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Straight from Super A to K10D
Comment by Hyram posted on what is your AF history? at 17/02/2010 - 20:16
I studied the work of Alvar Aalto (amongst others) whilst at university but we only covered his buildings, since we were on an Architecture course
Comment by Hyram posted on Entries for Fortnightly Competition # 35 - "Design Icon" at 17/02/2010 - 20:15
No problem Bill.
It is the main purpose of the competition to 'force' everyone to 'take a photograph to order'
It is the main purpose of the competition to 'force' everyone to 'take a photograph to order'
Comment by Hyram posted on Discussion on Fortnightly Competition # 35 - "Design Icon" at 17/02/2010 - 19:59
Andynotime wrote:
I bought a X70 as a second camera to my K20D. The kind of camera you grab if off out for a day with family, dog etc. I keep the K20D for serious stuff. The only issue with the X70 is battery life. I bought mine off fleabay for £150 (yep a bargain!) and it came with four spare batteries. And boy do you need them. Not sure if there is an answer as yet to get improved life but this is the only issue.
The X70 takes great pictures and the results I have are fantastic. So go for it!
Agreed I bought a X70 as a second camera to my K20D. The kind of camera you grab if off out for a day with family, dog etc. I keep the K20D for serious stuff. The only issue with the X70 is battery life. I bought mine off fleabay for £150 (yep a bargain!) and it came with four spare batteries. And boy do you need them. Not sure if there is an answer as yet to get improved life but this is the only issue.
The X70 takes great pictures and the results I have are fantastic. So go for it!
Comment by Hyram posted on pentax x70? at 17/02/2010 - 19:55
...........no extra charge for the nose prints
Comment by Hyram posted on K10D Grand Prix for sale! at 17/02/2010 - 19:53
I will start with the usual disclaimer :-
“What follows are just my personal thoughts and I hope that nobody will be upset and perhaps a few might agree with some of what I have said”
Usually the judge for the Fortnightly Competition has a nice relaxing time for the first week or 10 days of the competition, whilst everyone writes about what they might submit but does not actually submit anything !
This time however, hefty1’s entry came in just 29 hours after the topic was set (must be a Fortnightly Competition record) and more entries followed soon after, with a final tally of 19 (18 eligible), possibly a record for this competition. No iconic actual cars though which was a shame.
So on with the comments, largely written as the entries came in.
hefty1 – Design Icon: The Safety Pin
A great collection of icons from one household and a very original idea.
My immediate thought is that I am not too keen on the gap in the background between the Worcester sauce and the camera, which has the effect of drawing one’s eye to the DB5. I think it would be better if the gap were removed by closing up the background items and relocating the DB5 possibly to the bottom LH corner of the composition. If it had been me, I would have had the DB5 as my Number One, having always wanted to own one (a real one) but terrified by the running costs! Your chosen Number One item is ingeniously held up by LegoMan and cleverly illuminated by a Maglite torch?
Overall, a clever idea that could probably be improved by spending more time on the arrangement of the items.
p.s nearly forgot the use of the Zeiss Sonnar 135 !
Bwichmawr - Postboxes
A tryptich – it is quite a while since we have seen one submitted.
A very nice image with great colour, although you can’t really fail with Post Office red, as long as the lighting is good, which in this case is very good apart from that unfortunate shadow at the bottom of the left hand image.
In design icon terms, I do tend to think of the circular post box in the central image as the iconic design and do wonder whether three shots of that box from three different sides might have been better ? Having said that, I appreciate that this particular box that you have chosen is wedged into a corner.
All three are nicely cropped but using the collection times as a reference point, only the right hand image is really sharp, with the other two exhibiting different degrees of softness.
Overall I like it and it was a good idea.
davidtrout – Armitage Shanks – because you’re worth it
Apart from the shock of seeing a urinal submitted as a competition entry and wondering how much time you spent in a Gents’s toilet with a not easily concealed DSLR with a bulky lens, I initially found myself ‘snagging’ the installation of the urinal ! Whoever applied the Armitage Shanks logo in the factory must have been drunk or having a bad day and one of his relatives must have installed the urinal slightly ‘on the p*ss’ – pardon the pun (a technical building term) ! The silicone work is not too good either.
But that is all irrelevant.
Thomas Crapper (great name) is widely recognised as being an early pioneer of the water closet but apparently the urinal was first patented in the USA in 1866. Is a urinal a design icon ? - I don’t know.
