Results and Feedback for the S-Curves Assignment

[keithsnell]

Thank you to everyone that participated in this assignment.  I really enjoyed seeing your dynamic images and loved the way the S-curves drew me into the scene.  I must say that it was very difficult to pick only two images for Editor's Choice.

The guidelines for this assignment were to compose your image to include a curve in the shape of an S.

Dave got us off to an amazing start with his Scurvey image.  I love the way the linear perspective of the road pulls the viewer deep into the scene, and the completion of the S in the sky was icing on the cake.  (I'm jealous of that 12mm lens.  I've been lacking a good super-wide angle lens for way too long, and really want one so that I can create images with that dramatic perspective. I have an older super-wide, but was never happy with the image quality and so just stopped using it.)  But obviously it's not the lens that makes the picture, it's Dave's wonderful eye for seeing these types of scenes in the Kansas landscape and capturing them so dramatically to share with us.  This image has a wonderful atmosphere, calm with an underlying tension.  I can imagine walking down that road, smelling the rain and feeling the electricity in the air.  This image was selected as People's Choice and Editor's Choice for Artistic Merit.  Thank you again for sharing a slice of Kansas with us Dave.

Scurvey
People's Choice and Editor's Choice for Artistic Merit
Photographed by Dave Leiker (prairiedust)

Carol's Splash & Ripple was another amazing image, full of dramatic action, motion and color.  It's a fascinating image that freezes time and allows us a glimpse into the wonderful liquid nature of water.  Carol explained that she took the image using a Cognysis stopshot, saying "you stop down the flash and connect it to the computer. Water drops pass through a trigger which is also connected to the computer and this fires the flash."  The colors and composition are an integral part of the success of this image.  The diagonal orientation of the splash makes this image more dynamic than if it were horizontal to the frame.  Amazing Carol!

Splash & Ripple
Photographed by Carol Burkett (Carola)

Rick's Following the Curves image made me feel a little wobbly (and it made me miss Colorado).  This image is a great illustration of the sense of motion that an S-curve (or curves) can impart to an image.

Following the Curves
Photographed by Rick Pepin (TrvlRick)

Michele's Wet roads was another dramatic image with wonderful atmosphere.  The dark tones of this image reinforce the sense of tension one would experience when driving in this type of weather (or standing on the road with the approaching car. )  Michele framed this image wonderfully.  The hint of the road visible through the trees in the upper part of the frame really helps to give this image a sense of depth and evoke the memories of driving a winding road.

Wet roads
Photographed by Michele Bollhalder

Rick's Rhubarb Leaf was a wonderfully simple and beautiful image that celebrates the forms and colors and richness of nature.  This image has wonderful clarity in the focus plane and beautiful bokeh in the out-of-focus regions.  (Very good choice on the aperture.)  The tiny filament of a spider web adds the finishing touch to this image.  Beautifully done Rick.

Rhubarb Leaf
Photographed by Rick Pepin (TrvlRick)

I appreciated being able to see both views in Chris' Evening Curves and his image From the other direction.  This was a great illustration of how much different the light can be in one direction vs another.  One of the "tips" you sometimes read is that when you are photographing at dusk or dawn, sunrise or sunset, "don't forget to turn around."  Sometimes the more dramatic light and colors are behind you.  I enjoyed the beautiful serene pastels in Evening Curves.

Evening Curves
Photographed by Chris Franklin

From the other direction.
Photographed by Chris Franklin

The bold contrast and colors and dynamic diagonal in Lorin's SSSSSSSSSSSSS image do a great job of reinforcing the dramatic tension in this image.  (And the "S" of the snakes body reinforces the idea that it's dangerous.)  Great job Lorin.

SSSSSSSSSSSSS
Photographed by Lorin Schroeder (wildshutter)

Marilyn's image titled An evening stroll through the desert garden is one of those compositions that is more than the sum of it's parts.  The soft light and pastel colors help "set the mood" and convey the idea that the bench would be a nice place to sit and relax for a moment.  The "rim lighting" on the bushes helps separate the layers of vegetation and provide a sense of depth to the image.  This composition is very well balanced, with the visual weight of the tree in the upper right providing a nice balance to the bench and plants on the left.  Very nicely composed and rendered Marilyn.

