Master of Photography is back

jamesev said:
Most seem to have moments of finding an entire back story behind a shot that wasn’t there when the shutter was released
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I've noticed this, but I would also imagine this is true of a lot of 'art'.
 
i thought that Jan's triptych worked well - clever and well put together. Richard's came together and I thought that it reflected his homeless state - I didn't like the set of portraits the guest advised [I think that was him]. I thought Sidar's set told an honest and emotional story. The least impressive set were by Maria [aka the girl] and so I thought the result was fair.
 
Chipper said:
i thought that Jan's triptych worked well - clever and well put together. Richard's came together and I thought that it reflected his homeless state - I didn't like the set of portraits the guest advised [I think that was him]. I thought Sidar's set told an honest and emotional story. The least impressive set were by Maria [aka the girl] and so I thought the result was fair.
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For me, Richard's were poor ... again! in fact I think he's very lucky to still be there, he hasn't impressed me once and I find his pretentiousness aggravating. I don't think Jan's worked well as a 'triptych' whatsoever. The first image was isolated, the other 2 yes, because it was blatantly obvious - but the first image without explanation had zero connection. I thought he should have kept the one where his Grandmother was holding the framed image of how the room used to look but this didn't seem to matter. I think the judges were far too easily swayed because he split his own face across 2 images tbh, and didn't even match it up very well. Might as well have used half of his face and half his granny's - actually for me that would have been much better. Sidar, again IMHO, had the best of a bad bunch. But I agree with one thing, Maria was the weakest and had to go this week.

Awful lot of useless spiel in this program, seems to be more BS than previous years but at least it's moving along quicker and only one painful episode to go. ABR!!! [Anyone BUT Richard!]
 
Cagey75 said:
For me, Richard's were poor ... again! in fact I think he's very lucky to still be there, he hasn't impressed me once and I find his pretentiousness aggravating. I don't think Jan's worked well as a 'triptych' whatsoever. The first image was isolated, the other 2 yes, because it was blatantly obvious - but the first image without explanation had zero connection. I thought he should have kept the one where his Grandmother was holding the framed image of how the room used to look but this didn't seem to matter. I think the judges were far too easily swayed because he split his own face across 2 images tbh, and didn't even match it up very well. Might as well have used half of his face and half his granny's - actually for me that would have been much better. Sidar, again IMHO, had the best of a bad bunch. But I agree with one thing, Maria was the weakest and had to go this week.

Awful lot of useless spiel in this program, seems to be more BS than previous years but at least it's moving along quicker and only one painful episode to go. ABR!!! [Anyone BUT Richard!]
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Didn’t think Richard using B&W was the right thing at all. It’s more a street photo thing to use it
 
jamesev said:
Didn’t think Richard using B&W was the right thing at all. It’s more a street photo thing to use it
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I think he managed to talk his way to the final more than anything. The judges seem to like pretentious b*****ks which suits him. I thought his images were very poor, like every other week, cannot think of any images he's shot that stand out.
 
Cagey75 said:
I think he managed to talk his way to the final more than anything. The judges seem to like pretentious b*****ks which suits him. I thought his images were very poor, like every other week, cannot think of any images he's shot that stand out.
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But the first two weeks he shot f2.8 and below for artiness
 
When watching the programme I always try to imagine what I could have done in the same situation i.e. limited notification of the assignment and a time limited assignment under scrutiny of judges etc. I have to be honest and admit that that I would not do well for most of the assignments compared with the competitors. I can also understand how, after rushing through the capture stage, you might well find that you have not captured the original story assuming one was planned. Thus trying to construct a story from what you have is then inevitable. This may not necessarily use the best individual images, as those who have entered panel competitions will know. We do all seem to agree that Richard is the weakest of the remaining three.

Dave
 
Dave Canon said:
When watching the programme I always try to imagine what I could have done in the same situation i.e. limited notification of the assignment and a time limited assignment under scrutiny of judges etc. ...
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I do wonder how much of this is actual, and how much is simply an artificial scene just for television.

IE: Do they actually get the assignment and have a day or two to prepare, during which the 'for TV' scene is shot?
I've noticed in a few episodes over the various series that they turn up on location with some form of plan, but you never see them creating the plan - perhaps it's done during travel time to location - we'll never know.
 
What we see is massively condensed, I mean they travelled home for this assignment, they definitely had time to come up with a plan. There wasn't anything really complex about any of their stories, and a good artist can conjure one up on the spot anyway.
 
I think it's staged more than we realise tbh. Just look at the integration one or example where the judges just 'happened' to be sat in the cafe or barbers in the areas where the photographers were.
 
snerkler said:
I think it's staged more than we realise tbh. Just look at the integration one or example where the judges just 'happened' to be sat in the cafe or barbers in the areas where the photographers were.
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It feels more staged and rushed this year, think the budget was cut, because it also used to be £150K to the winner, now £100
 
Cagey75 said:
It feels more staged and rushed this year, think the budget was cut, because it also used to be £150K to the winner, now £100
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£100, that's quite a big drop ;) :p
 
snerkler said:
I think it's staged more than we realise tbh. Just look at the integration one or example where the judges just 'happened' to be sat in the cafe or barbers in the areas where the photographers were.
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Those scene setting shots would have been filmed separately to the actual challenges. They're just TV bits to liven the presentation.
 
GlennW said:
Those scene setting shots would have been filmed separately to the actual challenges. They're just TV bits to liven the presentation.
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Yeah I get that, but it then makes me wonder how much prep work they get to do beforehand. If they've got time to prep and set up scenes like this it makes me think that they have more time/info for these challenges than we realise.
 
Cagey75 said:
... I thought he should have kept the one where his Grandmother was holding the framed image of how the room used to look but this didn't seem to matter.
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You missed it hanging on the wall above the fridge in the direction she was looking then?
I thought that the triptych made perfect sense and was easily the strongest body of work.

On the other hand I thought that Richard's was trite, evasive and completely fudged the issue. He had absolutely no intention of showing anything of himself at all.
I was amazed that the judges liked the work and I held the same view of his original set as Chris Buck.
 
DemiLion said:
He's not homeless, he lives in a rather nice little house in Egham.
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Well, I thought he lived with some friends in London from what he was saying. Anyway, I would be gobsmacked if he did enough to win. The other two were so much better last week.
 
DemiLion said:
You missed it hanging on the wall above the fridge in the direction she was looking then?
I thought that the triptych made perfect sense and was easily the strongest body of work.

On the other hand I thought that Richard's was trite, evasive and completely fudged the issue. He had absolutely no intention of showing anything of himself at all.
I was amazed that the judges liked the work and I held the same view of his original set as Chris Buck.
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Is she holding it? then it's not the one I'm talking about, that image made it fit that much better IMO.
 
Cagey75 said:
Is she holding it? then it's not the one I'm talking about, that image made it fit that much better IMO.
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Except she was facing in to camera as opposed to facing camera right, which created the composition for the triptych.
 
Chipper said:
Well, I thought he lived with some friends in London from what he was saying. Anyway, I would be gobsmacked if he did enough to win. The other two were so much better last week.
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Yes. That's not homeless, it's being a lodger.
 
DemiLion said:
Except she was facing in to camera as opposed to facing camera right, which created the composition for the triptych.
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Maybe I'm being picky, but I preferred the one where she's holding it in the room.

Doesn't matter really, as I would have sent Maria home too as a judge.
 
Several have commented that many of the images seem a bit dark. I briefly looked at them on my iPad and thought the same but have since viewed them on my calibrated PC and they are better. You can view the them here.

Dave
 
Dave Canon said:
Several have commented that many of the images seem a bit dark. I briefly looked at them on my iPad and thought the same but have since viewed them on my calibrated PC and they are better. You can view the them here.

Dave
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Well apparently Biondi has a proclivity for the darker photo.
 
I liked watching this ages ago, but then I saw an episode where one of the contestants got really snarly with another one for taking a similar shot to them. I wasn’t really fussed about watching it after that. As someone has already mentioned, it seems to be less about the skill/concept and more about the ability to blag your way through each round in spite of the shots you’ve taken.
 
I repeat, the judges keep saying "you've not out enough of yourself in the image". What does that actually mean?
 
Cockney said:
I repeat, the judges keep saying "you've not out enough of yourself in the image". What does that actually mean?
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Be individual, stop trying to shoot specifically to suit others [the judges] - it's a catch 22.
 
I will try to explain but is it is not a phrase I use myself but one often used by camera club judges. As a simple example, if you stood at a well known location and captured a scene in the same way as thousands had before then anyone could have pressed the trigger. However, if instead you selected a different technical combination and/or chose a different angle/lighting/direction etc., you may come away with a unique image. Some judges phrase it slightly differently saying " I want to see what you as the photographer has added to the picture".

So I am reasonably happy that I understand what they mean. However, when capturing images, you do not always have to find something different. Those with an artistic flair seem to be able to more readily see a different image and thus capture it. Those with unique images may score better in competitions but most entries will not be in this category. Given that the programme is called "Master of Photography", it does not seem unreasonable that the judges are looking for some originality.

Dave
 
Dave Canon said:
I will try to explain but is it is not a phrase I use myself but one often used by camera club judges. As a simple example, if you stood at a well known location and captured a scene in the same way as thousands had before then anyone could have pressed the trigger. However, if instead you selected a different technical combination and/or chose a different angle/lighting/direction etc., you may come away with a unique image. Some judges phrase it slightly differently saying " I want to see what you as the photographer has added to the picture".