A well taken photograph, apparently capturing the urinal in mid flush, with good lighting enabling us to see the form of the porcelain. I am still so shocked every time I flick it up onto the screen that I do wonder if taking it down the abstract route in post processing might have been beneficial ? I can see an Andy Warhol image in my minds eye !
TOZZA27 – (Untitled)
A classic, eight sided, aluminium coffee maker – I am not sure if these are French or Italian designed. I feel I should be in the 20th Century section of the Antiques Roadshow. I like the idea of photographing this coffee pot but find the jar of Nescafe and the box of Tassimo capsules distracting. Perhaps a shot of the pot on the stove or a shot of the pot with cups and the coffee beans might work better. I recognise that product photography is not easy, not least the decision as to what to include or exclude in the composition. I would persevere with the idea.
Darlene – (untitled)
Well Mickey Mouse is certainly a design icon and I like the simple graphic of the world with a pair of those incredibly distinctive ears.
I am not sure if you have converted this to black and white or if that is how it is. I started off thinking that this must be tiny, since most survey markers are tiny but I guess it is more likely to be 2” – 3” in diameter since Walt Disney World has decided to make a feature of it and there appears to the head of a crosshead screw at 4 o’clock on the world icon.
Well spotted, well taken and well observed.
bretti_kivi – (untitled)
Extra Brownie points for identification of the designer ? – I thought I was the one supposed to be giving out extra Brownie points !
I give up – I do not know who the designer is. And is it glass, ceramic or plastic? Perhaps I should go to the Design Museum in Helsinki, which is currently hosting ‘Made of Plastic: History of Plastic in Finnish Design’ ?
Perhaps if I knew what it is that might help – is it a waste paper basket, an umbrella stand, a plant container / vase, a pen holder ? ? ? The lack of context does not help and I cannot decide on its size. But I agree it is a very elegant piece of design.
I like the way the object has been photographed and the lighting of it but the background is less than appealing to me. It almost looks as though it has been photographed on a light box but obviously not. There are vague shapes / smudges in the foreground / background that distract and I find myself wondering what they are.
I like the idea of the strongly shaped object and the colours but I think the foreground / background lets the photograph down.
Having said all of this, I find product photography very difficult and never know how to handle the background.
Prieni – (untitled)
When I first saw this photograph, I thought that Ralf had taken up craftwork or model making – following in Aiki’s or hefty1’s footsteps, by carefully cutting out the shape of the iconic Apple logo in a piece of foamboard.
But then I realised that Ralf had cunningly solved the problem of what to do about the background, by making one of his iconic objects the background – ingenious !
Not owning any Apple equipment, I had to go onto the Apple website to check out the items in your photograph. I like the composition and the clean, crisp image (something of a Prieni hallmark) and the only drawback is the colour of the background (the MacBook) but I guess I should address my complaint to Steve Jobs. Acid green or strong yellow might have been good!
But nonetheless a satisfying image.
GlynM – Light Bulb
Great idea - and as with your Long Exposure shot, I am left wondering how you have created this shot. The light bulb appears to be standing there with no visible means of support and appears to be slightly illuminated.
Perhaps you are a member of the Magic Circle or are just great at Photoshop ?
As a design, the filament light bulb has certainly stood the test of time.
I really like this shot but can’t make up my mind whether the reflection of the light source is a distraction or a bonus ! The image is very sharp and the rendering of the clear glass is extremely good. Judging by the bayonet fitting, it is an old bulb that you have given a good polish – perhaps Hipperty lent a hand !
I think that the only thing that I might change would be to darken to background, maybe to a dark grey or charcoal colour ?
But overall a very good photograph of an everyday object, ingeniously photographed.
andrewk – Design Icon Linn Sondek LP12 Turntable
I’m impressed that you own a Linn Sondek turntable and that it appears to be in regular use rather than stowed away in the loft or garage!
It is a nice sharp image with good colour and exposure but I do find the Perspex lid and square metal framing of a piece of furniture (?) a distraction. I would have removed the lid (assuming this is possible) and (temporarily) relocated the turntable to where it could be seen without the clutter.
I also wonder whether moving slightly to the left would have avoided the problem of the pick-up arm support post sitting almost directly in front of the arm pivot mechanism.
An excellent choice of shutter speed, allowing the pick-up to be in sharp focus and the LP and turntable platter to show motion blur.
thoughton - G Plan by E Gomme coffee table, 1972(?)
