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Mario Carta

8 Years Ago

Changed My Avatar

I changed my avatar but I'm not sure this is the the best choice for a new one, it's a copper sculpture I made but it just looks small., I don't know? what do you think? feel free to suggest something different from my gallery if you have the time to look. thanks

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Bradford Martin

8 Years Ago

The sculpture is lost because it does not contrast with the background. Re-shoot from a low angle with a light background and this would be a great avatar. Crop it tight.

 

Allen Beatty

8 Years Ago

I agree with Bradford

 

David Bridburg

8 Years Ago

Bradford,

Very interesting suggestion. Mario coming from the bottom up would make for a very different POV.

Dave

 

Bill Swartwout

8 Years Ago

Sounds like those suggestions might work quite well.



---------------
~ Bill
~ US Pictures .com

 

Mario Carta

8 Years Ago

Makes good sense! Thank you............I will have to go thru a few boxes to find it, but only after I edit these new early morning photographs I took today at Kings bay.

 

Marlene Burns

8 Years Ago

Mario,
The majority of your gallery is photography....
An avatar should represent you...If you are promoting your copper sculptures, then you should make them a gallery, at very least and they should be up front in your default to images IMO

 

Mario Carta

8 Years Ago

I agree Marlene,I think you are right, I will do just that, it's just that I'm so much more eager to create than organizing what I have, a weak point for sure, like my online marketing, but seeing that I'll be topping 200 hundred images in my gallery today, I better dedicate some time to it now because, if after I have to go back and add details to all my work, it's not going to be fun.

 

Mike Savad

8 Years Ago

it doesn't catch the eye. look at it from the side of your eye, can you figure out what it is, or who it is? no? then no. i always go for something bright when i can.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

 

Melany Sarafis

8 Years Ago

I'm on my phone in the car. Its bright outside, and I cant see what the pic is.
I really loke your sculptures. Can you shoot it on a white background?

Wish i could see it.

 

David Bridburg

8 Years Ago

Mario,

Seconding Mike's point about bright. My academic works were far more worked over in PS, they have a darker tone to them.
My newer commercial works are worked differently and are brighter. We have the advantage online of having people see
a lit up screen. It is catchy. Whether that translates to their wall? I donno. But the feel towards any potential sales is probably
prefered. I let my academic work fall to the back of my images. So for now I have my commercial new stuff up top. And I then promote
only the commercial stuff.

Dave

 

Robert Kernodle

8 Years Ago

The figure is too small, and the contrast between it and the background is too little.

As small as an avatar is, all you see at first glance is a small brown square. I would rather be remembered as something a bit more than a small brown smudge. (^_^) ... like a big green head is really any better.

The point is ... your other avatar was bigger and brighter and more memorable. Your latest is not memorable, simply because viewers cannot see much, ... except the brown (copper color).

Can you shoot (maybe) a close up of that particular sculpture's head?

 

Mario Carta

8 Years Ago

Ok, I get it, so as always we come to the conclusion that size matters. Lol , I'm gonna have to work on this for a while, I do miss my old avatar, it has sentimental value, but I think I need some thing more representative of what I'm doing now. I will try different ones and see if any scream out at me.I do like my photographer since I'm taking lots of photographs now, but I need to re shoot it as so many have suggested, might be a good time to try out some HDR photography with it.

@Melany, thank you, it's not a huge sculpture, it measures about 6"x 3" and the colors are not as intense as the image but it has it's charm, the colors, purple and blue ,fade with time but it also takes on a new natural patina of it's own and that changes over time also, so your never really looking at it the same way.

 

Cynthia Decker

8 Years Ago

I like what you're doing with photographing your sculptures, Mario, but the resulting images are all very dark and lack contrast. I'm not sure if this is intentional, but I think your lovely sculptures are getting lost in the new technique.

Like this one
Art Prints

 

Mario Carta

8 Years Ago

Thank you Cynthia I do agree with you, seems for the moment my sculptures are taking back seat, and even the colorizations I started doing and the dap enhanced photos of them. I am gravitating towards the photography, I don't know if this temporary or not but I'm very motivated about taking photographs right now and not having to process them to much, actually I have almost stopped cropping for one.

These images of my sculptures that I have done were done in dap, dynamic auto painter pro, and there is one feature that I really like and it's called golden age neo Rembrandt and it tries to mimic the play of light and dark which I really like, but because I photographed my sculptures on a real copper counter top (one I made) there is not much contrast, I will have to go back at some point and re-photograph all of them now that I have my new camera the results should be better. Then I might run them through dap again but this time I will try maybe white back ground.

 

Roger Swezey

8 Years Ago

Mario,

I see that you've changed the avatar again.

I would go back to having your own work portrayed .

The idea of your own sculpture with a camera combines both your interests.

A great sculptor and a newly discovered great photographer...And as with so many of the photographers here on FAA a camera ever present in the avatar.

 

Jessica Jenney

8 Years Ago

You have 215 images and only one gallery with 17 images in it. Why not create more galleries? That may be more important than your avatar.

 

Mike Savad

8 Years Ago

i'd choose the avatar you last had, only center it for a square.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

 

Tom Druin

8 Years Ago

cool industrial avatar...

 

Mario Carta

8 Years Ago

Wow! Thank you Roger and all for the suggestions and comments. I will be switching it around for the next few days or a week as I set up my galleries and do a little house cleaning and organizing (not my favorite things to do) but it must be done, I even have some eye candy avatars (a little on the artistic nude side) not me of course, lol, while I decide which to finally keep.But I am still leaning towards the The old photographer sculpture if i can get it right.

