“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” – Elliott Erwitt
I honestly appreciate comments (ALL are ticked). I wasn't expecting a ribbon. I was hoping for more constructive PHOTOGRAPHIC suggestions rather than statements of the obvious or jealous remarks about being able to fly etc. Go hire an R22, (if you pass the very strict passenger weight limitations) and lets see your images...
Portrait orientation as this is a NOVEL challenge and NOVELS are printed and bound in portrait. Images submitted in landscape mode should penalised with a -1. I Retro desaturated to fit with a faded book cover of the era at the suggestion of my TPL2 team. I still have a copy of the book. Space left in sky above horizon for a title :) The image was shot from inside a door-less Robinson R22 helicopter. Awesome experience and pilot. Thanks Sonia!
[Oct. 17th, 2013 04:07:51 PM]
It's not meant to knock socks off but a memory of one of my most exciting flights ever and a representation of what I saw, in deep DOF and a beautiful day. Perhaps in 2013 as opposed to 1968 it's the cover that sells right? Not the story inside...
[Oct. 18th, 2013 12:23:27 AM]
I left the R22 logo in the shot as a test. Anyone who knows what this is will understand the difficulty of shooting in the confines of a 2 seater Robinson R22 doorless helicopter. Technical difficulty is the least appreciated (or noticed) photographic factor on DPC wrt voting. To shoot a DSLR camera with the headset on, mic in front of mouth, not drop it out the door and being buffeted by wind and noise is quite tricky. A 15minute flight costs in the region of $300-00 and you get no retakes... I appreciate the fact that this image is "bland" and an uninteresting sky (space for book title remember? 60's faded novel cover remember?) I toned down the saturation and removed my original vignette on my TPL2 teams recommendation. I think I did well to keep the horison straight in camera despite the pitch of the heli on final approach. There's more to this than just an airport shot, so what right? here's your 3 lol.
[Oct. 22nd, 2013 05:33:25 PM]
Have "you" never heard the comment "Do not judge a book by it's cover."? There were so many images in this challenge that appeared to be thinly veiled references or shoehorns that I abdicated voting on any of them. Even the ones I thought were wonderfully done.
Not one of the book covers I researched shows ANY snow in the picture, including my own copy of the book. Many are just a runway with tyre skid marks or an aircraft with the ATC tower behind it.
The inclusion of the cockpit was for depth; scale perception and shows forethought and planning, not some lucky fortune to be able to fly! What the hell comment is that and what has it got to do with photo critique? Sounds jealous to me!
Very few of the original covers from that era have 'artistic merit'! Remember this was 1968. Things were psychedelic and hazy. Beatles and flower power. Should I have HDR'd my image or taken a pic of a plane on the ground and spiced it up for DPC or added snow?
Robert you nailed it (R22) including my longtime wish for a 5.5 button!
Vignetted colourful edit:
Statistics
Place: 64 out of 86 Avg (all users): 5.3627 Avg (commenters): 4.6667 Avg (participants): 5.4615 Avg (non-participants): 5.3016 Views since voting: 1162 Views during voting: 215 Votes: 102 Comments: 19 Favorites: 0
Well, it's an airport for sure :-) What I want to know is, which of our members is scooting around in a Robinson R22 helicopter? If you're shooting and flying at the same time, I'm mildly freaked out...
The picture doesn't do a lot for me, I'm afraid, but there's nothing to complain about either. I wish we had a 5.5 score, but since I'm amused to recognize the bird, I'll call it 6 :-)
Initial Reaction: I like aerial photography. Don't really like the inclusion of the cockpit/instrument panel.
Suitability for Challenge Topic: It's an airport. I do not see snow, and don't really feel this captures the spirit of the book.
Aesthetic: The only thing that makes this more than a snapshot is the fact that you're in the air. Otherwise, I see nothing different from this or simply poking a camera out the car window while driving.
Needs Work: Concept
Final Thoughts: Ends up seeming like a snapshot, with little substantial connection to the chosen book.
Score: 4
Well, if you see an airport and take a picture of it you call it "Airport" - but I see no connection with a novel with an eponymous title. A clear shot though
5
This image looks like a mistake as an illustration for the book/movie which takes place during a huge snowstorm. Maybe better for "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever...". So it is quite a stretch to see this as inspired by the novel. As an image, yes it is quite sharp and well exposed but lacks any content to stimulate visual or intellectual interest. If you are a pilot, then enjoy your flying and keep shooting. For this one my vote is a 5.
This is a shot that not many people can take. Fits the challenge well, but doesn't really wow me. I do like the controls in the lower portion of the shot, but don't like the bright daylight and plain sky. 5
Certainly a unique shot for the challenge! Quite the vantage point and view you have there! Wish the perspective was a little straighter and perhaps more focussed/cropped on a particular area. Right now my eye wanders all over the frame, and can't really find a focal point to rest on.
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