An evening stroll through the desert garden
Photographed by Marilyn McKinney

Marilyn's Trio of bike racks was another nice study of curves.  The monochrome rendering of this image fit very well with the more geometrical and abstract forms of the bike racks, helping to transform this view of an everyday object into art.

A Trio of bike racks
Photographed by Marilyn McKinney

The curving sidewalk in Marilyn's image titled Letting off energy before the performance did a nice job of leading the viewer into the frame; however, the dancer's position, and sidewalk exiting the frame on the right, tend to lead the viewer right back out the other side of the frame.  I would usually try to avoid placing a subject that is moving right so close to the right side of the frame (unless my intention was to lead the viewer to the next image).

Letting off energy before the performance
Photographed by Marilyn McKinney

I enjoyed Luc's entire series of S-curves.  These images help illustrate Luc's comment that once you start looking you see S-curves everywhere.  Luc's image titled Such S-curves are a motorcyclist's delight brought back wonderful memories of driving such roads in my younger days when I drove a fast sports car.  The lean of the motorcyclist in the corner did a great job conveying the dynamic nature of the curve.

Such S-curves are a motorcyclist's delight
Photographed by Luc Bigler

Ever one to "tweak" a composition, I couldn't help wondering what the image would have looked like if Luc would have captured it just a split second later when the motorcyclist would have been accelerating up the straight portion of the road and carrying my eye into the next curve.  Call me silly, but I played with the image in Photoshop to flip, rotate and move the motorcycle a little further along, just to see if the new position would lead the viewer into the frame a bit more effectively.  I think in order to be really effective at leading the viewer's eye, the motorcycle (or rider) needed to be a brighter color (but I stopped short of coloring his jacket red .

Such S-curves are a motorcyclist's delight
Photographed by Luc Bigler, 1/8 second later

I recognized Luc' image of Depending on the topography, even wheat is planted in S-curves as one of his even before I read his name.  Luc does a wonderful job capturing and conveying the rolling hills in this region, and yes, the S-curves in the wheat do a great job pulling the viewer into the scene (and giving the hills dimension).  The light also does a wonderful job of enhancing this sense of dimension and depth.  It's subtle, but the slight cloud cover in the middle part of the scene really helps to highlight the different layers and depths in the image.  Nicely done Luc.

Depending on the topography, even wheat is planted in S-curves
Photographed by Luc Bigler

Luc's image of S-curves everywhere does a wonderful job of making me want to explore what is just around the bend.  This is a very nicely composed image that again has "layers" that help provide a sense of depth and draw the viewer into the scene.

S-curves everywhere
Photographed by Luc Bigler

Luc's image of the Dry stone wall in the Jura is one of the most dynamic images of a stone wall that I have ever seen.  The diagonal s-curve of the slowly building stone wall has a very strong pull into the image, and then the far wall and painted stripes in the median take over and propel the viewer right out the other side.  This is a very dynamic composition, with a tremendous amount of implied motion (from a simple stone wall!).  One thing to consider is that images like this "typically" (not that we have to be "typical") contain just a sliver of the far horizon, that helps extend the scene so that the viewer never quite exits the scene, but has the sense that they can go on forever, deeper into the scene.  This image is such a strong, dynamic composition that I felt it deserves Editor's Choice for Technical Merit.  Very nicely done Luc.

Dry stone wall in the Jura
Editor's Choice for Technical Merit
Photographed by Luc Bigler

Jack's image of Soft Curves provided a nice peaceful ending to the assignment, with the gentle curves of the path inviting the viewer into the lush scene, and gently coaxing them to see what is on the other side of the rise.   This image is very nicely composed Jack (but with maybe just a touch too much contrast and saturation when viewed on my monitor).

