|
| Group |
Round |
C/R |
Comment |
Date |
Image |
| 4 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Bill, yes you are right. in PTD you can only crop to remove distractions, but not here. Now that you mention it.... ( I did not even think about it). I have been so involved in Photo Travel and Photo Journalism that now I hardly remove any element in an image, unless it is smack in the middle and is not any of the Reality Divisions of PSA. |
Mar 19th |
 |
| 4 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Gary, that was alot of work, but interestingly looks nicer |
Mar 10th |
| 4 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Guy, I think the buoy is part of the normal sailing environment/background. |
Mar 10th |
| 4 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Ian, you had the million Pounds Vantage Point indeed. Image very sharp. The water trail implies movement and the winds were strong since the sail boat is tilted. All the men looks busy playing their part of the orchestra. The colors are a little dull in my monitor. Added a little contrast and vibrance. There is nothing we can do with the background, perhaps shooting the image wide open. |
Mar 9th |
 |
| 4 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Which adds value to the image |
Mar 9th |
| 4 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Erik, this rider is dismounting in a very unconventional way: backwards.. He is really holding tight. To photograph Rodeos is very challenging specially with the background. The fact that you were at a high vantage point allowed for a clean background. Image is sharp. |
Mar 5th |
| 4 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Vella, beautiful cheetah and cub in a vigilant body position. Very sharp and nice colors. Background well handled and not distracting. known especially for its speed. Cheetahs' sprints have been measured at a maximum of 114 km (71 miles) per hour, and they routinely reach velocities of 80-100 km per hour while pursuing prey. Nearly all the cheetahs remaining in the wild live in Africa. |
Mar 5th |
| 4 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Guy, interesting image showing two boats of the same color but in opposite directions. Image is sharp and the colors are very vivid. Good to appreciate the hills in the area. The sand is very coarse indeed. |
Mar 5th |
| 4 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Bill, WOW... bridge to nowhere. The lines back lith makes the image in addition to the reflections in the water. Agree with the color version. |
Mar 5th |
| 4 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
I have him a little happier since he is filling an order... |
Mar 5th |
 |
| 4 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Guy, there is security everywhere. Nothing to worry. The place is also full of smells which makes you hungryer.... |
Mar 5th |
 |
| 4 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Erik, I did not flip it. The characters are in Hebrew.... |
Mar 5th |
| 4 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Gary, great image with lots of juxtaposition of lines which makes it more intricate and calls for more attention to try to follow the lines. I like the High Contrast version from Guy better. The building indeed reads photography. I will make a note to visit it since I have not. Probably night photography will be challenging. |
Mar 5th |
6 comments - 7 replies for Group 4
|
| 15 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Mike, yes you are, You can use a manipulated image in the non Reality Division Groups which are PTD, PJ and Nature. Yes, you can manipulate any image to your heart's content and even use AI and use it at any contest in Color or Monochrome if that is the case. |
Mar 12th |
| 15 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Mike you can adjust an image to your heart's content and use it in Color. |
Mar 12th |
| 15 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Pei-Fan a soft image means that it is a little out of focus. It is a technical word in photography. |
Mar 11th |
| 15 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Randall, remember that any image is in the eyes of the beholder, but you sre completely free to make sugestions annd changes. To me the interesting thing about this image is the perfect reflection and symmetry and the fact that there are two wood stumps in the water what makes the image more complex. I took the original out of camera and made it into a high key image not expecting any quality since the bird was back lith. The fact that makes your eyes go back and forth makes the image more compelling. Again, it is in the eyes of the beholder !! and yes, you removed the "beautifyl symmetry and reflection". |
Mar 10th |
 |
| 15 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Any time, Randall |
Mar 10th |
| 15 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Yes Kathy, much better |
Mar 10th |
| 15 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Kathy, the Reddish Egret is the most spectacular performer when they are fishing and offers an infinite options of photography, and yes Fort Desoto is a great theater for the performer. I think your crop is too tight. You need more space in the front so the bird can fly into, this crop creates tension. I think you over sharpened the image and that is the reason of the halo, regardless of the light background. Anyway it is a good BIF capture. Also the secret of having a nice selection of images is to shoot in long bursts if your camera allows (The Nikon D500 gives you 10 frames/second). I would keep my finger on the shutter release until the buffer gets full. Using high speed cards will give you more continuous captures. I will share with you a few of my images from Fort Desoto and from Black Point in Merrit Island. I will send you an email. |
Mar 9th |
| 15 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Jim, most of the times the halo is created by over sharpening or adding too much clarity to the image. |
Mar 9th |
| 15 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Sarita, using Photo Shop CC Generate AI I am presenting an options since I agree with you that the image will be better with more space on the left. So I picked this of the options Photoshop created (three each time) |
Mar 9th |
 |
| 15 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Kathy, when we give ideas as how to improve the image, we are allowed to do it and post it with our comment. |
Mar 9th |
| 15 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
We have here the Florida Scrub Jay which is different to the California Scrub Jay. See comparison taken from Cornell Lab all about Birds. |
Mar 9th |
 |
| 15 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
In my eyes, it looks too sharpened and artificial. Needs less which will improve the image but not exaggerate it. Did you try Topaz Sharpen AI ? I did and it looks better overall. When you use Denoise it degrades the image more and then the software tries to improve sharpness exaggerating it..
