Gjumi selects the underrated: signs

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

01/25/2006 09:42:14 AM · #1

I think that DPC being a learning site needs a discussion of some photos that get underrated. The reason for the discussion is to educate people to appreciate some photos that otherwise are outside the mainstream taste of DPC. So, I'll try to talk about some photos that I feel are good, but that the anonimus Mr. Joe of DPC doesn't. I hope to lend you my eyes so that you can see the beauty in these photos, and if not, I hope Mr. Joe can lend me his and my eyes will become better at judging. If we can't convince each other, then, well, the sun will rise tomorrow also and we'll be happy. So, I'd like to start this with the good will in mind (or heart? Which is the correct organ?).

My promise - ramil:
I think the ring is the sign met in every culture since time immemorial. And, it's a sign of a promise, everywhere, always. So, this picture is spot on the challenge. The photo itself is minimalistic, because you don't need to lecture the things that the ring represent (although I just did that). And, this minimalism is not only on the things in the photo, but also in the color. The choice of BW means that something grave is going on there, and then you realize that the ring is not in the finger, where it belongs. And it's not so clean. What happened with the promise from the title? This photo is an open question movie.

Panorama in 4:3-GeneralE:
We are seeing the photo of a photo of the city and the city at the same time - talk about Russian dolls. So, this is how a sign and the thing that the sign is supposed to indicate look like together.

Cinema: Reflection of Society- Cutter:
Just lovely! Simple, strait to point, with a great story. I started reading MOTIO and then I realised that N is wrong. So, I "reflected" my mind and went on the other side of the photo. When you read as you're supposed to do in a latin world, from left to right, you start with motion pictures and end up with a huge emptiness, but still with some warm colors. So, you come on this side of the photo and you start with emptiness and end up with the twisted motion pictures. This photo was Alice in Wonderland to me.

Thank you.

quiet_observation

Canon EOS-7D

01/25/2006 10:39:04 AM · #2

.

Message edited by author 2006-08-17 13:06:01.

justpeachy742

Olympus C-750UZ

01/25/2006 10:54:34 AM · #3

I agree with the cinema one. It was very simple but effective!

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

01/25/2006 11:14:37 AM · #4

Originally posted by maryba:

My promise - ramil:
"I think the ring is the sign met in every culture since time immemorial. And, it's a sign of a promise, everywhere, always. So, this picture is spot on the challenge."

Sorry, not everyone sees a ring like that. It also could be a symbol of enslavement or of a person/animal being owned by another.

Maryba, thanks for replying. I think you agree with me that the ring is a symbol, a sign of the union of two beings (I'm not aware of rings being used in animals, I mean rings, not chains, but anyway). Now, where will that union go is a different issue. And ramil's picture leaves a lot of room for interpretation: maybe it is a ring of a liberated woman, maybe it is a ring of a saddened widow, maybe it is a ring of a broken relationship, or maybe it is a ring of a future marriage (but I doubt this, because there are sings of time in this particular ring; I say it's a bit dirty). Personaly I like when an artist makes me start thinking, and I'll do the rest of the art myself. Ramil made this possible for me with this shot.

Originally posted by justpeachy742:

I agree with the cinema one. It was very simple but effective!

Chuck Norris approves your agrement!

militarygirl10

Nikon D2H

01/25/2006 11:21:49 AM · #5

This was very interesting ready gjumi, htank you. It helps to know how other people look at things when voting. I didnt really think of it the way you did but i like it. Simplicity in photos is sometimes bery hard for people to understand. I totally agree with the cinema pic, I loved it.

Kivet

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

01/25/2006 11:37:27 AM · #6

I really liked all all of those. Would have scored better for me if:

Ramil: Love the disign of the front and would have liked to see that part more/closer somehow.

GeneralE: Too bad it was basic, I think with advanced rules this picture would have been incredible.

Cutter: Again with advanced this might have been better but I really liked the setup, maybe just a scunch more on the right of the sign and bring the left in.

I once heard a saying where the heart leads the mind will follow.

...or was that the other way around?

Message edited by author 2006-01-25 11:37:55.

Kivet

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

01/25/2006 12:01:12 PM · #7

nvmd

Message edited by author 2006-01-25 12:26:25.

fadedbeauty

Nikon D300

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

01/25/2006 01:20:56 PM · #8

I think that my entry received entirely too many 1s and 2s. I know it was a dark subject mater and not in any way a happy picture. It also wasn't technically perfect to my standards. However i do think that it did not deserve a 1 score...especially without leaving a comment.

If I don't particularly like a subject but the image is otherwise fine I give the image an average score of 5 or maybe 4. I only give 1 to absolute junk shots...like things that are nowhere near being in focus...

note about this entry: This was absolute last minute entry. I came up with the idea at 10:30 on Tuesday. So I only had 1 and a half hours to shoot it, sort through the results and get it edited. I submitted it at like 11:58

Message edited by author 2006-01-25 13:23:46.

joycobb

Kodak EasyShare Z612

01/25/2006 01:23:54 PM · #9

fadedbeauty, I gave yours an 8. :)
Mine was TOTALLY underrated, also. LOL
I did think it would do better, but it hit about the halfway point.

holdingtime

Canon EOS-5D

01/25/2006 01:30:20 PM · #10

gjumi....why so much to say now. When you comented on mine you left only a number..not a coment..a number is not a coment and not very helpful

joycobb

Kodak EasyShare Z612

01/25/2006 01:35:11 PM · #11

HEY!!! gjumi just left a number on mine, too! I couldn't decide whether it was helpful or not. You gave me a 5, gjumi...care to elaborate?

