trevor_hopkins

You're always welcome, Peter. I was just wondering how many folks in Holland go around saying 'G'day'. I can just picture you sitting by the canal in Amsterdam with your barbie steaming away in the cold air and a six-pack of

Fosters by your side! Enjoy your holiday.

Hi, Peter. This was achieved very simply by adjusting the 'curves' in Photoshop into an 'S' shape. It's the same technique I used for my Arches National Park pic in folder 1. I haven't yet had the patience to learn the darker secrets of Photoshop, practiced by many of the alchemists we have on Photo.net, although one day I'd like to be initiated into their magic circle! Regards.

A pleasant enough shot with nice angular lighting, but rather too much shadow top left. I'd have liked to see the camera pan down to include more floorboards and raking shadows, and perhaps move the dark tree completely behind the pillar to tidy the outline there. Warmer light would also help the mood, as this looks a bit cold. Nice to see it was taken with a Mamiya 7. I bought one myself last year - a beautiful camera to use, capable of stunning results (at least technically...)

Good shot. A nicely judged crop. The texture of the paint gives the impression this is an abstract painting, not a photograph. It certainly wouldn't look out of place in a modern art gallery.

Good shot. Nice light. Very symbolic. Some may prefer to see the moon in focus but I don't think it matters.

What a fussy lot you are! This is a great shot, and I don't see any need for improvements. Central positioning of the window definitely works best - I think moving it to one side would only succeed if there was far more wall included in the frame. Exposure is spot on. To make her face much lighter would spoil the natural light effect. The uneven light on the wall doesn't bother me either - again, because it looks natural. Such minor imperfections are like badges of authenticity. Why should all images be studio-managed or Photoshopped to artificial perfection? The colour is fine - a nice, subtle shade to match the subdued hues within the window frame. Anything brighter or more saturated would harm the tranquility of the mood. I don't think a square crop would improve matters - it's too predictable and would simply leave us with another sterile abstract. This is a girl in a window in a room, and the sense of space within the room would certainly be diminished by a square crop. Additionally, I think the gravitationally precarious diamond shape benefits from the extra weight of a rectangle, as well as allowing more room for the shape to breathe within the frame. The only thing I might want to change is the pose of the girl - I think I'd like to see her feet in the middle of the frame on the left rather than at the top. It would make a less awkward, more interesting shape (although the book might then be too close to her face). Good work, Jarle.

You took the words right out of my mouth, Ron. Good work, Stephen.

A visually striking compositon of shape and colour. Placing the rings near the edges of the frame adds a dynamic element, which coupled with the wispy clouds creates a sense of movement from a static scene. Well-seen and captured.

Thanks, Iason, for that interesting story. I might have known those ancient Greeks had something to do with it. And there was me thinking about the formation of the solar system however many millions of years ago... I was already aware of Saturn being described as 'the bringer of old age' from Holst's 'Planets' suite, but I failed to make the connection with this elderly chap. It is a good title. Well, I trust your friend's friend is proud of the result you got here, and hopefully we'll see some more of her creations. Cheers.

Please explain. I'm intrigued...

This is a bit different. An enjoyable, imaginative image full of suspended animation! I just expect this weary chap to raise his head at any moment and resume his celestial studies. And I wonder why he was reading about Jupiter... Anyway, despite your penchant for pretentious titles, I've enjoyed looking at your portfolio which contains some excellent work. Regards.

Hi, Iason. The reason the sky appears yellow is because you can only see a very thin strip of it close to the horizon, captured with a 210mm lens. With a wideangle lens you would see this thin yellow band, fading to white, followed by progressively darker shades of blue ascending away from the horizon.

All good things come to those who wait... Congratulations, Marc. You've certainly earned this recognition more than most. I'm hesitant to join the chorus of those massaging your ego, for fear of it reaching dangerously swollen proportions! Suffice to say Photo.net is a much richer place for your contributions. (Although I still think you should get out more...)

 

(-: Best regards.

A strangely compelling image.

I'd straighten the horizon, but other than that this is a near perfect, sparkling winter wonderland image. Perhaps a little log cabin in the distance or a reindeer would have made it perfect... I'd be interested to know if you used a starburst filter on this shot; otherwise you were very fortunate to get this effect. And no flare or ghosting on the lens...or has that been digitally removed? Credit for lugging a Pentax 67 around in these conditions, and congratulations on a beautiful portfolio of landscapes.

Given that the Psalmist was describing himself, perhaps a picture of a human being would be more suitable to accompany this verse? Still, this flower is also wonderfully made, even if the man-made camera used to capture its beauty can't get very much of it sharp... In any case, this is a laudable series of images that I'm sure will appeal to many people, not just Christians. The pictures are aesthetically strong and the messages conveyed, like Shakespeare, often describe the human condition experienced by us all, regardless of race or faith.

Perhaps you should go out more...? (-:

A two-headed, eight-legged donkey - a rare beast, indeed!

An attractive shot, thanks to the red paintwork - it creates a nice warm contrast to the cold scene.

Maybe the silhouette of a person walking under the far end of the bridge would have added a useful element.

It's difficult to tell if the archway is properly sharp; a smidgen more depth-of-field may have helped. But this is an attractive, unassuming scene with pleasant soft lighting and a good sense of spatial depth. I just wonder if certain comments in Marc's recent forum thread were on his mind when he rated this...

This would probably be rather good, if it wasn't so horrendously underexposed. No flashgun could illuminate something this big. You'd need to use a tripod.

I'd suggest putting something in the near foreground - a tree, fence, person, whatever - to give the image more depth and lead our eye into the landscape. Softer lighting in the early morning or evening would probably help, with longer shadows to create texture on the ground. Perhaps then the distant peninsular wouldn't be so hazy and the sky would have a better colour. Regards.

Another fine composition, with a wonderful balance of shapes, tone and colour. Good, soft lighting with well-judged isolation of details.

A superb urban abstract. Great colour and rhythm.

I also think a square crop works well...

I see we both picked the same spot for our pictures of this beautiful building. Thailand certainly is a photographer's paradise. I was fortunate enough to visit this place at sunset, and although the saffron robed monks walking amongst the fountains did their best to create a serene atmosphere, their efforts were compromised by a noisy music lesson from the nearby school. My abiding memory of this place will be of gold sparkling in the light of the setting sun, accompanied by the sound of an out-of-tune tuba!