AV News 200 - May 2015
S c o tlan d
Mark Allen
Judges comments: Malcolm Imhoff FRPS FACI(M)
"You know when you see the first picture that this is going to be special.
The photography throughout is stunning. The Ken Burns effect of gently
zooming every image helps keep the momentum going. The 'Adagio' from
the film 'Sunshine' is a wonderful piece and the drama of the music
complements the drama of the landscapes completely. Maybe the author
should warn the projectionist to keep the volume down during the relatively
quiet beginning otherwise the audience will get blown away!
The images and transitions are totally in sync with the music. Here is
somebody who listens to and knows his music. There is perfect harmony
between successive images, shapes, colours, with not a single jarring line or
horizon. Great care has been taken constructing this sequence, helped by
the fact that the author no doubt has a large number of first class pictures
from which to choose. The whole thing builds and develops. Swells in the
music are used to highlight the close ups of rocks, barnacles and ice
fragments. The percussion is used to show the railway section. When I saw
the classic image of the Cuillins from Elgol I thought "this is the end", but the
final picture was even better.
It's clear from the filename (v9) that this has undergone a lengthy period
of revision, honing and pruning, so that what we see today is powerful,
passionate and intense. This is a good lesson, not to be satisfied with the first
attempt. The only criticism I have is that the title is what I would call a
'working title'. Such a dramatic presentation needs a dramatic title, 'The
drama of the Highlands' or 'Elemental landscape', 'Wild Scotland', 'Untamed
wilderness'..."
I am an amateur photographer; I do not hold any
photographic distinctions or do any commercial work.
I'm retired and, for me, both photography and creating
slideshows are a merely a most enjoyable hobby.
The ‘Scotland’ sequence was two years in the making
and, as alluded to by Malcolm, was at version 9. I had
plenty of pictures to choose from and the multiple
versions were all about getting the colours of the images
to flow, ‘just so’, but also exactly match the music. It was
great to read Malcolm's feedback and realise that his expert eye identified
the many nuances I had included. The latest version of PicturesToExe
allowed me to increase, or decrease, the sound envelope - to draw attention
to certain slides.
I'm dyslexic, so I work slightly differently to my fellow AV workers (so I'm
told.) For me, the music must come first. One evening; while driving and
listening to Classic FM 'at the movies' I first heard the 'Adagio' from the film
'Sunshine'. I immediately said to myself - 'Scotland' - and version 1 was
created.
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