|
| Group |
Round |
C/R |
Comment |
Date |
Image |
| 14 |
Nov 21 |
Reply |
Ah, I see. Then you planned this very carefully. I would still recommend darkening the overall image very slightly, as I find the primary image of your model a bit too bright. But this is just a matter of individual taste. Well done pose and composition! |
Nov 17th |
| 14 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
This is a nice conception. My only comment is that I think the model is a bit too bright and her reflection a bit too dark. This is hard to avoid, since almost any ordinary mirrored surface only reflects about 50% of the incoming light. If you agree, you must adjust each part of the image separately. |
Nov 10th |
1 comment - 1 reply for Group 14
|
| 16 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
Nice job documenting your museum visit. When you can't fit in everything, sometimes you can copy/reflect/combine to fake a full view. How is this? I did not quite close up the two images to show where they meet. |
Nov 9th |
 |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 16
|
| 19 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
Great shot, and a good story about getting it.
This reminds me greatly of Ansel Adams's Mt. Williamson shot. |
Nov 24th |
 |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 19
|
| 23 |
Nov 21 |
Reply |
Haha. Gotta love the difference. Makes us look at ourselves, as you suggest. |
Nov 24th |
| 23 |
Nov 21 |
Reply |
And I guess now is not an age of understated style. |
Nov 24th |
| 23 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
This is an extraordinary shot. It is a rare portrait of style, attitude, and raw sexuality. Aside from your subject's physique and tattoos, he is a walking display of accoutrements that display his style.
It's too bad you don't have more eye contact with him in this portrait, but I am sure this was as good as you could get, and it's very good.
Please tell us more about how you came to take it. Was it a grab shot unknown to your subject, or did this man agree to pose for you? |
Nov 9th |
1 comment - 2 replies for Group 23
|
| 25 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
Your group has led to a successful final image--nice discussions and a good result.
But I also like your original concept of many ingredients. How about chopping the pepper also, and adding in a cutting board, chef's knife, and some quaint spice jars? The domain between food photography and still life photography can be very interesting. |
Nov 24th |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 25
|
| 29 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
Nice shot. Would you tell us the story of getting the shot, and a little about the bridge--is it to the airport island, perhaps? |
Nov 8th |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 29
|
| 32 |
Nov 21 |
Reply |
Thanks, Jennifer.
Yes, took it with my cell phone--I have more wide angle with it than with my big camera. The cell phones seem to do quite well when there is generous light. |
Nov 29th |
| 32 |
Nov 21 |
Reply |
Thank you, Lynne! I am very happy to make a thought provoking image to show. |
Nov 26th |
| 32 |
Nov 21 |
Reply |
Is the "noise" what looks like grain in an old image? I don't know how to de-noise. I have never tried. What is the basic approach in PS? |
Nov 26th |
| 32 |
Nov 21 |
Reply |
Thank you for visiting and commenting, Andrew. You make an interesting point about phone cameras doing well in bright sunlight--I had not thought of that, but I believe you are right, when I think about how my big camera deals with bright sunlight. |
Nov 23rd |
| 32 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
This is a very tight composition. I like the sky as you have it now. I like the close view of the mountain. As to the river, I commented about Diana's image this month that I like the black patches of water in her image--I feel the same here, that the water could be darker for best effect. I would mildly prefer an ordinary stroke for a border--I think these special effect borders should be used sparingly. |
Nov 12th |
| 32 |
Nov 21 |
Reply |
Wow, sold three. I have tried to sell once at a community art show, but I had no buyers. One of my local camera club colleagues at that show, however, sold an image of an abandoned old car overgrown with vines, a nice inoffensive shot. When she told us that was the sixth time she has sold that image--well, some images are good sellers. |
Nov 12th |
| 32 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
I really like this creative idea and the results. Here are my comments.
1. Add a white border stroke to define the frame, since the black background merges with the black of the Digital Dialogue background.
2. I think the optical illusion (which you might keep because it is so interesting) occurs because the outer turns of the shell are brighter, being closer to your backlight source. If you illuminate the smaller turns more from the front, I wonder if the optical illusion would reverse.
3. Can you get the shell more into the center of the image, and all of it? Perhaps this is a challenge because something has to support the shell? |
Nov 8th |
| 32 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
I have not tried my hand at stacking, but this looks very good, and I understand and agree with the comments so far. Compositionally, I might suggest including the handle of the magnifying glass to make it more apparent what is going on.