|
Mar 9th |
 |
| 15 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Jim, indeed a perfect BIF capture, perfect action and position of the talons in Original 2, unfortunately showing the nictitating membrane which is a transparent or translucent third eyelid present in some animals that can be drawn across the eye from the medial canthus to protect and moisten it while maintaining vision. Your main image is also a great image with the trophy already on the talons and perhaps tells a better story. Both are sharp. Perfect Environmental background. |
Mar 9th |
| 15 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Randall, nice catch with the left wing curved. Nice and sharp silhouette. I like the selection of background color. Obviously, the bird was very far away even for a 600 mm |
Mar 9th |
| 15 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Sarita, great BIF image. It is sharp, with a partially blurred and homogeneous and non distracting background. It seems that is also carrying something in the mouth. I just wonder if you have some real state before the crop in the front of the bird ? It is too close to the edge and creates some tension. |
Mar 9th |
5 comments - 10 replies for Group 15
|
| 58 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Sergio, I like this iteration and I think that the public belong there. Perhaps I would crop some of the top to eliminate the distracting white tent. |
Mar 13th |
 |
| 58 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Sergio, I agree 100 % |
Mar 11th |
| 58 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Ed, it proves my point. It was a big crop from a soft image, and therefore the consequences. |
Mar 10th |
| 58 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Sergio you are right. The dogs as first element, followed by the colorful umbrella and the eye glasses frame. |
Mar 9th |
| 58 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Sergio, the expression in the faces of the children makes this image. This is the type of images my mentor in the street photography workshop I mentioned in another image of our group likes to create and encourages us to do the same. I would never have taken the picture this way looking down, amputating and including very distracting elements like on the left side of the image, but then; not doing so I would have lost the essence of the image. |
Mar 9th |
| 58 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Sergio, very good point |
Mar 9th |
| 58 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Ed, interesting image and good B&W interpretation. I just wonder if you tryed to remove noise and shrpen the image after cropping and from a small file size and of low resolution which would distort the image and this seems to me the case. Lets see what the original image out of camera looked like. |
Mar 9th |
| 58 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Bruce, I have no problem photographing children in the street. Occasionally and if present close, I would show the camera to the parents implying I will take a picture of the child/children. I must agree with Sergio's changes to your image. I would probably have done the same. Whether this is child exploitation or just a kid helping his family business in delivering the goods when he is out of school, is a very debatable issue. |
Mar 9th |
| 58 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
The same is true by the image of the naked Vietnamese girl all burned titled The Terror of War by photographer Nick Ut |
Mar 9th |
| 58 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Sergio, we are very blessed to have you in our group. Indeed you can teach us a lot about street photography which is what our group is all about. Last year I took a workshop here in Miami with photographer Juan Jose Reyes (https://www.miamistreetphotographyfestival.org/jjreyes) and for the three days I had to change my hat and reverse engineer my line of photography thought. Thank you for your extensive explanation. Do not worry about that. |
Mar 9th |
| 58 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Sergio, if you look back to previous month's images you will see that this tone of quasi sepia is Kathleen's favorite. I must agree with you that the image has more impact in a contrasty B&W as you did. |
Mar 7th |
| 58 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Pinaki, those ceramic containers look heavy and the lady is able to lift it and hold with one hand. They are of different sizes. She is very involved with the merchandise. Using the new generative AI in Photoshop, I made the verticals straight with the corresponding results. Just added a little light to the vendor and darkened slightly the background on her left. |
Mar 3rd |
 |
| 58 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Bev, indeed a street scene. The people performing on the street are really talented and patient since they are waiting for a tip before doing any movement. He looks frozen. It looks to me that you may have used a filter to soften out of foccus the background since it is very obvious in front of the Mime. |
Mar 3rd |
5 comments - 8 replies for Group 58
|
| 59 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Don, interesting that you used the Z 180-600. From my recent experience shooting the kid's games, I first used the 100-400 with the 1.4x TC and without it and felt that I needed more light and be able to blur the background more and for that reason on the last game I used the 70-200 f?2.8 + 2xTC for 400 mm f/5.6 which was pretty much the same as the 100-400 mm. On my image Bruce makes the comment that he shoots at f/2.0. I ahve the 70-200 f/2.8 but felt 200 mm was not power enough. Putting the 1.4x TC will make it an f/4 and only 280 mm.
