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guangzhou
Sep 8, 2005, 11:19 PM
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The last assignment didn’t see much traffic, so I am posting this one early. I am going to say this first this time, because I think it is very important... please do not recycle photos for assignments, I don't think it helps improve one's skills. Even if you have a photo that seems to fit, you obviously weren't concentrating on the technique being explored in the assignment. Assignment 3: Take a Climber’s portrait, but do not let your primary subject take up more than 25% of the frame. This means you actually have to look at your background and eliminate things that distract from the shot. The background and subject are now equally important! Why: New photographers are taught is to fill the frame with their subject. It is a good basic rule of thumb, but some of the best climbing shot also have a spectacular background. (most of my favorite have something besides a climber.) Have fun
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trenchdigger
Sep 9, 2005, 5:29 PM
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When I think portrait, I think a head/head & torso shot with shallow depth of field. But then you mention carefully choosing your background and only filling the frame 25%. Are you looking for a full body shot of the climber filling 25% of the frame? And since you mention background, I'm guessing you'd like a larger depth of field? I don't mean to nitpick, I'm just interested in the challenge and want to try to produce what the "Assignment" is looking for. ~Adam~
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sidepull
Sep 9, 2005, 6:18 PM
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I haven't noticed these threads before but kudos - what an awesome idea! If I had trophy power today you'd be getting one. I'm excited to see the results. I'll have to check the previous assignments.
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guangzhou
Sep 9, 2005, 11:56 PM
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only HAVE TWO MINUTES BUT i WILL TRY TO ANWSER YOUR QUESTION. I agree that portraits are normally a full frame of you subject: animal, people, buildings etc, but I often see portraits shot that include a background. Often I see these as cover photos of sport magazine: Alex Low holding ice axes with the mountain in the background. (Tool and his passion) Lynn Hill doing Yoga in front of El-cap (Workout and the goal in the background) Shots like those do more than portrait a person; they give us some ideas about what the person does or has accomplished I apologize for not making the assignment clearer to begin with. Out of time, but I hope it helps.
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anykineclimb
Sep 10, 2005, 9:44 AM
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Gave the vote for you sidepull. this is a great idea for photographers, I just wish I was somewhere that could actually participate.. oh well. soon enough I suppose. In terms of the assignment, I think its a great idea. Maybe using the term "portrait" was/ is misleading. it can be a full body shot or possibly just their head. One of my favorite current pictures is the Patagonia ad (I think..) with Steve House's self portrait. the heels of his boots and looking down what he had just soloed.. awesome shot! **EDIT** I found the pic http://www.portfolio.planetmountain.com/...-House-AboveCrux.jpg
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sonyhome
Sep 13, 2005, 7:23 PM
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Wow, that is a nice shot :) i tried something similar but with less success on something less impresive... I'll have to retry with that perspective.
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outdoorsie
Sep 13, 2005, 8:31 PM
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Interesting, so where I usually work hard to get candid shots of climbers, this assignment can, and probably should, see a *posed* subject? I think that would be the key element that makes a "portrait" shot different from a regular action shot of a climber. Ok... got the assignment. Now I just have to figure out where to climb this weekend. :-)
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guangzhou
Sep 14, 2005, 3:00 AM
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I don't agree that the shot needs to be posted. When you are belaying someone on a traverse, the photographer often puts and background in the shot, and the climber appears small. Without the climber, the shot would be worth shooting, without the background, the viewer would have no prospective. Eman
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pancaketom
Sep 14, 2005, 4:31 AM
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great photo, but that is not what I thought assignment #3 was looking for (for example, unless you were there, it would be pretty hard to identify the climber, but I would expect a portrait shot to be otherwise). I went out bouldering today, but it was really dark, and just 2 of us, so I was needed to spot, not take photos.