 

Abbie Shores

8 Years Ago

That avatar I like!

 

Mario Carta

8 Years Ago

Thank you Abbie, it's a recent colorization I did of an old Black and White in the public domain, the mechanic is working on a steam pump.

 

Edward Fielding

8 Years Ago

I wouldn't suggest using a famous photograph as my avatar.

....

i.e. Lewis Hine, Power House Mechanic Working on Steam Pump, 1920,

 

Mario Carta

8 Years Ago

Edward, the "famous photograph" is a black and white photograph in the public domain for use and or modification and under no licenses. This colorized version done by me has yet to be considered famous. But I know what you mean.

 

Mentioned in your other thread -- I like it.

 

Mario Carta

8 Years Ago

Thanks Wendy!

 

Robert Kernodle

8 Years Ago

Better avatar, for sure.

And group your images into some galleries. You have some themes in there, so it's just a matter of eyeballing the images and deciding which ones fit best where in the various collections. For example, I see birds, clouds, maybe some industrial theme, and others. You don't have to have a ton of images in each gallery, but just group those that might share enough of a common thread.

 

Mario Carta

8 Years Ago

Thanks Robert, I've been meaning to do it, and now before it gets to be an even more daunting task, I mean I started taking photographs a week ago and I've filled half of my 16gb card, next one is gonna be the 64gb. I actually convinced myself to not go work on a customers project today to do just this, it's noon and I haven't started yet. I got distracted planning Lunch/dinner Lol.

 

Melany Sarafis

8 Years Ago

Mario, now I can see the original image you were asking about. That's one of my favorites from you!
Can you retake an image on a lighter background? Use a zoom instead of wide angle - or a 105mm macro would be great. Get further back and zoom in close. You'd get a tight shot that makes him look larger. And more prominant.

I have printed one of your pieces and pinned it on my inspiration board in my jewelry/ metals class. I love the feelings your pieces evoke. I've looked at it often when I'm considering a new piece. Its the one of the guy on his knees, head in his hands. Love it!

I wish you'd put your sculptures in a gallery, now I can't find it. Did you take it down?

 

Floyd Snyder

8 Years Ago

I agree with Edward.

I don't want to get into the old debate on the colorization, but when I look in your gallery, you have great original images that would make for an excellent avatar and not associate your with public domain images. Unless of course that is your intent of course.

Another idea would be to make some sort of actual logo that may or may not include one of your images.

 

Mario Carta

8 Years Ago

Melany I am delighted to hear you went thru the actions of pinning it in your inspiration board, the piece you mention is titled "Agony" I just posted again to my gallery, what happened is when I had my free subscription I kept rotating my works. I am in the process now of revamping my entire gallery, I actually want to re shoot all my sculpture which I haven't sold that's about 30 or so that I have. It's no easy task, but now with my new camera the photos should get better. Thanks from suggesting this ,I have some what neglected my sculptures since starting with my photography and photo shop experience. By no means am I abandoning my copper work I just need to organize the mediums now. So much I wanna do so little time to get it all done. I will be re posting all my sculpture even the ones I sold, that number should be reaching close to 200 pieces. Yikes!!! that's a lot of work.

Sell Art Online

 

Mario Carta

8 Years Ago

That was a terrible image, I like this one better, but I do need to re-shoot them Melany.

@Floyd, every thing is on the table right now, I'm going thru a transition or growing phase by adding two new mediums, the photography and the digitally enhanced images both of photographs and my sculptures to sell as prints, to say my plate is full right now is an understatement. But I am enjoying the moment. Thanks for the suggestions! I know at some point after I get a little more exposure in what I'm doing that a style of my own will emerge, anyway that's what I'm hoping for.


Sell Art Online

 

Melany Sarafis

8 Years Ago

That's the one! And it's exactly how I feel sometimes in class - especially when my solder connection comes 'undone" in the pickle LOL

Love this piece, I'm glad you put it back.

 

Mario Carta

8 Years Ago

Lol, Melany I'm curious about your class now, Jewelry and metals? I went thru a jewelry phase myself, copper bracelets,copper and semiprecious stones,necklaces,rings, even adorning cowboy hats with copper bands and broaches, etc. but I got it out of my system at least for now, you know it's a lot cheaper making my wife a piece than going to the jewelry store and buying it, she happens to love everything I make her and wants to keep every piece I make even those that I make that are for sale. LOL

I learned how to solder fixing leaky water pipes for customers of my home repair business,I come from a family of plumbers.Then I moved on to brazing with silver copper phosphorus rods and never use solder anymore. That all came about when during an art show I met this copper sculptor gentleman who's booth was right next to mine and he ended inviting me to his ranch and showed me his accomplishment and studio which was a several buildings complex and served as a retreat for other artist for learning. Anyway he turned me on the brazing and that's what took my copper sculpting to another level, up to that point I was mainly doing 2d wall art and some 3d with solder, but after he showed me one simple technique to bring my 2d art and really give it a 3d look and he told me about copper phosphorous rods, everything changed. I was at the right place at the right time.

 

Melany Sarafis

8 Years Ago

Yup, jewelry and metals. I have some pieces here, in a jewelry gallery. I have a few "sculptural necklaces" but I haven't attempted any sculptures like yours.
I make my own now - when I see handmade jewelry, I look and think "I can make that myself!" I'm still learning and have a long way to go. I'm really into fold formed stuff right now. working with copper and silver is so much fun.

 

This discussion is closed.