In response to Wes's surprise about getting this shot using a magnifying glass--an image is just an image, whether viewed directly or viewed or through a magnifying glass, so I think it makes sense optically that this works. |
Nov 8th |
| 32 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
Good idea to keep it mysterious. I really like the door hanging there askew. That completes the image for me. |
Nov 8th |
| 32 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
So this is Liverpool, the famous industrial town and home of the Beatles, yes? I am fascinated to see it.
You have a good view of the changes in the look of the city, and that ship's prow building is interesting. I very much like the dark patches in the water. As I often mention, I don't know about competitions, but while this is a good shot, I don't think it is exceptional enough to go far in competition. I had trouble with the leveling--it is very hard to discern the horizon line; I rotated it 0.4 degrees to the right and I think this is better. What do you think? |
Nov 8th |
 |
| 32 |
Nov 21 |
Reply |
Thanks, Tom. Good eye spotting the plane--I never noticed it at the time, nor in the image. |
Nov 7th |
| 32 |
Nov 21 |
Reply |
Thank you, Wes.
I have never heard about the 80% wall. Please tell a bit more. |
Nov 7th |
| 32 |
Nov 21 |
Reply |
Lance, thank you for the affirmation. Also, I am very happy to participate in the discussions. |
Nov 7th |
| 32 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
I like the framing with the large bushes, putting some black into the image to balance the expanse of the white sky. I can also see that to get all of the steeple in you had to show a lot of sky, and therefore (I think) you put in the overhanging tree branches for balance. So this is a thoughtfully composed image.
But I am not sure about the tree branches hanging downwards from above. How would it work to have some tree branches on one side? Was that possible? How do you feel about that approach, both in this situation, and in general. |
Nov 4th |
| 32 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
Merhaba Ata,
Maybe things will improve in 2022 and we will return to Cesme in the spring and summer.
Thanks for visiting and your comments. |
Nov 3rd |
7 comments - 8 replies for Group 32
|
| 35 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
This is nicely done: a seaside resort with people strolling past medieval windmills. Nice angle, good sky.
I am very fond of these particular structures because I have visited similar Greek-built mills in the south of Turkey. The machinery inside is entirely cut from wood: sail masts, main beam, and even all the gears. The entire top of the building, including the sail masts and main beam, rotates to face the wind--it is rotated with pry bars on a grooved wood track lubricated with olive oil. I presume the ones in your image are the same. |
Nov 8th |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 35
|
| 39 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
Thank you for presenting a serious subject, rather than an "interesting" personal portrait. You are doing important photo-journalistic work.
On the question of shooting the children's backs vs. a front view. I agree with Larry that a front view might be more engaging, but the strength of a back view is that it makes these particular children into "all children." |
Nov 23rd |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 39
|
| 40 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
You have a good idea here, and everyone is urging you to take it further.
Lots of folks have fairy gardens outside their homes, and passersby are welcome to alter or add to them, especially in urban areas where the gardens are only inches from the public sidewalks.
Near us in Maryland, USA, there is an arts center that has an annual fairy garden event: https://www.annmariegarden.org/annmarie2/content/fairy-gnome-home-festival
Also you can Google "fairy gardens" and then select "images" for ideas, but skip the commercial products. |
Nov 23rd |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 40
|
| 47 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
The pairing of this image with its title enhances both. We immediately know that this is a disadvantaged child, yet not showing fear or anger. One wonders if as they grow older, can that maintain. You have captured a complex interaction of a personal image with a larger social problem. |
Nov 23rd |
| 47 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
We have had discussions in my Monochrome Group 32 about including/not including the road from which the image is shot. We pretty much always suggest to crop out the road. Good decision for you to present only the natural view. I agree the clouds are great--they only become striking in your closer view. |
Nov 23rd |
2 comments - 0 replies for Group 47
|
| 57 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
Nice hand-held shot. I work very hard to sometimes shoot at 1/8, and try to brace myself against something. I also try to shoot between heartbeats--no kidding; I read somewhere that if you compose yourself and wait for a calm moment, you will tend to shoot between heartbeats. Anyhow, I like to think I am doing that, even if I can't verify that.
