Thanks for the (probably undeserved) podium Alex.
That and probably the most thorough feedback for everyone I’ve seen. Very generous.
Well done to everyone for learning and striving to improve their photography in 2018. We are all on a journey. Enjoy getting to the destination.
You deserved it buddy! It's my hope that one day you will have faith in your photographic abilities. That could stem from something I used to grapple with a while ago, that there will always be someone better than me & you know what? There will be, but it doesn't matter. As long as you are enjoying what you are doing, that's all that matters. It's not a contest, it's just life & you're among friends here.
Thanks very much for such a comprehensive and stimulating chat about where our photography is taking us.
It should warrant a discussion thread of it's own for 2019
Congrats to the winners
Cheers
Hugh
I am normally a man of very few words, I don't know what came over me yesterday! I agree, Hugh, it could be an interesting discourse.
No way, you gotta be kidding me!!!
That's fun, I know that's a nice capture, the guy looks really awesome and he actually is but not to that degree, he's a "normal" good looking guy in his twenties (nice ol' times...) but I caught him whilst listening to another guy who, in first intention, was my potential target because of a very expressive face and fun gestures but being sitting him straight across me he was aware of each and every attempt at taking a pic of him and he ended up posing which was not my intent; on the other side of the table both Mauro, the one in the pic you so nicely chose as deserving #1, and Alfonso whom I will maybe publish in another round (but he's on my Flickr gallery already and going being printed next week), they were both caught from the funny tales and their own thoughts at different times and distance was perfect with the focal length I had mounted on the camera (an equivalent 50mm) even tho I had to crop a bit but sharpness, framing etc almost perfect which teaches me that it's not about the gear, it's not about how much preparation into the shot, (too) many a times it's just having a tool and being at the right place by the right time, a quite usual tale in life uh?!
Thank you again so much for your appreciation and if you like the genre please visit
my Flickr to see something more and something different
It was the story behind this image & how when presented with a poser that didn't do it for you, you persisted & got this stellar capture as a result that grabbed me.
I'll have a look at your Flickr account, I'm toying with creating a Flickr account again for some reason, maybe cause I just shut down all my Facebook & Instagram accounts...
I certainly get “taking it right the first time,” but I’m not there yet.
Also, my subject matter is often my children, where “in-focus” is a noble goal in itself! When I had a Sony mirrorless (a5000), I shot in jpg-only (from lack of knowing any different) and got really good results. I think Sony is a little less aggressive with PP, unlike my GX85. Good luck on your search for your next camera.
It takes a bit of thinking about what you're trying to convey in your image to know where to meter, but it does get easier with practice.
Congrats to the winners and great judging, very interesting contest this time. Actually I think I would have picked the same images as the winners.
@Alexander.Of.Oz - actually I am coming back to FF cameras and the size of the kit. My first FF was a Zeiss Ikon Contaflex which I used from around 1976-1991 with 3 fixed focus lenses. In 1991 I went Nikon with the Nikon F801 (N8008 in US I think). Maybe it just a bit back to the roots. Btw - in the last thread with the best shot of the year I was posting a picture taken with my iPhone SE.
Aah, it's a familiarity thing, a bit like
'comfort food'! I can totally get that, I'm a creature of habit & strict rituals, change is the enemy, nah, I'm starting to enjoy change these days, as it shows a level of adaptability & being in the moment, if that makes sense?
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Hello Alexander and thanks for you much appreciated feedback.
I’m just at the beginning as iphoneographer and I can’t wait to learn more, discover more and create more.
Doing amazing shots with just an iPhone: that’s my personal challenge!
Keep at it, you're doing well & they are perfectly capable little cameras! I look forward to you sharing more of your images with us here.
Great commentary , and great entries ! Congrats to
Giuanniello and to the others . No way I can do people photography nearly as well as any of the posters here.
It's a hard thing for sure, catching the essence of an individual in a single frame! Especially when it's people you don't know, then it can be skewed by our perception of them, rather than truly reflecting their nature. That's where good portrait photographers stand head & shoulders above the crowd, because they manage that glimpse of authenticity of the subject that the majority of us would miss.
I'm going to repeat what I said to AFB to you Old's, have faith in yourself, accept that you are at wherever you are at with portraiture & that you have the ability to develop your ability in your own way & style, with perseverance.
