March MHK: Photography Contest Results

Thanks to everyone for actively participating in the photography competition. The entries posed a tough challenge for the 3 judges (Rathi, Ravi & Roshin) who evaluated the pictures based on technique, originality & aesthetics and assigned points as per the following:

Technique: 4
Originality: 3
Aesthetics: 3

After consolidating the evaluations from the 3 judges, we have selected Tharunya's "Who's coming to tea?" as the winner for receiving the best photograph title. Tharunya will receive a copy of John Hedgecoe's "How to Take Great Vacation Photographs".

Selected comments from Judges

"Inverse Silhouette"

One has seen countless photographs of the photographer's shadow - on sand, water, lawn and other surfaces. However, this creative photograph by Ananth gives the whole concept a unique new treatment. By exposing for the shadow detail in the grass, he forms an inverse/negative image with details in the shadows and blown out highlights defining a silhouette.

"Game On!"

Color is a very strong, defining element in any picture and this picture from Varun utilizes it to full effect. The composition is also very dynamic, yet very balanced. The triangular/pyramidal leading lines lead to the main center of interest - a colorful ball.

The fact that this was taken using a mobile give credence to the photographer's ability to "see an image" and capture it without relying on the help of technology.

"Gururaj - I"

This picture from Guru explains the power of composition in making a picture better than any other. Here is the picture before Guru cropped it:

In the original photograph, the main subject was lost amongst all the elements in the picture. By cropping it tighter and framing the photograph around the insect, Guru has created a very pleasing photograph with rich saturated colors and sharp focus on the subject.

"Who's coming to tea?"

This photograph by Tharunya exemplifies what photography is all about - capturing a fleeting moment in time and preserving for all eternity, using light, shadow, color, symmetry and framing to reveal a subject and a story. The parallel lines of the pillars at the side draw our eye to the second frame formed by the door and into yet another frame formed with light on to the subject - an empty chair besides a table with two cups on a tray. The composition also exploits the vertical frame within frame concept, and uses color and the additional element of the window to break the monotony of the frames and avoid the banality of symmetry. The window mirrors the chair and balances the overall picture.

The empty chair in front of the two cups raises tantalizing questions - from whom is the table set? have they already finished or are they yet to arrive? what/who else is there in the room besides the lone chair visible through the door?

As in any good photograph, light and shadow play a defining role. The warm evening light throws long shadows framing the main subject which is well lit. The unique closed shape of the inner courtyard lends to the symmetrical shadow forming the frame at the bottom of the picture. The parallel lines of the chair mirror the parallel lines of the door and the pillars. Overall, a very pleasing composition to the eye.

The only complaint I have about this photograph, and a minor one at that, is that the photograph is not exactly level. However, this is something that can be corrected during post-processing in an image-editor.

March MHK: Photography Contest

The following are the entries received for the photography contest held during the March MHK. The rules for the contest are listed below:

1. Send your two best photographs taken during the course of the workshop at Panchavati
2. Photos must be resized so that the longer side is no more than 900 pixels
3. No digital manipulations must be done except contrast/brightness/levels/crop
4. Only JPEG format
5. For each photograph, include an explanation as to the "science" and "art" behind the photograph

The result will be announced once the judges (Rathi, Ravi, Roshin) have had a chance to review all the photographs as per the following criteria: Grading out of 10 points with 4 for Technique, 3 for Originality and 3 for Aesthetics. The higher weightage for Technique as it is the easiest to improve immediately after a workshop.

All viewers are encouraged to express their opinions/criticisms of the photographs in the comments section of this page.

As announced, the winner gets to take home a copy of the book "How to take Great Vacation Photographs" by John Hedgecoe.