I shoot with a G10 and love it. Fantastic series, the Gs! |
Nov 23rd |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 57
|
| 60 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
I love these shot of jumbled goods. This one is very charming. No matter what the available lighting, I think it would look a bit better less yellow. |
Nov 7th |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 60
|
| 62 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
LuAnn and Pete,
You both raise an interesting question about static vs. dynamic that I had never thought about.
Weston's original (and LuAnn's look-alike) have for me a "regal" sense, like I am looking at the symbol on a king's armor breastplate. For such as this, I think "static" (hence stable) is appropriate.
On the other hand, the tilted image goes in another direction and it is very interesting to see dynamism injected into this subject matter. Great discussion. |
Nov 23rd |
| 62 |
Nov 21 |
Reply |
I quite like this--very much in the spirit of Weston, but with your great choice of a full head of romaine. |
Nov 8th |
| 62 |
Nov 21 |
Reply |
I like this much better than the full portrait because the texture of the light pattern is more discernable here. |
Nov 6th |
| 62 |
Nov 21 |
Reply |
What a great idea to crop just to the pattern area--I think that might work very well. I had not thought of that. Please show the result, if you don't mind. |
Nov 6th |
| 62 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
Your husband is evidently a charming and cheerful man, and engages very well with the photographer. Well done shot.
The sun-lattice effect works very well when it is large stripes on a nude or affecting an entire room, but I don't think these detailed spots contribute to a portrait. I like the idea of you doing a studio shot of your husband--he is a good model for you. |
Nov 6th |
| 62 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
Pete, I like your original (no bird) bare beach in monochrome. I am very keen on empty scenes (streets, beaches, etc.) that convey a feeling of tranquility, peace, or loneliness. |
Nov 5th |
| 62 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
Weston's cabbage leaf is one of the finest images ever shot. You chose well for inspiration, and did very well with your beautiful head of romaine. I find it interesting how you went from Weston's single leaf to an entire head, and you made a great choice.
I find you background a little distracting--I prefer pure black, and I think your contrast is a bit too strong--but of course I am taking Weston's lighting to be definitive--which I have no right to do. |
Nov 5th |
4 comments - 3 replies for Group 62
|
| 74 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
I think choosing a person wearing sunglasses adds to the anonymous effect of the masks--good choice.
Nice sharp focus on your subject, and the background blurred for separation. |
Nov 3rd |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 74
|
| 78 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
You captured an honest scene here, and it is well done.
What interests me most about it is not what we see in the image, but what the man in the image sees in us (actually, you, since he only saw you at the time) and by extension what he thinks about everyone in your class or caste, whether Pilipino or foreign.
Not many photographs catch this quality of the subject looking out from the photograph (Google "Robert Mapplethorpe Death Head" to see Mapplethorpe's self-portrait the year before he died, for a splendid example of this).
The man in your photograph looks intently at us and does not hide his painful difficulty, and possibly his resentment for the inequity of his and our circumstances. He looked that way at you at the time, and thanks to your excellent photography work, he now looks that way at all of us forever, even after his death. |
Nov 23rd |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 78
|
| 79 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
Very interesting and creative, Karl, as usual.
I note the disquieting perspective alteration of the temple, suggesting a very low viewpoint. The open sky pediment effect adds to the surrealism. I see a bird of prey with rapidly beating wings, and perhaps a bird of peace gliding serenely. Will there be an attack? Inside, I see an all-seeing eye, watching especially me.
I can't get much from the color scheme, although it certainly gets my attention.
