Thank you to everyone that participated in the "Captivating" assignment. The
guidelines for this assignment were to compose an image that captures your viewer's attention and interest.
Jack's photograph of the Africian Watusi bull certainly met the criteria of an image that captured my interest. I was fascinated to learn that one of the reasons the bulls horns are so large is that it helps keep the bull cool during hot weather. The interaction between the two animals made this a more interesting image as well, and Jack did a good job blurring out the background to keep if from being too distracting. Very nicely done.
Look Into My EyesPhotographed by Jack Powers
Jack's image of the
Sycamore was nicely done as well. It's interesting how the different elements of this image come together to make this into a more captivating image. To me, the detail in the bark on the lower trunk is a key element in drawing my attention and making the tree seem real. From there the leading line of the trunk draws me further into the scene and the linear perspective (diminishing size of the trunk and branches) gives the image depth, and provides the viewer with a sense of looking up into a tall tree. This was a great study of a tree, with the small details contributing towards an image that was greater than the sum of its parts. Well done.
SycamorePhotographed by Jack Powers
Luc's image of
captivating eyes is very appropriately named. As we've discussed many times in the past, the eyes are one of the most important elements in a portrait. Luc did a great job capturing this shot, especially considering that the eyes were in shadow. (I assume that the light was somehow being reflected back into his daughters face by a warmly colored wall?)
captivating eyesPhotographed by Luc Bigler
I have to admit that I was distracted by the multi-colored moire in the black cloth. (This is often caused when the fine detail in an image exceeds the Nyquist or maximum sampling frequency of the sensor.) Since the fabric was black, I knew it would be fairly easy to fix in post processing. I simply pulled the image into photoshop, added a duplicate layer, converted that layer into black and white and then used a layer mask to blend the (now pure black) fabric back into the color layer below. While I was at it, I adjusted the exposure of the cloth slightly to let more emphasis be placed on the eyes. I've posted the modified version of this (already great) image just below.
(I should also note that the color rendition between the two images is slightly different, because for some reason the website doesn't properly read the color space embedded in the version of the image Luc uploaded. Once I modified the image in Photoshop the website was able to correctly read the color space. It's a mystery...)
captivating eyesPhotographed by Luc Bigler (moire reduction in photoshop by Keith)
Lars'
On the Wall image captivated me because of the unique combination of abstract design with the "hyper real" detail and texture in the towels. I'm guessing that Lars achieved this effect by using a relatively wide aperture at a close focus distance, therefore limiting the depth of field to a small "slice" of the surface of the towels. Very interesting image Lars, and captivating enough that it makes me want to reach out and touch the towels.
On The WallPhotographed by Lars
I agree with Michele that "Sometimes "captivating" is a moment just caught in time," and she did a fantastic job capturing Lauren in midair in her
Action! shot. Great expression, and the motion effect of zooming the lens during the exposure was a great contribution to making this a dynamic and captivating image. Wonderful job capturing this moment in time, Michele.
Action!Photographed by Michele Bollhalder
Rick did a great job capturing Alex being captivated by all the chocolates. I was very impressed with the way Rick balanced the fill flash with the ambient exposure in this image. If I was in a similar situation, I might have bumped the ISO up just a bit in order to shoot at a faster shutter speed and limit the possibility of motion blur caused by camera or subject movement. (Rick shot this image at 1/20th of a second.) I don't see any blur in this image, but just to be safe...
Alex was very captivated with all the chocolatesPhotographed by Rick Pepin (TrvlRick)
Rick also did a great job balancing fill flash and ambient exposures in his image of
The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. (I notice he also used a higher ISO with this image, which enabled him to shoot at a slightly higher (and probably safer) shutter speed.) This is a very nice composition that showcases the extent of all the chocolates, and shows the chocolate making equipment in the background. Nicely done Rick.
The Rocky Mountain Chocolate FactoryPhotographed by Rick Pepin (TrvlRick)
I enjoyed Rebecca's series of images in her
Good to the last drop composite. I think the first expression is the most captivating. I thought Rebecca did a great job tying all of these image together with the red frame.
Good to the last dropPhotographed by Rebecca
Of all the images submitted for the assignment, Lars' image of
The Last Struggle tugged at my heart the most. This image was a very nice tribute to his beloved Benji and their 22 years together.
