots from the petals, so I totally missed that green leaf until after I'd uploaded. I fully agree, that should have been cloned.

Congrats. to the good Dr.

Thanks for judging David, which I thought very fair for a subject that had its interpretative problems. And for your comments on the photos, including mine. You've highlighted some things which I had'nt noticed. Appreciate that. Congratulations DrO. Very nice image. Now to go and check out Wagner and Brunnhilde .

Thanks to David for a great competition subject and expert judging. Many congratulations to Dr. O for a fine winner and also to the runners up. I particularly like Axel Luther's entry - superbly photographed and a feast for the eyes.

Regards
David

Thanks David.
A good topic.
Alun

Thanks David. Interesting chat on colour interpretation!

Well done dr, lovely shot. And well done to everyone else too. Good comp.