Monday, August 13, 2012

Photographing New Works: Your Opinion, Please

I work with three photographers. One doesn’t have a studio to photograph my larger works so I have to pay for his travel time and set up in my studio; another has a studio but it’s a two hour drive away. I took this latest work to a third photographer who has his own studio and he shot it a bit differently. Here’s your chance to take a close look and share your opinions about how it turned out – I would greatly appreciate it if you do!

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We had to jury rig a hanging device for the piece. Since he is a Photoshop wizard, he was able to remove all signs of the orange clamps from the final image. Because of the slope of the hanging mechanism, the piece listed a bit to the right.

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Jeanne Raffer Beck, Book of the Ancients: Memory 2, 48” x 48”, 2012

That’s the final image above. The reflectiveness of the piece by photographer #3 is less visible than the one in the piece below done by photographer #2. Here is the question:

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Jeanne Raffer Beck, Book of the Ancients 3: Memory, 36” x 36”, 2011.

Which photograph best holds your attention and interest and makes you want to see more?

20 comments:

  1. The second example is much more appealing, IMO. The lighting is brighter and the subtle colorations show up more clearly, plus the texture and dimension is more apparent. It may be a bit overexposed, but it's still better than the dim one. Good luck sorting it out, photography can be a challenge. Have you considered investing in some equipment and doing it yourself?

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  2. The second photo seems more luminous to me. And that draws my eye into the piece and makes me want to keep looking. Not sure if it is because of the light or if the colors in the second piece are different/lighter.

    Beautiful work!

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  3. since I'm an alphabet nut, I like the top photo because I can read the letters, which have disappeared in the reflections in the bottom photo.

    but I agree that the reflective one is probably more eye-catching at first glance. this is a dilemma!

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  4. The second one for two reasons. First, the color is warmer and richer. Second, the shadows adds a dimensionality and interest. It looks like it's on a wall rather than floating in a white space.

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  5. The colour difference is distracting. Which is correct? The second photo is warmer and indicates the structure better because of the shadows.

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    Replies
    1. That was to be my question. Not as interested in which holds your attention and makes you want to see more as which one represents the actual quilt best. Personally, I like photo one best - can see the images on it much better which is more interesting to me than the glare of the second one. But if I were to see a photo and then the actual quilt and the photo did not accurately represent what I was seeing in person, I'd be disappointed/upset.

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  6. I prefer the second- richer color, more reflectiveness, and more depth. I especially like the shadows on the right.

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  7. No. 2--color and light more interesting

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  8. I think the second one is having more of a conversation with me. I like the shadows that show the dimension in this. The reflective surface is more vibrant and interesting. The top piece does not show the dimension of the piece as well.

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  9. The second photo also has more shadows which makes it look more three dimensional.

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  10. Hi, in real life, the second image is much truer to the actual works. If you look at the first piece in the studio setting, you can see that it's just as luminous and bright as the second. But as the photographer photoshopped it, it looked decent on his monitor. When I opened it on mine, it looked very dark. However, like Kathy said, the first image shows every minute detail, including the alphabet letters, which are important to the work. Since I only know how the images look on my own monitor, it helps to have feedback -- and each one of you has a different monitor. Thanks for your help. The fact that you respond more to the second image suggests to me that this is the photographer I need to continue to have shoot this series of reflective works. As far as shooting these myself, if four professional photographers have such issues with these reflective surfaces, I definitely have neither the photographic and Photoshop skills or equipment to do these justice.

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  11. #2 because it looks 3D, while the first one just looks jagged, esp. on the right side. It just looks more lively and interesting!

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  12. The shadows reflected on the right of the second photo are important to convey the depth of the art. I like both for different reasons but what matters is for it to be a true representation of your work. Thanks for asking, Jeanne.

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  13. Hi Jeanne, I've read all the comments, and your reply, so that adds a lot of information to my response. I like the warmth of the second one, and the shadows, showing the depth and 3-D qualities of the piece. I do think it is more eye-catching. These kind of works are difficult to photograph, as they are different in different light. The first one shows more detail on the surface, but is dull. It would be easy for someone to pass over, and go on to the next art work. The second one captures the reflective quality of the piece, but loses that important detail. It also has the shadows, which I suspect could be left in with photo one, with less photoshopping. FWIW, I have similar problems getting my translucent work properly photographed. I agree, it is a job for a professional. You might consider these elements, and more; reflection, detail, shadows when you give the photographer instructions as to what he should bring out in his/her photos. I'd also vote on going to the photographer, as the professional would likely have the needed equipment on hand, and there would be less need to improvise.

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  14. Hey Jeanne! Likely you have made your decision by now but I respond to the second image. If your piece has the gold tone of the second piece I wouldn't even consider the first image. The work looks great!

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  15. I would have liked seeing the same piece photographed by the different photographers. It's hard to say which one I prefer because the photographs are of two different pieces.

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  16. I vote for number two. The dimension of your work is important to see and the shadows created in the shot of number two relay the depth of your piece better.I think the piece pops more. I like the coloring of the second piece but that might just mean I prefer the colors you chose to work with, not how good the photograph is.

    This is a good lesson for other artists who are auditioning photographers. Even though it costs more to shoot the same piece twice, do that so that you have a better comparison.

    Nice work!

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  17. I appreciate the detail in the first photo but the second shot is livelier!

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  18. Hi all, one of the most frustrating things for all of us who submit our works for jurors and curators, etc. to view is determining what they will see on their computer monitors when they open our files. Most people do not have the money to invest in graphic quality monitors nor the skills to calibrate them properly. Slides used to provide much more accuracy but were unwieldy and time consuming to process and handle. In my jurying experience, visual impact and the ability to capture attention and interest have stood out most. Overall the most dynamic, compelling ones that caused the jurors to really pay attention are the ones that rose to the top of the jurying pile.

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  19. Greetings,
    I like the first one better it looks ancient, tarnished and mysterious. Glad you have been kept busy doing what you do so very well. All is well with me and mine. I continue to sell in three gallery's. Keeps me contented and off the streets and covered in thread and cat hair. Life is good in my little coastal house. Wishing you and yours a Blessed Holiday Season.







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