Ananth - I

Inverse Silhouette

Camera: Panasonic
Model: DMC-FZ8
ISO: 100
Exposure: 1/50 sec
Aperture: f/6.3
Focal Length: 6mm
Flash Used: No

Art, Sciene etc... : Hmmmm, firstly, I guess I've been lousy with the rules in this pic. No thirds, leading lines... afternoon sun. I wantedly over-exposed the pic etc. I initially wanted to take a pic of my shadow on the lawn. Then I thought it would be cool if I can manage to get the grass filling the silhouette and no details outside the shadow area. So I decided to overexpose the picture, by using spot metering and focussing on the shadow region. I added a spot of brightness and contrast in post processing, but that's more for the outer fringes to appear whiter.

Ananth - II

Heron

Camera: Panasonic
Model: DMC-FZ8
ISO: 125
Exposure: 1/25 sec
Aperture: f/3.3
Focal Length: 72mm
Flash Used: No

Art and science:

While driving up to Panchavati, I'd noticed some birds flitting about in the adjacent field. So after the workshop, when I was goofing off on the roof trying futile attempts at Nat-Geo-ish pics, I saw the field again. So I hopped off the roof (in safe stages) and walked across. I had hell taking this pic, since there was only one spot from where this pic could be taken, and that was a slope beyond the bamboo fringe. So I was rather precariously perched to take this one. It also made it hell to keep my hand from shaking, I used 12x zoom for this pic. I like the fact that the foliage forms a natural frame from my location of view in this pic. The plants forming the lower half of the frame are much closer to me, and hence they are out of focus. In hindsight, it has a nice effect of focussing on the heron. I also loved the way the grass in the field looked. So I aimed at the ledge on which the Heron stood, using the depth of field available to get a focus on the heron and the grass/paddy/whatever too. I used a slower exposure (which on hindsight was crazy because I was on 12 x zoom and my hands have a St. Vitus dance temperament) because it was already getting a little dark by then. The ledges on the fields also add lines, some leading,some misleading, to this picture. I just liked the overall effect. I took a few pics until I was satisfied with this one. Ravi identified the bird for me the next morning.

Varun - I

Caption: FIFA World Cup Final, 1998

The photograph depics a football in the colours of Brazil. The focus is on the ground, and the football is blurred. Symbolically there are 3 things here,
1) the ground (depicting Down to Earth)
2) The Brazilian National Flag coloured football
3) This football not in focus

This, for me, depicts the loss of a highly anticipated-to-win team in the world cup final.

Varun - II

Caption: Game On!

The photograph has leading lines which leads to the epicenter of the pic, the football. The ground adds the effect of a good contrast and makes the pic more natural.

Diwakaran - I

Shoes

This photo symbolizes that just the way we leave footsteps where ever we go, we also leave our shoes for everyone to fit in in that path... It may be easy to follow someone on his footsteps but very difficult to actually fill in their shoes..

Diwakaran - II

How High

This photo creates a pseudo sense of height. This is to symbolize that some obstacles even though actually small may look really huge..

Tharunya - I

"Who's coming to tea?"

The photograph was meant to be of a place set for tea (specifically in lieu of a living subject). The empty chair suggests limbo; one feels as though someone has just left, or will soon arrive... I liked the play of light and shadow through the photograph (especially the difference in the sharpness of shadows of objects close to and far from the wall - a nice study in perspective!) and the bold colours around the doorway. (The pillars in yellow and green, and the jalli-work at the corner). I felt the elements were well-balanced both by position and orientation.

To me the most interesting aspect of the photograph is the fact that although it is a still-life, this particular view of it, with the sunlight at this angle, lasted for only a few seconds. Static and dynamic simultaneously.

Tharunya - II

"Look up, baby!"

One of the reasons I liked taking this photograph is purely because of the fact that I followed little Jördis around for quite a while before I abandoned the attempt, and the moment I did that she sat down most obligingly in mamma's lap. I love the way she really is the focus of the photograph, both by the way it's composed, and because of the way her mother's head is bent towards her. I liked, also, the fabric of the skirt an the way it gives shape to the legs around the baby.

