Artistry or too artsy?

With the arrival of Topps Series 2 and some of the other midseason card releases, there has been a re-examination of the photography in the sets. Several posts, including a couple today, have followed the theme that maybe Topps is trying a bit too hard this year. The cards are "too artsy."

This topic makes me smile, because it is something that I deal with on a regular basis in my job. Every photographer is different and each photographer will shoot according to what they've learned, but also according to their personality. Some provide straightforward sports action shots. Some provide consistently fantastic stuff. Some stray toward the artsy stuff.

Artsy is good sometimes, but in the sports world you're treading a fine line with that kind of shooting. Most sports followers want good, solid action photography, like the Hank Blalock card at the top of the post, which is a great shot. But "artsy" turns off a lot of folks. So sometimes we have to tell the photographer, "No, that's too artsy. What else do you have?"

I think that's what some collectors are saying with the arrival of Series 2. "It's too artsy. What else you got?"

Well, it's too late for a recall, so we just have to live with some of the odd shots. But really, it's in the eye of the beholder. Some people like those photos. So, what I have done is pull 10 cards from the Series 2 packs, which I bought Friday, that could be construed as "artsy." You tell me. Is it "artistry" or "too artsy"?

1. Jeff Clement, Mariners. "Man Behind the Mask."

2. Joe Girardi, Yankees. "The Boss Approves"

3. Eric Chavez, A's. "Road Block"

4. Alfredo Aceves, Yankees. "Comin' at Ya"

5. Esteban German, Royals. "Numbers Game"

6. Pat Neshek, Twins. "Loco Legs"

7. Carlos Beltran, Mets. "Duck and Cover"

8. Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox. "Face in the Crowd"

9. Travis Ishikawa, Giants. "Well in Hand"

10. Nate Schierholtz, Giants. "Face in the Shadows"

What do I think? Well, the Giants photos suck. The rest I don't mind. Some of the shots are different, but that gives the set character, something to remember. I don't have a problem with people trying too hard. It's a lot better than not trying at all.