Seagulls:

Film: Kodak Ektachrome 100, Mamiya 645, 80mm lens. Photo was taken on a cloudy day. The image was a part of a larger slide. No aperture opening or shutter speed settings were recorded. Some of you most probably hate this image. However, there is something in it that seems to bring me back to it.

-- Bahman Farzad (cpgbooks@mindspring.com), October 03, 1998

Answers

I love this picture! National Geographic had a set of "motion-blurred" elephants and other big game couple of months (years?) ago, which was quite controversial. To me, motion expresses an essential element of animals and I prefer it over any "static" (even if photographically perfect) yext book rendition. Very nice artwork!

-- (andreas@physio.unr.edu), October 03, 1998.

Anyone who hates this image either a) has never watched seagulls flying or b) has no soul. It would make a beautiful painting and is a remarkable photograph. Very evocative of the nature of seagulls flying.

-- Brent Hutto (BHutto@InfoAve.Net), October 04, 1998.

i agree that this is a very different but intriguing image. the reason that you felt defensive about the possible response is, imo, because we are all conditioned to believe that one of the fundamental necessities of a successful "photograph" is perfect focus. this image, and many others, demonstrates the fallacy in that dictum. congratulations on an outstanding work.

-- wayne harrison (wayno@netmcr.com), October 04, 1998.

This is an example of why you must experiment and occasionally break rules. Overall, very nice.

-- Kevin Ferris (KFerris575@aol.com), October 04, 1998.

True, it is a very nice image, to be p*e*r*f*e*c*t the lower gull's head would have to be sharp.

Frank

-- Frank Kolwicz (bb389@lafn.org), October 04, 1998.

Oh, and you'd have to correctly identify the gulls by genus and species! It would be icing on the cake, if it was a RARE species.

Frank

-- Frank Kolwicz (bb389@lafn.org), October 04, 1998.

I guess nikon and canon have to add a new feature to their gizmos, "art mode" hehe.

Very nice image.

-- al (nissar@idt.net), October 04, 1998.

Of all the images which are posted in this forum, the ones I keep coming back to are the ones that belong to you. I definitely like the "art" quality of many of your images, including this one, and the framing is usually excellent. Continued great job!

-- Jon McNeill (jon_mcneill@hp.com), October 05, 1998.

Great work Bahman. What else can I say??

-- Paul Lenson (lenson@pci.on.ca), October 06, 1998.