The Internet
by BakerBug

Comment by MikeJ:

I think the object is too obscure as to what it is and what it does. I know what it is, but someone that doesn't work around them probably wouldn't have a clue. And not understanding what the object is makes it hard to appreciate the picture.

It's already been mentioned about DOF, but something addition to what has been said is front focus. While it's not unusal to have the object fade from in focus to out of focus, having the front out of focus is kind of like hitting a visual brick wall. It just stops the eyes for a moment since the first thing they see is that out of focus area. And I think that in shallow area like you have here, you should have more area in focus and less out of focus.

The colors are well done, exposure is well done. And yes, I would have thought the specs were dirt or something. :D

Mike

My Dad's Toy
by BakerBug

Comment by Bear_Music:
Once more, MAJOR DOF issues here. IN photographinng models like this, you usally want more realism, not less. The train is admirably sharp, but the vegetation is so OOF that it is extremely unpleasing to look at. You also have a figure/ground issue at the front of the locomotive, where it is merging right into the shape behind it. Careful attention to lighting can solve this problem.

My Dad's Toy
by BakerBug

Comment by jacolo:
Good emphases and framing techniques are used!

The Internet
by BakerBug

Comment by Bear_Music:
Again, I see DOF issues here. What's intriguing, and even instructive, is that the LEFTmost lamp is sharp and the RIGHTmost cord of the 3 is sharp. This is kind of frustrating visually. The reason it is happening is because the camera is aimed at an angle to the subject, and the plane perpindicular to the lens at that given focusing distance includes both those points.

FYI, in case you did not know it, at any given f/stopo and any given focusing distance you have "x" amount of DOF and it is distributed as follows: 1/3 of x in front of the point-of-focus and 2/3 of x behind the point of focus. In other words, if you have 3 inches of DOF to work with, and you focus at 4 inches, the DOF will run from 3 to 6 inches.

It can be helpful to actually MEASURE the actual physical depth of your subject in a shot like this, and then place an extraneous object 1/3 of the way into that depth, and manually focus on that object, then remove it and make your shots at several different apertures, to choose the one with the most pleasing DOF for your composition.

The Slide Rule
by BakerBug

Comment by Bear_Music:
I like what you're doing here, but the expressed diagonal is a weak one to my eyes. The photo has almost as much sense of horizontal division as it does of diagonal division; that is to say, you vae a lot of forgeround out of play and relatively little BG out of play. It also needs more DOF to work, I think; it's frustrating how those precise lines & numbers are not quite there. Makign shots like this, I do a LOT of variations both of positioning and DOF in order to find the most pleasign combination.

The Slide Rule
by BakerBug

Comment by tinky2:
Great idea for OLD. At least the title would have told some of the young'uns what this is. I love slide rules! Now if only I could remember how to use one. I really like the lighting on this. I would have liked to see a little stronger focus on the middle of the slide rule.

My Dad's Toy
by BakerBug

Comment by nomad469:
cool image - nice angles and the train looks like one of mine :) I too have a problem with the red... i know that It is something in the scene but it looks out of place in the image

My Dad's Toy
by BakerBug

Comment by dwterry:
I like this one a lot. I think only two improvements would be in:

1) Move the train just slightly to the left. The out-of-focus bit that is just to the top-right of the train keeps distracting me. Don't get me wrong, I *like* it there - the OOF parts really help focus your attention on the train. I just think that one piece is a little too close to the train.

2) The bit of red in the image lacks explanation... it's there, but why? Probably best to physically move it out of the frame, or else clone it out in post.

The Slide Rule
by BakerBug

Comment by dwterry:
Feels like it could have been sharper. I wonder if, rather than a "product shot", something more along the lines of an old man USING the slide rule might have made it more interesting? (i.e. tell a story, don't just present the slide rule as an image)

The Internet
by BakerBug

Comment by dwterry:
I dunno about the image for the challenge (it doesn't seem so abstract to me), but I love the shallow DOF and the angled colors make the image interesting.