A very clean, strong image taken from a most unusual viewpoint using the widest end of the lens to produce the effect of a sliding surface that would shed any cup of coffee stood on it!
Really very nice indeed and the reflection of the legs in the glass is good too. But, the skirting cuts across the image, is too dominant and jars with the main object. I like the warm colour of the table contrasting with the white background.
Overall, a very satisfying image and not a Rolex in sight!
Father Ted – The Pen
A nice, classic shot of a traditional pen, although I am not a pen buff and cannot identify the make. There is a name on the nib but not readable even in Photoshop.
Attractive cross hatching on the barrel of the pen that stands out well. Good composition, lighting, exposure and choice of background. Perhaps tweaking of the ‘shadows’ might have helped the pen to stand out more from the background.
Unusual perspective that makes the cap in the background appear too large for the pen in the foreground.
Good focus with the sharpness on the nib rapidly diminishing further down the barrel.
A few specks / marks on the background cloth could usefully be cloned out.
i-Berg - The violin - design icon since the 16th Century
Certainly one of the most distinctive shapes that has barely changed over the centuries. What makes a good violin ? – probably a combination of the wood used, the shape and the craftsmanship.
Good composition, nice warm colours and appropriate background nicely out of focus. Good natural lighting picking up the woodgrain.
Excellent choice of focus on the F-hole nicely diminishing along the body of the violin.
Perhaps seeing a little more of the fingerboard and tailpiece would have been better, showing more of the strings at the same time.
A good shot of a difficult subject.
Dr. Mhuni – The Mint with a Hole
Good choice of subject – certainly an icon from the world of confectionery. Well taken with an impressive, fairly bright green background that works especially well to set off the iconic ‘Mint with a Hole’ and conveys that fresh tasting idea well.
I do wonder about the possibility of a square crop removing a chunk of the green but leaving the mint off-centre ?
Nice OOF background but for me the mint does not seem to be as sharp as it might be – possibly a result of the lens choice ?
Bill_And – Lambretta, the Italian Legend
Unfortunately Photome tells me that the photograph was taken in 2009, which makes it ineligible for this Fortnightly Competition where images submitted have to be taken within the relevant fortnight. A shame because it’s a nice image and the colour treatment is good but obviously there was a reason why you couldn’t include the front wheel in your shot, which would have made it even better.
JudithAnn – The American Family Icon
I am not a fan of The Simpsons but I do at least know who they are - a television, pop culture icon! Someone, somewhere was almost duty bound to enter them for this competition !
Your image is sharp, well captured, with good, bright poster colours, fitting the characters. I assume that I am looking at two ceramic or plastic Simpsons characters standing in front of a CRT TV set ? An original idea with excellent focus including the grain on the TV. I might have cropped off slightly more of the black.
Good composition – how long did you have to wait to get the ‘No Problemo’ image ?
Rob - Untitled
Just as well I use Mozilla Firefox, otherwise I would be struggling to work out what I am looking at.
So presumably I am looking at a fairly extreme macro of the Firefox logo on your PC monitor, which might possibly be of the CRT variety ?
An original idea, interesting effect and good colour. I think I would probably have used a square crop, but than I am quite keen on square crops. It is very difficult to assess the sharpness of the lens, since at this magnification the subject itself is not sharp.
I recommend some more shots, using that Takumar macro, of more conventional subjects to see what it is really capable of.
mikew - Untitled
Oh dear, just when I thought I had done well recognising the Firefox logo, I now have to become a shoe specialist !
I guess I am looking at a pair of Doc Martens patent yellow boots worn by a female of the species.? If so then definitely qualifying as a design icon.
That is enough of the detective work.
I too like the photograph, good composition, unusual angle, great colour and good focus. I am not so keen on the drab grey paving slabs and the few drops of rainwater ? Those yellow boots would have been great against a black marble background but I guess this shot was probably taken early on Sunday afternoon, maybe outside your back door (where marble does not feature strongly) just prior to boot removal !
An unusual photograph, well worth entering.
pnjmcc – The design that defined a genre
Apology accepted !
At last an iconic car photograph and a real Lamborghini before they became a German car subsidiary.
Lamborghini is iconic in itself particularly in the early days when it was battling with Ferrari for the best supercar title and if I had to select two iconic Lambos it would be the Miura and the Espada. So plenty of Brownie points for choice of car.
