A Haas quote that I really dig is, “The best pictures differentiate themselves by nuances‚¦a tiny relationship ‚ either a harmony or a disharmony — that creates a picture.”

Binoculars by Ernst Haas — 1952

This photograph works on‚multiple‚levels which is likely why it works so well.
The‚binoculars‚themselves look like human faces so we are‚immediately‚attracted to that aspect. However, other elements also make this image interesting. These elements include the fence and the buildings in the background. For me, the fence, binoculars and background buildings represent the fact that ‘making it’ in New York is difficult. The fence separates you from the buildings but you can see them through the binoculars. Getting there, is a battle…but if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.

Message delivered by Michaelaw — Click for a larger version

This month’s choice Message delivered is by Michaelaw.

I chose this image for several reasons.

First off look at the great mood Michaelaw has created here. This is no accident; it’s a product of Michael’s attention to the the lighting. This mood helps create the story that ‘makes’ this shot. What IS the story? That’s up to the viewer, it’s helped by the title, but there is a story here. The bottle is without a classic paper message in it, it’s empty save for some water. Who sent it, why? Maybe the beer bottle itself IS the message — “hey I’m on a bender; that’s my message”. Maybe the shot is really about the environment and Man’s lack of concern over it. But there IS a story here, you just have to choose it for yourself.

Compositionally I like this very much. The curved patterned formations in the sand add interest to the shot. The diagonal slant of the bottle with specular edge highlights really give my eye something to cling to. The focus also works very well for me here and I’m digging the background blur. My eye is skillfully guided along the bottle toward the slanted water level collected at the bottom. At bottom of the bottle we see the sun’s reflection and it grabs you.

Exposure is handled very well here with a good range of tones and excellent highlight control.

For all these reasons, this is my choice for image of the month.

Since we all have opinions, some members may disagree with my choice. That’s cool but THIS thread is not the place for debate over my pick, NOR is it the place to further critique the image. The purpose here is to suggest strong elements in the photo that we may learn from.

Congrats again Michaelaw for creating this beautiful image!

I’d also like to include these 2 images as honourable mentions as they also came so so close to being picked.

Behind the mask by Chantelle

Day 3 — Banff‚ by casil403

Message delivered by Michaelaw — Click for a larger version

This month’s choice Message delivered is by Michaelaw.

I chose this image for several reasons.

First off look at the great mood Michaelaw has created here. This is no accident; it’s a product of Michael’s attention to the the lighting. This mood helps create the story that ‘makes’ this shot. What IS the story? That’s up to the viewer, it’s helped by the title, but there is a story here. The bottle is without a classic paper message in it, it’s empty save for some water. Who sent it, why? Maybe the beer bottle itself IS the message — “hey I’m on a bender; that’s my message”. Maybe the shot is really about the environment and Man’s lack of concern over it. But there IS a story here, you just have to choose it for yourself.

Compositionally I like this very much. The curved patterned formations in the sand add interest to the shot. The diagonal slant of the bottle with specular edge highlights really give my eye something to cling to. The focus also works very well for me here and I’m digging the background blur. My eye is skillfully guided along the bottle toward the slanted water level collected at the bottom. At bottom of the bottle we see the sun’s reflection and it grabs you.

Exposure is handled very well here with a good range of tones and excellent highlight control.

For all these reasons, this is my choice for image of the month.

Since we all have opinions, some members may disagree with my choice. That’s cool but THIS thread is not the place for debate over my pick, NOR is it the place to further critique the image. The purpose here is to suggest strong elements in the photo that we may learn from.

Congrats again Michaelaw for creating this beautiful image!

I’d also like to include these 2 images as honourable mentions as they also came so so close to being picked.

Behind the mask by Chantelle

Day 3 — Banff  by casil403

Well,‚ Art has different meanings for different people and there is no one answer for this issue. Think about it… have you ever been to a museum and seen a canvas completely painted in indigo blue? This is top of the line art according to avid artists. To others, this is simply a waste of paint and canvas. Or how about those early black & white nudes, otherwise known as “early porn”. Time managed to somehow evolve these photos into art. Or let us reflect on thousands of years back, when the cavemen wrote on the cave walls to communicate and tell a story. Today, these drawings are etched in all art historiansž minds as the works of masters.

So truly, art and beauty is in the eye of the beholder and according to Edward Degas: “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see”.

Obviously the ‘artist’ of this photo wanted us to see something… A LOT of something.

FORUM LINK: http://www.photography.ca/Forums/showthread.php?t=570

Photograph by Phil Borges — Chema, 77 of Bulava, Siberia. From the series: Spirit of Place — Siberia

Links mentioned in this podcast:
Current exhibits by Phil Borges
Phil Borges’s feature on photography.ca
HP Z3100 printer
Hahnemuhle papers

Thanks as always to Jen, Steven K, Clusty, JD and‚ Susan who posted a blog comment about our last podcast. Thanks also to dmagick, wdawson, Lisa Scott, bloveless, dudley206098, SoftServeCo., Duane, Saarto1221, Elle, jmayoff, krphotogs, jasonhightower,‚ omhubbard, aophoto, Amaranth, barbiepurl, jillcatrina, johnyymathew, jayps, fsendel, Mike Guilbault, jecky55, and DAVIS125 who recently joined the photography.ca forum and posted a few times. We LOVE comments and suggestions so please send more.

If you are looking at this material on any other site except Photography.ca — Please hop on over to the Photography.ca blog and podcast and get this and other photography info directly from the source. I Subscribe with iTunes I Subscribe via RSS feed I Subscribe with Google Reader I Subscribe for free to the Photography podcast — Photography.ca and get all the posts/podcasts by Email
You can download this photography podcast directly by clicking the preceding link or listen to it almost immediately with the embedded player below.

Links mentioned in this podcast:
Robert Miller gallery (New York) — Thanks Karl
Stephen Bulger gallery (Toronto) — Thanks Jessica
Bulger gallery portfolio submission guidelines

Thanks as always to Benny who posted a blog comment about our last podcast and to Spriter who recently joined the photography.ca forum and posted a few times. We LOVE comments and suggestions so please send more.

If you are looking at this material on any other site except Photography.ca — Please hop on over to the Photography.ca blog and podcast and get this and other photography info directly from the source. I Subscribe with iTunes I Subscribe via RSS feed I Subscribe with Google Reader I

You can download this photography podcast directly by clicking the preceding link or listen to it almost immediately with the embedded player below.

Sumac and Sun — Vicki Reed

Photography links mentioned in this podcast:
‚ Vicki’s feature on Photography.ca
‚ Holga cameras
‚ Fotospeed lith paper Do a search for lith on this site to get more lith products
‚ Kentona paper
‚ 2 Tim Rudman videos on Lith printing
‚ The World of Lith Printing
‚ Digital lith printing
‚ Digital lith printing action for photoshop
‚ Digital lith printing by Adobe

‚Is it still art — what is art — thread on photography.ca forum

Thanks as always for the comments by‚Gary H,‚‚seyDoggy, Yves Janse and Mikael. We LOVE comments and suggestions so please send more.

You can download this photography podcast directly by clicking the preceding link or listen to it almost immediately with the embedded player below.