lmcinnis37

I love the artistry in the subject, but it needs more to bring it out. First, the frame is tilted, an easy fix. Next, the sky is a dull blue-gray and uninteresting. This too, is fixable in PS by selecting using the magic wand and selecting only the sky. Then, select a rich blue and a white (for sky and clouds) in your color selection. Next, got to Filter, Render, Clouds and get some nice clouds. Then, reduce Brightness and increase Contast slightly to bring out the decorative work. I like the results, and I think you will, too. See my example.

This is a well composed shot. The colors, contrast, textures, and composition are simple, but intriguing. How many would-be photographers went by this site without "seeing" the simple beauty of the composition that was possible? You have an captured the overlooked and made us see it in its beauty and simplicity. Bravo!

Nice pose, great smile, but dark facial tones IMO. The eyes are not clearly visible and they usually "make" a portrait. Try to selectively lighten the face and expose more of the eyes. I believe you will see a remarkable difference. (Very good lines by using the tree trunks.) See attachment to see what I mean.

Katie, you had all the elements for a knockout, drop-dead portrait, but in spite of the merits of the image, you didn't quite score. A lower angle (shooting up) from slightly to your left would move the hills more fully into the frame, place your subject higher in the frame (leaving more room for the boots), and put the foliage in the subject's background. Here you have the legs cropped and excess sky. Look at the whole frame , corner to corner and full top to full bottom to see what doesn't "compute" before exposing. You need to be the photographer, the set-up director, and a "psychologist," as well. The subject didn't quite know what to do with his hands, and they look awkward. Next, his direct squint at the camera doesn't do anything positive. Perhaps looking slightly left (or right) and elevating the chin slightly will produce a more natural, pleasing image by relaxing the subject.. Engaging an assistant to direct his eyes slightly off camera axis will aid this effort. I like the natural, angled fence rail as it creates interest and a modest amount of tension.. The dark shadows indicate a bit of fill flash might have helped reduce the blocked highlights in the face, shirt, and on the jeans. But, you picked a great spot with wonderful lighting for this subject. I would go back and try this one again. I believe it would be a worthwhile re-visit. Good luck!

You couldn't ask for more cooperation from a subject than yours offers. I understand that it is a backlighted shot, but IMO the colors should be more saturated and less blue to enliven the subject even more. And, I feel a tighter crop and a dark border accentuates the charm and effervesence of the model. Lightening the dark arc at her right eye-nose junction would be nice touch, too. Okay, I am nit-picking. Just humor me, please. See attachment.

Lonestar Windmills' decorator windmills on dislay in East Texas. Shot

midday in bright sun. Digitally altered for moodiness. Your comments

are appreciated.

It's nice to learn somebody else shares a love for details in old cars.

Absolutely gorgeous flower. Petals sharp from front to rear and enough softly mottled background to make it look like it could be either a greenhouse or a studio shot. Great image that pops out and looks as if one could pluck it off the branch. I love it!

I like dogs, too, but, IMHO your image seems too dark and shows only the umbrella (?) catchlights where the eyes ought to be. I would like to see more detail of the hair and something of the eyes, too. I attempted to do that. See if it meets with your approval.

Beautiful scenic. IHowever, the scene is a little too bluish for my taste. Warming only a slight amount brings out the rich horizon glow on the right. The attachment shows what I mean.

The sky is bright and bald, and the apes have no color in this condition. If you can give the sky some color (PS) it reduces the contrast between the dark apes and the sky, giving both color and detail to them. I have a rough sample for you.

 

Lamar McInnis, Sr.

lmcinnis37@aol..com

 

 

Even for the 30s, the image seems dark IMO. Wondering what it would look like if colored, I loosely colorized it with my own choice of colors. I find it a delightful image regardless of era. The dark right arm is the only anomally. But, they worn long dark gloves, then, didn't they? (I'll bet you don't remember, either.) Nice job, regardless. I like it either way.

A really nice depiction of the city on a beautiful, cloudless day. My nitpicking concerns the monument whose top and base have different "horizontals". These differences may be corrected to yield an image which doesn't raise the question of "what's wrong in this image?" I used PS (Select, All, Edit, Transform, Distort) and found that they could be equally leveled quite easily. I also moved my screen frame to the edges (or top/bottom) to help determine when things in the image were rectilinear. Side by side, you can see the difference the slight adjustments make. I would recommend cloning out the construction crane near the center horizon since it is temporary to the skyline and may limit your marketability in, say, postcard sales over the long term. My example is attached.

I am reluctant to change a wonderful image by such a talented and noted photographer, but I felt it needed more "illumination." So, I put "lamps" in the darkened fixtures, first. Then, I removed the reflections on the front of the building and removed the power line on the right. I believe these changes make the image more pleasant, and with fewer distractions. I hope you approve, as well. I always enjoy your work. Best regards.

A really excelllent image. In this case you were both lucky and good. It's all in the interaction, the tails, and the timing, isn't it?

The bluish color is accurate through the boom operator's window, but for color fidelity you might want to alter the colors to reflect reality. Having been on both sides of this scenario during my USAF career, I recognize the difference.

Unless the horizon objects lend somethng essential to the image, they become a distraction to beautiful dunes and clouds. By removing those objects, reducing the space between the clouds and the dunes, and re-cropping, IMO you have a much stronger, more dramatic image. See attachment.

Doug, I toyed with your "boring barn" and took license to make some changes in color which IMO improved it somewhat. Understand that these modifications were made with a very low resolution image, and quickly, so you should not expect a masterpiece. Still, I had fun and thought you might like to see what I came up with without changing the basic visual image

This is an excellent image. The eyes are the soul of the portrait, and these eyes command that you meet them and dwell on the loveliness that surrounds them. Nobody asks of the artist's tools. It's not how you achieve a masterpiece, it is the masterpiece itself that speaks. This portrait will stand the test of time because it speaks volumes in silent beauty.

Great action shot, great wave motion, but oversaturated for dramatic effect without considering what it did to the surfer's face---it is lobster red. I suggest reducing the redness of the surfer's face (in PS) by selectively isolating the surfer's face and decreasing the oversaturation. Then, the saturation is effectively hidden in comparison with a standard you recognize--- human facial color. It is a psychological trick, but it works! Try it.

I would think there was a line of gentlemen at the reception auditioning for "Mr. Bridesmaid." Pretty lady and a nice shot, too.

Image is nice, but too yellow and needs a slight horizon adjustment. I like the lines and the colors a lot. See attachment.

Your "little underexposed" horse can get some relief and display better by using the PS magic wand tool to select the dark (horse) area, then lighten it selectively and adding a catchlight in the visible eye. It's not a perfect fix, but it's better than near total darkness where little or no detail was evident. Note that the other areas are unaltered.

Rotate your frame to portrait vice landscape. Move in closer to tighten the frame to the essential elements. Clean up the area around your subject---leaves, stick are unnecessary. Choose your background, or carry a suitable one with you. Frosted poly stretched over a collapsable frame behind the subject may help eliminate an unsightly background or at times to diffuse uneven light from above the subject. Exposure looks good and relatively sharp. If you have a tripod and a cable release you will have an extra hand to hold your background/shading items. This is a good start and a good learning exercise.

It is a beautiful flower, but the bald sky does not present its full majesty. I tried a blue-BLUE gradient which IMO seems to add that extra element which nature didn't allow when the shot was taken. I find it an improvement, but you are the artist of record.