I still have the f mount 300 mm f/2.8 will try it next time.
This image is made by the four players in white encasing the player in green.
|
Mar 9th |
| 59 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Bruce, thanks for your expert advice. |
Mar 9th |
| 59 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Ronald, this image is really interesting showing the analogy of the fishing rods with the cranes in the background and for the same action, pulling things (fish or containers). It is obviously a popular place to go fishing. Good composition. Sharp. |
Mar 3rd |
| 59 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Hans, a really different kind of horses race, full of action and speed (both horses with all 4 in the air and the water splash). Here in Florida we can only see horses running at the racetrack. Image is sharp and nice colors. Just being picky, would like to see a little more room in front of the first horse. |
Mar 3rd |
| 59 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Bruce, really an unique vantage point. Unfortunately here in South Florida Rodeo (Homestead or Davie), they have "police" always pushing you away from the fence and to go to the bleachers. Your immage is full of action and really showing the danger of being in front of the bull. The dust caused by the movement gives additional interest to the image. |
Mar 3rd |
| 59 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Gerry, Pure leg power !!
I love the expression of his face. The contrast with the big bike with big legs and pedals is dramatic. As you said, the Flintstone would be very proud of him (Bamm Bamm !!). The kids in the back with real bikes complement the story. |
Mar 1st |
5 comments - 1 reply for Group 59
|
| 72 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Bruce and Barbara, it is allowed that if you suggest a specific adjustment, in this case a B&W conversion, you can do it and post it with your comment. |
Mar 16th |
| 72 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Mary, Milky Way images are always fun, but not so easy to create, since it is nowdays very difficult to find places dark enough without city light contamination.I believe that is what we see in the right lower edge (my right) of the frame that you cropped. Your image is very clear, bright and sharp. Great PP. Did you use light painting for the trees in the foreground ? |
Mar 10th |
| 72 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Thanks Barbara for the second image |
Mar 10th |
| 72 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Thank you Bruce for the clarification |
Mar 10th |
| 72 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Adrian, same as Bruce, I have no intention of learning underwater photography at this age. I know Mary has done it all her life and she is good at it.
Agree with Bruce, added a little contrast and used the Dehaze slider. |
Mar 9th |
 |
| 72 |
Mar 24 |
Reply |
Bruce and Adrian, do not even buder to go to Viera. Because the huge housing construction they closed the access of cars to the area of the water treatment. The last time I went walking and very few birds. As a matter of fact, yesterday I drove the Black point loop in Merritt Island but very few birds at this time. |
Mar 9th |
| 72 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Leah, indeed Nature and intruders have taken a toll on this stones structure. It looks like a very complicated task given by the varieties of rocks shapes and sizes used to build it. It is a winter image and almost as a B&W interpretation, I think it looks good in a contrasty B&W iteration. I used Bruce's cropped image. Unfortunately, the wavy sky is more obvious. |
Mar 9th |
 |
| 72 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Barbara, yes perfect timing with the bird just taking off. The image is very sharp and the colors are beautiful. Now you label ist as a blue bird but I do not see any blu color in the image, or this is a female or a youg one not completely mature ?? Just wondering. Nice PP |
Mar 9th |
| 72 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Maria, very interesting image. I do not think we have these insects here in the USA. I seems to me that the couple are matting as well. Agree with Bruce about the crop, but I would keep the subject off center. |
Mar 9th |
 |
| 72 |
Mar 24 |
Comment |
Bruce, it almost looks like the hawk is turning his/her face and looking at you. capturing BIF with an 800 mm lens is not an easy task. I can attest for that. It takes a lot of practice and strength to hand hold the camera and lens specially at 1/1000 sec. Beautiful background. |
Mar 9th |
7 comments - 3 replies for Group 72
|
28 comments - 29 replies Total
|
