Challenge:Photojournalism (Classic Editing) Camera:Kodak DX3900 Location: Charlotte, NC Date: Nov 19, 2002 Aperture: auto ISO: auto Shutter: auto Date Uploaded: Nov 24, 2002
As I was out driving, I came across this helicopter in a company parking lot. They were lifting an air conditioning unit onto the top of this building.
Statistics
Place: 98 out of 147 Avg (all users): 4.9044 Avg (commenters): 6.2500 Avg (participants): 4.8431 Avg (non-participants): 4.9412 Views since voting: 988 Votes: 272 Comments: 17 Favorites: 1 (view)
Hi John, don't wonder why you get another critique this late but your photo was assigned to me in context of the Critique Club (maybe your read about that in the forum). So here it goes:
Composition: I like the framing by the tree and the roof on the left and on the bottom. Only this indicates that the helicopter is in a city. It would be better if the roof would have some chimneys or antennas because like it's now it's hard to recognise as a roof and is only a black bar. I think that's why some people suggested to crop it out.
The subject is placed according to the rule of thirds (intentionally or not) and I think it helped the photo because it makes the subject more dynamic and like it just flew into the frame.
Lighting: The backlighting of the sun creates a very magnificent light. But I think it's a bit too much and I would like a shorter exposure. The helicopter which is your actual subject (and not the sun) loses detail, e.g. the rope holding the cargo vanishes in the sky. Of course it would have been perfect if the sun was right behind the helicopter, but I guess it was not possible to tell the pilot to pose for you ;-)
Focus: The focus could be better. It seems that the tree has a better focus than the helicopter. It should be the other way around.
Art: In my opinion the photo fulfills the challenge. It documents an event altough not a very interesting or touching one and I don't think this would make it on the front cover. Backlighting always is a difficult thing in photography and altough it could be improved technically it's an extra point for the effort.
This has potential, but I don't think like this I would expect to see it in the paper. Without the sun so bright and a little more focused on the helicopter, it might make it but with the bright sun like this, without a more dynamic backdrop, it would be on the cutting room floor. - Inspzil
While technically it is not a fashion magazione cover quality photograph, it is exceptional nevertheless. With your compositon, you were able to capture the sense of urgency, the real need implyied by the havy machinery, the connection to life (the tree on the left acomplishes that very well). Especially impressive is the sun, almost dead in the centre, making the image striking; the siloet shapes of all the objects give the image the sence of urgency mentioned earlier. Congratulations, on job very well done.
Bottom needs to be cropped out or lightened with levels so we could see what it is....? Building, ground, road? I love the shot over all, but the compression has hurt your shot. It's a good capture and the composition is really neat. On topic. Justine
I do like the moody clouds at the bottom, and the tree up the side, but I don't like the black line across the bottom. I think cropping this to 640x427 would have helped.
Very interesting! Nice job... if the color was better, it would be a 10 but I'm giving it an 8, it fits very well into the photojournalism category. Good job.
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