Hip Coyote

ive done this once before, just for fun. My photo club (Thousand Oaks Photo Group) allows its members to submit up to two pics a month either in a predesignated category or open category. A pro is then invited to judge the shots. So, I am posting a photo that I submitted. The theme was, "even". What ever that means! Photoshop, wizardry, or what ever is allowed.

I submitted this photo as something even.

Once you critique the shot, I will tell you what the pro said.

No download and repost on this one. I am just uploading smaller file sizes anyway.

Hip

Revet Loc: Fairview Park, Ohio

I am responding mostly because I want to follow this and see what the Pro said. This image is all about symmetry to me and I really like it. As a critique, since it's all about symmetry, I wish it was a little more symmetrical in the horizontal plane as well as the vertical. Overall, I found this image very pleasing to my eyes.

CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida

It will be interesting to see the answer.
In my mind a "PRO" is simply someone that has sold some photos. A school photographer is a "PRO" but is their opinion on art valid because they are a pro?
I'd much rather have the judges defined by 10 photos they say are good.
p.s. IMHO your photo meets the rules of the contest but is uninteresting to me.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

I would have twisted it just a little bit to make the horizontal lines parallel with the edge of the photo. Basically, though, I think it’s a great shot.

starlifter Loc: Towson, MD

Very unique and artsy.

Stephan G

Having viewed a video about Elon Musk and battery powered lasers, I would say that the shot shows the predecessor, suggesting a targeting grid with laser system.

Hip Coyote

As mentioned above, this is a working pro and seasoned judge. He is a very very good photographer.

Keeping in mind the subjects had to be "even". So I took a shot of this staircase (from the WW2 Museum in New Orleans), duplicated it, flipped it around to make this abstract. I did convert to black and white.

The judge said this violates nearly every concept of photography...multiple horizontal lines, confusing subject, makes the eye wander too much, but said that in this case it worked. He found it interesting, first to determine what it was that he was looking at, second, he did have to look around and see all the architectural things in the image and the horizontal lines actually worked.

I think had this be submitted in the open category, it would not have scored well...kind of a goof-ball image. But it comported with the category, so it scored a 9.

Also, of note, this was shot with an iPhone 13.

Finally, sometimes I submit photos to see what the judge will say or to try new concepts. This was one such case. I have some shots that I know are good and do not need judging and I have a bunch that are bad and need culling. I often opt for the 'tweeners' to see what others might find interesting / worthy. Its all for fun!

Happy shooting

Hip

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Orphoto Loc: Oregon

The reason it worked ok was that you had a relatively high vantage point. I wish the stair edges did not extend quite to the frame edge on the right side. Might have been trippy with a person or partial person on the steps.