|
| Group |
Round |
C/R |
Comment |
Date |
Image |
| 2 |
Feb 20 |
Comment |
You have captured a scene in a part of Arkansas that holds great attraction for me. The trees are obviously pretty old judging by their height and the barns are well preserved. Together these two elements create for me a very confortable and pastoral feeling. I see some detail in the shadows and the roofs, while being much brighter, are not overexposed. The tree trunks draw my eye upward where there is a lot of foliage. Would you consider cropping about 25 percent from the top? This would result in a more panoramic presentation and help keep me focused on the barns, which are the stars of the show. |
Feb 6th |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 2
|
| 35 |
Feb 20 |
Reply |
The color that bleeds into the sky is a result of the artistic effect I applied in Topaz. Often I go back and take that out as a final step. I will consider doing so with this image. Thanks for the suggestion. |
Feb 18th |
| 35 |
Feb 20 |
Reply |
Mark convinced me long ago to make noise reduction a regular part of my IR workflow. I have always used NIK DeNoise, but just recently started using Topaz DeNoise AI. I am very impressed with the results. |
Feb 18th |
| 35 |
Feb 20 |
Comment |
Fo me, the color palette is what makes this image, especially those in the chrysallis and the twisted leaf. I am not so sure about the blues on the right, however. They do not work as well as the pinks, magentas and teal in my opinion. The subject is a bit too blurred for my taste. There is so much detail in the chrysallis, I feel it is a shame to de-emphasize it. Could you possibly mask the chrysallis and keep it sharp while applying the blur to the rest of the image? |
Feb 17th |
| 35 |
Feb 20 |
Comment |
This looks to me like a nice clean, crisp image. I especially enjoy the scudding clouds. They give me a feeling that they are moving rapidly, but the effect is not so overdone that they look unduly soft. I would like to know how long your exposure was, and if you used any ND filters. I also like the contrast between those high clouds and the puffy ones at the horizon, so in my opinion, I would not crop it in on that side. |
Feb 17th |
| 35 |
Feb 20 |
Comment |
The reflection in this image is very visually appealing and the copper tone works well in my opinion. This kind of image presents a dilema as to what lines need to be straight. I think you made the right choice to keep the monument straight, although it puts the shore line at a slight angle. I wonder if you have tried working on this with Guided Upright which is found in the Transform panel in LR? It can work wonders for straighteneing out this kind of torque, and it looks to me like you have enough room at the sides that you would not lose too much when you constrain the crop. The only other suggestion I have is to eliminate the little bit of branch at the top right. If there was more of it a frame of sorts would be suggested, but as it is, it is so small it is just a distraction for me. |
Feb 17th |
| 35 |
Feb 20 |
Comment |
It is easy to see why you are pursuing this story. I think it would make a great photo book or possibly a one woman print exhibition. In this image I feel you have captured a dynamic sky that echos the tempestuousness of the scene in the foreground. In my opinion, it needs a little more space at the bottome so the viewer sees what is immediately in fornt of that foundaton corner. I see from the original that you do not have the pixes to include more for this particular image, but that might be a consideration as you continue to capture scenes that add to your story. |
Feb 17th |
| 35 |
Feb 20 |
Comment |
This is an interesting lighthouse. I try to imagine what the part that is hidden from me must look like. To me it appears that the horizon line cuts the image in half. Sometimes that works, but in this case, I do not find much in the immediate foreground that interests me. I am thining that you might consider cropping at the bottom to just blow the pile of black rocks. I think the texture in the sea grasses are a an interesting element and you have brought that out well. If you want to eliminate more of the misty look I have had some success doing that with Tonal Comtrast in Color Efex Pro. |
Feb 17th |
| 35 |
Feb 20 |
Reply |
Great suggestion! Isn't it odd that I did not notice that. But now that you have pointed it out it seems so obvious! Thanks. |
Feb 6th |
5 comments - 3 replies for Group 35
|
| 45 |
Feb 20 |
Comment |
Phyllis, I was browsing through the groups and came across your image, which I think is a great action shot. Glad you are now part of PSA and will look forward to seeing more of your great work.
