trevor_hopkins

You obviously have an eye for the unusual. I think this is one of your most effective abstracts. I like the way the triangle appears to be nudging into the frame, teasing us with the desire to see more yellow. With my eye never allowed to stray far from that triangle, it's an excellent example of the visually magnetic power of colour. Compliment!

The strong composition, with that intriguing hat looking into the distance makes me wonder if the sky montage was necessary. I think it would still work well without it, although the dramatic light here certainly adds to the slightly surreal, dream-like quality of this image. Regards.

Hi, Jim. You're quite right. I did think of adding some clouds, but decided it would be too much bother. Both original photos have featureless white skies, which at least made stiching the two together more straightforward. And at least the white sky highlights the keyhole shape of the cave nicely. Thanks for dropping by.

This image is a montage I originally attempted in the darkroom in my student days. Doing it the 'old fashioned' way was difficult and cost me lots of sheets of paper before I got a reasonable result. Photoshop is much quicker, easier and more accurate. Nothing could persuade me to return to my smelly darkroom... Anyway, I'm curious to know what you good folks think of it. I'm expecting dismissive or derisory comments / ratings from those (who like me) don't usually think much of such heavy-handed manipulation. But hopefully a few people will like it. And for any of the PN regulars who've wondered what I look like, the chap in the foreground is me (photo taken with camera's self-timer). Cheers.

Great shot, well seen.

Simple, subtle and rather beautiful. Aesthetically I think I might prefer a more graceful small vase to complement the rose, but emotionally the bottle works well to highlight its uprooting into an alien environment. In any event, the flower is upstaged by the beautiful light.

Yes, a splendid result here, Phil. I could have sworn you'd used a longer lens, but it's obviously just a matter of astute framing. The refined, delicate earth colours are a delight. It's perhaps a shame that some whose palates have been ruined by a constant diet of hot spicy dishes may not enjoy the savoury merits of this fine landscape. Good work.

Lovely water quality here, John. A print from the 5x4" neg must look gorgeous. The top third of the picture doesn't do much for me, though. I guess it would have helped if the bridge had graceful arches, but sadly not all railways were built by Brunel. I'm curious why you prefer using D76 over T-Max developer for processing T-Max film. I use the latter, because I like punchy, high contrast prints; but perhaps you get more refined tones using D76, especially evident with this format?

 

 

Good shot. It's not easy to produce an original photo of a tree, but the treatment here is very effective. I'd be interested to know if any Photoshop blurring was involved or if this is simply the result of using a wide aperture.

I have to admit your crop does look rather good, Vince. For taking such trouble over this humble photo I'll try to extend my amnesty to 3 months (although this may prove too much of a strain...) Aloha.

My heart is warmed by your generosity, Vince. I promise I'll try to be nice to you for a least a month or two... Now, for those who are interested (probably not very many) the main towers you see are the 12th century remains of a Norman church. The smaller stumps are part of a Roman fort that has been guarding this section of the north Kent coast for nearly 2000 years. More history: Barnes Wallis tested his dam-busting bouncing bombs on this beach during World War II and the location was used in the film 'The Medusa Touch' starring Richard Burton (a silly movie, but a childhood favourite). It is also reputedly haunted by the screams of children sacrificed in ancient times by being thrown off the cliff onto the rocks. So worse things have happened here before my Hawaiian friend's visit...

 

Is the sky bland? Yes. But then if it was full of scudding fluffy clouds the peaceful mood of this scene would be compromised and I'd receive criticisms that it looked too 'busy'. I think the lonely walker balances the image with the towers on the left and to crop him out would be a mistake. Marc's square option has merit in terms of graphic simplicity but loses something in atmosphere. The beauty for me in this image lies with those silhouetted towers and that (carefully positioned) luminous glow behind them. I'm surprised at Phil's curiosity to their purpose. For me this is a mood picture, but then my emotional response is partly conditioned by memories of the location. So I appreciate all your comments as objective arbiters of this photo. Cheers.

I'm glad to see you took my recent comments on your work so well, Vince...

