|
| Group |
Round |
C/R |
Comment |
Date |
Image |
| 26 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Thank you, Tony - I just love the Quantum theory idea: it describes exactly what I was feeling about the image! |
Jan 20th |
| 26 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Thank you, Bob, I am glad! |
Jan 20th |
| 26 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Thank you, Agnes! I am so glad you like it! |
Jan 12th |
| 26 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Thank you, Mervyn! I think that the night had a special mood as it was one and only exception in the middle of a long spell of dull overcast days. |
Jan 12th |
| 26 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Thank you, Terry, I am so glad that you get the mood of the crazy image. - I'll play with the building a bit more! |
Jan 8th |
| 26 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Thank you, Jose! I know that this leans towards the category of cheap thrills, but just could not resist! - I am sorry to say that the fascinating light in the sky is just reflections of the city lights in the fog, although we do see occasional episodes of the aurora here in Southern Finland, too, when the activity is high. |
Jan 8th |
| 26 |
Jan 24 |
Comment |
Hi Agnes! I think that the image is full of serenity, from the balanced composition to the subtle colors that blend together so beautifully. I love the weathered boardwalk, framed by the branches, that leads towards the sunlight. - Another place that these images have made me want to visit! |
Jan 7th |
| 26 |
Jan 24 |
Comment |
Hi Jose, a lovely ballet act with the performers captured in an interesting constellation: it is as if the foremost bird looks back to see if the others follow the act. Your shutter time has frozen their movement perfectly, and I love the lights and shadows that make the birds three-dimensional. - It is such a treat to get to see these images! |
Jan 7th |
| 26 |
Jan 24 |
Comment |
Hi Terry, this is truly a magic image, with the lady who carries the sun on her shoulder silhouetted against the deep orange sky and the lovely reflections on the water.- I tried to paint the slightest layer of yellow on the center of the necessarily overexposed sun, as somebody once advised me to try for a similar image, but I don't think that it is an improvement or needed here? I was wondering if a version with a tighter crop would also work? |
Jan 7th |
 |
| 26 |
Jan 24 |
Comment |
Hi Mervyn, another intensive moment captured! Like Terry, I feel that the focus is on the interaction of the two women in the middle. I see a daughter (or a daughter-in-law) being addressed by the older woman and not quite liking what she hears. - I think that that you might even consider leaving the face of the woman on the right slightly out of focus, to concentrate on pair in the middle? - The generative AI certainly produced a perfect shoe! |
Jan 7th |
| 26 |
Jan 24 |
Comment |
Hi Tony, I love the way you concentrate on an intensive moment of action with enough of the background to link it to time and place. The triangle that forms of the faces of the two men and the skewers that they both are watching, and their hands, makes an effective composition, and the red caps make a fine contrast to the flames. - I think that eliminating the woman was a good choice, and agree with Terry about the white bag, too. |
Jan 7th |
| 26 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Hi Terry, a wondrous image! - My first take of Bob's image was a chameleon crouching in the bush, and I think that the two remarkable creatures would make great pair. There is also a lot of common in the color palette and composition. |
Jan 7th |
| 26 |
Jan 24 |
Comment |
Hi Bob, the image conveys the brittle beauty of the first frost so well that one can feel the crunch under one's foot on the grass. I think that the delicate details and the sharp ice chrystals show beautifully against the blurred background, and the colors are just perfect. I love the way the rust color is repeated in the tips of the leaves of the bush. |
Jan 7th |
6 comments - 7 replies for Group 26
|
| 47 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Thank you, Robert! It really was a stately show. - I struggled with the smoke issue myself, too. It comes from the torch of another performer behind him. I finally decided that it would be needed to explain the rim lighting on the man, and let it be. |
Jan 20th |
| 47 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Thank you, Trung! You are right about the flames. I have the same problem with every image with fire, and would be very glad to learn how to tackle it. I think that it may look even worse in black-and -white. |
Jan 20th |
| 47 |
Jan 24 |
Comment |
Hi Al, this must have been a fantastic sight, with the dramatic sky and the family of liina in the foreground. The panorama format brings it all out. The scanned image may still be a bit of high contrast? - It would be great to be able to see a print of the original. |
Jan 13th |
| 47 |
Jan 24 |
Comment |
Hi Trung, what a fantastic image! It looks like the girl is raising arches of flames with the movement of her hands, and her solemn expression makes me think about a priestess performanssia a ritual. I think that you have mastered the lighting perfectly. Looking forward to more of your studio work! |
