Forum Challenge - Thursday 9th June 2011 - Hosted by Andy Polakowski

[Chris Noble]

Nearly time for the next Forum Challenge.

Remember:

- Images must be taken on the night - no stock images allowed.
- You can enter as many times as you like
- Post your images, as a reply to this post (administrators are on hand to help)
- Try and use the new chatbox (bottom of the Forum Page) for any comments and keep the post free for images.

- In the event you run into problems contact Ann-Marie or Chris Noble by Personal Message oe e-mail

Good Luck and be as creative as you like. Winning image will be announced after the Challenge closes at 9:30pm

Check back here at 7:30pm on Wednesday when Andy will set the subject.

[Andy Polakowski]

Welcome everyone.
The last challenge I set was to celebrate 50 years . . . of anything. Tonight it is to celebrate the introduction of my new Avatar with a subject that all photographers and artists have available wherever they are and that they know intimately: and the subject is Self-Portraits. We know what you look like but how you want to interpret your own image, it's all up to you.

Good luck and the result will be announced after entries close at 2130hrs; this may be difficult to judge.

[Chris Noble]

[Chris Noble]

Not an entry, but does anybody recognise this image?

[Chris Noble]

There are some interesting self portraits to be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-portrait

Scroll down to see the photography images

[Maxine Abbott]

Mug Shot

[Paul Harper]

This is a tricky challenge Andy!
Just returned from Edinburgh were we saw an excellent exhibition of August Sander's photo portraits from Germany in 30s and 40s. Unsettling as no one is smiling. Many images menacing. When did people start smiling for photos???

[Ken Sweetman]

I am a lumberjack!!

[Maxine Abbott]

Double Trouble

[Chris Noble]

[Paul Harper]

Variation on same theme...

[Ann-Marie Metcalfe]

Rather bizarre!!!

I always have to have eyes in the back of my head.......

[Chris Davies]

Me in Mini

[Paul Harper]

Which is my best side???

[Delwyn Ellis]

[Chris Davies]

Chris

[Chris Noble]

Not an entry, but does anybody recognise this image?

It's the cover of Bob Dylan's 1970 album 'Self Portrait'

[Maxine Abbott]

Before my time Chris

[Ann-Marie Metcalfe]

and mine!

[Chris Noble]

Before mine as well but I've still got it.

[Chris Noble]

[Ann-Marie Metcalfe]

[Chris Davies]

that smiley was obtained for my hosting of the challenge!

Did you fimd it AMM ?

[Chris Noble]

THIS POST HAS EXPIRED DUE TO LACK OF ACTIVITY

[Andy Polakowski]

Intentionally I chose a difficult subject, difficult because we have to decide who or what we are in the terms of this portrait. And because it is a portrait I believe there has to be a connection either between the "sitter" and the "photographer/viewer" or between the "sitter" and their interest, without that link it is a straightforward "people" picture, the key is the word portrait which, in my opinion, implies this additional link, this additional piece of information.

So congratulations to ChrisN, Maxine, Paul, Ken Sweetman, Ann-Marie, ChrisD and Delwyn for taking the trouble to enter. ChrisN's first image taken probably by the lens in the image was first up and is one of my favourites. It shows him as a photographer but with a twist and, as I said in the ChatBox, gives him an intellectual look; his "back to work" image was not as strong and although it is environmental and shows his workspace it is too ordinary.

Maxine's first image was very different to all the others and perhaps gave an insight as to how she views, or would like to view, herself - there's a rebel waiting to get out and is proud of it. Well photographed. Again the second image isn't as good and seems to be an attempt to introduce a creative element via an effect without a link to a particular characteristic.

In Paul's case I think that the best image is the last where we are invited through his use of a collage (or a "joiner") to consider his best side, again a different approach and well presented.

Ken Sweetman's "lumberjack" is great; a serious environmental portrait of something he loves doing and although they may represent the end products I don't think the wooden clock and barometer sets add to the picture, much better without I think. This is another of my favourites.

Ann-Marie's eyes in the back of her head was very imaginative and anyone who has had young children will understand this. Needs a bit of refining in the technique but there wasn't a lot of time; I like the way the pink hair thing creates a mouth effect to add to the illusion of a face.

Chris Davies's two were different but equally well presented. Chris in the Mini was very wll done with the final result being very believeable. The lighting of the second was what made it but what you can read into this depends on your own reaction to it.

Delwyn popped up near the end with a construction that nearly came off with a lovely background of stone wall indicating his love of the outdoors but ultimately the quality let the image down.

Of course it was also interesting to view these self-portraits alongside the photographers' Avatars which provided an interesting contrast, for instance, I think Paul's Avatar is a better self-portrait (if he took it of course) due to the use of the colours in his clothes mixed with the colours of the background.

It's between ChrisN's cloning and Ken's lumberjack . . . ., and the winner is

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