jreades

This is quite simply one of the most original and enjoyable nature photographs I've seen on photo.net.

 

The perspective is unusual (to say the least) and the colours are simply gorgeous (I'd be disappointed if they turned out to have been substantially manipulated in any way).

 

However, the reflections are what really make this composition work for me -- cutting out the reflections with a polariser would have made this a much more simple and less enjoyable photo. The soft colours all over the frame really pull this picture together and emphasise the contrast with the legs while simultaneously complementing the overall tone.

 

I might enjoy the composition even more if the legs were *slightly* to the right, however I can't fault the shot in the least and can only sit and say bravo!

 

jon

To me this is unquestionably the stronger of the two photos -- the composition and tone is much more dramatic (without seeming overly staged) and the relationship between the various 'spaces' is altogether more intriguing.

 

The darker tones surrounding the light-well and the subject really help to foreground the interesting elements. In the other Vienna photo, the different exposure [which actually looks a tad washed out] leads to a shot that doesn't have the same clear focal point.

 

I also find the subject's attire more appealing in this photo -- I think that the softer, less form-fitting lines act as an excellent counterpoint to the angular elements of the photo. Also, the pose looks more natural and this probably works to support the tension between the linear and 'human' parts [it also helps that in this photo I feel a little less like I'm looking up her nose ;) ].

 

And finally, it *seems* to be that you had a different DOF in this photo -- the hands in this shot apepar to be in focus, while the shallower DOF in the other photo work against the overall qualities of the photo.

 

In my humble opinion this is an intriguing and engaging portrait.

 

Hope this helps,

 

jon

It seems that you exposed for the shadow of the... thing [looks like it's related to old canal locks or something]... and this has resulted in a sky that's completely blown out -- look at the white spot in the upper-left region. With the kind of shot that you took, I'm not sure what solution there is since you either get a well-exposed sky with pitch black in the shadows of the thing, or what you got here. An ND grad filter could have helped, but then you need to carry one around... worth it on big trips, a bit of a pain on short ones.

 

On the whole, I find the composition pleasant but it's not quite coming together for me as a striking image. I think that the problem [for me] might be that the central, static placing of the thing suggests something monumental, but the framing doesn't quite live up to that. Perhaps if you had knelt down and shot it so that it protruded further into the sky then it would have seemed grander than it is and this would have brought the composition together the right way?

 

Please note that I'm not saying there's anything dramatically wrong [which I do see in work on photo.net... both in mine and in others] -- it's not a case of poor framing or poor exposure atll -- just that it isn't *quite* working for me for the reasons outlined above...

 

HTH,

 

jon

Simply put: I like it. This is the type of portrait that I *wish* I could take... simple, striking, and fun.

 

What makes this portrait work for me are the following:

 

1. The colours -- without them this photo simply wouldn't have the presence that it does here. In particular, for me its the relationship between the intense blue chairs, the bluish wall, and the verdant green top on the subject.

 

2. The light above the subject -- normally I'd critique this as glare, but here it works. Sure, it looks like the bounce of an overhead fluorescent light, but that's in keeping with the net 'effect' of the shot... it seems like it was shot [on the sly] in a really boring office somewhere.

 

3. The subject -- although I *might* have like to see the subject doing something else (preferrably something where I could see her face), the positioning of the subject in the shot is excellent. As mentioned above, I get the feeling of something shot in an office... as if the photographer and photographers were stuck waiting for something else to happen and decided to have some fun. This brings the photo alive -- the fact that the subject almost certainly shouldn't be standing on the chairs makes it quirky and engaging.

 

I have a few suggestions for alternate compositions that you might like to consider:

 

1. Pull back. A lot. The contrast between the bland institutionalism of the chairs and walls would then form a greater contrast with the illicit position of the subject. A horizontal composition would emphasise the resistance against conformity that makes this photo 'work' for me.

 

2. Pan down. Slightly. I think that including a bit more of the bottom edge of the chairs would also help. The subject's feet feel uncomfortably close to the edge of the frame, and I think that an extra little bit of chair would bring added depth to the photo.

 

3. Alternatives for the subject -- it's an off the cuff suggestion, but working with the idea of depth, what if [instead of holding a camera] the subject were interacting more with the photographer? Maybe leaning into the photo and sticking out her tongue [might be cliched] to preserve that non-conformity that I like but bring more life to the photo...

 

Still, I really like it.

 

jon

Something about the DOF of this photo just grabs me -- it raises a simple photograph to something artistic [note: simple not the same as bad or weak]. Well chosen!

 

jon

 

P.S. The colours also look gorgeous, the only thing that doesn't quite work for me is something about the placement of the subject... it seems like tilting upwards or downwards would have given you more scope to play with the relationship between the light sky and the light on the plant.

The colours and contrasts are nice and strong -- you've got the strong horizontal of the railing, the red vertical of the dress, and very happy-looking subject.

 

The main issue (as I see it) is that the right-hand side of the portrait is a bit washed out (the blue of the sky fades to bright white and there's some blurring between the subject's left arm and the sky).

 

To be brutally honest, her smile is also a teensy bit scary... I feel uncharitable for saying this since I can only assume that she's extraordinarily happy, but I suppose what I'm responding to is that it *seems* slightly forced. If it were toned down just slightly (not so much that she looks like a bored model) then it would seem more natural and the photo would be that much more enjoyable.

 

Still, a nice portrait with striking features.

 

jon

Of the many excellent photos in your portfolio, this one is the most striking. The touch of the red on the rock is simply perfect, IMHO, and the sun/ray really brings out the delicacy of the colours elsewhere photo. Some of the other photos have similarly subtle colouring, but this streak of red running vertically through the frame unites the far background with the near foreground in a particularly pleasing way.

 

Your photos also show great mastery of DOF -- nothing feels remotely out of focus in what is quite clearly a very complicated shot to set up.

 

Ack, I'm jealous. :)

 

jon

Maria -- Although the title tells me what you were interested in when you took this photo, for me that interest isn't carried through in the shot itself.

 

The underlying issue for me is that no one thing (or relationship between several things) really has precedence here. There's the bit of railing and the river in the foreground, the bright blue sky and schloss in the background, and it between (in shadow and against the dark hillsides!) is the bit that the title indicates you were actually interested in capturing. Do you see how this would be confusing to the viewer?

 

That said, the location that you picked has a lot of potential, it's more a question of timing and framing. What if you were to try to shot again with the sun behind you? This would pick out the beautiful pastel buildings and the spires of the churches against a dark background, giving you a much better contrast. You would also want to consider zooming in and cropping down quite a bit -- the railings and riverbank in the foreground compete with your real interest, and the bright sky leaves everything else looking a bit lost. If you zoomed in a bit too then you could lose the crane on the left-hand side and the trees on the opposite bank on the right all while enlarging the spires.

 

With shorter days, winter can be a really hard time to shoot, but the flip side is that morning comes later and evening comes earlier so you don't have get out of bed quite so early to catch an 'early morning' shot.

 

HTH,

 

jon

The crop seems a little tight -- wouldn't you want to have the rest of the statue's face in the frame and a little more space across the top to separate the gold 'things' from the border?

This is probably where we get into the realm of pure opinion, but this photo seems to me to be missing something.

 

On the technical side, there is a definite colour shift towards purple around the lights (this is tough to avoid, but gives everything a colour cast). And the off-level camera angle combined with the motion-blurred foliage makes things feel a little drunken to me.

 

But I think what I'm having the most difficulty with is the sign on the left-hand wall in the background -- have you considered converting this photo to black and white and then cloning out the sign? I think that that might give this shot a much more pleasingly mysterious 'look'. More of the early detective film feel where the victim staggers out of an alley thinking "If I can just reach safety...", if you know what I mean. As I said, pure opinion and perhaps my idea is a rubbish one.

 

HTH.

 

jon

Great location! It seems like there were really two shots in here -- one on the left-hand side looking through to the collapsed main section of the abbey, and one on the right-hand side looking through the supporting buttresses. I feel a *little* overwhelmed by all the 'things' happening in this shot, and since part of the abbey is falling outwards it's also making the photo feel off-level (which I'm having trouble with although it's nothing that could be 'fixed' by tilting the camera).