Now to the photograph – a clever idea given your limited resources of books on the subject rather than an actual car or even a scale model of the car. Good composition, good crop and I like the way the only thing really in focus is the word Miura. Good colour as well, although I always found that colour rather too strident on the real cars. The only thing that lets the photograph down is the very flat lighting that does have a major impact on the end result. In an ideal world I would have used natural daylight, possibly with a shaft of bright sunlight highlighting the Lamborghini Miura text rather like Dr. Mhuni’s entry in the ‘Culture’ Competition.
Aiki – National Geographic
Brownie points deducted for the almost late entry !
I guess you are suggesting the cover of National Geographic as the design icon rather than the magazine itself, which is fair enough.
Started in 1888, the National Geographic has certainly stood the test of time. Its mission - to develop geographic understanding and awareness through exploration, research and conservation worldwide – has resulted in some of the most stunning photographs ever taken, all brought to an estimated 350 million readers monthly in its magazine, with its distinctive yellow border (also the organisation’s logo).
Now for your photo, Aiki, and it’s a nice one, cleverly using a yellow border to mimic the magazine cover. The National Geographic Society logo (mentioned above, the small yellow square) can also be seen at the bottom of the photo, tying everything together well.
Overall - great impact with all that colour, good composition, focus and lighting with the edges of the stack nicely in shadow. Clever use of a map in the background, although I find it a bit distracting, mainly because it is so colourful. With an exposure time of 0.5 sec. I guess it was taken with a complete, repaired tripod rather than with just a part of a tripod.
I have found deciding on the places very difficult and changed my mind many times for all the places but eventually I reached a conclusion so, now for the results :-
1st Place - GlynM – Light Bulb
2nd Place - Father Ted – The Pen
3rd Place - thoughton - G Plan by E Gomme coffee table, 1972(?)
Highly Commended - Prieni – (untitled)
Highly Commended - i-Berg - The violin - design icon since the 16th Century
Innovative Thinking Award – hefty1 – Design Icon: The Safety Pin
Shock Award - davidtrout – Armitage Shanks – because you’re worth it
Best Background Award - Dr. Mhuni – The Mint with a Hole
Colour Award - Aiki – National Geographic
Most Iconic Car – the DB5 and the Miura
Having settled the results, I then tried to decide which was my favourite icon, but could not reach a decision – if only there had been an actual Ferrari 275GTB or a Lancia Stratos !
Thank you all for entering and now over to GlynM for the new competition.
“What follows are just my personal thoughts and I hope that nobody will be upset and perhaps a few might agree with some of what I have said”
Usually the judge for the Fortnightly Competition has a nice relaxing time for the first week or 10 days of the competition, whilst everyone writes about what they might submit but does not actually submit anything !
This time however, hefty1’s entry came in just 29 hours after the topic was set (must be a Fortnightly Competition record) and more entries followed soon after, with a final tally of 19 (18 eligible), possibly a record for this competition. No iconic actual cars though which was a shame.
So on with the comments, largely written as the entries came in.
hefty1 – Design Icon: The Safety Pin
A great collection of icons from one household and a very original idea.
My immediate thought is that I am not too keen on the gap in the background between the Worcester sauce and the camera, which has the effect of drawing one’s eye to the DB5. I think it would be better if the gap were removed by closing up the background items and relocating the DB5 possibly to the bottom LH corner of the composition. If it had been me, I would have had the DB5 as my Number One, having always wanted to own one (a real one) but terrified by the running costs! Your chosen Number One item is ingeniously held up by LegoMan and cleverly illuminated by a Maglite torch?
Overall, a clever idea that could probably be improved by spending more time on the arrangement of the items.
p.s nearly forgot the use of the Zeiss Sonnar 135 !
Bwichmawr - Postboxes
A tryptich – it is quite a while since we have seen one submitted.
A very nice image with great colour, although you can’t really fail with Post Office red, as long as the lighting is good, which in this case is very good apart from that unfortunate shadow at the bottom of the left hand image.
In design icon terms, I do tend to think of the circular post box in the central image as the iconic design and do wonder whether three shots of that box from three different sides might have been better ? Having said that, I appreciate that this particular box that you have chosen is wedged into a corner.
All three are nicely cropped but using the collection times as a reference point, only the right hand image is really sharp, with the other two exhibiting different degrees of softness.
Overall I like it and it was a good idea.
davidtrout – Armitage Shanks – because you’re worth it
Apart from the shock of seeing a urinal submitted as a competition entry and wondering how much time you spent in a Gents’s toilet with a not easily concealed DSLR with a bulky lens, I initially found myself ‘snagging’ the installation of the urinal ! Whoever applied the Armitage Shanks logo in the factory must have been drunk or having a bad day and one of his relatives must have installed the urinal slightly ‘on the p*ss’ – pardon the pun (a technical building term) ! The silicone work is not too good either.
But that is all irrelevant.
Thomas Crapper (great name) is widely recognised as being an early pioneer of the water closet but apparently the urinal was first patented in the USA in 1866. Is a urinal a design icon ? - I don’t know.
A well taken photograph, apparently capturing the urinal in mid flush, with good lighting enabling us to see the form of the porcelain. I am still so shocked every time I flick it up onto the screen that I do wonder if taking it down the abstract route in post processing might have been beneficial ? I can see an Andy Warhol image in my minds eye !
TOZZA27 – (Untitled)
A classic, eight sided, aluminium coffee maker – I am not sure if these are French or Italian designed. I feel I should be in the 20th Century section of the Antiques Roadshow. I like the idea of photographing this coffee pot but find the jar of Nescafe and the box of Tassimo capsules distracting. Perhaps a shot of the pot on the stove or a shot of the pot with cups and the coffee beans might work better. I recognise that product photography is not easy, not least the decision as to what to include or exclude in the composition. I would persevere with the idea.
Darlene – (untitled)
Well Mickey Mouse is certainly a design icon and I like the simple graphic of the world with a pair of those incredibly distinctive ears.
I am not sure if you have converted this to black and white or if that is how it is. I started off thinking that this must be tiny, since most survey markers are tiny but I guess it is more likely to be 2” – 3” in diameter since Walt Disney World has decided to make a feature of it and there appears to the head of a crosshead screw at 4 o’clock on the world icon.
Well spotted, well taken and well observed.
bretti_kivi – (untitled)
Extra Brownie points for identification of the designer ? – I thought I was the one supposed to be giving out extra Brownie points !
I give up – I do not know who the designer is. And is it glass, ceramic or plastic? Perhaps I should go to the Design Museum in Helsinki, which is currently hosting ‘Made of Plastic: History of Plastic in Finnish Design’ ?
Perhaps if I knew what it is that might help – is it a waste paper basket, an umbrella stand, a plant container / vase, a pen holder ? ? ? The lack of context does not help and I cannot decide on its size. But I agree it is a very elegant piece of design.
I like the way the object has been photographed and the lighting of it but the background is less than appealing to me. It almost looks as though it has been photographed on a light box but obviously not. There are vague shapes / smudges in the foreground / background that distract and I find myself wondering what they are.
I like the idea of the strongly shaped object and the colours but I think the foreground / background lets the photograph down.
Having said all of this, I find product photography very difficult and never know how to handle the background.
Prieni – (untitled)
When I first saw this photograph, I thought that Ralf had taken up craftwork or model making – following in Aiki’s or hefty1’s footsteps, by carefully cutting out the shape of the iconic Apple logo in a piece of foamboard.
But then I realised that Ralf had cunningly solved the problem of what to do about the background, by making one of his iconic objects the background – ingenious !
Not owning any Apple equipment, I had to go onto the Apple website to check out the items in your photograph. I like the composition and the clean, crisp image (something of a Prieni hallmark) and the only drawback is the colour of the background (the MacBook) but I guess I should address my complaint to Steve Jobs. Acid green or strong yellow might have been good!
But nonetheless a satisfying image.
GlynM – Light Bulb
Great idea - and as with your Long Exposure shot, I am left wondering how you have created this shot. The light bulb appears to be standing there with no visible means of support and appears to be slightly illuminated.
Perhaps you are a member of the Magic Circle or are just great at Photoshop ?
As a design, the filament light bulb has certainly stood the test of time.
I really like this shot but can’t make up my mind whether the reflection of the light source is a distraction or a bonus ! The image is very sharp and the rendering of the clear glass is extremely good. Judging by the bayonet fitting, it is an old bulb that you have given a good polish – perhaps Hipperty lent a hand !
I think that the only thing that I might change would be to darken to background, maybe to a dark grey or charcoal colour ?