The Last StrugglePhotographed by Lars
I'm glad many of you enjoyed my shot of McKenzie's
Nap Hair. She's quite the character, and I'm sure we have many more years of captivating moments to look forward to. Rebecca was kind enough to hold up a pink baby blanket behind McKenzie so that I could shoot this quick grab shot without a distracting background.
Nap HairPhotographed by Keith
Rick did a great job with the lighting in his image of
Bodie and her cookie; although, I thought the rendering could have been a little lighter in the midtones. I pulled the image into Photoshop and used the "lighter" preset under the curves dialog, and then added just a touch of magenta with the color balance adjustment to counter the slight green cast. (Using the curves adjustment allows you to adjust the midtones while still protecting the highlights, and perhaps is a little more effective than an exposure or levels adjustment in this case.) I've posted the modified image below for your consideration.
Bodie and her cookiePhotographed by Rick Pepin
Bodie and her cookiePhotographed by Rick Pepin, curves and color modified by Keith
Marilyn's series of images from Red Rock Canyon were
VERY intriguing. The detail in the bubbles in her
Mysterious bubbles images just grabbed my attention. This simple image was perfectly exposed and very effectively composed to capture the atmosphere of this scene.
Mysterious bubblesPhotographed by Marilyn McKinney
I loved the mysterious aura of
Marilyn's Waterfall into an ice crater. The mysterious mood and fairy tale forms intrigued and captivated me so much that I selected this image as
Editor's Choice for Artistic Merit.
Waterfall into an ice craterEditor's Choice for Artistic MeritPhotographed by Marilyn McKinney
The dark tones helped reinforce the mysterious and fairy tale feeling of this image; however, this was such an amazing image that I was compelled to play with it a bit in Photoshop. I used the curves adjustment with the "enhance per channel contrast" and "snap midtones to neutral" options to render the image below. It's a bit more dramatic than the first rendition, but not necessarily better, depending on what feeling you are trying to evoke in the viewer. (Probably something half way in between, with different areas optimized for contrast and brightness would be better?)
Waterfall into an ice craterPhotographed by Marilyn McKinney, curves and contrast adjustment by Keith
Marilyn's
Fractures and reflections image was the well deserved selection for
People's Choice. The little wisps of light (reflections) on the ice on the surface of the water are what intrigue me most. That, and the "painterly" effect the ice imparts on the rocks below. I would loved to have discovered and explored this scene.
Fractures and reflectionsPeople's ChoicePhotographed by Marilyn McKinney
I couldn't help playing with this image in Photoshop either. I tried to crop the image to emphasize the areas that I found most intriguing, while eliminating the overexposed portions of the ice and the foreground rocks that I found distracting. Here's the crop (with just a tiny bit of smart sharpening added in Photoshop):
Fractures and reflectionsPhotographed by Marilyn McKinney, cropped by Keith
Alan's image of the Guardian Angel was a captivating scene, and again I liked the image enough to play with it a bit in Photoshop.
Guardian AngelPhotographed by Alan Albrecht (Ribot)
I used a curves adjustment with the "enhance per channel contrast" and "snap midtones to gray" options selected. I also added a bit of smart sharpening to make the detail on the trunk pop a bit more. Again, depending on the mood you are trying to portray, you might prefer the first image for its more foreboding mood, or the second image for its more vibrant colors and light.
Guardian Angel
Photographed by Alan Albrecht (Ribot), contrast enhanced by Keith
I love the mood Dave captured in his
Valentine Card image. The image perfectly evokes the feel of a chilly winter morning in a small town.
Valentine CardPhotographed by Dave Leiker (prairiedust)
Dave's image of
Anderson Memorial had a wonderful feeling to it as well. It provoked such strong memories of late night/early morning walks in solitude through the biting cold that I could almost feel my ears stinging from the cold and hear the super cold snow squeaking under my feet. Wonderful, very evocative image Dave.
Anderson MemorialPhotographed by Dave Leiker (prairiedust)
Michele's image of
Lauren skating with the big boys was an excellent composition. As Dave noted, the contrast and lines in this composition did an outstanding job of directing the viewer's attention toward Lauren's face. I loved the expression in this one too. Intent, but maybe just a little bit exhausted too. The vignetting and rendering as a black and white image both strengthened the presentation. Well done Michele.
Lauren skating with the big boysPhotographed by Michele Bollhalder
Thank you to everyone that participated in this assignment. Your images were indeed captivating, and it was educational for me to learn what captivates you.
Keith