This is an interesting frame for this shot. The position of the pilgrim is dramatic -- they've *just* stepped into the frame and this adds immediacy and a dynamic element to the overall photo. The composition also emphasises the boundary between land and water (similar to the boundary between life and death?) and the reflections on the urn draw attention to this transition.

 

So thematically there is a *lot* of good stuff going on. I wonder, however, if a wider-angle (perhaps cropped down top and bottom) wouldn't have captured this as well and without losing the vast majority of the pilgrim? The urn would still draw my attention to the boundary first, but as an equally interesting element I would have more of the pilgrim to admire...

 

HTH,

 

jon

For some reason this portrait is reminding of the android in "Blade Runner" -- that's a good thing, I loved the film. My only nitpick would be that the hair falls a *bit* too far into the model's left eye and I'd prefer it if I could see the iris more clearly.

 

Perhaps also a bit of fill flash on the left side to lighten up the area around the right eye?

 

Still, it's an interesting portrait and quite striking.

Roumen -- I suspect that scanning a negative with a flatbed scanner is always going to produce rather murky results. Have you considered printing it with an enlarger and then scanning the print instead? That might help people to get a better grip with the technical aspects of the shot.

 

That said, assuming that you planned all of the elements then 'bravo'! I love the mythic dimension of this photo -- the snake seems to have emerged from the little girl (or at least from around her feet) and is now heading out of the frame... out into the world. This effect is emphasised by the strong diagonal right-to-left motion -- it's hard for the viewer not to feel threatened by the snake that is now heading towards our frame of reference.

 

These elements obviously have strong biblical connotations that raise this photo far above your 'average' developping world photo and into something that resonates intriguingly on other planes. As well, the physical conjunction of large snake/small girl can't help but produce a very strong gut reaction even in those with non-Judeo-Christian backgrounds.

 

Congrats.

 

jon

A nice setup, and the red dress seems well-chosen for your model. However, a couple of things seem a bit awry:

 

1. Not enough light on the face -- it could just be my monitor, but the red of the dress is kind of overwhelming the actual subject...

 

2. The red of the lipstick does not match the red of dress -- this could have been a great touch, but the lipstick seems to have much more pink in it and so undermines the relationship that you've created. As well, it doesn't quite look like it was well-applied since there's a smear just off-centre.

 

3. If the subject's hair is red as well then I think that that would be worth developping in your photo. I can't tell from this shot whether the hair is brown or red.

 

4. Something about the angle is giving the subject some strange 'bumps' further down her body. I assume that they're her hips, but to be honest I can't quite figure out how her body is fitting together. Perhaps a shorter DOF would resolve this problem?

 

That said, it's still a great idea and solid execution that with a bit of tidying up seems like it would make a great portrait.

This a nice, simple, flattering portrait of the subject. There are some good touches, but it seems to me that it might benefit from a smidgen more attention to the details.

In no particular order:

• The cropping is too tight -- you've chopped off some of the fingers of her left hand, the wrist of her right, and her left shoulder for no obvious reason. Given that the overall tone is quite soft, this cropping seems particularly brutal and unnatural.
• The bit of leg between the socks and the trousers is distracting.
• The rest of the portrait feels so simple and natural that I would probably try this same shot without the watch. It doesn't really add much except glare.
• I wonder if the light on the left-side of her head is a bit too strong. I *do* like the fact that it lights up and brings a fairl dark subject to life, but it is overwhelming the colour of the subject's skin to which it is adjacent.

I think that the title is well-chosen -- this portrait really does seem to say: "here i am," but I would like to see it done ever so sligthly differently to bring all of the promising elements together.HTH,jon

This is an intriguing composition -- the world 'galaxy' works very nicely with the fairground spaceship. The fact that they are at opposite corners of the frame makes the idea 'work'.

