Weekly Competition#206- Graphic Abstract Competition

Thanks for all the entries, what a varied and interesting collection of pictures! It has been more difficult judging this competition than I thought. The definition of abstract is fairly abstract in itself, which I why I said the theme is open to interpretation. My own idea of a graphic abstract is a picture where form takes precedence over subject. There are a few entries I don’t think meet the criteria of the theme; either the abstract or the graphic part. However, as I said in my brief instructions, bold colours, shapes lines and tones were what I was looking for, and I have chosen the winners based on this criteria, artistic merit (a very subjective attribute), technical skill and imagination. I personally also prefer abstract pictures to have fairly abstract titles, especially if it results in me puzzling to work out exactly what I am looking at.
Anyway, without further ado, here are my thoughts on the individual entries.

Pylon by Sandanista
A lovely mono image, and very graphic. I like the symmetry, and the receding X shapes of the cross-stays. However, the image does work as abstract for me, probably because it is instantly recognisable as a pylon. Which the title hasn’t helped, of course.

Bridge, Glasgow by Gartmore.
A very graphic and abstract image. Shot on Tri-X, I am bit surprised that it has lost some detail and has more noise than I would expect on the underside of the bridge. I am wondering if this is from the scanner, or the original image? I think the black on both sides is a bit too dominant, but overall it fits the theme well and is a very interesting image.

One Step by Thoughton
I have seen this image before, and it’s one I liked immediately. It certainly is graphic. I like the colour, and the two feet and the shadowy figure make it a very interesting image. I am not so sure about it’s abstract qualities though; there are a few images here that perhaps could also not be seen as particularly abstract, but they make me think of something else as well.

Leeds College of Music by Karl
A very graphic and abstract image, and the title does not give the game away at all. The image does look a bit fuzzy though, and there is some purple fringing on the second from top black diagonal. It looks like too much recovery has been used on the sky? A shame, as this would have been a definite contender were it not for these small faults.

Upward Spiral by Dr Orloff.
An excellent image, I love how it not only spirals into a third but gets lighter as it does. Very graphic, and although not totally abstract, the way it is shot from underneath and with the handrails leading from the lighter right hand side of the image into the spiral, it gives me vertigo looking at it. Lovely processing too, with a nice range of tones.

World record bridge by Axel Luther.
An extraordinary structure, captured from a very unusual angle. I like the composition, the colours and how the receding pillar leads the eye up towards the bridgeway itself. However, there is some blurriness and what look like sharpening artefacts on the lower left side of the supporting pillar which I find very distracting. I think the image could do with cropping this away, then cropping some of the left hand side to balance the image, to keep the same composition.

Rock Wall by Darlene
A colourful and interesting image. However, I don’t find it abstract enough for the competition , but this is just my personal opinion. The left hand side is a bit out of focus, and personally I don’t think that works so well with the rest of the picture in focus. I feel it could do with cropping square.

Nonlinear Spots by GlynM
A great image, and kudos for shooting it specially for the comp. I like it’s simplicity, and the shape and colour of the fabric. I feel it fits the theme of the comp perfectly. Great title too. Being pedantic, there is some OOF white stuff on the lower right that almost looks like noise, but I suspect is fluff or something? Definitely a contender.

Weir Pool by Frogherder
A very unusual image, and although the title gives it away somewhat, it is still quite hard to work out exactly what is going on, which I think is excellent given the theme of the comp. Nice conversion, too! My only minor criticism is the composition: I would have perhaps had either a bit more of the top of the weir in the top of the frame, or perhaps cropped it just below where the water falls over the weir.

Backlit Seascape by Hyram
Hmmmm……..very OTT processing, without which the picture would be in no way abstract. I think this one might have done better reserved for a future comp, and perhaps done in mono…it looks like it was a very nice picture once. There’s so much noise that my eyes hurt…perhaps if you could have made the noise look more like an oil painting, this would have worked out better.

Recursion by ericp
The second staircase to be entered in the comp, and a very good one too. I like the pattern the white walls of the stairwell make, and the angle you have used showing the stairs receding into the distance give an almost Escher-esque quality to them. My only minor criticism is that the bottom of the first staircase looks a bit soft. A great image.

Looking down the barrel by I-berg.
I love the idea of this, and the view of the rifling in the barrel. It is a pity a bit more of the barrel isn’t visible, but of course with a macro shot this is not going to be possible. I am guessing it was lit from the other end? I feel it could perhaps do with a slightly tighter crop, and a bit more detail inside the barrel., which would be very difficult to get right I would imagine. Very interesting idea, though.

Steel joint by Malcolm Leader
A nice graphic shot, I like the composition, and I really like the graphite sort of look of the hoop. In terms of the competition, though, I don’t think it is particularly abstract. I think if it had been in mono it would have been less easily identifiable, and unlike for example the two staircase shots entered, there’s not enough going on to lead my eye through the picture; the four stays all lead the eye straight to the hoop.

