|
| Group |
Round |
C/R |
Comment |
Date |
Image |
| 15 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
Thanks Rick. I appreciate the feedback. |
Jan 27th |
| 15 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
Thanks Joan for your comments. My current club has very few rules. The sky is mine, I have been saving sky images that would not work well in competition since 2006. I have only used my skies on the theory that it will rear it's head some day. My old NECCC Camera Club Council does have a rule about only using the makers own work for montages, textures and skies.
That sky was pretty dark and I therefore needed to darken the foreground to make the image realistic. Attached is a new sky that is lighter and I've shortened the foreground and added some fog. Please give me some feedback on whether this works. Thanks |
Jan 25th |
 |
| 15 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
Very creative textured image. I would of tried flipping the image, and you probably tried it also but I find the left sagebrush more appealing. It seems like you have 2 different areas of interest, 2 textures and 2 blues. You could present as attached or connect the two sage brushes together with blue creating one composition. |
Jan 12th |
 |
| 15 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
Nicely done Rick. It is magical and I am short on any ideas to improve. The frame and custom mat finishes off the photo very nice. |
Jan 12th |
| 15 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
Wow, this image has impact. I've not shot Cormorants up close so unsure what colors are natural, but it doesn't really matter once it leaves the "nature" rules. I assume you used Luminar for the sky and you did a great job with it. Great composition bringing your eye to the colorful eye and beak on the upper bird. No issue with pixilation or blur from me. |
Jan 12th |
| 15 |
Jan 20 |
Reply |
Thanks Phil. Good suggestions. I hadn't cropped that foreground thinking that if I printed it, the standard 2:3 ratio would cut off part of the fog line. |
Jan 12th |
5 comments - 1 reply for Group 15
|
| 29 |
Jan 20 |
Reply |
I find that most visitors to Alaska do not take the train from Anchorage to Denali so here is a self portrait of sorts. Level above is complete glass dome but reflections are a killer for photography in my opinion. At the back of the car there was a covered section that was open on both sides and to the back. We did not have a car behind us. Regarding AP, my Nikon is setup so that the back dial controls aperture and the front dial controls the ISO. I can therefore control the shutter speed by moving that front dial. I also used back button focus. It's my normal setup for no tripod action landscape shots. Hopes this helps you all. |
Jan 11th |
 |
| 29 |
Jan 20 |
Reply |
And since the tracks were laid in the early 1920's on Permafrost, it is not quite as smooth as Amtrak or any other track for that matter. The views kept switching from left to right and vice versa and it wasn't safe in some locations to stick your head out to see ahead. So staying on my feet and hopping from one composition to the other, I made decision that composition was most important and many of the other things could be fixed in post processing. |
Jan 10th |
| 29 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
Stephan, I had the iso set to the 560 for most of the 6-7 hours we were on the moving train. One of my thoughts was to freeze movements and the other was to get in as many shots as I could before trees and brush were in the foreground. I used Aperture priority for all of my shots (generally f8 or 11) and let the shutter speed fall where it may. We went from woods to open shots like this. I believe that shot was taken in late morning. The warm color on the snow was probably from trying to bring out the small amount of fall colors at the shoreline. Thanks |
Jan 10th |
| 29 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
Event photography lighting is problematic and you did a great job getting action stopped and a nice smile and good exposure. Yes, Bob's Topaz version solves the color cast and the tee shirt question. Since its someone whose music you enjoy, its also has the benefit of being a good memory. |
Jan 10th |
| 29 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
Bob, I keep looking at this image and I see eyes in the knot but cannot identify. Not the first type I failed to see such a thing. What I do see is wonderful texture in both BW & color. A great job with seeing and composing so the textured bark leads into the knot. I agree with Judy's Mono rendering and bringing down the highlights to the upper right of the knot. It's a fun image and would do well in a texture competition but not sure how judges would view it in open CC competition. |
Jan 10th |
| 29 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
Bill, you did a great job with seeing the building, the traditional boat and getting the shot. While the 21mm gave you good depth of field, and great shutter speed it also gave you the perspective issue. I know the boat was in the bottom part of your frame but if you had held the camera lower and level vs pointing it up you should of gotten less distortion. I also think that Bob's color on the building is more appealing than the drop color you got from the overcast sky. Sorry, I'm not able to help with the LR, PS, profile and layers. I use layers on occasion but try to get the image as close as possible in the capture. Not sure how you had your 500 setup, (and hopefully you did this) but I would of zoomed in to get the boat and the boatman up to the top of the sign, after the building shot and I might of been in hispeed 3 shot bracket mode also to get at least 6 images of this beauty. Film is cheap. Tickets etc to Venice, not so much and I'm thinking I would have gotten the boatman and his red striped shirt. Maybe even on the first shot and zoomed out for the whole scene after. We all have our ideas, but you did very well. |
Jan 10th |
| 29 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
I also like the composition of these unusual trees. I like saturation, vibrance and blue skies. I would suggest bringing down the hi lights and get more of sky to go blue. With such nice white cloud detail. As Bob mentioned more detail in the trees would be beneficial and perhaps that can be done with dehaze or details filters. I do not use photoshop or Lightroom so I might not be using the right name for the filters. I assume you shot the image in raw and that file in the 850 should allow you to get some added punch and details (clarity?) in the image. |
