divo

Any thoughts on retouching or portraiture in general? C&C would be

appreciated

Interesting concept.  The whole BW with a splash of colour shot has been done, but I haven't seen many sepia versions.  I have to admit that doors resonate with me, so that is part of this, but I really like this shot both the design of the door and the toning.

Thanks for the comments.  Yeah, sadly, this was shot on location a while ago the first time I was using multiple flash units on stands, an umbrella etc.  Seems my mind was on the techniques and gear.  I was wondering about the background myself. Focus: probably the same problem.  I had tunnel vision on understanding this whole new area of photography for me.  I went back to practice some retouching techniques and rediscovered this shot.

Thankfully, she's a friend and really comfortable in front of the camera, so we can probably take some more shots!

Trying to challenge myself to do more then just snap a picture. Trying a

new processing technique to give this shot some punch. Any thoughts?

First attempt to light, shoot and process as a single multistep concept.

And the result? How does this strike you as a portrait of this man?

What I like about this shot is all the different layers.  People are placed at such interesting places in the photo alone or in groups, working or relaxing.  Very interesting juxtaposition!  A little slice of life

Any thoughts on the lighting or retouching of this photo? Thanks for any

comments

Trisha, thanks for your comments.  Love your eye for detail as a applied to composition exhibited here as well in many other photos in your portfolio.  Keep up the good work.  This may not be a brilliant photograph, but it has a sense of simple proportion and ballance that is evident in many of your shots.  Also, thanks for the encouragement!

I love the strong lines and the tones in this shot.  Generally, strong geometric shapes that are found in our environment are interesting to me as a viewer.  Well seen!

Great shot, but I agree that either ballancing the shot down the centre (getting the arches equal) or moving the main door to the right to ballance the two groups of people would be how I would proceed on this shot.  I love the colour and the mirror effect in the water!

Mark, thanks for that very thorough critique.  That is possibly the most informative and educational critique I have ever received.  Definitely gives me a lot to think about and many ways to improve.

I think the mixed messages come in part from the fact that this shot was taken in a wedding studio.  Two friends were having their wedding photos done (in Korea they do this before the wedding and invite all their friends.) We shot this in the background with available light.  It's informative to me just how much you as a viewer can pick up on in the photo re the compromises that had to go into making this shot.

Great conversion.  Oddly enough, what really intrigues me is those swirling lines at the top (the trees and rock face.)  The tones and textures in the swirls have a mezmerizing Van Gough-like quality to them.

Stunning shot.  I love the tonality of the water and the stone quay at the front.  However, the two figures are really what make the shot for me.  Just that hint of the human element juxtaposed with the strong time reference of the water and stone.

I would like to see more of the lighthouse in its context.  Currently, you are showing a land-locked lighthouse that doesn't seem to have any connection to the water.  If there is no water nearby, it might be interesting to explore why.  If there is, the essence of a lighthouse's existence is to warn of dangers related to water, so it would be nice to see the relationship between water and lighthouse in this photo.

Interested in your thoughts on whether this conveys the mood of a night

time traditional fireworks event.

Recent excursion to a traditional fireworks show. Experimenting with

my new 50mm lens at night. Any thoughts?

It's probably the recent Proust reading talking, but I see this as a kind of

Fruedian free associative expression of linked memories. (Hmm. That

sounded far less pretentious in my head.) Thanks for any thoughts.

This strikes me as the type of shot that could accompany an article

featuring a person. Any thoughts? The continuing quest to improve my

portrait skills. General portraiture critiques welcome. Available light

was used.

I would probably burn in the row of hills just a pinch to give a bit more weight to the bottom of the photo, but it is such a minor amount that it could just be a difference between our two monitors.

I do like these types of B&W shots with rich saturated blacks.  This one caught my eye immediately.  Stunning!

This certainly doesn't have as many dark tones as Colchuck Lake, but I still like the effect.  I'm not really an expert in B&W conversions, but I find this shot quite engaging.

I've seen the other dogs in cars shots, but this one has an impact on a whole different level.  The dark tones and those water drops combined with the checker pattern are great!