-Anonymous Lens Culture Reviewer
He or she should have left it that while they were ahead- but I guess one is obliged to prove one's... expertise. And granted- the guy did put in the time to write a few paragraphs. Appreciated, but...
I've never requested their advertised "portfolio review" before when I entered a Lens Culture competition, this time I requested one since I'll never enter another there, and might as well get whatever minimum I could get for all the money invested over time...
It started with a few informal niceties- they had lived in San Francisco for a time, my photos were humorous, etc. Then... why the half color/half B&W submission, and the more infamous- why the wide angle all the time? So, let's cut to the chase...
"I love the two wankers framing the action number eight but here is where I start to have a problem. It seems like a long time ago you decided that you are going to live or die by this wide-angle lens. It's fairly wide and even though you're admirably close to your subjects you still include a lot of information side to side. Sometimes too much. I find the two guys on the left in this image to be a distraction."
The main consideration in that photograph was- what the hell do I do about that unsightly pile of luggage on the lower left? It was massively in the way of anything I tried to do, and I didn't have the option of just moving other peoples' property as I damn well pleased. It had to be incorporated into the composition in the least obtrusive manner possible- and quite honestly, I didn't think it possible to uhhh... pull off.
When I went closer, it just got bigger and more obtrusive in the foreground, closer still to totally eliminate- and the whole composition and depth of field dissipated. So I kept working it, different angles, different distances and finally (finally!) worked it out the very second she placed her hand on his stomach.
Without the pile, I would've been able to go closer and quite likely exclude those guys. But dealing with reality as is- those two guys on the left are not only crucial to balancing the composition, they also lend a nice sense of irony. Here's some ol' geezer jerking off right next to them, and they're talking away about.... well, whatever it is one talks about with an ol' geezer jerking away right next to ya! That's what wide angle's allow you to do: present various subtexts within the larger context to complement/contrast, isolate/compare- all serving to advance a more nuanced story.
Is that to say that I'm all that and have nothing to learn after 40+ years- 'course not, I'm still striving to learn every time I attempt a photograph. One can criticize me all you want for entering a 50% B&W, 50% color submission, point taken- it's something I wouldn't recommend myself! Ultimately, it was a moot point of consideration. But do not (Do Not!) lecture me on hypotheticals- when you've so blatantly failed to recognize the major challenge presented by an image as is...
"I love the two wankers framing the action number eight but here is where I start to have a problem. It seems like a long time ago you decided that you are going to live or die by this wide-angle lens. It's fairly wide and even though you're admirably close to your subjects you still include a lot of information side to side. Sometimes too much. I find the two guys on the left in this image to be a distraction."
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| Photo: © S. Banos |
The main consideration in that photograph was- what the hell do I do about that unsightly pile of luggage on the lower left? It was massively in the way of anything I tried to do, and I didn't have the option of just moving other peoples' property as I damn well pleased. It had to be incorporated into the composition in the least obtrusive manner possible- and quite honestly, I didn't think it possible to uhhh... pull off.
When I went closer, it just got bigger and more obtrusive in the foreground, closer still to totally eliminate- and the whole composition and depth of field dissipated. So I kept working it, different angles, different distances and finally (finally!) worked it out the very second she placed her hand on his stomach.
Without the pile, I would've been able to go closer and quite likely exclude those guys. But dealing with reality as is- those two guys on the left are not only crucial to balancing the composition, they also lend a nice sense of irony. Here's some ol' geezer jerking off right next to them, and they're talking away about.... well, whatever it is one talks about with an ol' geezer jerking away right next to ya! That's what wide angle's allow you to do: present various subtexts within the larger context to complement/contrast, isolate/compare- all serving to advance a more nuanced story.
Is that to say that I'm all that and have nothing to learn after 40+ years- 'course not, I'm still striving to learn every time I attempt a photograph. One can criticize me all you want for entering a 50% B&W, 50% color submission, point taken- it's something I wouldn't recommend myself! Ultimately, it was a moot point of consideration. But do not (Do Not!) lecture me on hypotheticals- when you've so blatantly failed to recognize the major challenge presented by an image as is...
I guess it depends on whether you are presenting your image as a piece of journalism, documentary or art.
ReplyDeleteFair enuf, although this was clearly aimed at the latter.
ReplyDeletePersonally I would have put it in one of the first two. If you want to call it "art" then I think the reviewers comments might have some merit. A very few of the famous street photographers images have managed to transcend themselves into something most would classify as "art". Most are relegated to the first two categories I mentioned. I feel your image is a great documentary image as part of a larger work but imho it's not "art". Just my non MFA, unannointed by the art gods opinion. Take it for what it's worth.
ReplyDeleteNot all that particularly concerned how anyone classifies it. It obviously fits into (a category of) street photography- examples of which can fit all the above. Lately, the "art" of street photography itself seems to have been high jacked by a certain "hardcore" segment which tends to limit its parameters. I think of "street photography" in much broader terms which can not only encompass some or all your three categories, but also go beyond the self imposed limits some now place upon it.
ReplyDeletePoor Stan, so misunderstand. 😉
ReplyDeleteArt is subjective and relies on the taste and experience of the person making it and consuming it. For example, I wouldn't trust someone's judgement in matters of photography if they put Art and Documentary in different categories.
ReplyDeleteI like the photograph for what it is. The wide angle is more objective and requires you to sort things out. The feedback from the LensCulture reviewer is stupid. It reveals more about them than your photograph. Good critique incorporates intent; it doesn't tell you to intend something else.
I think the photograph works because of the two guys on the left. They balance things out and make the scene a bit more puzzling, which is what is interesting about it.
Not everyone is going to like your approach with the wide angle since it leaves a lot of room for someone to mistake the space for lack of authorial perspective, but I'm guessing you are used to that by now.
Granted, it's all... subjective.
ReplyDeleteBut if someone is going to actually critique something in an official capacity, as opposed to just giving an opinion, have something relevant and insightful to say...