Master of Photography (Sky Arts)

BT Bob

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Season 2 started this week.

Just wondered if anyone else watched? I saw the first season - I think this one will be better, if only because they've dropped Isabella Rossellini as presenter.

Master Of Photography

Season 1 (8 episodes) still available on demand.
 
I really enjoyed the 1st series, was a little underwhelmed by the photos in the 1st episode of this series tbh and found a lot of the comments quite pretentious, hopefully it'll improve.
 
I mentioned this in the general thread. Looking forward to watching season 2, but will have to be after the weekend when I get back.
 
I ... was a little underwhelmed by the photos in the 1st episode of this series tbh .
Yep - I agree. I really liked the "girl looking down onto the street" shot, but thought the others were pretty cliched.
 
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I thought it showed a fair bit of improvement over the previous series - though it's not clear if this is simply different editing, or if the judging was different.

In the brief, they actually elaborated over what they wanted (and didn't want).
In the critique they actually gave some useful critique - pointing out possible improvements (though this appeared to be heavily edited down, so only applies to 2-3 shots).

I agreed with the best 4 / worst 2 selection - but was amused by the shot of the couple in the castle (her in the light, him in the background) was the favourite of 'The Grumpy Italian'.

While a great shot in many respects, to me it was a shot that would have been great in a brochure about Scilly - where other shots were there to establish the location, and it was there to 'intrigue'.
It could have been shot in a number of countries in southern Europe, there was nothing specific to the location - so failed the brief.
 
It was great to see the mentor actually mentoring again, something very rarely seen last season.

Agree with the underwhelmed comments on the photos. Although they did suffer from some poor light, and a lack of anyone around, there was a huge lack of imagination on show. By far my favourite was the girl looking down the street. Natural looking but completely staged, but still looked natural despite knowing it was staged!

A shame the surviving judge from the first series is there, he really adds nothing except pointless venom (although restrained this episode) trying to give himself five minutes of fame. Either of the other two from series one would have been preferable to stay for this series.

Nice to see Peak Design are supplying the accessory gear too. Cracking straps, but I still can't see myself parting with £260 for the bags they use, no matter how pretty they are!
 
Thought the opening program was a big improvement from the first series. There was much more information on the pictures, a coherent brief and the overall presentation was a bit slicker.

I thought that contestants had more choice in the gear they could use last time round, whereas this time it looked like it was limited to Leica only?
 
I thought that contestants had more choice in the gear they could use last time round, whereas this time it looked like it was limited to Leica only?
Isn't that the only option in season 1 as well? I thought it was.... but I am getting old so maybe wrong..
 
I thought it was Leica only too. I too am getting old though, so could be two of us mistaken!

I seem to remember them going to some display area to choose their equipment in the very first episode, but either they all chose Leica or Leica was the only choice anyway.
 
I thought that contestants had more choice in the gear they could use last time round, whereas this time it looked like it was limited to Leica only?

It was Leica only for the first season as well (Leica are a primary sponsor of the show).

Last season they gave more airtime to seeing the contestants select their gear - this time they instead had a section where the contestants talked about their intentions, which included comments on the gear they had selected (and why).
 
It was Leica only for the first season as well (Leica are a primary sponsor of the show).

Last season they gave more airtime to seeing the contestants select their gear - this time they instead had a section where the contestants talked about their intentions, which included comments on the gear they had selected (and why).

Pretty sure it wasn't Leica only (but might just be my memory...) ?
 
Personally, I think it is a load of rubbish. The production is full of pretentious art snobs. A few of the mentors are ok but sadly they seem to not get the air time they deserve. For me, the production wastes too much time trying to build drama in that typical American way. Do we really need so much time devoted to endless cut shots of stressed looking faces to supposedly tension building music? It could have been so much more.
 
So, Episode 2....
Street photography in a city you've never been to. The mentor, a native of that city and acknowledged expert in street photography, recommends one image you've shot, but you choose another one. :facepalm:

I'm all for self-expression in all forms of art, but if you're working to a brief, you have to stick to that, surely??
 
So, Episode 2....
Street photography in a city you've never been to. The mentor, a native of that city and acknowledged expert in street photography, recommends one image you've shot, but you choose another one. :facepalm:

I'm all for self-expression in all forms of art, but if you're working to a brief, you have to stick to that, surely??

Then the judges picked out the 'Paradise' shot as one they particularly liked - which I though also failed to fulfil the brief?
 
So I'm only half way through the first episode at the moment and at the moment feel a bit 'meh' about the new format, I actually liked the presenter in series 1. There is the usual arty pretentiousness but I guess you have to accept this with these kinds of programs. I still miss this so called art sometimes, the examples they gave at the start from famous award winning togs failed to impress me. I kind of liked the one of the kid running down the street but all I kept thinking was how he'd chopped the other kids off on the edge of the frame.

