Challenge:Lucky (Basic Editing) Camera:Canon PowerShot S5 IS Location: Horseman club, Fort Worth, Texas Date: Jan 1, 2009 Aperture: F2.7 ISO: 200 Shutter: 1/2 Sec. Galleries:Candid, Street Date Uploaded: Jan 1, 2009
Shot while out for new years eve. These folks were nice enough to allow me to photograph their poker game. Very poor lighting for the camera I had with me. Would have done much better if I'd had the SLR with me, but I think I did pretty good stabilizing the camera on the edge of the card table. I think if this were an advanced challenge, some layer work and dodging/burning could have also improved it.
Pre-challenge notes:
Being a real life "found" scene, I expect this will have both lovers and haters of it. I may get some advice on avoiding the motion blurred hand. Expecting a low 5, and hopefully some good comments from the folks who like such shots.
[Jan. 7th, 2009 10:55:06 PM]
Third comment included the anticipated critique of the blurred hand motion. Can I call it, or what?
Post challenge notes:
Came in way higher than I expected and placed... 4th? WOW! Thanks for all the good comments and votes. "Lucky" was right, for a sub-6 score to come in 4th place!
Here's the color version for any interested. I think the sepia treatment was a good choice for this one.
Statistics
Place: 4 out of 87 Avg (all users): 5.9729 Avg (commenters): 6.3333 Avg (participants): 5.7500 Avg (non-participants): 6.0221 Views since voting: 3717 Views during voting: 376 Votes: 221 Comments: 18 Favorites: 1 (view)
linked to this from the "people hiding behind black and white" forum thread... great shot to post as an example! the color version pales in comparison to the sepia / b&w conversion. turns a ho hum image into a really interesting look and feel...I am a casino manager so maybe i'm biased though force, after having to review so many surveillance shots. to stay interested i try to find art in images like these, for sanities sake... anyway I think this is great and turning to B&W improved this image exponentially! good call, good example, great end result!
Im a big fan of this shot... I think it really captures the mood of a poker game. The motion of the card-player's hand... the intense stare of concentration... all great. The foreground elements of the chips/smokes is what seals the deal. Might be my fave of your shots!
I've played alot of poker at casino tables and this is great for it's "real deal" feel (sorry didn't intend the rhyme). Looks like the bald guy wins and the guy in the hat is scared/ticked.
This is excellent, Steve! Wonderfully composed, great perspective, definitely works in monochrome better than color (for me, anyway) so great choices made all around. Congrats on the nifty star thingie, too!!
The portrait of the guy on the right works really well. I'd prefer this cropped in around him. I like the perspective from low down on the table, but the cigs and moving hand are a distraction for me.
Phil Helmuth would say skill, me i have to get lucky lol.
I think your choice of tint on this shot has turned what may, in colour, have been a cluttered image into something with good mood and interest.
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