divo

Great shot.  I love the depth of field and the textures.  The strong lines are also really intriguing.

I think Night Swimming and The Desert have a raw sensuality that is much more muted in this shot.  I like the rock texture on the right, but the dark recessed part on the back appeals to me less.  Beautiful light. Beautiful model.

5D vs. 5D2: yeah, I have been thinking about that too.  I looked at my failed shots and realized that all the errors were mine, not the cameras.  In other words, I still haven't pushed the limits of my 5D.  On the other hand, I can still get about $1000 for mine if I trade it in, and it has pretty bad noise at high ISO.  The money I can get in trade will only go down over time.  I couldn't make up my mind, so I bought the lens instead!  I'll probably upgrade later this year.

Borders: I actually did change the border on this one.  I thought the light line was annoying on this one ( I haven't changed it on the other two in the series in this folder if you want to compare), but I don't really like posting with no border at all.  The light backgrounds on PN make for poor backdrops in my opinion.  I have always prefered shots posted on PN that have a border that clearly sets them off from the page.  I wouldn't print it that way.

That's a good question.  I found a big pile of bears in a vacant lot while out exploring one day.  Truly sad.

@Anon: it certainly does.  This was my first outing with the lens, and it really was quite dark out there.  I have a variety of other shots that include small light sources (cellphones, camera viewing screens, distant car lights) and that was really all this lens needed to capture a picture at f/1.2.

I like the composition and colour.  I would probably brighten the church a bit to create a dynamic relationship between the church and the sun so the eye is pulled back and forth between the two.  Other than that, great shot!

Wow.  You seem to have a bizzare psychic connection to interesting parked, old vehicles.  I envy you.  I also like this shot.  No real criticisms.

Beautiful model and pose, but I'm not sure the placement of the model so close to the top of the frame resonates with me.  I would either crop on just the model, or if you have room left from an original crop move her down from the top of frame.

The angle makes great use of those lines in the background.

Definitely, well seen! The two masks are great and there is a certain mystery to the semi-hidden expression on the girl's face as well.  You probably could have experimented with posing and setting, but you probably would have lost that fresh as-it-happens feel that you have achieved here.

I think I like the crop version, too.  I tend to have a preference towards simple compositions.  In this case, you keep the story and simplify the composition.  It's a win-win situation!

I'm honestly not quite sure what to make of this shot.  I looked through your portfolio a bit to give it some context and can see that you are obviously a skilled photographer.  I really like shots like "faces" or "straddle," but I find this shot less approachable as a viewer because there is no clear story here.  After some thought: If the shot is the beautiful view, then I would like to see the view, not the backs of people watching the view.  If the shot is the story of the people on the balcony, then I don't get it.  Technically this shot is quite skilled, but I just don't get the story that should draw me into this picture.

Thank you both for your comments.  Enthusiasm seemingly not shared by the general public in their numeric rating.  Oh well, I guess blur is a personal preference!

I love shots like this that use natural frames well, partly because of a fascination with doors and windows.  I like the fact that this window is also not completely straight with the background.  I think this adds a dynamic touch to an otherwise static photo.

I like the light hearted, fun feeling in this shot.  It kind of says, "Breakfast!" in a plucky sort of way.  I agree that experimenting with the placement of the egg might give this composition even more power, but you might also lose the egg breaking the horizon line, which I like in this shot.  You would lose 'pluckyness' if it did not.  The age old struggle between 'plucky' and classic composition techniques.

Wonderful composition.  I might have tried to lighten up the bottom just a tiny bit as the dune bottom right seems to sit a bit 'heavy' in the shot.  However, I have to say I love the dynamic between the tent and the figure which creates a wonderful viewing line.

A more abstract shot from a trip to Egypt

Recently challenged to re-visit this shot by another PN member. I think

for me this shot is about moments of attraction we experience with total

strangers as they pass and the potential relationships inherent in these

moments. Original version is next in the same folder. Any thoughts,

comments or comparisons to the original appreciated. Thanks for your

time.

Thanks for taking the time to comment Catherine and Balthazar

re Cubist Fish Frenzy

They might also be crab claws.

Interesting shot.  It has a very sensual quality to it.  It also blurs the line between photography and other image making techniques.  (As viewer, I'm not actually sure this was done with a camera.)

I knew this was your shot the moment it popped up! You have such a strong visual style. Love the unabashed blurriness! I like the way blur takes something so common and gives it a sense of mystery.

 

Actually, I'd be interested in your thoughts on my recent blurry shot as not everyone appreciates blur. If you have time could you let me know what you think about

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=8438905. ? Thanks. And, keep up the good work! When will you get the 50 f/1.2?

Personally I love this kind of stuff. I have a whole folder dedicated to re-visioning work implements as art objects. Glad to find others drawn to similar themes. Definite tension here that generates interest. Previous critique made good point about brightness. I love dark shots but wouldn't go darker than this here. I find you can usually really bump up sharpness on these, but that is a personal expression choice.

Well spotted! The use of colour really drives the message home for me and adds impact.

I messed around with it for a bit, but actually liked motion blur better.  I think for me this is about that connection we can have with someone in a split second as they pass and we consider the relationship potential they might have for us.  Thanks for the challenge to re-visit this.  Any further thoughts?