Blue_in_CA needs some input...

[Blue_In_AK]

Which photo of these two rugged rugby players do you like best? I wish you could see the sweat drops on the second one that show up in the full-sized version.





FYI, I'll start taking submissions this evening sometime.

[JeffR]

1. I'm partial to the first one

So I guess that means the second one is better!:crazy:

[alfredo]

2. The first one has a very heroic aura about it. Very early

20th century feel. It almost needs an airship or towering skyscraper in the background.

[Blue_In_AK]

3. That's what I thought, too...

Sort of a "golden boy" sports hero. Blue_in_CA is partial to the second one, but I think because he's her squeeze. :) I think the first one is probably more compelling in this particular contest.

[alfredo]

4. But will the Lounge lizards get it?

Of course we know it is good and that good doesn't always "sell." Go with what feels right to you and forget about the votes.

though the film maker Leni Reifenstahl is at best a disappointment and sell out to the Third Reich, her artistry is not in dispute. When I saw that picture I was reminded of how she was able to elevate the common man into a heroic figure. Her photos of the people of the Sahara come to mind.



She shot from a low angle probably because she was shorter than the subjects, but it worked well. I like her African series. She must have fallen in love with the browns and golds of the Sahara. Your use of the low camera angle and the sepia reminded me of her work.

This is not an endorsement of her as a person, but a recognition of her eye. So equating your first image to her work as a photographer should be seen as a compliment.

[Blue_In_AK]

5. You're right, of course.

It IS the low angle that makes this shot. I've sent Blue_in_CA an e-mail asking her to check in here and read the comments. If I don't hear from her before tonight, I think I'll make an executive (maternal) decision and enter the first one for her.

If the Loungers don't get it, too bad.

[Blue_in_CA]

6. Thanks!

Thanks everyone. I think I'll go with the first one, it is the better shot. But obviously the model in the second is significantly more handsome! :-)

[alfredo]

7. that's the attitude. I think it is a good choice. The second guy

is really pretty, but the first shot is very artistic.

[okasha]

8. Put the second shot on the nightstand and the first one in the contest.

I wonder, though. I like the warm "golden boy" look of the sepia, but I wonder if b&w wouldn't catch the tension better.

[Blue_In_AK]

9. Like this?

A couple more hours for comments. This is Blue_in_CA's first contest, so let's do right by her.

[okasha]

14. Oh, yeah. The sepia softens the image.

Look how much more of the muscular tension comes through in the b&w, especially in his neck. I'd darken the sky a tad, too.

[Blue_In_AK]

19. Oh, dear, I already posted it for her in sepia.

I was hoping for more input, but all I got was Bvar saying six of one, half dozen of the other. It's still early in the game, and we've allowed substitutions before. Maybe I'll switch it out for her.

[bvar22]

10. The first one.

The first photo is a more candid photo of someone concerned about something in the distance.
The second is a good portrait of someone smiling at the camera.
Just my personal preferences.

[Blue_In_AK]

11. Bvar, do you like the sepia or the B&W better?

I agree with your assessment. Blue_in_CA respects the collective wisdom of the photo group. :)

[bvar22]

12. Too close to call.

Different moods for each, both have their strong points.
:shrug:

[Blue_In_AK]

13. You're a big help...

:rofl: I guess we'll probably just go with the sepia since that's what we came up with first. I agree, they both have their charms.

[bvar22]

25. After sleeping on it,

I think that the sepia toned is the right choice for the contest.
The difference between the two is into the area of personal preference.
The B&W is edgier, but the sepia toniong will separate this picture from the pack, and be slightly more memorable.

[RagingInMiami]

15. Who is Blue_in_CA?

And where is Blue_in_FL? I would like to meet her.

[Blue_In_AK]

16. Blue_in_CA is my lawyer daughter in California...

You must have been in Cuba when that first came up. ::shrug: Here she is in the Caymans last week with the model in photo two. (Actually, he's a real rugby player, and they were really playing rugby down there.)

[RagingInMiami]

17. I must have been in Havana because this is the first I hear about it

She's very pretty. And she has to be smart if she's a lawyer.

[Blue_In_AK]

18. Yep, a chip off the old block. haha

[RagingInMiami]

20. So what kind of lawyer is she?

I can always use a good lawyer considering how often I tend to get myself in trouble.

[Blue_In_AK]

21. She does whatever they tell her to.

:) She works at O'Melveny & Myers, the oldest law firm in LA, which now has offices internationally. http://www.omm.com/webcode/navigate.asp?nodehandle=519 She likes securities law the best, but they've had her working on all kinds of things, including being on the defense team for the Dukester (Cunningham), which was quite an experience. She likes it best though when she's on the side of the good guys, which happens more often than not, I think.

[RagingInMiami]

22. You know what is funny?

I looked in the archives to see how Blue_in_CA got introduced, and you always refer to her as "my daughter the lawyer."

My mom does the same thing. "My son the journalist." She has to throw in the fact that I'm a journalist every time my name comes up.

I used to think that only happened with mothers who's sons are doctors.

[Blue_In_AK]

23. I know -- it's kind of a joke with us...

Not the fact that she's a lawyer, but the fact I always say "my daughter, the lawyer." I just can't help myself; I'm very proud of her.

[gmoney]

24. First one by a mile...

The natural light and shadows, the subject's detatchment from the scene, the "in action" feeling, the background free of distractions all work to make this an excellent portrait of an athlete. Forgive me for saying so, but the second one is the exact opposite in all these aspects, and feels a lot more like a nice, sharp, colorful snapshot.

Odd thing is, since there's no context, either of these shots could just be some dude in a rugby shirt. :) The first one, though, feels like it's a shot of an athlete.

I like the sepia effect of the first, too, but I don't think it would work as well for the second... and if the sweat in the second one is important to you, consider cropping very tightly to emphasize that. Also, the subject seems a bit wall-eyed... perhaps there's another frame that de-emphasizes that. And maybe there's another frame without quite so much background clutter... in similar situations, you might try your camera's lowest f-number (largest aperture) to throw the background out of focus and concentrate attention on your subject. You might even be able to get away without using flash, because you could use a faster shutter speed. I took the liberty of ROUGHLY simulating how that might look:



It's easy to make suggestions after the fact, not knowing the circumstances where the shot was made, but if you have a little time to maneuver the situation, it's usually worth the effort. For instance, I might have had the second subject sit up on the top bleacher bench and shot parallel to the fence, taking advantage of the natural light and getting some shadow play in his face, and you could switch off the flash. Rather than smiling into the camera, maybe a more casual pose that suggests an athlete tired out from a hard game, even if you shot from the floor up to him to emphasize his power and get a more dramatic angle. The roof of the grandstand could serve as a good backdrop that would almost certainly go out of focus.