trevor_hopkins

I doubt this is a painting, although the image has obviously been manipulated at least as far as the composite Sun is concerned. The lens quoted couldn't produce a sun that size unless we are looking at an extreme crop, and given the lighting on the two horses on the right, and seeing the other shot in this folder, the sun's credibility bites the dust. The tenuous spear on the left is hard to explain since the guy in front certainly doesn't appear to be holding it. Maybe it's just flown from the hand of the rider of the left horse, who appears to have lost his mount. I doubt a painter would include such a 'messy' element to the composition, and if the spear really is flying mid-air it just adds interest to a great action shot which the Camera and film quoted would have been capable of capturing under these conditions (with a good measure of skill from the photographer...)

An interesting pic. I like its graphic simplicity and ambiguity. I also get the impression (from the hair) that this is one person, although the title suggests otherwise (unless this is another fractured soul like Doug). Maybe they're sisters. The absence of any affection or physical connection between the two faces doesn't strongly suggest friendship to me, though. The image brought David Bailey to mind, particularly the plain background and his habit of severely cropping people's heads, albeit through the forehead. I'm not so keen on the black hair merging with the model's black top, nor the harsh shadows. The arm and leg also look a bit dislocated, adding to a generally untidy impression. I think it's a good idea that could be made into a great image with a bit more attention, especially to the lighting.

This could only be Finland... A very good capture of a quintessentially Finnish scene. I hope he enjoyed his sauna.

The tower is an undistinguished lump that doesn't really merit occupying so much of the frame. With a little sunset light on one side to reveal some detail it might have made a bold and interesting subject (rather than a bold and uninteresting one). Still, twilight is a beautiful and neglected time for landscapes and the image captures the tranquil mood of the occasion.

The unconventional coloured IR technique certainly gives an other-worldly quality to the pic. The stormy sky and pallid colours create an unsettling, foreboding mood in my mind, as though all life and colour were leaching from the land. We appear to have a lot of tarmac to contemplate, and I'm not keen on the very dark bottom-left corner or that ghostly pale patch in the middle, but otherwise it's a good, eye-catching image.

Thanks to all the latecomers for paying this pic a visit. Your comments are much appreciated. In response to Carl & Mr Wounds, I did lighten each level as I went 'up' to try and improve the realism of the illusion. Laura, if you're not sure how to rate this shot just slap on a couple of 7's according to Photo.net tradition, and we'll say no more about it...;-)

Congratulations on your POW, Bob. This is a fine example from a very good folder, but it's not one of my favourite images. Well-balanced composition and enjoyable warm tones, but I'm not keen on the background or the outline shadows behind the flowers, particularly bold on the left bloom. While authenticating the polaroid process, I feel the border brutalises the grace and beauty of the flowers which may be better served with a more conservative frame. Still, this is good work and a useful counterweight to the floral dross that often plagues the top pages. Regards.

The background glow is again rather distracting - the lighting behind her lower leg appears just about right to me. It's a pity we don't see a little light on her neck since the shadows give her face a disembodied appearance. Otherwise, this would have been a very fine image.

I'm not keen on the hotspots on the model's hand and forehead, and the large patch of light (which looks like a fogging accident) strongly competes for our attention. If it didn't look so artificial, it might have added something to the story.

Technically well done, but in this cynical age of digital deception I find myself wondering if this guy was really jumping at all. The position of his arms and legs, while usefully concealing his dangly bits, does make it look as though he was originally sitting on a horse (or more likely a gymnastics bar) that has been cloned-out! The movement in his hair could then have been supplied by a fan... Now I'm quite happy to accept this guy is jumping, but the mid-flight pose that's been captured just gives me the impression of invisible support. Coupled with the background, which looks like (but may not be) another digital blur, and the image's 'manipulated' status, certain suspicions start tickling my brain. Aside from the image's veracity, its purpose, like many studio shots, confuses me. If this image was accompanied by an appropriate advertising blurb then I guess it would be fine. But otherwise, why is this man jumping about in a studio with no clothes on? If the sole purpose was to capture the body beautiful in flight I feel a more dynamic pose would help, with at least one arm aloft and a more authentically animated expression from the model. He looks remarkably po-faced for someone leaping about in the nude. Still, it's certainly different. But twelve 7's in a row makes it a highly conspicuous target...

The composition lacks any strong features apart from the colours, which appear over-cooked.