See Lance Lewin's discussion this month in Group 87 about tension in images, and his notes in the Group 87 Bulletin Board. I think this overlaps a little with your surrealism work. |
Nov 5th |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 79
|
| 81 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
Good job catching just a single couple at the exhibit. When we went in Washington DC, it was very crowded, but still fantastic the way the show helped the visitors get into the mind and experience of Van Gogh. |
Nov 23rd |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 81
|
| 82 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
I think this is highly successful to express the feeling in the title. You might try removing the trees--I am not sure. How about a closer crop--just an alternative--what do you think? |
Nov 5th |
 |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 82
|
| 83 |
Nov 21 |
Reply |
Lance, I believe the tilt/shift lenses are very expensive. At my son's wedding, the (skilled) amateur photographer (a good friend of my son) used one--and he rented it for one day! |
Nov 22nd |
| 83 |
Nov 21 |
Reply |
Indeed the color shot must also be stunning. Can you show it here for our interest? |
Nov 5th |
| 83 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
Jose makes good points about the use of wide angle lenses, but I think it must have been a necessity in the indoor space of the lab. I also note that you had a difficult lighting situation with the open windows. The sum is a fine documentary capture of an interesting and unique location. |
Nov 5th |
| 83 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
You probably had no chance to get this fine street shot from any other angle, but the flautist's mic is unfortunately located to look like a small moustache. I note with interest that he is playing a wood flute--was he playing traditional Chinese songs? |
Nov 5th |
| 83 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
This is absolutely perfect--the bright sun on the white façade, the diagonal shadows at just the right time of day. And the whimsical addition of a person protecting themselves from that intense sun--great touch--did that present itself or did you pose it? |
Nov 5th |
3 comments - 2 replies for Group 83
|
| 87 |
Nov 21 |
Reply |
Lance, sitting 7-10 minutes peering through the viewfinder reminded me of something I just read about the recent death of fashion photographer Hiro: that when he was an apprentice at Harper's, Art Director Alexey Brodovitch told him, "If you look through the viewfinder and you see something you've seen before, don't bother to click the shutter." |
Nov 22nd |
| 87 |
Nov 21 |
Reply |
Hello again, Lance, I have just read your Bulletin Board post on this subject. Now I get it. You are talking about injecting into an image composition a depth of interpretation more commonly (to me) found in literature: contrast (not just light and dark), character, unstated purpose, symbolism, suggestion, unseen forces or actors, photographer's purpose or message (even photographer's character), statements or interpretations of history or current events, mystery, questions.
So just to start on this current image:
Who are these people and where are they going? Are then in a hurry or at leisure? Do they look at each other as they pass? One is a man and one is a woman? Did either glance at the other with appreciation, unpleasantly, inappropriately? Who is the third person, what is their gender, did they interact with the man going up on the left? Whenever there are three in an image, we must consider the Christian Holy Family or the Trinity. Since (I think) your image makes no comment, but only shows a situation, there is (I now see) an enormous tension of unexplicia (if I may coin a term). |
Nov 5th |
| 87 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
Hello Lance,
This is certainly a unique perspective. I note that all three figures are taking a step. The two closest each are in the middle of a step, one up and one down, which means that there is tension in the leg muscles to control their stepping. But is that the tension you are talking about--I suspect I am missing what you are aiming at. Would you be so kind as to explicate your composition of tension more? |
Nov 4th |
1 comment - 2 replies for Group 87
|
| 88 |
Nov 21 |
Reply |
When I was last there, we landed at the old airport, whose runway ran from the land out into the sea, and appeared very short. I asked the cabin attendant if any planes every overshot the runway and went into the sea, and they replied that it happened from time to time (I hope that was a joke).
Then they built the new airport on an island, and I recall that transport was by high-speed boats to the city. Evidently, bridges have now taken place of that. Is that right? |
Nov 5th |
| 88 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
This is very striking, especially with the 10s exposure making the colored water smooth and magical.
I have been to Hong Kong 32 years ago. These bridges are probably new. What do they connect? |
Nov 4th |
1 comment - 1 reply for Group 88
|
| 90 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
Classic shot of a spider web wet with dew drops. Just great.
Although there is a bit of color in the spider, I think it is so little that you might consider this in b/w. |
Nov 4th |
 |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 90
|
| 92 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
Great idea. I see you lightened the faces of the gods of the fountain.
I just thing the woman is a bit lost in this large scene. How about this crop? |
Nov 4th |
 |
| 92 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
I really like this street scene, with the lamppost bounding the left and the ladder the right. The fireplug in the middle and the vertical line running upward almost above it in the building structure further divides this composition into rectangles. This is very well composed.
The bright left side of the building is a bit blown out and I think the overall image could be a bit darker and have a touch more contrast. What do you think of this? |
Nov 4th |
 |
2 comments - 0 replies for Group 92
|
| 98 |
Nov 21 |
Comment |
Hi Tom, this is a clever construction, but I suggest some modifications:
1. Some areas of the ropes are a bit blown out.
2. Since you have no restriction on creativity, how about putting elbow and knee bends into your character limbs. You could also do a linked piece in which the "flying" peanut is hauled in by the "catcher" peanut. If they miss, then it's peanut butter.
3. See the work of Alexander Calder for masterpieces in this genre--google "Calder's Circus." |
Nov 4th |
1 comment - 0 replies for Group 98
|
38 comments - 19 replies Total
|