Jan 13th |
| 47 |
Jan 24 |
Comment |
Hi Jeff, there is such calm intensity in the way the vendor concentrate on his action. I think that this is a perfect crop for a perfect image! I like the way the light falls on the man and the cloud of steam. I think that darkening the background and leaving just a hint of the surroundings to show the context is a very effective solution, but I feel that the area just below his arm might maybe be just a little bit brighter? |
Jan 12th |
| 47 |
Jan 24 |
Comment |
Hi Ed, one must know the game really well to be able to pick just the most interesting moment from an angle that shows the key players frozen in action. I think that you show the intent and passion of the young men in the frame. - I think that eliminating the window frames was an improvement. |
Jan 12th |
| 47 |
Jan 24 |
Comment |
Hi Robert, a street photo at its best. I think that this is an effective composition, with the doorway framing the action. You are showing just enough of the background to show the context, and the flames and the steam make it very lively. I like very much the way the light falls on his hand, directing attention to the work in progress. |
Jan 12th |
| 47 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Thank you, Jeff! I had the same idea, but I felt that there were so many artifacts in the faces after the denoise process that it seemed better to hide them in the darkness. The DXO Pure Raw that I think is my best denoise software handles the whole image, but I will try something with a selective option. |
Jan 11th |
5 comments - 3 replies for Group 47
|
| 54 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Kirsti Näntö-SalonenHi Peggy, thank you - I am so glad that another impossible vision may take some form! I posted a brighter version with an older self in my reply to Maria. I don t know If she is too dim and flat but I wanted to keep her watching from outside the tunnel and not stealing the show. Is there a way to make her a bit more luminous and still keep her in background? |
Jan 20th |
| 54 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Hi Brad, thank you for the great idea! I posted a version with her older self in my reply to Maria. I had in mind to put another image of her as a grandmother on the right side, but that felt too crowded. She is now watching the time travel from outside the tunnel. - I used a rather low-contrast version of the camera club studio session portrait with NIK Silver Efex Antique plate filter, pasted a feathered selection on the background with Glow blend mode and 29% opacity and erased the outlines of the cut. I enlarged the canvas slightly and copied some of the bokeh on the empty right side. I wanted her to be part of the background but does she look too dull now? I tried to increase brightness and/or contrast, but I think that made her stand out too clearly. What do you think? |
Jan 20th |
 |
| 54 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Peggy, I have to confess that I mostly dig mine up for the Easter season these days. |
Jan 19th |
| 54 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Hi Peggy, thank you - I am so glad that another impossible vision may take some form! I posted a brighter version with an older self in my reply to Maria. I donÂt know If she is too dim and flat but I wanted to keep her watching from outside the tunnel and not stealing the show. Is there a way to make her a bit more luminous and still keep her in background? |
Jan 19th |
| 54 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Thank you very much, Maria - I did not notice the difference in the tones at all. Now it is all in neutral black. I added some brightness on the lighter areas of the background - does the egg cup still look too bright? -I enlarged the canvas a bit at the bottom and at both sides to make room for her older self to watch the process from outside the time tunnel, and copied some of the bokeh to balance the empty bright side. What do you think? |
Jan 19th |
 |
| 54 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Aavo, I was thinking of one of those guys flying in the upper right corner. |
Jan 14th |
| 54 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Thank you so much, Peggy! I'll work on a brighter version! |
Jan 13th |
| 54 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Thank you, Aavo, for another voice from the Old World! I think that you are right about the brightness of the elements in the dark area. My original idea was to give enough of empty space round what is happening. I'll work on the new edits. |
Jan 13th |
| 54 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Thank you so much, Brad! One of the problems I got stuck with was just about the size and sharpness of the girl, and there are quite many versions. Finally I thought that she would look directly back to the viewer through the mists of time, as real as the present day egg cup on display, and removed all the blur. I will work on the size issue the way you suggested. - Adding her older self is a brilliant idea, I think that i may have a couple of suitable images in the files. |
Jan 12th |
| 54 |
Jan 24 |
Reply |
Thank, Alan - you are right about the personal aspect. This is another image where I cannot make visible to others what I want to say, and would be very grateful for all ideas for help.