Tower Impressions by David Trout.
Just my cup of tea, this sort of shot. Great capture, and I love the two reflected buildings. However, as I am always looking for this sort of shot myself, I find myself immediately noticing things I would tweak. Of course, this is a very subjective view, and the main thing I would tweak here has been a bit controversial on the forums: converging verticals. I always find personally that images of windows look better with parallel verticals, unless the convergence is an essential part of the picture. Here the verticals on both sides of the picture are only a few degrees apart, and my OCD-ness makes me want to use the skew tool in CS5 to make them parallel (which is my default method). I find myself wondering how it might look with the bright blue deaturated a bit as well.

Green Meanie by VonBatCat
Interesting shot, very green, and I love the title. It has an abstract nature to it, and the shapes remind me of fractals. I don’t find it a particularly graphic image though, which is not helped by the overall soft focus effect coupled with the single colour.

After the storm by wvbarnes
The different tones of blue in the sea are very nice, and quite graphic, but it is not particularly abstract. I think for it to work as an abstract, the subject would have to be blurred, as it is too easily identifiable as a beach scene. I wish I could see a bit more of that white beach, too.


WDCH3 by Dodge69
A great bit of architecture, very well captured, and the processing is great too. I love the sweep of black lower right, and the light has worked really well in the conversion. A very good image, and ticks all the boxes as far as the competition is concerned. The top of the building being cut off is a bit unfortunate perhaps, but I really like this.

Spinning out the Golden Ratio by JudithAnn
Interesting geometric shapes in the web, and the green background does give this an abstract feel. However, in the context of the competition (the abstract part), I think the spider spoils it, as it immediately gives context to the picture. The spider also appears to have blown highlights, which, if they could be fixed, would make this a very good photograph. Not, though, a graphic abstract. Great capture, though!

A Monastry garden by petermichael
I don’t think this image fits the theme of the competition; it is certainly not abstract, and neither is it particularly graphic, apart from the lines created by the arbour. The composition I find a bit disconcerting too. The spire is leaning to the left, and the clipped rooftops and bits of trees make the whole scene a bit chaotic.

A Bridge too far? By paulgee20
This image is I suppose graphic due to the lines of the bridge, but again, I don’t find it abstract at all. The over-processed sky does not sit well IMO with the rest of the picture. It is one of a number of pictures where processing has been used to try and create an abstract effect; I think an image needs some sort of abstract quality to start with for this to work.

Stones printed by Dannyh
I don’t find this image particularly abstract, and the shapes are too small to make it very graphic. When viewed large, there re strange squares in the OOF areas, which I suspect were put in in PP, but actually give the impression the picture was cropped from a far larger image.

Wheels within Wheels by johnriley
I really like this image, the mirrored wheel makes a very graphic and abstract picture. I also see an optical illusion in the very centre of the wheel, where the top bulge looks concave and the bottom one convex, but that might just be me. However, I feel that that this image doesn’t follow the only rule I laid down at the start; namely that nothing should have been added in PP (quote: “the picture must be what the camera took”). I believe the mirror image was added to it later, and so unfortunately I have no option but to disqualify this entry on those grounds. Sorry John!

Abstract Lights by JamieT
An interesting shot, but I find the dark brown tones a bit overpowering, and the blurred wire in the foreground distracting. I also think it would be more effective without the large OOF light in the left foreground, which is also distracting. I think experimenting with cropping would result in a more effective image.

Crepecentric by ban_ana
Interesting shot: I like the bold lines made by the boundary between plate and cloth and crepe and plate. I like the composition, and the pattern in the blue of the tablecloth adds some depth on the right hand side. It works as an abstract but to me lacks the wow factor that would give it consideration for a podium place.

Oxford's New Biochemistry Building by mecrox
Another shot that is right up my street as far as the theme of the competition goes. I love the pastel colours, the bold lines and the composition. The exposure has been handled beautifully.It’s a great image, but, like David Trout’s shot, my familiarity with this type of subject (It’s one of my favourite types of photography), makes me want to tweak it, and once again, I would make the vertical lines parallel; they are to my eye just close enough to be being parallel that the convergence is distracting. The triangles made at the edges I find somewhat distracting. My preferred method for doing this is the skew tool in Photoshop, but I am not sure what software you use. IMO, if the verticals were corrected, this would make a fantastic and very saleable print.

Spiral Skylight by japers45
I think this would have worked better by just showing the lines at the centre of the skylight, as I find the ornate stonework spoils any abstract feel. I find my eyes tracing round the stonework rather than looking at the interesting lines of the skylight itself. A more symmetrical composition IMO would work better.

silver and blue by Dougf8
This is probably the most abstract shot entered in the competition: I have absolutely no idea what it is, but would hazard a guess that it’s a swimming pool. I like the lines and the blue tones, but to me overall I am afraid it does not have a great deal of impact. This is unfortunate, as it just the sort of shot I was hoping to see more of: graphic abstracts that make you think.

Isaccean Wall by womble
Graphic, yes, but to be abstact I think this is another picture that would benefit from some creative blur added in PP. In fact I think it would look very nice processed in this fashion. I love the play of shadows on the wall, and the pastel colours, but it immediately announces itself as a photo of a window in a wall.

