Keeping Score

[Tuna]

[Greg McCary]

This has your Tuna syle. I like it because it reminds me of Panama City Beach when I was a kid. Somewhere I have a picture of me and my late sister, as kids, sitting in front of a shuffle board court, at a hotel very similar to the one here. I like this one Tuna, Thanks....
Greg

[Overbeyond]

I'm not too familiar with the game; looks like some sort of hopscotch thing on the ground.
But I do like the photograph and especially the use of dof on the scoreboards that look as if they might talk to each other.
The base of the foreground post catches my eye and I wonder if if cropping it off would enhance the picture even more. I think it would.
Tom

[Greg McCary]

In the game you slide a puck across the board, with a long stick, and try to stop the puck in a high point square. Kind of like sliding darts. It's kind of considered an old persons game in Florida. If I am that makes any since...
Greg

[almo]

Nice one fishy!

I am a fan of the strong foreground subject style that you do so well.

Thanks for sharing...

[gahspidy]

Tuna, I too tend to like strong foreground subjects as Almo stated, and this is strong, with the color going up nicely against the pinks and greens of the bg. The one thing here that has me a bit unsettled is the base cut off. I'm trying to imagine what it would look like with the base included in the bottom. I'm not sure if it would work better, but I feel like I need to see it here. Regardless, your work is always enjoyable to view.

[readingr]

Tuna,

I like the concept and have two very minor critiques for this photo -

1. It would have been nice to see the base of the score board
2. to see the end of the play area

I guess from the framing you had some competing items you wanted to crop

Love the subtle colouring and the DOF you got. I bet this might look good in B&W too.

Roger

PS how is the game played?

[Overbeyond]

Roger and Gary
I have a feeling that seeing the complete base will upset the balance somewhat and as a result bring in some extra foreground that might not be necessary. I'm thinking that if the piece of base we see was totally removed just above the point where it appears I feel that it tidies things up so to speak. Any thoughts lads on that idea?
Tom

[almo]

Roger and Gary
I have a feeling that seeing the complete base will upset the balance somewhat and as a result bring in some extra foreground that might not be necessary.
Tom

I agree. I feel that the base of the one in the background gives me enough information on the one in the foreground. I like the comp as is.

[Tuna]

There is more than one way and there will be fans of each method.

A thought: if photographic composition is, at it's basic, the placement of the elements in an image - does the placement of only parts of the secondary elements make for a more dynamic composition where the viewer "sees" more than what is there as a support to the main subject?

Tuna

[GB1]

Tuna - Some interesting colors here. Seems like an old photograph where the dyes have shifted a bit. The subject is worthy but there's a lot of background distractions, though the shallow DOF partly mitigates it. But I think I'd crop off some of the left side of the shot.

I think that placing some supporting elements outside of the frame can add some mystery to the shot. It may or may not work, depending on other factors...

GB

[Tuna]

Tuna - Some interesting colors here. Seems like an old photograph where the dyes have shifted a bit. GB

The muted colors seem to be a charactersitic of the film used - Fuji Reala - which is supposed to render good skin tone but I find it to render the style of colors we see here - which I am liking much better for certain subject matter as opposed to the more saturated, harsher colors from slide film.

Tuna

[Frog]

I'm afraid I'm going to go against the grain here.
The score sign thingy is sharp, clear and I like the color. I like the twin sign in the background. The rest of the background, I find very distracting. Something about how it varies so much.
I don't know if it can be shot from a different angle but it is good subject material.

[almo]

I'm afraid I'm going to go against the grain here.
The score sign thingy is sharp, clear and I like the color. I like the twin sign in the background. The rest of the background, I find very distracting. Something about how it varies so much.
I don't know if it can be shot from a different angle but it is good subject material.

That's the whole point for me. The subject in the foreground is so strong it commands your attention. Even with a chaotic background you find yourself distracted very little. It's only when you have thoroughly had enough of the main subject that you begin to explore the background, which in this case is just so prefectly in/out of focus as to be clear, yet unobtrusive. This composition is brilliant.

I am very confident in saying that I do not believe that I could have pulled it off half as well as the fishy man did.

[gahspidy]

Tom, thats an interesting idea. However, I feel that in this particuliar picture that approach does not work, for me, as it then appears to lose it's connection with the ground and the yellow rectangular sign gets too close to the bottom of the frame. It just does not feel right. . .as if it is too tightly cropped. It does tidy things up though and I think that a small enough crop from the bottom, just to eliminate the slight darker pink area slipping in would improve. I rather see part of the base there than none.
Tuna, I would say yes it does. The placement/inclusion/exclusion of secondary elements or parts of can, for me, have an impact on the overall dynamic of the composition. In this case, I feel as though it could have been a person photographed with their feet cut off, although not that serious here. My point about the base here is really a nit pik. I metioned it because it was the one thing that had me a bit unsettled, but I do not feel it is at all detrimental to the overall picture.
btw, Tuna, I also use Reala at times and notice the same thing. The colors are muted, and perhaps more natural, so to speak. Personally, I am starting to find that even though it is considered a fine grained film( for negatives anyway)it seems to show alot of grain when scanning. More so than Kodak UC 100.

[Tuna]

Gary, I too have noticed the grain despite the 100ASA - but then, I find it to be a pleasant aspect to the use of the film..

Roger and Gary
I have a feeling that seeing the complete base will upset the balance somewhat and as a result bring in some extra foreground that might not be necessary. I'm thinking that if the piece of base we see was totally removed just above the point where it appears I feel that it tidies things up so to speak. Any thoughts lads on that idea?
Tom

This was critically cropped as seen, in-camera, and there is no more of the foreground base in the negative to show for comparison.

However, if we are to remove any hint of the base, then the lines of the image, especially on the ground, seem to allow a further, panorama style crop...

Tuna

[readingr]

Tuna,

I prefer the second version without the base but would crop it nearer the top of the base.

I really like the lines between the score boards which lead you across the wooden bridge thingy; with the horizontals cuting across forcing the eye to move around the picture.

Roger

[Greg McCary]

It seems to me that no matter what film type or speed you use once scanned for computer use, you then produce grain. Would this not be true? Because a digital picture in itself is just pixels which I would think is the same as grain. I do understand about grain on a negative, I shot Fuji 200 at times and like it much better the 400. It just seems that scanning would be as important as film speed.
I find Tuna's pictures have a pleasent old time color feel, if this makes since. I have restored some old photos from when I was a kid in the 60's and it has the same feel. I also like the second version better, but if you crop any more you will lose the board in the background....
Greg