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Study Group 26 Jose Maria Cartas |
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| Bob Benson |
Both images work well, but I prefer the monochrome, since you have more liberties with tone, and contrast adds impact here. I find the very top a little extraneous, but not in the monochrome, since it can be darkened to minimize the detail. |
| Paul Allen | Good choice to get in close and capture a detail, rather than try to capture too much. As a result, we really get to feel the rich textures and colors. You asked which we prefer, and while I like them both, I think in this case, the richness of the color is key to understanding the structure. Not all gothic structures are that way, but my experience with Latin American (which is extremely limited) is that color DEFINES the architecture, and where the dour European Catholics might have kept the cathedral monochromatic other than the windows, in Argentina, it made perfect sense to include brilliant oranges, yellows, greens, etc. in that mural. I think the color one was right. Suggestions: I would have experimented with the crop on this one, too. Even though you have framed this tightly, the arching rockwork that forms the most prominent feature of this image really just serves to frame the mural. But the mural is subordinated enough in this image that it loses some of its impact. The building parts that surround the stone arch and the mural are extraneous, and I would consider cropping this so those are nearly gone. Granted, you would likely lose the peak of the arch, and that might be a mistake. It would be worth playing with to strike the balance. |
| Youmans Hsiong | From your picture I am imaging how big is this structure and how limited is the space. Even though, you used 16 mm wide angle lens, it’s still not covering the crown of the structure, you might need 14 mm lens. You have very good adjustment on both images. My pick is choose color one better, because it may present religion spirit of church. I don’t know it’s history, but simply every piece of stone used as the pattern or the space. As red wall, variety brown crown and blue rays all synchronized with golden sun, blue/white clouds in center piece. It looks represent highest level of power and warmth to whole universe ( the layer crowns may mean nine layers of skies ). The b/w conversion does not show the power and glories as strong as color image. |
| Brian Duchin | How to compare black and white to color. It's a coin toss. With your images it comes down to what you are trying to achieve and say in your images. Both versions are excellent. The black and white gives me a sense of the strong shapes and textures and brings out the striking details in the architecture. It's an abstract piece of art. On the other hand, the color showcases the center tiles and focuses on the various color palettes found throughout the church. |
| Belinda Keller | At first glance, both appear distorted, which is your intention. Without knowing your plan for this shot, I might turn this into something totally different. I see an illusion: imagine a sunken (concave) structure with part of a floor, steps and seating – down to a shrine. If you don’t mind altering such a scene, you might add something like a fountain or water feature under the painting. There are things about both that have appeal. I like the color, especially in the painting, and the striking variations of color in the stonework. But, more detail in the actual architectural structure seems drawn out in the monotone (except near the writing and clouds). For either version I would consider cropping the top just to the tip of the arch, and try softening the edges – soft focus or vignette. That would turn the stones to the left and right in the upper portion of the shot into a stone walkway. For the monotone, I might adjust lighting and contrasts to enhance details, especially in the painting. It might improve sharpness. I’m almost clueless about HDR but wonder if it would have created more impact. Lastly, I might experiment with the color shot to see if cropping a portion lends itself to an abstract, particularly in the curving stonework. |
| Jose Maria Cartas | |
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Ed Gulesserian |
Two very, very good images! Both are terrific and both are fun to talk about. The perspective is dramatic and different than most arch photos. The color version is wonderfully luminous. The B& W version, while equally strong, may have potential to get even better. There is a question in my mind about the bottom of the frame. The architectural lines direct the viewer toward the bottom where the viewer is then kept in the scene by the darker tones. Specific to the color version, the tones at the bottom are closer to the rest of the photograph and seem slightly weak as a bottom frame. While attractive in their own right, I think it would help the overall color image if these bottom tones were darker. Specific to the B&W, the tones at the bottom are darker and more effective for the image overall. Having said that, it seems to me the B&W tones overall are ever so slightly flat, except for the bottom edge. I might experiment with darkening and adding contrast to the brick-work and top edge. I think it might give more tonal balance to the image but also help direct/redirect the viewer’s attention into the image. I might also globally gently darken the shadows and equally gently increase the overall contrast. It might create a little more separation between the lines in the arch (which is fine in the color version). It’s mostly a matter of personal preference. Another thought is that I would experiment with adding a little more luminance (brightness/contrast) to the painting in the arch in the B&W. Final thought is that a narrow white border on the B&W would look great. |
| Member Bio | |
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Jose Maria Cartas- Biography
A native Argentinean, José came with his family to the United States in June 1990 to work for the Interamerican Development Bank. In 2000, he moved to the International Monetary Fund. Both institutions are located in Washington, D.C. He became a more serious amateur after joining the North Bethesda Camera Club in 1995. He took also several photo courses at the Smithsonian Institution. Through his work, José has traveled to many countries, and has used this opportunity to photograph cities, landscapes and people. He switched to digital in early 2007, buying a Sony Alpha 100, which allowed him to use the Minolta lenses he already had. Most of his photography is straightforward, using Photoshop to perform only minor adjustments such as levels, curves, brightness/contrast, dodging/burning and, occasionally, some cloning. |
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