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"Prairie Lands"... job done

Garuf said:
I agree too on the weakness of a scape not being the plants but the scape as a whole, there's so many out there but so few that are breath taking or inspirational.

I'm starting to judge scapes on their repeat viewing pleasure, I'm often awe struck by scapes but I see the same things in them every time I see then and I don't think I'd ever have one myself. I think, possibly wrongly, that the best scapes are those that you notice things in every time you look at them those with subtleties that charm.
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i must remember to try harder. :shifty:

choice words Garuf, and often things many of us can say, but surely to go with these words, a scape or 2 to back them up would be nice? 😉

I can be the biggest critique in the world if i wanted....
 
I'll agree with you there Garuf - there are many great scapes on CAU for example, but there are very few with those little fine details that I can go back to and see something different every time. For me, many of Cliff Hui's tank images I could hang on my wall and sit in front of all day finding different details. These are the ones that catch my eye and keep it.

This one for example: http://www.cau-aqua.net/index.php?option=com_zoom&Itemid=29&page=view&catid=242&PageNo=1&key=0&hit=1

That's not to take anything away from your scpae Mark, it's an excellent Iwagumi. Better growth and health than I've ever had for sure, I'd be very proud of it! If your scapes keep improving at the rate they are, they I'm looking forward to this next one...
 
Most art critics don't have works hanging in galleries.
And most students can't afford a couple of hundred £ on stuff they don't need, I'd have all 5 of my tanks up and running if I could!

My comments weren't aimed at you by the way, I very much enjoyed this scape and it gave me pleasure every viewing, I'm largely talking about the scaping community as a whole.
 
The Asians are king, always will be. We, certainly in the UK, dont have what they've got.

Although for me, some of the CAU scapes are 'overdone' to complex and less natural. A tad over the water to japan, and the likes of amano, the real master, shows us how it should be done.
 
I think the rule is that it's fine but only if it's not the photo you send them.

I agree that cau scapes are a bit overworked but I also don't like everything Amano has ever done. I'm starting to think that the eastern block guys are the ones who will rule the world soon, they have an appreciation and reverence of nature much more close to that of the japanese and it really shows in their works. Norbet Sabat's works are amazing as are Maciek Michalski. I don't like all of them, there's a scaper called "octopus" who I appreciate the levels of skill and technical detail but they're overworked so much. I wouldn't ever want to own one.

I'm very much apposed to the I want to do a mountain so here's a photographic copy of a mountain but again this is all very much subjective, an opinion on art can always only be an opinion.
 
Garuf said:
I also don't like everything Amano has ever done
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That's an amazing comment, from someone who's just done a nature style aquarium. I think your confusing yourself mate 😀 A little lost maybe, with where you need to go with the hobby.
 
Octopus - Slobodan Lazarevic. One of the best 'scapers in the world in my view. Again, it's all subjective... 😉

http://www.akvaristikayu.com/Octopus%20 ... allery.htm

The IAPLC judging panel are quite diverse, which I think is quite fair. However, only the Top 100 are judged by this panel. I do not know who shortlists the Top 100, but suspect it's Amano's staff.

Rarely, if ever, does Amano's no.1 become the Grand Champion. Peter Kirwan was Amano's no.1 a couple of years ago with his Mountainscape. That really did set a new trend, even in Asia. I think that's pretty cool, and it has influenced my 'scaping too.

Also, unfortunately for some perhaps, it is a photography contest. A very decent 'scape not photographed properly will probably never make the Top 100.

Aquascaping contests fascinate me for so many reasons!

Ask yourself honestly - why are you entering?

Some like to share their process. Others are more private. I am a 'sharer', but there's nothing wrong with being a private 'scaper either, and entering the IAPLC. I have as much respect for those privateers, as artists, as I do folk that share their work more publicly.
 
Mark Evans said:
Garuf said:
I also don't like everything Amano has ever done
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That's an amazing comment, from someone who's just done a nature style aquarium. I think your confusing yourself mate 😀 A little lost maybe, with where you need to go with the hobby.
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Well, I wasn't too impressed with this. Great photo, but it's not the best aquascape, or fish choice...

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/foru ... amano.html

Great dialogue, by the way. I hope you don't mind your thread going off the rails, Mark! :lol:
 
George Farmer said:
Great photo, but it's not the best aquascape, or fish choice...
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But then this is another point. 1 maybe, iffy scape (i actually like) out of how many?....thousands probably. Rarely, if you ask yourself deeply, do you see a bad one.

I think that people, who slate amano, or who say he's " not very good" and there are people that say this, are jealous or just simply dont have the eye for the hobby. Just my opinion.

George Farmer said:
I hope you don't mind your thread going off the rails, Mark!
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more activity after the journals finished that whilst it was going :lol: It's certainly turning me into a 'private' scaper
 
quite interesting garuf....

The breathtaking images were 'final shots'

and the indifferent ones were just snaps....

that tells you something no?
 
George Farmer said:
Octopus - Slobodan Lazarevic. One of the best 'scapers in the world in my view. Again, it's all subjective... 😉

http://www.akvaristikayu.com/Octopus%20 ... allery.htm
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Yup, entirely subjective, for me FAAO is one of the best in the world, their styles couldn't be more different.
http://translate.google.com/translate?c ... pair=pt|en


Also, unfortunately for some perhaps, it is a photography contest. A very decent 'scape not photographed properly will probably never make the Top 100.
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Too true, I'm awful at photography, the dutch comp where every tank is judged in the flesh is much better but logistically impossible. It does raise an interesting point as to who is missing out because they're unable/uninterested in photography.

quite interesting garuf....

The breathtaking images were 'final shots'

and the indifferent ones were just snaps....

that tells you something no?
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Not overly, it was just the quickest gallery I could find without having access to my bookmarks. There's plenty final shoot scapes I'm not that into.
http://www.adaaust.com.au/gallery/galle ... 01_181.jpg
For example.
 
guys, guys, these scapes you dont like from ages ago, are far btter than what we see on the boards today.

Amano shares to inspire, and to probably show whats achievble.

to not like 2 out of 10 scapes is pretty good in my book.

just look at the ADA italy galleries.

I'm out of this converstaion now, before it turns into a rant. :silent:
 
I suspect he shares because it makes him lots of £ as much as to better the hobby his photos come out in books not on the internet for free. His reputation as a business man is as strong as it is as a scaper. :twisted:

I don't claim to be the best, I don't even claim to be passable, I didn't claim to be as good as amano or that he is bad!

I like to asses on somethings individual merit not on a reputation of it's creator. It doesn't take away from how good the creator is, that was never the claim and there was no jealousy based rhetoric or belittling of his position, he is the worlds best that was never at question here the statement was that not all his works are to my taste, old works or new is irrelevant and to say someone doesn't have an eye for the hobby is perhaps something a bit brash, if they had no eye for hobby then they have no eye for the arts either, if they didn't they wouldn't try and create their own art would they?

Mark I do not wish to argue with you, I respect you as a person an an aquascaper but I don't think we will see eye to eye on this. :thumbdown:
 
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