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| Group |
Round |
C/R |
Comment |
Date |
Image |
| 63 |
Jul 25 |
Reply |
This is a different look to the image and reflects a differing vision than what the original image portrayed. In making our commentary we need to respect and acknowledge the maker's original vision. That is their own uniquely personal contribution to the image, and to my mind we have no right to suggest that it should be otherwise. We might feel otherwise, BUT in our comments, this should not be the main focus. Rather we should comment upon how to best accomplish the presentation of the maker's original vision.
This does not mean that your alternate vision is also lacking value, but it may not be what the maker intended, so we should not suggest that ours is better than theirs. So, when me make our comments, we should focus upon issues (good and bad) that impact the presentation of the maker's vision, and NOT what we think it ought to be. This is often a subtle difference in what and how we say things, and is a common trap that individuals starting upon the road of commentary falls into.
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Jul 23rd |
| 63 |
Jul 25 |
Reply |
While this tighter crop does place more emphasis upon the ant, unfortunately the resolution on this particular image does not support this tighter presentation. It becomes too grainy, and we lose the effect. Cropping in tighter is not always the answer for nature images. In doing so we often literally run on of photographic information (pixels and pixel depth) resulting in a grainy image. Interpolation and sharpening do not improve this situation (been there, done that, have the tee shirt). When this does happen, it strengthens the case for stronger lenses and more effort in getting closer to our subjects. |
Jul 20th |
| 63 |
Jul 25 |
Reply |
While increasing the cavass to include the whole frame might add a bit to the image, it also creates a different image with a different vision. Here by only showing a part of the fame we get a greater sense of intimacy and at looking into everyday life. Adding the entire frame would make is more of a set-piece, with a different feel. It's often difficult to make suggestions that don't introduce our own bias and vision. This can be a challenge at times. |
Jul 20th |
| 63 |
Jul 25 |
Comment |
I really am enjoying this image. There is simplicity in this presentation and the bloom stands out nicely without losing a feel for the surrounding environment. I agree that due to the lighting, some of the native detail of the bloom is lost a bit here. However, we don't have to live with just what our camera gives us. Adding a bit of micro contrast (the texture, and clarity sliders in ACR or Lightroom Develop mode) can restore a bit more of the texture and native color. I might also suggest darkening the background a bit (as previously suggested), and more so on the right side to even out the background a bit. I have included a version of this image with these suggestions to illustrate my thoughts. See what you think … |
Jul 10th |
 |
| 63 |
Jul 25 |
Comment |
This image is an interesting presentation of an impressive subject. The colorful moth is nicely presented although I don't disagree with the earlier comments about it being a bit soft. A bit of post=process sharpening might help this a bit. The woodwork the moth is on is a bit bright and to my eye, is pulling our attention away from the subject. While this may be unavoidable in collecting this shot, we don't need to live with it in the final image. Here I would select and darken the background to emphasize the subject even more.
Murphy also raises a valid point in terms of your composition, being too close to the right-hand edge. While the best time to counter this is while you were behind the viewfinder, we can also use the newer ability of Photoshop and Lightroom to expand the canvas a bit more (as long as one does not object to the addition of a bit of AI generated pixels to the image). . I have included a version of this image with these suggestions to illustrate my thoughts. See what you think …
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Jul 10th |
 |
| 63 |
Jul 25 |
Comment |
What an interesting story the image tells. The fascinating range of texture and detail throughout the image adds a weathered and stately look to this window. I am also enjoying the native color pallet of the window and wood, and how the reflected early evening light augments the presentation. I appreciate that this was by design and was not happenstance.
Now let's see if we might nudge the presentation a bit more. Here I suggest darkening the wood at the lower and right edges to enhance the framing of the window. Also, I might add a bit of micro contrast to the elements in the window to bring out a bit more of the native detail and texture. I would also consider darkening the darker areas of the scene to increase the contrast a bit. I realize that you personally like adding a pinstripe border to your images, but in this case, I feel it is not needed and actually detracts a bit from the image. We don't need more light elements at the edges to distract us, and the image does not need help in separating itself from a darker presentation media. I have included a version of this image with these suggestions to illustrate my thoughts. See what you think …
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Jul 10th |
 |
| 63 |
Jul 25 |
Comment |
This is a simple yet elegant image of this fly. The composition and pose of the subject is nicely seen and captured. The background is clean with no distractions, and the color is wonderful. I do agree that the background might be a bit bright and the subject a bit dark. Perhaps the camera was metering exposure on the background and not on the subject.
You have done an admirable job in displaying the details of the fly's legs, so I was a bit disappointed that much of the body was concealed in shadow. Here I suggest selecting the fly in post processing and bringing out more of the detail within the shadowed body. The shadows slider in ACR (or the equivalent tool in your processing software) is a very effective tool to accomplish this. The bowed leaf the fly is standing on appears a bit washed out as well, so I would darken and this and add back a bit of micro-contrast to this element. I have included a version of this image with these suggestions to illustrate my thoughts. Let me know what you think …
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Jul 10th |
 |
| 63 |
Jul 25 |
Comment |
This is an interesting image of this ant "doing its thing" on this leaf. The ant is nicely presented and the accompany foliage frames the subject nicely. The overall image is slightly soft, and the ant exhibits a bit of granularity which might suggest extreme cropping to create this image. To my eye the balance of this presentation appears a bit off. The lower part of the image is overrepresented and might be cropped away. He upper left corner also appears a bit distracting and pulls my eye from the main subject. Here I suggest removing much of the plant elements in the upper left corner and cropping in from the bottom to balance the presentation some. As I have noted in the past, we don't always need to settle for just what our camera captures on our path to an effective image. I have included a version of this image with these suggestions to illustrate my thoughts. See what you think … |
Jul 10th |
 |
5 comments - 3 replies for Group 63
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5 comments - 3 replies Total
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