Technically, I tried to capture the diagonal line of the mother's arm and the baby's leg contrasting with the vertical of the wall on the side.

P.S. That wall is constructed quite shoddily.

Manasvi - I

Manasvi - II

Gururaj - I

Gururaj - II

Sugandhi - I

Ants:

Science : F5.5, Shutter speed : 1/1000. Wider aperture to capture only the foreground (subject) in focus. Shutter speed was taken to be that value , while I set the camera mode to 'fast' or 'sports', to freeze the ants which were moving

Art : The wider aperture has blurred the background, bringing the focus only on the ants. The ants are moving into the picture. The rope is adding the diagonal factor into the picture.

Sugandhi - II

Kid:
Science : F3.5, Shutter speed : 1/30. Fstop and shutter speed were set such that the girl and the background are captured clearly (higher dof)

Art: The picture follows the rule of thirds, with the girl in the left 1/3 of the pic. She also acts as the frame.

Asif Raj - I

The road less travelled

This is actually the photo of a ditch where dead trees etc. is burnt. A tough road to walk on.

Asif Raj - II

Face__Off

I just found this broken card board sheet, and incidentally it looked like a human face. One can easily make out the eyes, the nose and the beard. The background makes it look like the only survivor of a catastrophe.

Markus Ehrnsperger - I

Science:

TV: 1/100
AV: 1.4
ISO: 800
Focal Length: 50.0 mm

In spite of some missing light (especially in her face) no flash was used. This ensures saturated, clear colors. The AE was taken at her neighbor to ensure proper exposure in spite of the window behind her. Full apperture (1.4) and somewhat higher ISO (800) was used to achieve sufficient exposure. The shutter speed (1/100) is sufficient to avoid blurring. The background is very close to the foreground, so it is blurred only somewhat (on the left side) in spite of the very large apperture (1.4). Nevertheless, the women is very well emphasized in front of the rather uniform curtain.

Art:

The picture concentrates on one face. The expression is kind of mysterious, maybe musing about something. The very shiny background provided by the sunlit window gives a stark contrast to the person's features, emphasizing especially the contours of her eyes and the dark irises.

Markus Ehrnsperger - II

Science:

TV: 1/500
AV: 5.0
ISO: 400
Focal Length: 50.0 mm

The aperture ensures good DOF for the persons in the foreground and a blurred background to emphasize the persons. The exposure in the foreground is good in spite of the sun in the background.

Art:

The central subject of this picture is the very intense one-on-one talk between adult and child. Both have not been "set up" for this photograph, but it is rather a "catch of the day" kind of photo. There is a whole story within the way both are focused on the display of the laptop held by the woman; both are intently looking at its content (she showed photographs on it - so there is actually photos within a photo); the woman leans towards the the child holding him in a tender embrace. The child draws himself closer to her - on the outside to get a closer look, but on the inside maybe to better enjoy the intimacy of the moment. It is all about that "strong shoulder" that he can lean to.

Both persons are looked at from behind, but you can only do so much as guess what their faces would be like in that particular moment. You are also tempted to start wondering what might be so fascinating on that computer screen...

The outer settings of the picture provide for a kind of frame for the pair, the tree to the right, the car (blurred because it's background) and the bamboo stems. The heads of the two people are not in the center but rather in the upper third, and so your gaze is almost directed to their backs and particularly the strong shoulder that the child is leaning to.

The background provides for a lovely play of light an shade on the gravel, provided by the leafy tree shadows.

Photographic memory...

Some vignettes from the Panchavati (March 2008) MHK...

Mensa trip to Panchavati

Above's a link to my picasa album. If required, I'll post the individual pics seperately here... but for the paradoxical now.. laziness drives me.

