[Leica] IMG: Just for fun

[nod at bouncing.org (Philip Clarke)]

IMHO, It needs a rotation half a degree or so counter clockwise, the 
original composition had the in focus book title as a focal point (I 
confess to turning my laptop upside down to read it), the issue I have 
is with the line now leading into coldness, so I'd go for selecting the 
area towards the window top right with the magic wand and then 
re-balancing the colours if there is enough for photoshop to get a grab 
on, it's one of the "issues" with color blancing in that the camera's 
gone for tungsten so made the outside blue and cold, the only film that 
used to half get it right was Fuji Reala that had a fourth layer in the 
emulsion to try and comensate for mixed light sources, going back more 
than 10 years and I remember a guy winning the ilford awards for a 
picture on cibachrome where he had colour masked every window outside on 
an interior shot by holding cut gelatine filters on wires. I'd take the 
bookcase down too, although it's quite nice, books in the foreground, 
books in the back.

Bob Adler wrote:
> Ted,
>
> Thanks so much for the advice. I gave it a whirl and have posted it here:
>
> http://raflexions.com/2009Seder/content/L1000713_Cropped_large.html
>
> What I also like about your suggestion, other than the blurred foreground 
> being a visual block, is that the orange curve of the foreground plate now 
> starts the flow of my eye down the table; a visual pointer.
>
> So great suggestion Ted. Thank you very much.
> Best,
> Bob
>
>  Bob Adler
> Palo Alto, CA
> http://www.raflexions.com
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Ted Grant <tedgrant at shaw.ca>
> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 4:17:45 PM
> Subject: Re: [Leica] IMG: Just for fun
>
>
>
> Bob Adler offered:
>
>
>
>   
>>> Satturday took me a bit out of my comfort zone photographically; a less
>>>       
> planned 
>
>   
>> approach shooting hand held at f1.4. It was really a treat with the M8!
>>     
>
>   
>> We had our annual Seder (Passover) dinner on Saturday night. My favorite
>>     
> catch 
>
>   
>> was this one:
>>     
>
>   
>> http://raflexions.com/2009Seder/content/L1000706_large.html
>>     
>
>   
>> It's a lovely evening with family and friends. We had lots to celebrate:
>>     
> happy kids, growing families, new engagements and just catching up. I
> thought the 
>
>   
>> table setting was very lovely this year:
>>     
>
>   
>> http://raflexions.com/2009Seder/content/L1000706_large.html
>>     
> <http://raflexions.com/2009Seder/content/L1000706_large.html%3c%3c%3c> <<
>
>
>
> Hi Bob,
>
> Over all? A wonderful set of photographs. 
>
>
>
> Sometimes it's interesting to throw "caution to the wind" and shoot wide
> open just for the heck of it and end up with a picture series you never
> thought would work as well as these. The beautiful thing about doing this
> is, we learn that it doesn't always have to be "f. 8.0 and be there!" :-)
>
>
>
> They are beautiful, however! ;-) A small note about the dining table which
> is beautifully done, but maybe?
>
>
>
> A tiny point of cropping for a thought!
>
>
>
> As we look at the frame right at the bottom try cropping the first place
> setting off about to the far edge of the booklet on the plate. This still
> retains the orange coloured edge of the plate about where the sharpness
> begins to happen. What this tiny bit of cropping does is,  it eliminates 
> the
> very out of focus bottom edge of the photograph and we begin to look at the
> setting & scene at a sharp point which carries well into the background.
>
>
>
> The out of focus foreground is actually a "visual block" getting right into
> the scene. Notice how your eyes fight to go beyond this out of focus area.
> As soon as they look into the very sharp area? We are sitting at the table
> and not fighting an attempt to bring the foreground into focus.
>
>
>
> I bet if you crop it as I've suggested and make a print you'll be very
> surprised how effective that tiny bit off makes to the impact of the
> picture.
>
>
>
> You can do the same thing by holding up a white card to the screen, crop
> this area off, it isn't much because you do have to keep the far orange 
> edge
> of the plate setting to see how effective the photo becomes with the crop.
> It's the far edge of the booklet that's tie crop line, but keeping the 
> plate
> orange in. 
>
>
>
> Other than this tiny bit, it is a smashing photo.
>
>
>
> ted
>
>