But overall a very good photograph of an everyday object, ingeniously photographed.
andrewk – Design Icon Linn Sondek LP12 Turntable
I’m impressed that you own a Linn Sondek turntable and that it appears to be in regular use rather than stowed away in the loft or garage!
It is a nice sharp image with good colour and exposure but I do find the Perspex lid and square metal framing of a piece of furniture (?) a distraction. I would have removed the lid (assuming this is possible) and (temporarily) relocated the turntable to where it could be seen without the clutter.
I also wonder whether moving slightly to the left would have avoided the problem of the pick-up arm support post sitting almost directly in front of the arm pivot mechanism.
An excellent choice of shutter speed, allowing the pick-up to be in sharp focus and the LP and turntable platter to show motion blur.
thoughton - G Plan by E Gomme coffee table, 1972(?)
A very clean, strong image taken from a most unusual viewpoint using the widest end of the lens to produce the effect of a sliding surface that would shed any cup of coffee stood on it!
Really very nice indeed and the reflection of the legs in the glass is good too. But, the skirting cuts across the image, is too dominant and jars with the main object. I like the warm colour of the table contrasting with the white background.
Overall, a very satisfying image and not a Rolex in sight!
Father Ted – The Pen
A nice, classic shot of a traditional pen, although I am not a pen buff and cannot identify the make. There is a name on the nib but not readable even in Photoshop.
Attractive cross hatching on the barrel of the pen that stands out well. Good composition, lighting, exposure and choice of background. Perhaps tweaking of the ‘shadows’ might have helped the pen to stand out more from the background.
Unusual perspective that makes the cap in the background appear too large for the pen in the foreground.
Good focus with the sharpness on the nib rapidly diminishing further down the barrel.
A few specks / marks on the background cloth could usefully be cloned out.
i-Berg - The violin - design icon since the 16th Century
Certainly one of the most distinctive shapes that has barely changed over the centuries. What makes a good violin ? – probably a combination of the wood used, the shape and the craftsmanship.
Good composition, nice warm colours and appropriate background nicely out of focus. Good natural lighting picking up the woodgrain.
Excellent choice of focus on the F-hole nicely diminishing along the body of the violin.
Perhaps seeing a little more of the fingerboard and tailpiece would have been better, showing more of the strings at the same time.
A good shot of a difficult subject.
Dr. Mhuni – The Mint with a Hole
Good choice of subject – certainly an icon from the world of confectionery. Well taken with an impressive, fairly bright green background that works especially well to set off the iconic ‘Mint with a Hole’ and conveys that fresh tasting idea well.
I do wonder about the possibility of a square crop removing a chunk of the green but leaving the mint off-centre ?
Nice OOF background but for me the mint does not seem to be as sharp as it might be – possibly a result of the lens choice ?
Bill_And – Lambretta, the Italian Legend
Unfortunately Photome tells me that the photograph was taken in 2009, which makes it ineligible for this Fortnightly Competition where images submitted have to be taken within the relevant fortnight. A shame because it’s a nice image and the colour treatment is good but obviously there was a reason why you couldn’t include the front wheel in your shot, which would have made it even better.
JudithAnn – The American Family Icon
I am not a fan of The Simpsons but I do at least know who they are - a television, pop culture icon! Someone, somewhere was almost duty bound to enter them for this competition !
Your image is sharp, well captured, with good, bright poster colours, fitting the characters. I assume that I am looking at two ceramic or plastic Simpsons characters standing in front of a CRT TV set ? An original idea with excellent focus including the grain on the TV. I might have cropped off slightly more of the black.
Good composition – how long did you have to wait to get the ‘No Problemo’ image ?
Rob - Untitled
Just as well I use Mozilla Firefox, otherwise I would be struggling to work out what I am looking at.
So presumably I am looking at a fairly extreme macro of the Firefox logo on your PC monitor, which might possibly be of the CRT variety ?
An original idea, interesting effect and good colour. I think I would probably have used a square crop, but than I am quite keen on square crops. It is very difficult to assess the sharpness of the lens, since at this magnification the subject itself is not sharp.
I recommend some more shots, using that Takumar macro, of more conventional subjects to see what it is really capable of.
mikew - Untitled
Oh dear, just when I thought I had done well recognising the Firefox logo, I now have to become a shoe specialist !
I guess I am looking at a pair of Doc Martens patent yellow boots worn by a female of the species.? If so then definitely qualifying as a design icon.