Not a bad result here, Phil. I like the fact everyone else in the pic is walking in the opposite direction to the prof, and the generation/culture gap is well captured in those few feet separating the boy from the old chap. Perhaps we could clean up the pigeon plop near his head in Photoshop?

With so few visual features to pick on, I might have guessed any discussion would centre on cropping options. Personally, I think any major crop would be a mistake. The empty black space adds greatly to the beauty and atmosphere of this picture, and to start hacking bits of it away would leave an emasculated, weakened image. The wide, shallow angle of the pyramid of light suggests as much horizontal as vertical flow of light, and a wide horizon is needed to encompass it. Furthermore, those dark, mysterious boundary regions would be lost using a vertical format. This darkness is not 'wasted' space; I believe the darkness is as much the 'real' subject of this image as the textures in the sand. And the balance of light and dark contained within the current crop appears perfectly judged to me.

As snapshots go, this is pretty good. Excellent lighting and diffuse background. Who needs a studio?

An extraordinary image that powerfully evokes the worker ant nature of modern city living.

Simple and very effective, with those converging bars on the gate forcing one's eye to the centre of the frame where it travels through another gate. It's also a good reminder that it's still worth taking out your camera on overcast days. Indeed, with sunshine and shadows the image would probably have been too busy and confusing. Neat framing of the diamond-shaped window, and the green door and mossy flagstones also enhance the shot.

I think I prefer this colour version as we can enjoy the wintry quality of light.

Not the most original shot in the world as far as composition is concerned, but the treatment of the subject here is very effective. The filters and exposure used have produced an other-worldly view of the Sun as a ball of fire surrounded by the black immensity of Space. The photo could have been taken on the Moon, but for that beautiful pyramid of light descending from the star betraying the presence of an atmosphere. The pattern of light is duplicated on the beach, framing wonderful textures in the sand, and the barren emptiness of the landscape, devoid of any sign of life or civilisation, completes the sense of isolation. On purely aesthetic terms the image is good, but for me its real strength lies in its ability to alter (or extend) my perception of the world we live in as just another rock revolving around just another sun.

A nice enough shot, although I can't help but get the impression this woman has just been told to stand against the wall and gaze downwards for the purpose of this photograph. I see no connection between the quality dress she is wearing and the ramshackle house she's propped against. In other words, I find it posed and unconvincing. Additionally, I don't think she looks introspective since we can't really see her eyes at all - only her eyelids - which gives a sleepy impression to me. Finally, I'm not sure the film used was the best choice. I think either slow fine-grained or obviously grainy film like Tri-X or T-Max 3200 would work better than the emulsion used here. The grain spoils her facial complexion without lending any special atmosphere. Nit-picks aside, it's still an attractive, restful image.

The main ambiguity in my mind is the fact this doesn't especially look like a blindfold. To me it looks more like a wide-brimmed hat, with the near edge slightly out-of-focus. Given the title of the photo, I think this is a problem, and so I also think we need to see the top edge of the blindfold. Otherwise we could just be seeing a lady at Ascot enjoying the races on a cold day. The idea is good, but aesthetically it doesn't quite hold together for me.

This is excellent, Nestor. Yellow is always the perfect companion of blue, and the proportions here make a very well-balanced image. It is a pity the moon is out-of-focus, and I think a Photoshop composite (although not a big, fake moon) would be well justified.

Well, at least me and my mate Vince appreciate great colours when we see them. I shall leave it on display, anyway (it might get another '7', you never know!). The original, unpsychodelic version can be found in folder 1. I like them both in their different ways. Thanks everyone for your comments.

A nice calendar shot. The sort of thing that could sell well in a picture library.

Oh, dear. Worst upload ever, by far? Well...I still like this image. I think it has a mysterious, other-worldly quality. Perhaps it's a scene from a dream - a window on the subconscious, or perhaps it's a pile of pants. I don't know. I guess it all depends on whether you think the colours are bold and beautiful or bold and hideous. I realise this is kindergarten stuff for someone like Marc with his experience of PS, but technique aside, I think the graphic simplicity of the composition and the different textured layers of sky, sea and beach add up to an absorbing image. But I could be wrong... (-: