August Image- Face on the Wall

How I did it - I don’t think that PSA looks kindly on photos of “someone else’s art” but I do happen to like this one a lot. The image was graffiti on a building wall in New York City. I often photograph such images which I use as backgrounds for various model shots. I did employ for this one HDR applied to three bracketed exposures via Photomatrix which contributed greatly to the impact of the image – at least in my opinion. For the rest, just a matter of seeing the scene, deciding on the apparent exposure of the image, checking my tripod and cropping for my chosen composition.

COMMENTS:
 

Bill Buchanan	Jerry you have a great eye for a very compelling image. The composition is outstanding and the colors work well. I know the society may look down on this type of photography but you have captured a unique scene. It’s worth noting that with a bit of study similar techniques could be replicated in Photoshop. That however, is above my skill level when it comes to making composite images.
Joe Hearst	I think you're justified in using someone else's art because you made your own very good composition out of it. Including the grating balances the face well.
Guy Davies	You could almost have called this one, “Splitting Headache!” It’s always a problem when dealing with photos of ‘someone else’s art’. You can’t take credit for the artwork, but you did find it and frame it up before taking the picture. For a piece of graffiti this shows considerable talent on the part of the artist. The face has been done very well and the hair is excellent. The texture of the surface for most of the face has given it the feel of an old master in need of restoration.
Karen Kotner	This is a very dramatic image even if it contains someone else's art. The way you have incorporated the art into your composition is very compelling. I find the graffiti on the buildings in New york quite interesting and I even bought a small point and shoot camera to have in my purse to capture some of it when I was working there. The color of image is beautiful. The positioning of the girl's face and eyes is very compelling. Overall I find myself coming back to look at it over and over. Every time I look at it, I see something I hadn't see before like what appears to be a break in the girl's head.
Erik Rosengren	A good pic Jerry, great impact. You used your talent to enhance the original author's work. HDR has applications that really get my Mo Jo moving.
Rafal Kowalkowski	I thought this portrait was done in Photoshop by simple filters but when I read the description I had to take a closer look and... Yes, it is great:)

Member Bio

Jerry Appel - Biography I have been involved with photography for more years (45) than I care to contemplate, over the past several years moving actively into digital imaging. My work has had some pretty decent exposure -- appearing in solo and group exhibits within the United States and abroad, in travel advertisements, in various photographic yearbooks and in four books of which I have been either author or co-author. The most recent is "Far Away Faces -- A Guide to Better Travel Portraits" (1998). I have been awarded a number of medals in the Austrian Super Circuit Competitions over the past few years, two during year 2001. At this time, my images are carried by four galleries in the New York area. All are invited to visit my website to see other examples of what I do. My email is gappel6 at optonline.net