That is enough of the detective work.
I too like the photograph, good composition, unusual angle, great colour and good focus. I am not so keen on the drab grey paving slabs and the few drops of rainwater ? Those yellow boots would have been great against a black marble background but I guess this shot was probably taken early on Sunday afternoon, maybe outside your back door (where marble does not feature strongly) just prior to boot removal !
An unusual photograph, well worth entering.
pnjmcc – The design that defined a genre
Apology accepted !
At last an iconic car photograph and a real Lamborghini before they became a German car subsidiary.
Lamborghini is iconic in itself particularly in the early days when it was battling with Ferrari for the best supercar title and if I had to select two iconic Lambos it would be the Miura and the Espada. So plenty of Brownie points for choice of car.
Now to the photograph – a clever idea given your limited resources of books on the subject rather than an actual car or even a scale model of the car. Good composition, good crop and I like the way the only thing really in focus is the word Miura. Good colour as well, although I always found that colour rather too strident on the real cars. The only thing that lets the photograph down is the very flat lighting that does have a major impact on the end result. In an ideal world I would have used natural daylight, possibly with a shaft of bright sunlight highlighting the Lamborghini Miura text rather like Dr. Mhuni’s entry in the ‘Culture’ Competition.
Aiki – National Geographic
Brownie points deducted for the almost late entry !
I guess you are suggesting the cover of National Geographic as the design icon rather than the magazine itself, which is fair enough.
Started in 1888, the National Geographic has certainly stood the test of time. Its mission - to develop geographic understanding and awareness through exploration, research and conservation worldwide – has resulted in some of the most stunning photographs ever taken, all brought to an estimated 350 million readers monthly in its magazine, with its distinctive yellow border (also the organisation’s logo).
Now for your photo, Aiki, and it’s a nice one, cleverly using a yellow border to mimic the magazine cover. The National Geographic Society logo (mentioned above, the small yellow square) can also be seen at the bottom of the photo, tying everything together well.
Overall - great impact with all that colour, good composition, focus and lighting with the edges of the stack nicely in shadow. Clever use of a map in the background, although I find it a bit distracting, mainly because it is so colourful. With an exposure time of 0.5 sec. I guess it was taken with a complete, repaired tripod rather than with just a part of a tripod.
I have found deciding on the places very difficult and changed my mind many times for all the places but eventually I reached a conclusion so, now for the results :-
1st Place - GlynM – Light Bulb
2nd Place - Father Ted – The Pen
3rd Place - thoughton - G Plan by E Gomme coffee table, 1972(?)
Highly Commended - Prieni – (untitled)
Highly Commended - i-Berg - The violin - design icon since the 16th Century
Innovative Thinking Award – hefty1 – Design Icon: The Safety Pin
Shock Award - davidtrout – Armitage Shanks – because you’re worth it
Best Background Award - Dr. Mhuni – The Mint with a Hole
Colour Award - Aiki – National Geographic
Most Iconic Car – the DB5 and the Miura
Having settled the results, I then tried to decide which was my favourite icon, but could not reach a decision – if only there had been an actual Ferrari 275GTB or a Lancia Stratos !
Thank you all for entering and now over to GlynM for the new competition.
Comment by Hyram posted on Entries for Fortnightly Competition # 35 - "Design Icon" at 17/02/2010 - 19:50
Competition now closed
Results out probably mid-evening when I am home from work and have caught up on the later entries
Results out probably mid-evening when I am home from work and have caught up on the later entries
Comment by Hyram posted on Entries for Fortnightly Competition # 35 - "Design Icon" at 17/02/2010 - 18:01
By now, Steve probably "can't see the wood for the trees"
Comment by Hyram posted on Discussion for Weekly Competition # 137 - "Wood" at 16/02/2010 - 22:36
Focal length - 65mm, you must have been rubbing beaks
Comment by Hyram posted on How did I get so close? at 16/02/2010 - 21:39
polchraine wrote:
The Japanese Cashback offer on the K-7, DA★50-135, DA★60-250, DA★200 and DA★300 has been extended to 31st March - will the same happen in Europe?
The European cashback on everything Pentax finished about a month ago and there is no sign of it being extended.The Japanese Cashback offer on the K-7, DA★50-135, DA★60-250, DA★200 and DA★300 has been extended to 31st March - will the same happen in Europe?
