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Home > Historic Oakland Cemetery Photo Contest - Critiques

Historic Oakland Cemetery Photo Contest - Critiques

PHOTO CRITIQUES (Continued)
On this page you'll find more critiques from the submissions of our first photo contest - Historic Oakland Cemetery. This contest was judged by pro photographer, David Akoubian and sponsored in part by Tamron USA, Inc. The photos appear in no particular order. Below each image you will find the backstory, metadata as provided by each photographer and the critique by our judge. We'll be updating this page on a weekly basis so please check back for updates. To view the winners of this contest, click here.

Cross by Alvin Herron
Backstory
The magnitude of the cross and the perspective of the tree behind it. The Power of the cross.
Metadata
Aperture: 5.6, Shutter: 1/500, Focal length: 28MM, White balance: set on cloudy, Canon 50D. Processed in NIK Silver Pro 2. The photo was taken April 10, 2010.
Questions/Comments
What would you have done different?
Critique by David Akoubian
Terrific concept and idea, good choice of BW processing. On one hand I feel the decompression of the cross and the tree are really great but at the same time it takes away some of the “power” that the cross could project. I would love to see it without the tree and just the cross contrasted against the cloud and dark sky. Well done though.

Watch House by Van Hill
Backstory
This HDR image was made from two bracketed images using Nik HDR Efex Pro software. The images were captured at 7:01 AM on August 5, 2011. The sun was low on the horizon, and I used a fisheye lens to exagerate the awakening of the cemetary. The building in the scene is the Watch House (security center). I framed the building in relationship to the rising sun to create the starburst/sunbeams to enhance the illusion of a watchful eye. I think this image works on several levels: the slight curviture of the street helps draw the eye into the frame, the sky and the rising sun contribute to the awakening feeling of the scene, and the exagerated wide angle created by the lens (bent building and tomestone) accentuate the mystery of such a location as Oakland Cemetary.
Metadata:
Canon 7D DSLR, Sigma 10mm f2.8 Fisheye Lens, ISO 640, Auto White Balance. Two shots merged in Nik HDR Efex Pro: f13, 1/500sec & f13, 1/2000 sec. -2EV.
Critique by David Akoubian
I like the composition and the processing to give it a dreamlike painterly look. It gives the scene a very mystic look. The road in combination with the rays of light are very inviting to the viewer to continue into the scene. I like the bending of the buildings also, again it adds to the feel of a mystic scene.

Garden Bench by Alecia Johnson
Backstory
I was on the Scott Kelby Worldwide photowalk when I took this photo. I love the look and feel of decay photos and this broken bench just called out to me. To me, it says everything, eventually, goes back to nature. And that point is all the more poignant because it's in a cemetery.
Metadata
Canon 7-200 @ 90mm, F 7.1, ISO 400, 1/400, auto white balance. Taken 7/18/2009.
Critique by David Akoubian
I really like the concept of the image and find the subject very interesting in it’s setting. I like the choice of toning the image too. There are a few bright areas around the iron tend to take my eyes away from the great detail. Finding a way to tone down some of the brighter areas would take the viewer back to the iron and the feel of the image. Maybe shooting the scene on a cloudy day would reduce the contrast too.
ADDITIONAL CRITIQUES TO FOLLOW WEEKLY!
Special thanks to our sponsor, Tamron USA, Inc.
Please visit Tamron's site to learn more about their top-notch lenses!
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WINNERS ANNOUNCED!
Triptych
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Still Life
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Street Portraiture
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Historic Oakland Cemetery
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