Friday, May 19, 2006

Condirazzi Iron Photo-Opographer Challenge Round 3!

In this corner, current leader Yuri Gripas of Team Reuters:

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (R) and Indonesia's Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda walk into the Treaty Room of the State Department in Washington after their meeting May 19, 2006. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
And in this corner, Associated Press' Lawrence Jackson:



The match is happening RIGHT NOW! I'm liking Gripas again, because he knows that when you've got Condi in mid-stroll, you want to get the whole body-shot, because 1. We want to see Condi's shoes, and 2. It makes her and her partner look like they're dancing the Madison. A big strong line! Hit it!

It's too early to judge this round yet, but it looks like the above shots show Condi 'n' Pal heading toward the hallowed matching armchairs in the reception room, and that's this competition's field of dreams, if you will, even if it wasn't used in yesterday's Round 2. Will Gripas play it conservative, as he did in Round 1, or do a little arty hotdogging?

Also, please note that challenger AP has tossed aside the husks of their previous entrants, and this time they've changed tactics by choosing a photographer with a safe, WASPy name. Will it help?

Stay tuned! OMG, the Iron Photo-Opographer Challenge is totally better than American Idol.

UPDATE: The Second Lap!

Alrighty, in this next segment, Condi 'n' Pal have moved inside to the Reception Room, and the contestants have shot pretty much the identical instant:


AP Photo/Jackson


Reuters/Gripas

This is the best showing yet by an AP competitor. But as in the previous rounds, please note the whites in Gripas' photo... he's the All-Temperature Cheer of photographers; his whites are simply whiter.

More subtle, though, are the compositional differences. Note how both incorporate the painting on the upper-left: Jackson edges it almost, but not quite, out of the frame, creating a hard-edged border on the left side of his photo. Gripas allows more of the painting into the frame, thereby creating an expansive shape which keeps the left side open. And yet with the doorframe behind Condi we see the opposite happen, because the dark rectangle of the door creates a strongly closed shape which encompases our Princessplomat and divides the composition. Gripas wisely reinforces this by including the frame, neatly creating a closed side on the right as a complement to the open, expansive shapes and colors on the left. Wait, see, here's how it works:



Recall that Jackson closed off the left side with that frame edge. The result is that Jackson's picture is more cramped than Gripas' more dynamic capture of the identical moment.

This was a lot closer than the first two rounds, but I'm declaring Gripas 3 for 3.

Oh, and PS, I'm sure the nice Foreign Minister of Indonesia and Dr. Ferragamo talked about, oh, just loads of important things 'n' stuff.

14 comments:

PWhit said...

But, PSP, how many points are lost by not getting the clear shot of Condis' facial expresssion?
And what if she's wearing boorriinnggg shoes? Though that's not the photogs fault..(yet....)

I guess if they are in step, which they are not in the gripas shot, though they seem to be in the challengers, can they really be doing the madison?

My vote's for Jackson on this one.

PWhit said...

OMG, it just occured to me, mabye they did a little shuffles step between frames.....

Karen Zipdrive said...

Yuri gets the edge on composition but Jackson gets the edge on use of available lighting.
Because her Ferragamos are plain black, I have to give a slight edge to Jackson this time.

Lulu Maude said...

I never got to dance the Madison. I only saw it in Hairspray.

Is it too late for me?

Lulu Maude said...

p.s. It isn't Monday, but an audio track here would mean so much...

Anonymous said...

Yuri........

PWhit said...

Lulu it's never too late for the Madison.

z7q2 said...

This series of posts is why Princess Sparkle Pony deserves a Nobel Prize. Or a Pulitzer. Or at least a 4H 1st place ribbon!

I love this blog.

Anonymous said...

Why are there chandeliers in all these shots?

Love this blog!

Unknown said...

What in the blue hell is the Madison? some kind of folk dance? and how do you guys know about it? Did I sleep through this part of my public education or something?

I know..way too many questions..sorry.

Anonymous said...

Ah sweet bird of youth. Rush out and buy a cute little red and yellow skirt and learn now.

http://www.ultradanse.com/base/madison.htm

Slept through your French classes too? Oh Dusty!

Anonymous said...

I seriously think Gripas should open a photog/Condirazzi camp where he can exhort his worldly knowledge on just how to capture that matching armchair moment just perfectly.

Unknown said...

I was using the universal "guys".It wasn't gender specific..

I don't look good in red and yellow.

Anonymous said...

did you know that princess sparkle pony's blog is FIRST in the google search for "yuri gripas" and nowhere to be found when searching for condi? i think we know where this plastic pony's love really lies.