This is a very powerful portrait with great emotional depth. The downward tilt of the head and closed eyes, just discernable in the shadowy face, perfectly evince the mood of the situation. We don't know whether the future is bright for this man following his operation, but the lighting and pose here have powerfully captured the foreboding reflection on mortality experienced by anyone faced with a serious illness. The man's identity fades into the shadows as the life-threatening condition, highlighted by the suture becomes dominant. Exposing such an affliction is not a pretty sight, which probably accounts for some of the low ratings on this picture. But while the subject of this image is not an attractive one, the manner of its presentation has been beautifully crafted.

I like the bold, dynamic contrasts in this image. Great lighting and plenty of drama in the sea.

I see more horror than humour in this shot, and I think the image would be stronger without its emotional ambivalence. The flower does look like a lollipop and seems an incongruous subject for the attention of these ghoulish, cackling fiends. The blurring technique works very well, but the wraith-like appearance it gives these characters suggests to me that a darker theme would have produced a more powerful, consistent result. As it seems unlikely the living dead would spend their time chuckling over a flower... The panoramic format doesn't really support the picture, which I think would be stronger if cropped just left of the left person's ear (omitting its double image). But originality and technique are certainly very good.

Nice shimmering sea, and I like the vertigo-inducing horizon, although I get more of a feeling of free-fall than flight. Shame about that tiny smudge referred to in the title. I think the bird's got too much freedom within this frame.

The soft light gives this image an appealing mood, although more contrast would have been helpful in the foreground. It almost has a dreamy, soft-focus effect, but perhaps that's just the Russian optics. Good choice of low viewpoint to include the fence, and the clouds are perfect - the top left corner formation mirroring the roof of the mill. Nice work.

Just a tad under-exposed. I'd try a longer exposure.

I don't think you'll convince many people on the basis of this evidence...

It's very easy, Jason. Just click on 'Photo.net FAQ' below, and print off the section on hyperlinks for easy reference. Any udder questions?

Thanks for following my signpost to this pic, Jason. Visitors are always welcome and admission is free, although any donations are gratefully received... Indeed, the penitent man shall pass in his quest for the holy grail, but here I had my eye on those pools of sunshine reflecting off the floor and chairs. Kneeling down would have restricted my view of those luminous spots, while including more of the shadowy ceiling. Now if a cow had been in attendance for Morning Matins that day, you can rest assured I'd have been on my knees in a flash, poking my lens up at its masticating chops. Sadly, the closest a cow will get to this building now is the local McDonalds in the nearby High Street, and by then it will be a little too late to offer prayers...

Cows are such obliging creatures, aren't they? Walk up to any cow, anywhere in the world, and it'll just stand and stare at you, happily posing for pictures. And it'll keep on staring at you until one of you gets bored and wanders off. This is rarely the cow, since an animal designed to munch grass all day is mercifully not intelligent enough to get bored. So I don't think the photographer has captured anything remarkable here. Standing and staring is what cows do. What is nice about this picture is the contrast between their ruddy hides and the cool greens and blues of the landscape. We have a close crop of hoof to mountain top, but I see nothing especially ingenious about this. In short, this is a competent image of cows standing in a field, but it fails to convince us there is anything remotely interesting about the life of a cow. And I suspect these cows will continue to just stand and stare, long after the viewer leaves this page...

(-: I need more friends like you on PN, Peter... Sadly, if irony was your intention, I suspect it will be lost on those it's aimed at.

I don't know. I find something vaguely disturbing about this child's expression. Whether it's the staring eyes, flared nostrils or gap-toothed rictus; her countenance appears a hair's breadth from transforming into one of horror, anger or tears. Had the shutter fired a fraction of a second earlier or later, you may have captured that beguiling vision of childhood joy so narrowly missed here, in my eyes. It's also a shame about the heavy-handed digital blurring, which removes the child from any meaningful natural environment. A 200mm lens should give a pleasingly diffuse, undistracting background, even if strong colours are present (which could always be selectively desaturated in Photoshop.) I'd sooner take my chances with the blue area masked by this blurring than the unreal, cut-and-pasted head effect we see here.

Thanks Ringo, for taking the trouble to have a play with this image. I appreciate your efforts and like the result...but I still prefer my original crop and I remain sceptical about the merit of frames for screen images. Cheers.

I always anticipate some entertainment when I comment on one of Vince's pics, and once again I haven't been disappointed. Photo.net can be such a dull place, with many comments like 'Great shot!', 'Wow!' and 'Nice colours!'. I like to sometimes be a little provocative just to stir the dust a little. I'm sorry if some find my acerbic observations offensive, but they're all written in a spirit of fun, whether a smiley face is present or not. ;-) I think Vince knows that my periodic visits are just a sign of affection, and it's certainly true this website would be a much less colourful place without him... Best regards.