|
| Group |
Round |
C/R |
Comment |
Date |
Image |
| 60 |
May 25 |
Reply |
Thanks, Denny. I agree that some more can be cropped off the left side. I will do this when I try the other two options - one with only two houses and one with no houses. A friend has suggested removing some of the spikes grass that is distracting as well. |
May 9th |
| 60 |
May 25 |
Comment |
Denny,
I know how to do these star trail stacks but have not attempted it myself yet. This image clearly evokes strong memories for you of a favorite location that the rest of us, sadly, do not share when seeing it fresh for the first time.
I get the feeling that you might have taken the foreground photo a little too early in the evening because I can see the green color of the grass clearly, and the reflection of the sky in the stream at the bottom betrays a still light sky. The left bottom corner is bright and distracting; the eye is drawn there away from the sky. There is a strip of light along the bottom of the photo in the stream that is not as bright but still draws the eye to the bottom, away from the sky. Perhaps you should mask these areas and darken them or crop out the river at the bottom altogether.
It might be best to eliminate the light from the climber's camp to allow the eye to focus in on the star trails. I also wonder if it might have been a good idea not to place the mountain dead center but offset to the left or right. |
May 7th |
| 60 |
May 25 |
Comment |
You got lucky with the overcast sky, which adds a lot of drama to an image taken at high noon. The ribbon of road that cuts across the vast landscape moves the eye from left to right between the three vertical monuments and the mesa on the left side of the road and the wavy hillocks that vaguely resemble a Roman amphitheater on the right side of the road. The tonality covers the full range of grey tones, with touches of black and white, and evokes a mood of broodiness and foreboding. The photo is much more dramatic in B &W. No additional changes needed that I can see. |
May 7th |
| 60 |
May 25 |
Comment |
Kyle,
Your removal of three or four small distractions has created a cleaner photo that focuses the eye on the repeated forms of the columns, the arched doorways and windows, the shadows, and the people using the portico. The perspective moves the eye down the walkway to the distant doorway in the stone wall.
Two small things. I would use a mask to lighten the dark divot in the front column slightly. I would also eliminate the strip of what appears to be a door located just left of the second column. It does not line up with the modern building in the rear on the left side and so appears not to be the entry to it but instead, is an opening opening into a stone wall or building. It is distracting. Very nice image that transports us to somewhere exotic and "other." |
May 7th |
| 60 |
May 25 |
Comment |
Anne,
Your annual observation of egret behavior has allowed you to know what you wanted to capture in your image. Well done. I feel there is more of the tree's foliage than is necessary for us to understand the bird's location; I would suggest you crop some on the bottom and then also a little of the sky. The bird still looks a little out of focus; did you reach your limit in Topaz before it became over-sharpened or could you do a little more? Also, I would try the global clarity slider in Lightroom to add more definition to the bird and leaves.
WE cannot see how much difference your editing has made, unfortunately. What happened to the original? |
May 7th |
| 60 |
May 25 |
Comment |
Rita,
It was a good decision to eliminate the reflection and zero in on the mask itself. I can see why it caught your eye; the image is striking. Like you, I prefer the warmed-up version to the original, which was white in color.
Did you try using AI to complete the top of the hat and then add a a little air space above that? Since the mask is the sole focus, it might be best not to cut off the top. Personally, I would also use AI to eliminate the ribbon of curtain and little segment of window sill on the right. Hopefully, it would replace it with wall.
The dictionary defines a still life as a collection of items, and the mask is a single item. You should read what is acceptable for the category of still life in whichever competition you are thinking of entering. That will be the best guide to what is acceptable and what is not. |
May 7th |
| 60 |
May 25 |
Reply |
Thanks, Dean. I will try the photo without the houses altogether and then also use AI to remove the partial house and leave the two whole ones. Both are good options to play with. |
May 7th |
5 comments - 2 replies for Group 60
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5 comments - 2 replies Total
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