 

Ultimately, I'm not *positive* that the photo can support this much whitespace. The slight blurriness of the photo *does* work if you're keeping this kind of minimalist thing going, but I wonder how a slightly longer exposure with more detail and DOF would look? Perhaps that would add a nice blur to the 'rocket' and work very well with the 'galaxy' theme. Perhaps it wouldn't, but there's only one way to find out... :)

 

HTH,

 

jon

The crop does wonders for what would otherwise simply be a shot (and a *very* well-executed pan I would note) of a dog running after a ball.

Very nice setup. My only nitpick is that the crop seems a little too tight on the left and right edges. I'd like to see the stairs on either side easily touch the ground before I run into a crop. About 1 to 1.5 cm on each side would do it perfectly. That crop would emphasise the way in which this children's playground is 'planted' in the middle of what looks like a rather unattractive corner of the town.

I think that this photo would feel slightly more balanced if you had a bit more photo below. The lower flower feels a bit too close to the edge for my liking. It's a small thing though.

The range and intensity of colours down the middle of the photo and the great DOF (or lack thereof) help this photo to shine.

 

Personally, I'd be inclined to crop out the left and right thirds of the shot -- you'd get the same vertical emphasis but with a more striking layout. I might also trim off just a smidgen of the top as well -- the lighter colours there risk overwhelming the mid-tones around the cat, and it would also bring out the receding stone wall that the cat is sitting on.

 

All in all, a very nice cat photo. And I don't normally like cat photos. :)

 

jon

Looking at your portfolio, you seem to have a tendency to pull a lot of extraneous information into your shots. So in your photograph of sun rays you mention that you're most interested in the coconut bird feeder, but the photo's main subject really seems to be the fence on the left. Similarly, in this photo if the subject is the spring and the cold water then what does the rest of the composition tell me about that?

 

It would probably risk become a cliche, but conceptually, if the subject is the spring then why not focus on that? I can just *barely* make out the spring itself, otherwise it looks rather like a house built half-way into the hill.

 

One of the great things about a wide angle lens is that it *does* tend to include so much 'extra' stuff that it should really make you think about what you want to show. With a zoom it's pretty easy because you just zoom in on the bit of interest, but with wide angles you need to move around your subject, try different framing options, try moving in close to what interests you, now move back and see how that changes things...

 

Where your current style seems to serve you best is in the sunset photos -- the line of trees along the bottom and the ghostly atmosphere caused by the clouds make for a shot with depth and interest.

 

Hope this helps,

 

jon

I have to start out by saying: great job on making this photo look like a gallery frame, I half-expect the next photo.net image to scroll in from the right and to have a little card underneath.

 

This effect is unfortunately reinforced by what looks like a smudge on the glass right above the centre of the building (but which I suspect is a high-flying cloud). I am normally in favour of keeping photos as unmodified as possible (I prefer the 'retro' thing ;) ) but in this case I'm prepared to make an exception. The cloud is so small and light that it really ends up looking like an artifact.

 

Compositionally, I like the strong central triangle formed by the framing of the shot. The many 'facets' of the building serve to give the photo a nice range of tones of different intencities.

 

The top-left corner is noticeably darker than the top-right corner, but I think that this may be an atmospheric effect rather than a polarisation problem. The darker corner (since it fades as you move toward the centre of the photo) serves to pick out the detail of the building and the edge of the frame rather nicely.

 

Cheers,

 

jon

This is such a clear, simple capture of the spirit of running that it's almost impossible to believe it hasn't been done before by someone with a big marketing budget.

 

The flow of colours across the frame says movement/speed in an unambiguous way. And the fact that I have no identifiable people in sight elevates the shot beyond "New York City Marathon" or "London Marathon" to say something simply about running itself... So instead of being stuck looking at stick insects who train four hours a day I get a a kind of 'your shoe here' thing going.

 

What's more, to capture it without any manipulation at all is truly astounding.

 

I'd be taking this photo to Nike's marketing department if I were you.

 

jon

Nice. The decrepit boat seems to be adrift on a sea of grass. The resemblance between sea and ground is reinforced by the expansive, open landscape and big sky.

 

Things look a little burnt-out at the top-middle (I assume that the sun was in that general area) and I, for one, wouldn't mind seeing it dodged just a bit... it's almost pure white and this overwhelms the darker tones around the boat.