Jan 10th |
| 29 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
Stephan, I Luv the fireworks and the colors of the event location. I agree on the f8-f11 and the 5-10 sec exposure is about right, but I have always used the logic "it depends" on the color and brightness of the fireworks and does the foreground expose properly. I have also used bulb with a cable release and move on to next exposure if firework is white or leave it open for multiple bursts if they are beautiful. You didn't mentioned tripod and perhaps you didn't take it with you. Not needed for all of the fireworks, but when you include buildings etc the exposure generally requires a tripod or bean bag. I think the portrait version makes your creation look better. Still a beautiful memory. |
Jan 8th |
| 29 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
Thanks Bob, I agree with judges preferences, but you missed a hidden point in my description. The train was moving. They slowed down, but still moving and brush along the shore just out of view and popping into your frame without notice. I have some clouds that I could put in with sky replacement, but reflections are not possible at this time. Sooo, this is the result. |
Jan 8th |
| 29 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
Karin, I really like the composition of your Log Bridge. The bridge brings the viewer into the scene whereas the black water thens to stop. Exposure is great. If you were there again, I'd wait or pose someone on cross countries or snowshoes right about the location of the signs on the other side of the bridge. I think that addition of the human element would take your image to the next level. |
Jan 5th |
| 29 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
Thanks Karen. The lower mountains were definitely purple and the water did not have than much aqua in it so it's difficult to settle on all of the blues in the image. No problem with your cropping. I was just so excited to get the shot and others like it that my brain was on overload. Very little processing was needed, I did brighten the whites and noticed the purple in the white if I went to far. In the whites, Is that where you saw the purple? |
Jan 5th |
9 comments - 2 replies for Group 29
|
| 62 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
Thanks LuAnn, but only my local camera club and they do not follow salon rules and their judging is often off base. BTW, I'm not getting your suggestions for this image. I get the bright part of the image attracts your eye, but I do see a way to darken the background, but not as dark as his hat, tie & vest. Every conductor has a white shirt so reversing won't work. I'm good with your thoughts on entering salons.
Bob |
Jan 19th |
| 62 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
Thanks for your comments LuAnn. Yes, my default style is is have whites and blacks and let the tonality fall in the middle. I'll be picking up a 8x12 print of Conductor on Monday and taking to camera club competition on Monday eve. Not sure it will do well, but worth trying. I had thought about emailing to Alaska RR but have been unable to find a good address.
Enjoy the snow. We got less than an inch and then rained. |
Jan 18th |
| 62 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
I like this image Oliver. Without that textured leaf our eyes might wander off to distracting background and it serves as a leading line into the Lotus buds. Great tones and textures. I am at a loss to find any improvement. Wait a minute, I just found an itty bitty. The yellow bud in the background could be toned down a smidge by using a control point on it to make it less obvious. An excellent image. |
Jan 10th |
| 62 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
Thanks everyone. Looks like I have a Keeper. |
Jan 8th |
| 62 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
Israel, very nice lighting and texture on the seal. I love the capture of the "flipper fingers" that are usually not seen. I think that is what makes the image unique and interesting. The wrinkles of the seals body (center right) also enhance the fingers of the flippers. You did a great job of opening up the shadows so that the left eye is clearly visible. Background is perfect and not distracting. Great job of being ready when the seal made this move. |
Jan 8th |
| 62 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
LuAnn. I am an Apple user and have been since starting digital in 2002. Don't tell anyone, especially Oliver, but I have not purchased calibration for my iMac and this one just turned 4yo. In system preferences (under apple on left) go to built-in display (assuming you have a desktop) click on color and then Calibrate, the assistant will take you thru several statements and I find the "Native white point target". Set to D65 and "Native" is checked is the only adjustment and that might of come set that way. I have my brightness control set to highest level. When set to D50 the light will be warmer. I have not had brightness or color issues except when having prints made (I never print myself) and I have occasionally have problems with images being printed too dark. I use Costco and have "auto" turned off. Save the calibration with date and the "D" native setting you choose. Feel free to ask me any Mac/Apple questions you have. Sssssh Let Oliver think that his PC and calibration are the only way to go. |
Jan 8th |
| 62 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
Gary, a very nice image of man's best friend. I enjoy the relaxed/laid back look that "Dude" is giving you. He's not giving up that spot anytime soon. Lighting, tonality and composition are great. Like Oliver noted very good to have DOF on both Eyes and nose, but the area in between seems to be soft. I would use my photo editor to lighten up the eyes, especially the right one. Very interesting to learn of your process from film to digital. I would not of known that it didn't start out as a digital image without you giving us this info. Thanks for sharing. |
Jan 8th |
| 62 |
Jan 20 |
Comment |
Hi LuAnn. A great character photo processed for excellent exposure and detail. I agree with bringing down the whites from the saw blade and bringing up the exposure on their faces. One question, were you able to move a foot to the right, I think it would help to have more of Waynes/Laynes face (just to include his ear) not be behind the tree. |
Jan 5th |
8 comments - 0 replies for Group 62
|
22 comments - 3 replies Total
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