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superbum
Sep 14, 2005, 8:11 AM
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I don't know how to post a pic in the forum, but here is a link to a creative portrait by my friend Adam Penney. You can see his face reflected in his coffee brewer. And what better background for breakfast than Hidden Valley!? http://www.rockclimbing.com/photo/photo_show.php?id=54106
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sonyhome
Sep 14, 2005, 8:14 AM
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I found an awesome photo exactly the right photo demonstrating what this assignment should yield, made by angelaa. I'm not linking directly because i didn't take it nor did she (he?) take it for this assignment: http://www.rockclimbing.com/...to_show.php?id=59193 guangzhou: That series of phot you're posting looks really faded. Did you use film, and if so, is it fresh film? Maybe it got damaged by security on xrays... Compare to climbsomething's colors. It's kinda like having a washed out sky that hurts the photo. I would've also put the talent mor towards the corner to dwarf him vs the scenery that's spectacular, and cut out some of the rock that doesn't add to its dimension, maybe waited for him to be in the middle of a dynamic move too... Mostly my problem is color saturation and hue seems off, then touching up contrast second... That is to be critical :) climsomething: Ah : you do have cool shots lying around in your collection... Kole told me you'd been holding back ;) How did you get a black foliage?! superbun: Nice uptake on the angle, it's quite different :) You can display your photo like this, using the buttons or by hand: Cheers!
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guangzhou
Sep 14, 2005, 12:21 PM
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Sonyhome: the photo you posted is a good example for sure. The climber is an important part, but the setting and the backgraound make the shot much more interesting. My shot are clear on my screen and when I produce prints. They are even clear when I email them. Unfortunately, when I up load to yahoo, they turn out like crap. I will be creating my own site soon enough. I will use that URL to post pictures from when I do. I am guessing it has to do with the resizing rc does
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sonyhome
Sep 15, 2005, 1:22 AM
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Ah... maybe it's because of the high freqyuency photo... the wall looks like it has a *lot* of texture. Maybe also there's a color spaceissue, like having your home PC fully calibrated for photoshop, and the other sites not aware of it and not adjusting and redisplaying using a different (CRT/web) colorspace? It's something I have to figure out too someday...
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guangzhou
Sep 15, 2005, 3:07 AM
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Sounds to complicated for me already. With that said, I have just found me a webhost and will start creating a website soon. Eman
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guangzhou
Sep 20, 2005, 11:09 PM
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That's a good looking photo. Now challenge yourself and go shoot one specificly for the Assigment. That's the only way to improve. Eman
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guangzhou
Sep 20, 2005, 11:11 PM
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That's a good looking photo. Now challenge yourself and go shoot one specificly for the Assigment. That's the only way to improve. Eman
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outdoorsie
Sep 21, 2005, 3:14 PM
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Yeah, that is a cool photo, but I'm still working with the idea that this is a "portrait"... and the shot referenced above doesn't even show a face. Though, it does incorporate the scenery into the "story" of the shot really well.
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guangzhou
Sep 21, 2005, 11:54 PM
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Portrait doesn't mean someone’s face must be represented. In this case, it's a portrait of climbing, not the climber. Maybe that will make it easier for some of you. If you thumb through photo-magazines, photo websites, and take some photojournalism classes, you can see that portraits are not limited to Family and individuals shot at the local Walmart. I have seen some great portraits of Elcap. Architects often take portraits of buildings. Car portraits are used in advertising
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guangzhou
Sep 24, 2005, 12:18 AM
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Your photos are close to the assigment. I find it hard to get great photos while climbing. My best shots are those that I take time out of climbing to get. Thanks When do youthink I should submit another assigment?
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trenchdigger
Sep 26, 2005, 9:07 PM
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A favorite website of mine, http://www.usefilm.com, descibes Portraits as "Photographs where the primary subject is an individual or group, but is shot specifically to display the personality of the subject." Try to keep that idea in mind when shooting for this assignment. Some thoughts... Though it is usually the case, the subject of a portrait doesn't always have to be in focus. When the subject is not identifiable, it could be anyone. Maybe even you? Well, so long as you're a male... with a bad farmer tan. But that's beside the point. Though he's not in the act of pulling on holds, but you still know he's a climber. And you know exactly the preparatory, focused mental state he is in. Resting, relaxing, and thinking through every move from the sit-start to the heel-hooking mantel at the end. Link to Photo http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=61701 Camera: Canon EOS 20D Lens: Canon 50mm f/1.4 Mode: Aperture Priority Exposure Compensation: -1.3 stops Aperture: f/1.4 Shutter: 1/3200 ISO: 100 Photoshop: Resized, then mildly sharpened.
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guangzhou
Sep 26, 2005, 11:41 PM
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A very nice protrail of climbing for anyone who knows what climbing is. I hope that one day, I develop a creative eye like you. Thanks, so far, this is the best contribution to this assigment. Eman
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