So I am reasonably happy that I understand what they mean. However, when capturing images, you do not always have to find something different. Those with an artistic flair seem to be able to more readily see a different image and thus capture it. Those with unique images may score better in competitions but most entries will not be in this category. Given that the programme is called "Master of Photography", it does not seem unreasonable that the judges are looking for some originality.

Dave
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Pretty much what I think they mean, put your own unique twist on the images, anyone can click a shutter but not everyone can capture an image that draws the viewer in. When they say "where are you in this picture?" they're looking for your personality, your flair, that something only you could have added to this particular image.
 
DemiLion said:
Yes. That's not homeless, it's being a lodger.
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Well, as the much maligned judges said, home can mean all sorts of different things to people and so, perhaps, while he is fond of those people, being a lodger means that it is not really home.
 
OK so I've just reviewed the images again online here and I still don't et Richard's
https://masterofphotography.tv/en/episodes/home-sweet-home/

The first one with the bag virtually blocking him out is poor imo. I appreciate that he's trying to convey being obscured but it doesn't work for me and just looks like a poorly timed photo. The empty bed, well the less said about this the better, and then the last one is just 'meh'. He could have quite easily gone imo, but for some reasons the judges liked them. I must admit, I feel awkward viewing the first one of Maria's of her parents in bed. Jan's don't actually work if you view them one at a time, you need to see them all together.
 
snerkler said:
OK so I've just reviewed the images again online here and I still don't et Richard's
https://masterofphotography.tv/en/episodes/home-sweet-home/

The first one with the bag virtually blocking him out is poor imo. I appreciate that he's trying to convey being obscured but it doesn't work for me and just looks like a poorly timed photo. The empty bed, well the less said about this the better, and then the last one is just 'meh'. He could have quite easily gone imo, but for some reasons the judges liked them. I must admit, I feel awkward viewing the first one of Maria's of her parents in bed. Jan's don't actually work if you view them one at a time, you need to see them all together.
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Looking at them again, I think he should have got the boot over Maria. I wasn't fond of hers as they were like staged shots for an advert but they were better than Richard's I think.

Someone mentioned here last week about the odd settings some of them use, I noticed a few were shot at F16/F22 and they weren't long exposures or anything, the settings just seemed strange for the images shown.
 
Cagey75 said:
Pretty much what I think they mean, put your own unique twist on the images, anyone can click a shutter but not everyone can capture an image that draws the viewer in. When they say "where are you in this picture?" they're looking for your personality, your flair, that something only you could have added to this particular image.
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Without an original approach your image is reduced the what is often (rather insultingly) called a "record shot" a photo that anybody would have if they took it from the same spot.
Admittedly, it's pretty difficult to find a different viewpoint of many popular subjects, and including an intersting sky is not always enough to make it original.
If I visit a popular tourist spot, I'll always take the picture postcard view, but having done that, I normally look around for, or experiment with an alternative view.
There are some popular subjects that are "done to death" like Durdle Door or Brighton West Pier, and for those places apart from adding a "stock shot" to one's own image library, I think they are best forgotten about and move on to a new location.
 
Brian G said:
Without an original approach your image is reduced the what is often (rather insultingly) called a "record shot" a photo that anybody would have if they took it from the same spot.
Admittedly, it's pretty difficult to find a different viewpoint of many popular subjects, and including an intersting sky is not always enough to make it original.
If I visit a popular tourist spot, I'll always take the picture postcard view, but having done that, I normally look around for, or experiment with an alternative view.
There are some popular subjects that are "done to death" like Durdle Door or Brighton West Pier, and for those places apart from adding a "stock shot" to one's own image library, I think they are best forgotten about and move on to a new location.
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I think many of us do this, when we travel to 'hot spots' we tend to get the obligatory 'snaps' out the way first, then we begin to explore. I think this is where the difference between the enthusiast and snap-happy tourist kicks in, when we start to get a feel for a location - do our little solo wanders about looking for something out of the ordinary. But we're not in a timed competition, if we were we'd have to shift to that outside the box thinking much quicker. It's often on the last couple days of a trip I'll get my best photos. I'll have had plenty of time to scout the area. But on the series, I would bet on it that the contestants have much more time to prep than we might imagine.
 
Cagey75 said:
Looking at them again, I think he should have got the boot over Maria. I wasn't fond of hers as they were like staged shots for an advert but they were better than Richard's I think.

Someone mentioned here last week about the odd settings some of them use, I noticed a few were shot at F16/F22 and they weren't long exposures or anything, the settings just seemed strange for the images shown.
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That was me. Several times I've thought the photo doesn't match the settings.
 
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