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Canon DSLR Challenge | all galleries >> Challenge 9: Complementary Colors (Hosted by Roberta Fair) >> Complementary Colors: Eligible Gallery > 6th Place (tie)
Toy Collection
by Lonnit Rysher
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Feb 14, 2004 Lonnit Rysher

6th Place (tie)
Toy Collection
by Lonnit Rysher


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Canon DSLR Challenge25-Feb-2004 22:52
My favorite so far in the entire challenge!! You're skillset both graphic and photographic is lighyears ahead of mine!!! Thank you for sharing such great work.
Markjay
Canon DSLR Challenge25-Feb-2004 03:30
This is Lonnit's rebelion against the new 3 picture limit (grin). Just joking. I think it's a great image. Seeing it in thumbnail form, though, as I type this, I have a question about the margins. The margins along the middle row are wider. What was your thinking here? In a way, it almost makes the outer pictures become a box (toybox even?) containing all the pictures. -- Victor
ctfchallenge25-Feb-2004 03:12
Thanks Olaf. I did work hard at trying to get it all balanced colorwise, directionally, levelwise, etc. You're right, the more elements the harder it is to balance them. ~ Lonnit
Olaf.dk 24-Feb-2004 22:00
Lonnit, this is very nice and colorful! I can definitely see this as a poster somewhere, where there are children around! I think it is very balanced - color-wise and otherwise. All the individual images are different, but still very related! You know, the complexity of a design grows exponentially with the amount of elements, and you've succeeded in making some visual order out of all those (countless) elements - very well done! --Olaf
Guest 20-Feb-2004 07:04
But did you have to crop out Zack? (Or was that Weezie?) ;-)
Canon DSLR Challenge19-Feb-2004 23:48
Hi Lonnit,

Here's the link to Abba Richman's gallery on Visual Collections:

http://www.pbase.com/abbarich/visual_collections

Hope you enjoy it!
Roberta
Guest 19-Feb-2004 19:19
The reason I have the title in it is that I'm presenting this as more of a poster. It's absolutely a montage; a collection of photos. I'm thinking about it in terms of a series, along with the car one, which is a similar format. It's something that would be
used as part of the decor in say, a pediatric office or children's hospital, etc., anywhere that children would be an audience. There could be a whole series in a similar format, all to a child's interest.

I agree that in a single image, the image should be capable of standing alone without a title as an explanation. :)

I haven't seen the alphabet thing, but that is totally up my alley. I've had an idea for an alphabet series that I've wanted to do for years. Hmmmmm... maybe now that I've got a good camera and a digital darkroom, it's time! I'd love to see the one you're referring to if you can find the link. Thanks. :) ~ Lonnit

Canon DSLR Challenge19-Feb-2004 17:56
Lonnit,
I see a theme in the work and I think that each interpretation of the complementary color challenge is up to the artist. The frog image composite tells more of a story but I prefer this well balanced image for its design characteristics and its wonderful color appeal. You have explained well the thought you put into the arrangement of the repeating elements and color combinations. (*) My only suggestion or personal thought is that an image should not need a title as part of the image. The image should be capable of standing alone without a title (in the image) as an explanation. With that in mind, I might take a wide shot displaying an opened toy box filled with toys. That in a way says "Toy Collection" without using words. That image could be used as one of your 10 sections.

Have you seen the composite work done by a pbase artist...a collection of naturally formed alphabet images found in everyday life/nature? I can't think of his name right now but I will try to post a link for you. The reason I mention this is for others to see another very interesting display of artisitic expression. I've enjoyed your composites- keep using your creativity!! Roberta
Guest 19-Feb-2004 11:15
Lonnt
I like the amount of thought and effort you have put in here - matching the frame sizes etc, and as a whole I think it's a very striking image.
However, I'm inclined to agree a little with Karl that it's more of a montage or gallery. That's not to take anything away - after all, it still fits the theme as a single picture in and of itself.
Very striking and great use of what's available. Phil
Guest 19-Feb-2004 03:34
There is a theme to it, starting with toys, as the title states. Within that theme, it also satisfies the theme of complimentary colors, as each shot stands on it's own in that respect. Within the layout, there are patterns: alternating quantities per row, and altenating of horizontal vs. vertical format in each row. Additionally, there is the repetitive theme of the scissors throughout. There's a pair of scissors in the upper left and lower right corners for balance. There is the red with green on the upper right to balance the green with red on the middle left. There are the two lower blue corners balancing eachother, and again counter-balanced by the middle blue in the top. The eye is drawn from image to adjacent image. I thought a lot about the positioning of each shot. I had several other shots I took that I didn't include b/c they didn't fit the theme of the overall shot. Although to you it may seem like random chaos, LOL, it was actually all thought out. :) ~ Warmly, Lonnit

Karl P 19-Feb-2004 02:07
Ummm, You're going to think I'm picking on you, but....

At least in the frogs, the entire sequence was complementary colour. This isn't a picture though, it's a gallery! And it's not even a sequence of a story, it's just a heap of colourful pictures, each of which happens to match the criteria. As a whole however it's not even close. It's just a carnage of images all together. Weren't any of the pictures strong enough to stand on their own? The guitar, the car and the chest of drawers all appear to be. It might be tough, but edit out the rest. Or at least, make it a coherant story.

Cheers,
Karl P
Guest 19-Feb-2004 01:22
Thanks for the wonderful raves. Really makes me feel good. :) It wasn't such an enormous time shooting, maybe an hour or two. The problem was that I'd take some shots and think I was done, then something else would hit me and I'd go running to find a backdrop. The hardest part was putting it all together, deciding which to include and which not. I noticed that the frogs were enough to make a whole series, as were the cars. But when it came to the cars I ended up repeating the same couple pix for symmetry. Once the frogs and cars were out of the picture (sorry about the pun!) I still had a lot left. I decided to throw them together b/c nothing was strong enough on its own. I thought all that color had great impact together. Boy, did I discover RAW just in time! Many happy coincidences of timing came together for me in this challenge. I'm glad you like it. :)
~ Lonnit
Canon DSLR Challenge18-Feb-2004 19:19
WOW Lonnit that is a great image. Gosh, you must have taken hours to put this together and love the colours in this one.... Vikas
Guest 18-Feb-2004 18:15
Lonnit!!!!!!!!! Excellent!! Look at all of these great set ups!! WOW! Great great use of all the complementary colors. How much time did you spend shooting all these toys? One of my favorite of yours to date. Just love it. -- angela :)
Scott Hopkins18-Feb-2004 17:49
Lonnit,

All I can say is WOW this has to be one of you best submissions to date!! This idea is perfect. I really like use of the scissors as a repetitive item in each row of pictures; I think it ties the whole image together.

Great Job!!!!