This month’s theme rovolves around metal and colour and that is “Copper”
Thomas Porter was invited as the Guest Judge for this theme and it’s his debut at this task.
Thomas Porter, Ph.D., is a fine art photographer residing on a 200-acre farm known as “Thimbleberry Farm” in Northern Virginia. The farm derives its name from the abundant thimbleberries that typically bloom each June.
Porter enjoys all forms of photography and captures images everywhere, but the farm, along with its diverse flora and fauna, serves as his primary inspiration. The landscape is hilly and features five ponds, several fields used for growing hay or Loblolly pines, and the Opequon Creek, which flows through the centre of the property in an area referred to as The Bottom.
In some of his photographs, Porter has sought to incorporate elements from the works of the renowned landscape watercolour painter J.M.W. Turner. Known for his expressive colours and imaginative, impressionistic, and sometimes turbulent landscapes, Turner’s influence is evident in many of Porter’s pieces. His word often showcases areas of vivid, painterly colours and high-contrast luminosities, rather than strictly photorealistic depictions of the subjects.
Thomas’ work can be viewed on his website.
Well done to everyone that has taken part and congratulations to those who were selected and can be seen in November 24’s edition of the Algarve Plus Magazine.
Next Month’s theme for Algarve Plus is “Numbers” and will be judges by Carly Sullens.
Selected & Published Images
Words of Wisdom
04 In the Making by Daryl Gabin : In this powerful photo, “In the Making”, we see a middle-aged man creating a copper bowl by hand. The photo is powerful because almost everything in the photo – colour, focus, composition — leads us to the very interesting face of the man. We see, in the background, blurred images of the man’s shop environment, while the man’s face is in tack-sharp focus.
A couple of minor changes that might strengthen this photo is to remove the leaning silver-grey post to the man’s left, & while viewing this photo, I found myself straining to find the man’s left hand since the glove on it blends so well with his trousers. This could be helped by increasing the contrast between the glove & the pants.
07 Copper & Steam by Nigel Moore: Copper & Steam is a photo that will appeal to all engineers everywhere. A black metal wheel with a red hub dominates the scene, which is filled out by three large copper pipes attached to blue fittings that are likely involved with stopping or stopping the wheel. The colours in this photograph are one of its strengths. Black, red, copper, & blue fittings work well in this composition, & coalesce in what might be an ode to steam locomotion.
One weakness of this photo is the composition. All of the interesting elements are in the top 1/2 of the frame. More aggressive cropping from the bottom &/or left side might serve to highlight the copper pipes & their relationship with the rest of the wheel & fittings.
12 Copper Coins by Glyn Parry: This photograph of copper pennies, arranged in haphazard piles, offers a study in texture and tone. The varying shades of copper create a rich visual tapestry. The single light across the uneven surfaces adds drama, with each penny reflecting the light in its
unique way, highlighting the individuality within repetition.
This might be a stronger photo if the fall of shadows was more considered. Also, in the centre of the photo, a pile of coins next to the tallest pile is confusing in that it looks as if two piles of coins intrude upon one another.
05 Copper Heritage by Kevin Saunders: In the photo, “Copper Heritage” we see a close-up of a copper bowl acting as a flowerpot for mostly white flowers. The colours in this photo work well together – the copper pot adds a warm tone to the bright flowers. One issue that can be easily fixed is to remove the single, out-of-focus, fly-away flower left of the centre in the photo. Because the pot & flowers are such a pleasant image, it might be possible to make this a stronger photo – focusing on the flowerpot & flowers – by getting rid of the distracting background. This could be done during shooting or in post. A bland background might make both the pot & the flowers “pop.”
02 Morning Coffee by Robert Pool: This photo hides most of a person’s hands behind a statue. This makes it look as if the statue is reaching for a cup of coffee. This is a clever photo if your viewers get the joke. When I initially looked at this, I missed the joke because my attention kept wandering to the figure in a white shirt in the upper left of the photo. In short, the subject could be more separated from the background. This could be accomplished by, for example, aggressive cropping, or cloning out the white shirt.
Main Gallery
