Calendar critique

fredintoon

Fred Hill, S'toon.
Top Contributor
Messages
6,692
Reaction score
5,483
Points
563
Location
saskatoon sk
My 2018 XS650 calendar arrived in the mailbox on January 5th.
I have no problem with that date as I don't buy the calendars I send to others
until they go on sale at 40% off which won't be until this weekend.
And I have no problem with the XS650 calendar, I think it's just about perfect.
But as my son is a qualified photographer, he's not happy with the January photo.
Too effin' dark, he sez. Artistic shadows is all very well but not if you can't see the bike.
And the December photo really pissed him off.
Muttering about depth of field and such. Five whole minutes of full-blown photographic
techno-babble which boiled down to, the bike ain't quite in focus.
Looks OK to me, I said. And you drive with those eyes? he replied
OTOH, he really likes the bikes.
And yeah, when do the XS650 calendars go on sale at 40% off?
 
Your son sure sounds like a talented photographer alright. Would it be possible to post one of his pics of his latest XS650 build so we can see how it should be done?? I must have been wrong when I thought it was all about the appeal and quality of the bike.:shrug:
 
Keep in mind that these bikes were not professionally shot. They made the calendars based on photos that were submitted to them. I can understand his critique since he is in the field, but maybe he did not realize the circumstances in which the calendars were created.
 
Your son sure sounds like a talented photographer alright. Would it be possible to post one of his pics of his latest XS650 build so we can see how it should be done?? I must have been wrong when I thought it was all about the appeal and quality of the bike.:shrug:

Hi halfmile,
yes he is. Although after his first photographic job (hanging out of a Cessna taking farm photos) he changed careers.
And a skilled bike resurrectionist. Alas that his own XS650 hardtail project got sold 7/8th finished to finance his wedding.
Seeing the calendar inspired him to plan another build which in turn triggered his rant because of course it's "all about the
appeal and quality of the bike". Which is more difficult to do if the allegedly artistic shadowing or poor focus blurs the details.
 
Around here we call it “MyBikeisinStorageitis”

....which (speaking entirely for myself) tends to cause “GrumpyOldBuggeritis” which often brings about an acute need for a foot-ectomy to be performed on my mouthal region.

All seriousness aside, I really truly do find this period between about Jan. 3-4 and mid-February to be a dark, depressing time during which my energy level wains, my mood dips, my temper becomes short(er) and my discernment about what I write and say becomes....less discerning.

My sincere apologies in advance to anyone and everyone whom I might annoy, nettle, offend, rankle, or otherwise piss-off ...during this period.

Pete
 
Last edited:
I thought somebody else had noticed February has 31 days.
 
Touched on this with Shawn last year in a PM. With the technology in smart phone cameras, and YouTube camera tutorials, there is no excuse for out of focus or wrong sized pics. last year a couple of guys not only had poor lighting in their pics but also were to lazy to re-shoot and used their undersized pics then resized the undersized pics to make them larger and it shows in the calendar quite markedly.

Every one knows someone that is a photographic hobbyist if they don't have the experience/knowledge or just plain talent. Funny how they can build a bike with research and help from here, then fail to take a good to better pic to show off their bike for a calendar that goes all around the world, and gets given as presents to others as well.

It's not as though they don't have the time to get good pics or Shawn doesn't give them the information he requires, (pic sizes and ratios), to make the best product he can.
 
Hmmm... I’m looking at the same photos, and I don’t see anything wrong with them “Fred-in-toon”. And for someone who has no photography experience... I think my pictures came out awesome. In fact, they came out exactly how I wanted them to. I’m pretty sure the only people who give two turtle shits about the “lighting” are you and your son.
The mere fact that you felt the need to create a thread about this, says way more about you than I care to know. Next year tell everyone how much fruit you want in your daiquiri, princess!!!
The calendars are awesome, in my opinion. Sure they’re not perfect, but they’re not being made by a professional calendar company!

We’re just normal guys taking pictures of our bikes.

And Skull.................... shut up already!
 
Last edited:
Hmmm... I’m looking at the same photos, and I don’t see anything wrong with them “Fred-in-toon”. And for someone who has no photography experience... I think my pictures came out awesome. In fact, they came out exactly how I wanted them to. I’m pretty sure the only people who give two turtle shits about the “lighting” are you and your son.
The mere fact that you felt the need to create a thread about this, says way more about you than I care to know. Next year tell everyone how much fruit you want in your daiquiri, princess!!!

The calendars are awesome, in my opinion. Sure they’re not perfect, but they’re not being made by a professional calendar company!
They arn't !!!!!


We’re just normal guys taking pictures of our bikes.

And Skull.................... shut up already!

Your telling a guy he cant have a say on the net....................YES SIR, THREE BAGS FULL SIR.........
 
shortTRIP :thumbsup:. Your cover photo is a refreshing change of pace (IMHO). Every year Shawn bust`s his ass to get this calendar out for our enjoyment and does a hell of a job with the material he receives from each of us. Looking toward the future should I finish my scrambler project and should someone honor me with a calendar nomination I`ll drag it out from under the porch, kick the dirt off of it and take it over to the same old place with the same old concrete/brick background only this time I`ll step up my game with some Hi-Tech equipment. I`ve decided to go with the Kodak Brownie Hawkeye. I`ve got a pack of flash bulbs left so I don`t have to worry about the light. I`ll be sure to take these professional photos with the sun at my back so I can get my shadow in the pics. Hope this doesn`t distract from the tree or telephone pole I`ll have growing out of the gas tank. Until then I`ll just enjoy the 12 months of great XS`s in this years calendar.
camera`s 001.JPG flash 002.JPG
 
Your telling a guy he cant have a say on the net....................YES SIR, THREE BAGS FULL SIR.........[/QUOTE]

That was MY “say on the net” Skull.
Take it with a grain of salt, or pour it over your f*@#ing Wheaties.

Men ride,
Little girls have opinions!
 
Hmmm... I’m looking at the same photos, and I don’t see anything wrong with them “Fred-in-toon”. And for someone who has no photography experience... I think my pictures came out awesome. In fact, they came out exactly how I wanted them to. I’m pretty sure the only people who give two turtle shits about the “lighting” are you and your son.
The mere fact that you felt the need to create a thread about this, says way more about you than I care to know. Next year tell everyone how much fruit you want in your daiquiri, princess!!!
The calendars are awesome, in my opinion. Sure they’re not perfect, but they’re not being made by a professional calendar company!
We’re just normal guys taking pictures of our bikes.
And Skull.................... shut up already!

Hi Shorty,
that's your bike on the calendar's January page, eh? That does explain the tantrum. If you'd carefully read my post instead of boiling over
you'd have seen that my son and I liked every bike in the calendar and that I was passing on my son's professional opinion of the photos.
The bike itself is awesome. Considered as a work of art the photo is awesome. As a guide to hardtailers the photo is an epic fail.
The shadowing hides a lot of the details so the photo ain't much help to anyone who may seek inspiration from it.
 
Back
Top