The subject of the competition makes my choices for the podium a very subjective choice, and it has been very difficult choosing my winners. A lot of entries were not as abstract as I wanted, but then, I didn’t say a lot in my brief and left it open to individual interpretation, which I have had to take into account when choosing the podium places. However, after much deliberation, and having to whittle it down from 5 choices, here are the results:

1st Place Upward Spiral by Dr Orloff.
At first I was not sure if this was abstract enough, but when I realised it kept making me think of molluscs, I decided that was abstract enough for me. It’s a fantastic image, and technically excellent, which was the deciding factor eventually in choosing the winner.

2nd Place Oxford's New Biochemistry Building by mecrox
This could have been the winner if the verticals were parallel, as I think it is a fantastic graphic abstract. I realise this may be purely a personal thing. A fantastic image nevertheless

3rd Place WDCH3 by Dodge69
Great use of shapes, light and a very interesting building.

Highly Commended
Nonlinear Spots by GlynM: just pipped to third place by Dodge69’s entry

Weir Pool by Frogherder: another contender for a podium
Tower Impressions by David Trout.
Bridge, Glasgow by Gartmore.
World record bridge by Axel Luther.
Recursion by ericp

Big job this one Jon - well done too.

Congrats to Doc O, Mecrox & Dodge! & all of the HMs as well.

Thanks for the competition and your evaluation - much appreciated.
Incidentally I did not need to convert -it was that colour. I only cropped the top off a bit


regards
Bernard

Wow...that was great judging and a ton of work, thanks AG.

Congrats to the Doc...that was a amazing photo. Tip of the hat to all the other winners in the comp.

Regards:
JA

Thanks Jon, it was a fine competition subject with many really good entries and it was well judged.
Congratulations to Dr Orloff, Mecrox (which would have been my choice) and Dodge 69 for a very powerful contender. Many thanks for my commended. (Point taken about the converging verticals but I always believe that is the angle you see them with the naked eye when viewing high buildings from ground level. And I would not want to tune down the saturation on that blue.)
David

Thankyou for a great comp theme and some fine and detailed judging AG. I think the top spots are all great shots and to pick a winner must have been very difficult. Well done Dr O and runners up Hcs et al.

Jon, once again many thanks for a great competition, your excellent commenting and, what must have been very difficult, judging. Thanks also for awarding my spots an HC

Congratulations to Dr Orloff for the winning shot, mercox and Dodge 69 for 2nd & 3rd, and everyone else for another set of brilliant images.

mercox's Oxford building was my personal favourite. I loved the colour and the way the multi-surface effect played tricks with my mind.

Glyn

perfect shot! fantastic! congratulations to Dr Orloff! mercox & Dodge 69-congratulations for the prize!

Wow!
Studied and swift judging, really well done. Can't begrudge Dr O's win as I thought it was a stunner when originally put up in the Gallery. Thought the subject brought out lots of great shots!
Many thanks for the placing and all comments! (Actually tops a great week for me, a print of one my pics went for £115 in a charity auction in aid of St Columba's Hospice on Saturday too!)

Many thanks for judging and the helpful things you said about my pic and all the others. I've never used a skew tool but will have a go. The winning shot is a corker!

Thanks very much AG. That was a bit of a surprise, my money was on Dodge69. Congrats to fellow podiumers and HC's, some excellent shots.

The Mrs isn't best chuffed as I promised to stop being obsessed by photography this week and do some work on the house. I'll get my thinking cap on and post a theme later on.

Hi Jon
thanks for the feedback and I assume, many feel the same after this detailed judging with lots of constructive feedback. Congratulation to Dr. O for a great BW which also reminds me of a mollusc such as an ammonite or Nautilus.... as others already stated - so many great entries this time - must have been hard to judge.

Congratulations to DrOrloff and many thanks to aliengrove for the competition

Sorry about the hurting eyes

Congratulations to DrOrloff. Thank you for a great comp theme and some fine and detailed judging . I really liked Oxford's New Biochemistry Building by mecrox

Well done all and many thanks for a thoughtful judging.

Superb wining shot. Congratulations to the Doc.

Oh well, too abstract for the abstract comp

Well done Dr O, nice stairs!, thanks for the judging AG but I was expecting to get abstracted onto the podium at the very least. Next time may be.

I liked WDCH3's.

The silver and blue is a close shot of part of a photovoltaic panel, amorphous silicon to be accurate and the layer of resin protecting the surface.

Well done Dr Orloff. Stunning image and PP.

" The image does look a bit fuzzy though, and there is some purple fringing on the second from top black diagonal. It looks like too much recovery has been used on the sky? A shame, as this would have been a definite contender were it not for these small faults."

Hi Jon, I just wanted to mention that these are not faults, they are a deliberate artistic effect. the image was processed and saturated well beyond normal tolerances to bring out colour and texture in an abstract/textured way. Hope this makes sense Karl