good photos that are not perfect

mikepmikep Posts: 280Member
edited March 2013 in Nikon DSLR cameras
when im browsing photos i often find myself drawn to those that have slight imperfections (perhaps i should get a lomo).

we often try hard to get it "right", pay $$$ to get that sharpness and low distortion, with reduced lens flare etc, we try to get the perfect exposure and so on. i understand that perfection has its place, but for this thread, show your photos that are great because of a slight "imperfection". sometimes a bit of blur, or flare can add the magic to a picture.

not sure if i have any myself, i will look.

anyone got any good examples ?

**edit** i found an example. the light was low, so it was handheld at 1/20th. when i got home and looked on the pc, i was upset that the picture had a slight blur to it. but i now think that it actually improves the image, with a little low-fi style.

kyoto kiyomizudera shrine
Post edited by mikep on

Comments

  • ElvisheferElvishefer Posts: 329Member
    I know what you mean. For me, the trick is knowing when a 'lomo' effect is worthy of 'art' status... or just a bad photo.
    D700, 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII, 24-70mm f/2.8, 14-24mm f/2.8, 50mm f/1.4G, 200mm f/4 Micro, 105mm f/2.8 VRII Micro, 35mm f/1.8, 2xSB900, 1xSB910, R1C1, RRS Support...

    ... And no time to use them.
  • AdeAde Posts: 1,071Member
    image
    I was covering this Amy Winehouse tribute concert. Focus wasn't quite right, there's some motion blur, weird reflections on her forehead from the stage lights. Still it is one my favorite pictures from the evening. Taken with a 50mm f/1.4.

    Of course a magazine chose to publish one of my least favorite pictures from the concert, and on top of that they messed it up when compositing their logo to it.

    -Ade
  • CitizenDCitizenD Posts: 29Member
    edited March 2013
    Nice topic, I would have a lot of material for that one ;)
    'imperfection' is usually what makes things alive !

    this one was shot at night, during a maritime festival, in Douarnenez, Brittany.
    2 musicians were playing for the public on a narrow dock in the middle of the city's old harbour.
    people were dancing along with them, and so did I.
    I was actually out of battery, but took the chance and manage to take this one in the very few seconds of that had reappeared.
    Should have I had some more power, I would probably have not gotten hurried, not made a poor setup, and not moved during the shot, but here is the result I finally got :
    20120723 02-52 DSC_0238
    | D5100 | 35mm | 1/8s | f/1.8 | ISO640 |

    Yet, I cannot help but love this one ... !

    D
    Post edited by CitizenD on
  • mikepmikep Posts: 280Member
    edited March 2013
    well, yes thats the thing im getting at. i guess its an arty thing

    this is one from the weekend. it was quite dark, so i was just on 50th/sec, i could have upped the iso and SS, and probably frozen it better, but it all happened too fast. at first when i chimped it, i thought "dang, i messed up", but actually i think the blur adds something. it was one of the keepers, and i gave it to the "client".

    opera
    Post edited by mikep on
  • blandbland Posts: 812Member
    Great topic, mikep!

    Fiddle
  • Rx4PhotoRx4Photo Posts: 1,200Member
    Shot from the hip more or less.
    Student transportation
    D800 | D7000 | Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 | 24-70mm f/2.8 | 70-200mm f/2.8 | 35mm f/1.8G | 85mm f/1.4G | Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art | Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art | Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM | Zeiss 100mm Makro-Planar ZF.2 | Flash controllers: Phottix Odin TTL

  • tcole1983tcole1983 Posts: 981Member
    I think this is a case where it is what you see. Some want just perfect sharp images and that is it. I think lots of times I have shots that have a little something else that adds to the photo even though it isn't technically a great shot.
    D5200, D5000, S31, 18-55 VR, 17-55 F2.8, 35 F1.8G, 105 F2.8 VR, 300 F4 AF-S (Previously owned 18-200 VRI, Tokina 12-24 F4 II)
  • mikepmikep Posts: 280Member
    edited March 2013
    i have just been looking through this person's flikr, they are using film, not digital. though many are exposed weird, or framed weird ...... i cant put my finger ont it, but i love the feeling of their pictures. maybe its just the film and the colors. i wish my nikon could make colors like this

    Night in Wuzhen.
    Post edited by mikep on
  • TaoTeJaredTaoTeJared Posts: 1,306Member
    You should look at all the Pulitzer Prize winners. I got to see the traveling show of images (36x48"ish) 2 years ago and was amazed by them all, but the two things that came to mind was that 1. How far image quality has come, and 2. how few were "perfect" by any since of the term. All of them evoked more emotion than most could handle at the show. Many left with tears in their eyes.

    Pulitzer Prize winners
    D800, D300, D50(ir converted), FujiX100, Canon G11, Olympus TG2. Nikon lenses - 24mm 2.8, 35mm 1.8, (5 in all)50mm, 60mm, 85mm 1.8, 105vr, 105 f2.5, 180mm 2.8, 70-200vr1, 24-120vr f4. Tokina 12-24mm, 16-28mm, 28-70mm (angenieux design), 300mm f2.8. Sigma 15mm fisheye. Voigtlander R2 (olive) & R2a, Voigt 35mm 2.5, Zeiss 50mm f/2, Leica 90mm f/4. I know I missed something...
  • proudgeekproudgeek Posts: 1,422Member
    edited March 2013
    This one's imperfect partly due to technique and partly due to stupidity. I was shooting a bike race and trying my hand at panning with limited success. Somehow I mistakenly messed with the EV and this was shot 1 1/3 of a stop over (corrected in post), which resulted in a shutter speed of 1/25s. While very little in the image is even remotely sharp, I've always been drawn to the way this captures the moment as riders sprint toward the finish line.
    DSC_0120
    Post edited by proudgeek on
  • MsmotoMsmoto Posts: 5,398Moderator
    @proudgeek

    Absolutely Right On...and many years ago I did this very thing...not very fast but the excitement of a close bike race, crossing the line at 35 mph while in a pack....or bumping hips at 30mph as one comes around the last corner to the line....very well seen above.
    Msmoto, mod
  • mikepmikep Posts: 280Member
    @taote .... i went to look at some pullizer photos; yes there are some fascinating ones (some a little too 'real' for me)

    i have been looking on flikr a lot this week. just found this guy, another film camera. normally it would really annoy me that it isnt shot level, but here its ok, and the colors i think are so nice

    A Dreamy View
  • tcole1983tcole1983 Posts: 981Member
    Here are a couple from me that fit this I think...
    DSC_0044

    DSC_0049
    D5200, D5000, S31, 18-55 VR, 17-55 F2.8, 35 F1.8G, 105 F2.8 VR, 300 F4 AF-S (Previously owned 18-200 VRI, Tokina 12-24 F4 II)
  • blandbland Posts: 812Member
  • Golf007sdGolf007sd Posts: 2,840Moderator
    ARN_5437.jpg

    D4 24 1.4G 1/640 ISO 100 @ f/1.4
    D4 & D7000 | Nikon Holy Trinity Set + 105 2.8 Mico + 200 F2 VR II | 300 2.8G VR II, 10.5 Fish-eye, 24 & 50 1.4G, 35 & 85 1.8G, 18-200 3.5-5.6 VR I SB-400 & 700 | TC 1.4E III, 1.7 & 2.0E III, 1.7 | Sigma 35 & 50 1.4 DG HSM | RRS Ballhead & Tripods Gear | Gitzo Monopod | Lowepro Gear | HDR via Promote Control System |
Sign In or Register to comment.