On a positive note I'm off to Sicily in a few weeks so I should be able to get some nice pics and it looks a lovely place. However, I am constantly being told that it is not a photography holiday ;)
 
So I've finished watching episode 1 now, and my comments above still stand. Was nice to see a constructive mentor this time, and was interesting to hear how he viewed certain images. I agreed with the 3 standout images, although it did bug me a bit that the one of the girl overlooking the two men walking down the street was wonky. However, that seems to be the in thing at the moment, more than half the shots they showed that they took were wonky, and some that they showed from their previous portfolio were the same, some of the horizons were at least 20 degrees out :eek:

I wish I'd got the bottle to go up to people in the street like that and ask to take their pics, but I'm far too self conscious. However, on saying that it did all look a bit staged in this series, as though they'd already been asked previously.

But overall I do like watching this program, not only does it give some inspiration and make you aware of new/different ideas, when you see some of the other shots that they took it makes me realise there is hope for a numpty like me :laugh:
 
... more than half the shots they showed that they took were wonky, and some that they showed from their previous portfolio were the same, some of the horizons were at least 20 degrees out :eek:
I cannot find it in my heart to excuse sloping water - EVER!!! It really bugs me.
I think most modern cameras have a grid you can superimpose on the viewfinder or screen, so no real excuse..
 
Watched episode 2, gotta laugh at the guy blagging the concept from the mentor about the cage, can't fault him :laugh:

As per above why that woman didn't listen to the mentor and chose the pic that ultimately dumped her out of the competition god only knows, especially when it clearly didn't fulfil the brief.

I can't say that many of the shots impressed/intrigued me this week tbh. I certainly don't think I'd have faved any if I saw them on Flickr. Maybe the one with the couple (it looked like to me) and a few passers by silhouetted with the buildings in the background.
 
I must admit, I fast forwarded through most of episode 1 and just deleted episode 2. Shame as i was looking forward to it.
 
I watched episode two today. I too fast forwarded a lot of it. The mentor ship is the best bit, more of that and less of the crack drama building guff would make the difference for me. I feel more of an educational experience should be given to the contestants and less of a bitch fest.
 
Saw Episode 3 last night. The right shot voted last IMO - although I liked the guy (Sohail?) and his attitude to his own photography.

Have to say I didn't;t think Clive Owen was as good a subject as MM in the last season; just not as interesting a character. Interesting to see the winner was the most direct "standard" portrait. Classic b&w - could've been shot by Bailey or Donovan in the late '60s.
 
Saw Episode 3 last night. The right shot voted last IMO - although I liked the guy (Sohail?) and his attitude to his own photography.

Have to say I didn't;t think Clive Owen was as good a subject as MM in the last season; just not as interesting a character. Interesting to see the winner was the most direct "standard" portrait. Classic b&w - could've been shot by Bailey or Donovan in the late '60s.
I thought the guy who left was rude and devoid of being able to interpret a situation and judgement of a person tbh. The winning picture was the best, but I did prefer the colour version and thought he added too much clarity, but that seems to be the vogue thing at the mo :rolleyes: I thought the young girl had a good chance, if only she'd picked one of her other shots. I can't believe she picked that one.

I wish they'd explained how they would have changed the exposure on the one they were grilling the girl on how to change it and then gave her a roasting for suggesting in PP rather than in camera. They didn't really explain what they were after, whether they wanted to raise it to make it more high key or what. I thought that was poor.

I really like Clive Owen, I used to love Chancer.
 
I think the lady did say how she should of done it, changing aperture, iso and exposing for the bright bit, I think!
I find it interesting in how everyone approaches the same thing in such different ways, didn't see the first series so don't know what happened in that.
Looking forward to tee next episode though! :devil:
 
I think the lady did say how she should of done it, changing aperture, iso and exposing for the bright bit, I think!
I find it interesting in how everyone approaches the same thing in such different ways, didn't see the first series so don't know what happened in that.
Looking forward to tee next episode though! :devil:
I missed the bit about her saying exposing for the bright bit if she said that tbh. But it would have been nice to have known why, ie was she suggesting a more silhouetted figure?
 
Last night's episode was the best in the series so far, IMO. Leaving aside the obvious attraction (stop sniggering at the back, there), it was really interesting seeing how they approached the brief of producing a panel of work, rather than a single image.
Having previously done several City & Guilds modules and obtained my LRPS & ARPS in the past, I grew used to thinking and working like that. Much more discipline required, IMO, to produce a consistent panel of multiple related images.

I still can't take to the male judge, and, for some weird reason, it bugs me that they show "contact sheets" of the images that look like they're film negatives (or positives, I guess) when it's clearly unnecessary... (whinge-over).
 

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