Message edited by author 2006-01-25 22:35:03.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

01/25/2006 01:42:35 PM · #12

It's worth remembering that completely apart from issues of the "significance" of an image, we vote on technical or "photographic" merit and visual impact as well. All of these images finished over 5.0, and Cutter's, which arguably has the most visual impact of the 3, finished right smack in the middle of the field.

Nevertheless, your interpretation of the intangibles is insightful, and I thank you for providing it.

R.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

01/25/2006 01:45:54 PM · #13

Originally posted by Kivet:

I really liked all all of those. Would have scored better for me if:

GeneralE: Too bad it was basic, I think with advanced rules this picture would have been incredible.

Thanks! What would you suggest for further editing? There's no restriction on what I can do with it now : )

Personally, I'm happiest with the framing ... that's a hand-held, uncropped shot, hence the title calling attention to the frame shape.

_eug

Nikon D50

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

01/25/2006 02:52:46 PM · #14

I curious about the "Gjumi selects the underrated: Roads" thread. Where is that one? ;)

edit: spelling

Message edited by author 2006-01-25 14:53:10.

Kivet

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

01/25/2006 03:18:08 PM · #15

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Thanks! What would you suggest for further editing? There's no restriction on what I can do with it now : )

Well you asked for it :) I left you a comment.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

01/25/2006 03:36:44 PM · #16

Originally posted by Kivet:

Originally posted by GeneralE:
Thanks! What would you suggest for further editing? There's no restriction on what I can do with it now : )

Well you asked for it :) I left you a comment.

Thanks -- I can do that in the next couple of days : )

01/25/2006 10:51:33 PM · #17

Thanks for the interest on what I wrote. I must stress once more that I'm interested to read your opinions as well, because I want to see the photos with your eyes, so all your comments are appreciated.

Some are wondering about the numbers I left - those numbers are my vote for a particular photo. Since I want to vote all the photos in a challenge, but I don't have all the time to comment them, I just put the vote and I usually comment a few photos that strike me or that I feel would benefit from my comment.

I gave 4 to Greg (holdingtime) mainly for technical reasons: a highlighted dull sky and very dark buildings. I think the photo could have been more colorful, but then again the colors don't pop from the picture, they seem quite flat to me. The picture is supposed to tel me a story without the title, but when I look at the title (Established 1918) I start wondering where is the sign of 100 years ago in this photo? There was a photo with New Oxford in it - I want something like that for period photo. I hope this explains why I voted the way I did. And one more thing: the picture was too busy for me: united music, georges, hot dog, original - too many things to read. If you want to put so many things there, then I'd prefer the way Coorporate America did it (18th place at this challenge). And, the 85th place is the higher middle, so it's not underrated. Of course, according to my eyes.

As for Joy's entry (joycobb), I gave it a 5 because it has a funny angle (I don't know wether I like it or not). I tend to overlook the highlights at the center of the photo, for the sake of nice complementary colors. But, then I start reading from the middle down and realize that the photo is about God, and the airplane trail takes from teh middle up, to where God is supposed to be. Unfortunately, this movement is not smooth: I start at the middle, read, go down, then go to the middle and follow the trail up, so I get tired. So, nice realization, with a nice story, but only that: nice, that is 5 from me, which doesn't make it underrated.

I hope you see that I believe a photo should communicate, so I don't judge only based on technical merits, but I want to read a story while staring at a photo.

Now, I gave an 8 to Eric's (fadedbeauty) entry and that one got the 57th place, which is too low, in my opinion, but still made the top half. I liked the photo, technically is flawless. The choice of blue and dark tones fit perfectly the mood. I liked the story also, especially the fact that there is a tear, but the face is calm and simply accepting the fate. The only thing I'd change is the way the lady is holding the blade. It's unfortunate that this photo got so many 1s and 2s, I believe, only because of the topic.

And, there won't be a "Gjumi underrates roads", because he just didn't vote there - it's too bad that the day has only 24 hours.

I hope this helps in any way.

Thanks.

Message edited by author 2006-01-25 23:01:21.

_eug

Nikon D50

01/25/2006 11:42:27 PM · #18

Originally posted by gjumi:

And, there won't be a "Gjumi underrates roads", because he just didn't vote there - it's too bad that the day has only 24 hours.

Damn we gotta get you to mars where the days are 25 hours. ;)

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

01/26/2006 12:20:31 AM · #19

Originally posted by _eug:

Originally posted by gjumi:
And, there won't be a "Gjumi underrates roads", because he just didn't vote there - it's too bad that the day has only 24 hours.
Damn we gotta get you to mars where the days are 25 hours. ;)

Or maybe put an adapter on the electrical system to lower the house current to 50 Hz and slow down rhe clocks ...

_eug

Nikon D50

01/26/2006 12:36:21 AM · #20

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by _eug:
Damn we gotta get you to mars where the days are 25 hours. ;)

Or maybe put an adapter on the electrical system to lower the house current to 50 Hz and slow down rhe clocks ...

lol

joycobb

Kodak EasyShare Z612

01/26/2006 01:18:09 AM · #21

Thank you, gjumi, for explaining why "just numbers". I'll mark your comment helpful now...I wasn't so sure before. And thank you for your quite detailed comment about my photo here. It makes a lot of sense.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

01/26/2006 07:01:59 AM · #22

Nah, one hour in Mars wouldn't help, 'cuz I'd be spending it chasing martian babes or drinking martian beer.

holdingtime

Canon EOS-5D

01/26/2006 10:24:49 PM · #23

I accept you view of my pic gracfuly Thank you for the time in responding sorry this post is late

01/27/2006 07:31:56 AM · #24

Originally posted by holdingtime:

I accept you view of my pic gracfuly Thank you for the time in responding sorry this post is late

You're more than welcome. In fact, big thanks to the people who go through the trouble (and fun) of taking pictures and sharing.