Photos from Photo SIG MHK - March 8th & 9th 2008

http://picasaweb.google.com/ravim7/MensaMeetMar2008?authkey=yMYt0Yc3F_o

Photos from MHK March08, 09

Photos taken by Tharunya on her five-year-old digital Olympus P-H-D.

different directions


primary



I call this one "Conversations with bucket".





Anybody home?

MHK Report: Mar 2008 Panchavati

Imagine the innumerable tangents along which thoughts will fly when four hundred odd, high IQ individuals congregate. Just the mere thought of it fills me with a positive feeling. We strive to experience a fraction of that at our MHKs and we just get better each time.

The March MHK in that sense was quite a blast with a turnout of 15 full Ms and 6 guests. Now if one were to come up with reasons, apart from planetary alignments, this MHK was unique in the sense that it combined elements of, an insight into a serious hobby with fun and rejuvenation. And of course, how can I forget the meticulous planning by Roshin, who conducted the photography workshop. Before I move on, let me just encapsulate the story behind this MHK. It was a lot of insistence and zeal from Ananth that made me pester Roshin. And a final appeal from the secretary, Guru himself that made Roshin lunge forward.

It all began on the morning of 8th March, ’08 on the outskirts of Bangalore. Tucked away somewhere out there is a farmhouse, Panchavati. The five owner friends rent it out only to friends and relatives, so there are no formalities and it is a family atmosphere. Well, there we were, going to be amidst nature, all simply set right for a photography workshop. The planned time to begin was 10am, but as it turned out we were at the Banshankari bus stand buying watermelons and chatting. Asif and his wife had arrived well ahead of time and were sweltering in the sun when Roshin, me, Tharunya and Shaheen joined them. Anette with her family joined us and we headed to our destination. Finally around 11am, the theory session began, in all earnestness. Our ears and eyes glued to Roshin and mouths busy munching goodies. At certain points, the session got so interactive that a particular slide refused to move and make way for the next. However, somehow managing to wade through it all, we emerged an enlightened crowd, or so we think. If I forgot to mention, we did have a lunch break and were served with some sumptuous vegetarian delicacies.

The twilight hour was welcomed by amateur photographers setting foot to capture anything and everything that sparked the creative hormones hidden in them. At the back of their minds was the prize for the best photograph and the desire to win it. That resulted in some amazing photos and acrobatics by the photographers. But alas, we didn’t have the time to choose the winner and so it was decided to have the contest online. I am sure Kiran will be glad about that as he had to leave early and now that means he isn’t missing the fun part. In the meantime, some hot, boiled sweet potatoes and spicy savories added a new dimension to the energy and passion of all present there. This write up will be incomplete without the mention of three adorable stars, aged 3.5, 1.5 and 1.5, children of a German couple, who had us in splits with their cute antics and indeed, were every photographers’ delight.

Evening turned into night and we bade good bye to quite a few, but also welcomed one, Ali, who chose kick boxing over photography. We tried hard to tempt Sugandhi, Sharmila and a few others to stay back, nothing worked. So we reconciled to that fact and entertained ourselves with some Monty Python to begin with and a lot of carom thereafter. Around midnight, Varun and his friends had to take leave for mysterious reasons. So we just let them be. And it was almost 5:30am when the last few dozed off.

The sun brought with it a new day which was mostly spent lazing around, tossing a few balls and humming to guitars. Ravi joined us a second time after having gone back the previous night to give company to his dog. There were a passionate few, Tharunya in particular, who spent hours solving two jigsaw puzzles of five hundred pieces in the morning and the grand finish was celebrated with tea and more photographs. To add to the celebration, we were told that this event would be partly sponsored by Mensa. And then, when we were just about to wind up, someone come up with a great idea for the next MHK. Well, that will be revealed in due course.

[2008-03 MHK] - Photography workshop at Panchavati

Body Art on Self


Body Art on mom


Body Art on Rathi


Yummy


Vrooom


Hey look .. Spaceman Spiff

Still-Meta


Live-Meta




And my life, as it had been, was over ..