Soft Curves
Photographed by Jack Powers

Thank you again to everyone that participated in this assignment.  Hopefully, as you examine scenes around you with camera in-hand, you are more likely to see and take advantage of the s-curves that can help draw your viewer into the scene and bring your images alive.

[prairiedust]

Thanks Keith and everyone for your kindness.  I'm finding my days less cluttered with workload now and am looking forward to more explorations. I wandered around some woodland nature trails yesterday and found the biggest wolf spider I've ever seen lurking in the shadows. Huge! I tried to do it all right. I set up the tripod, set mirror lock-up, did critical focus, estimated depth of field, used a remote cable - trying to apply so much that I've learned here. The spider stayed calm and in place - but I forgot I had the camera on auto ISO and it bumped it up to ISO1600 - pretty noisy on my camera. So today I'm kicking myself.
As always there are gorgeous images you're all putting in the mix. I'm in awe of the "splash", and Luc, I love that "dry stone wall".  It conjures feelings of a snake coiling in the grass, or the fossilized vertebrae of some great prehistoric creature.

[keithsnell]

Hi Dave,

I'm glad your workload is settling down a bit.  I've been thinking that when I get back from Colorado towards the end of July that we need to go out shooting.  I'd love to spend a couple days exploring with you.  (Maybe even get back out to Colorado if you're game for the trip.  It would be a bit cooler in the mountains. )  Anyway, keep that in mind and we'll chat more about it towards the end of July.

Keith

[Luc Bigler]

Thank you, Keith, for your encouraging comments and I have a confession to make: It was my wife Murna, who loves dry stone walls, who had the idea to photograph the one you chose for technical merit and I did only submit it when Murna insisted I should! I found the colours kind of flat/ boring - this might be due do that I am partially colour blind (especially I cannot distinguish between most green and brown colours). But I do agree that the dynamics of the movements of the stone wall and the road are interesting.
I like your playing around with the motorcyclist. I could have submitted another photo with a more colourful motorcyclist leaning more dynamically into the curve, but I chose the one I submitted because the light, especially on the the trees and the landscape in the background was better. I am happy to upload it if you like!
Thirdly I am interested why you recognised the wheat S-ses as mine. Was it the landscape, the (typical) buildings or do I have a specific style?

[keithsnell]

Hi Luc,

Murna has a good eye too.

I agree that the colors in the image of the stone wall are not that interesting, but they seemed to fit the subject.  It was the very dynamic composition that I thought was exceptional. 

Yes, the light in your image with the motorcyclist is wonderful.  I like the way it helps define the layers of the landscape, which of course helps the viewer perceive depth and makes it more "real."  You were right to choose the image with the best light.  (Photography is really all about "painting with light.")  I would be interested in seeing the photo with the more colorful motorcyclist.  I'm always curious about how small changes like that can change the entire dynamic of an image.

I think you have a general style (which I like and find refreshing) when it comes to landscape images.  Your Wheat in S-curves image reminded me of your earlier rapeseed images, and the images of snow in the valley taken from your window before that.  You seem to recognize "layers" in the landscape, and compose your images to emphasize those layers.  Those series of images also take advantage of the play of light on the land to emphasize the "form" of the land and provide depth.  And in a style that is less common today, you don't seem to include the horizon in your landscape images very often, but seem to emphasize the forms of the land instead.  Your style reminds me of the classic landscape style of perhaps the 1970s that one would find in an English photography book.  Not the typical "grand scenic" so common in American photography, but a more intimate look at the land, kind of an intermediate between a "grand scenic" and an "intimate landscape."  But I don't really like to "categorize" anyones photography, because then the natural tendency is for them to create images that fit within that category.  I do like your images.  In many ways they remind me of the photographs I admired back when I was first learning the "art" of photography. 

[prairiedust]

(Maybe even get back out to Colorado if you're game for the trip.  It would be a bit cooler in the mountains. ) 

Keith

I'm looking forward it it!