The museum experience that felt like a revealation to me was about a 19th century woman with a most exciting life. The exhibition was called "Hilda's scent": her old perfume bottle that still had faint traces left, gave the curator a route to connect with the woman through history in very special way, and to build an exeptional exhibition. -I saw Hilda's egg cup there in a vitrine and thought that if you follow the endless reflections far enough, you finally come in touch with the person who is using it in her own time. |
Jan 10th |
| 54 |
Jan 24 |
Comment |
Hi Aavo, another brilliant idea! There is so much quiet humor in the conspicuous outsider perching on the pole among the gang who give him annoyed looks. - I think that you could make more of your beautiful red bird, showing him in all the detail in larger size (I think that it would not matter if he were not in scale with the pelicans). You might also try use one or both of the real pelicans instead of the other species of bird in flight? |
Jan 9th |
| 54 |
Jan 24 |
Comment |
Peggy, this brings tears to my eyes. The desolate chimp seems to lift his head the tiniest bit in response to the tentative approach of the friendly and concerned lizard. You have packed an enormous amount of emotion in their postures and body language. Their rock is in a perfect place in the image, emphasizing the vast empty savanna around them. The background with the colors of the African sunset blending into the blue mountains is absolutely beautiful.- I think that I will return to watch this many times. |
Jan 9th |
| 54 |
Jan 24 |
Comment |
Alan, I think that the house in the middle of renovation is a perfect scene for the chaos. It feels as if each character were performing his or hers own agenda oblivious of the others. The gymnasts in the hole are totally absorbed in each other. The tranquil horse that contemplates the sign, facing left, is a perfect counterpart for the busy lady who is walking out of the image on the right. "Yes weÂre open" could be an alternate title for the image. - The board wall in the background is an essential part of the scene. The rich details, texture and contrast seem, however, to draw my eye a bit from the action. I wonder how it would look like with slightly less contrast?
- I looked up James Whistler: thank you for introducing another fascinating artist to us! |
Jan 9th |
| 54 |
Jan 24 |
Comment |
Hi Maria, the venue is perfect for the aliens - or our future descendants - with the geometric forms and the pyramid-like structures, and there is something futuristic in the color scheme, too. I find it touching that they seem to value the tree so much: it looks like a memorial set in the hall. The characters are a treasure, and your handling of light and shadow is as beautiful as always! The image would fit seamlessly in a scifi movie. |
Jan 7th |
| 54 |
Jan 24 |
Comment |
Brad, I cannot decide which one of your dreamy long-exposure originals I love best. They blend together to an absolutely beautiful entity with the lovely pale colors and a surreal touch. My first association was the scene in C.S. LewisÂNarnia stories where they are sailing towards the rim of the flat world. The sharp black rocks make an effective contrast to the soft water and add a sense of danger hidden in the serenity. - It would be interesting to learn in which areas you have used the generative AI. |
Jan 7th |
5 comments - 10 replies for Group 54
|
16 comments - 20 replies Total
|