The image looks sharp to me and it eels like you captured the action at just the right moment. I think the closer crop works well. I get to the Phoenix from time to time. I assume these are mustangs. Are there a lot of them in that area? |
Feb 6th |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 45
|
| 51 |
Feb 20 |
Reply |
Still nice work! I am impressed that this is an iPhone image. I have not mastered getting the most from my iPhone yet. |
Feb 6th |
| 51 |
Feb 20 |
Comment |
Having lived in Michigan for many years, I am familiar with the UP and with Bond Falls. I like the perspectivce you captured in this shot. I often see straight on shots from the boardwalk, but not often from an angle.I was thinking the same thing as Jerry about slowing down the water...although I know some folks do not care for that effect. A longer shutter speed will give the water a more silky look. However, in my opinion, the fall color and the composition mke this image very visually pleasing for me. |
Feb 6th |
1 comment - 1 reply for Group 51
|
| 52 |
Feb 20 |
Comment |
I love the creativity of this image. I always think Wood Storks have the wings of angels and the faces of monsters. I definitely see the angel wings here, but the silhouette effect miimizes the monstrous appearance of the head and face. I could almost get to admire this bird! I am very impressed that you were able remove all those distracting branches and I see absolutly no sign of the cloning work you did. That takes both skill and patience. To me this is a very nice presentation and one that is not at all common or repetitive. |
Feb 17th |
| 52 |
Feb 20 |
Comment |
For me the color of the pods is lovely. It is just how I think this kind of subject looks in winter (and believe me I have seen a lot of winter!). When I critique or judge I normally advise "go in tight, then go in tighter." However here, I feel that the subject is just a tiny bit too cramped so I would give it a little bit of breathing room. In my opinion this is a very artistic image and has a lot of potential. If it were mine I would play around with it and try to get a little more tonal contrast. If you have NIK software try the tonal contrast there and look at all the treatment options. I think fine or balanced would work well on this. |
Feb 17th |
| 52 |
Feb 20 |
Comment |
Personally, I find otters adorable, and the fact that the little guy has captured a prize makes for a great story. I like the color palette, and also the way the sharpness drops off a bit beyond the otter. I feel like that keeps my eye right where you want it. I am that those white dots are specular highlights; if that is correct they would be hard to tone down and your only other option would be cloning then out (Oh, no! another Nature Division No-No!) In my opinion they are not a significant enough issue to worry about. |
Feb 17th |
| 52 |
Feb 20 |
Comment |
I think Cormorants are such characters, and this one does not disappoint. I looks to me like he has a smug look about him. I think your crop works well. I normally like smooth water, but for this image the pattern of the ripples and the luminosity of the water add to the image. The detail in the feathers gives the bird a wet look - as I know they often are. In my opinion you captured some lovely light - which is what are supposed to be look for, so hats off to you. |
Feb 17th |
| 52 |
Feb 20 |
Comment |
Butterflies are one of my favorite subjects in summer and fall. This is a good capture of an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (male.) In my opinion you got everything sharp that needs to be sharp, so the blur on the fore wing does not bother me at all. This particular butterfly may be missing one of his tails which is often the case in late summer. Sometimes I clone another one in, but I think that with the angle of the wings you can probably get away without doing that. The looks to me as if the background bokeh has eliminated any distracting elements and the color of the zinnea contrasts well with the butterfly. Did you use the De-noise AI? I have been using that and it is very impressive. Best I have found so far. |
Feb 17th |
| 52 |
Feb 20 |
Comment |
This scene takes me back to all the years I spent in Michigan. I thought I had had enough of winter when we moved south, but now seeing this peaceful, snowy scene I feel a bit nostagic. It makes me think of the Robert Frost poem about stopping in the woods on a snowy evening. At first I thought it was a monochrome image, but then I noticed the one brown tree trunk. Although I like that warm brown tone, I feel that it stands out too strongly because it is the only one. The leading lines take me deeper into the scene and it looks to me like you have captured good depth of field. I am going ot disagree with the others about the water. To me the soft look is very appealing and in this particular image I feel that it suggests the stream might have a thin layer of ice building up, which adds to the impression of cold. |
Feb 17th |
| 52 |
Feb 20 |
Reply |
Thanks, Tom, for your comments. The little white spots are actually feathers which are always floating around with these birds. I think they are more prominent in the final image because of the detail extracter filter. So that presents a dilema for me. If I clone them out I have to forget about nature competitions (our local club competes in the Gulf State Council and they are just as strict in the Nature Division as PSA). I think I could try to use the adjustment brush to reduce clarity and contrast, so I will try that and see if they can be minimized. Of course the obvious solution is to have two versions of it, one for exhibiting and one for competition. Hope to see you this weekend. |
Feb 17th |
| 52 |
Feb 20 |
Reply |
Yes, I was extremely close and when it stretched its wings it completely filled the frame. So the only way I could add space in front wold be to add canvas. I agree with you about not removing the gray. That is how they look. Cleaning it up would be sort of artificial in my opinion. |
Feb 12th |
6 comments - 2 replies for Group 52
|
| 55 |
Feb 20 |
Comment |
The first thing that grabs my attention is the look in the horse's eye...positively ornery! The horse and the rider form a soft diagonal line, which for me is always a good compositional element. I would like to see the horses forelegs, but I realize that when action is happening this fast you have to frame it up as best you can. The colors in this image work well for me, and the shallow depth of field keeps me from being distracted by the background. |
Feb 6th |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 55
|
| 67 |
Feb 20 |
Comment |
Very impressive, Michael. It is so intimate a portrait that I feel the back of my neck tingling. I had a similar opportuntity in Valdez a few years ago and compeltely blew itdue to nerves...so my hat is off to you. Your capture and post processing are wonderful. Frame it! |
Feb 6th |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 67
|
16 comments - 6 replies Total
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