magumi

I don't want nose into your artistic secrets, but how have you done it?

Yes, it was meant as a compliment - someone like Howard Schatz has innumerably more resources, special staff and expensive models. It is remarkable that the photographer was able to achieve this kind of result. As for my "weird" comments, I always aim to help and when I critize, I never fail to explain the why's and how's. No inexplicably low ratings from me.

The idea is not novel, but the execution is very good for an amateur photographer; you might want to take a look here: http://tinyurl.com/pcggy

and the light is pleasing, although the composition could be better. On the other hand, Charles Bridge is the most photographed sight in Prague, so to make it really different from millions of snapshots taken every day, you need to be much more daring.

This is so unbelievably kitsch that it made me laugh. Pity that the effect is slightly spoiled by the small baby's expression. Well done!

When I comment on a photo, I usually state my general impression, the good points of the picture and add some advice about possible improvements. But this photograph does not need it - its assets are so self-evident and the picture so good, that I will just sit back and enjoy it for a while.

The colors are perfect, very lively and yet strangely muted. And than there is the wonderful row of hats and coats. This picture definitely has a great potential. However, if there was a possibility to reshoot it, I would move the bench on the left and the bags on the right out of the way (the owners would not object, I am sure) and frame it tighter to avoid the picture frame on the right. In other words, I would try to simplify it even more. That way, it would be good enough to make it on the cover of National Geographic.

I believe that this photo was taken at the same place. Maybe you could find it useful to make your own comparisons and draw your conclusions.

Cheers,

M.

A picture from my

HREF="http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=404124">24 Hours

in Prague

folder.

I think this is a good example of a photo where midday sun contributes to the quality of the image rather than the opposite as it is usually the case. The sepia treatment matches the subject-matter fine. Composition could be improved but overall it is a decent picture.

A part of my

HREF="http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=404124">24 Hours

In Prague

series. This is what happens when you do not have a long

enough lens and try to make the best of the opportunity anyway. :)

Hello Andreas,

 

whenever I criticize any extraneous element on someone else's photo I try to think about whether it is obvious from the picture itself that the distraction is intentional, and whether and how it contributes to the message and visual arrangement of the picture in general. I was not quite sure about the intentionality and purpose of the hand in this specific picture, which is why I pointed it out. Otherwise, this is a very nice picture and I would not hesitate to hang it on my wall.

On reflection I can see there's a good reason not to crop - with the crop, the building looks as if it was falling down. This is a good lesson in composition for me. Thanks.

I hope you won't mind that I tried fiddling with the image as per my previous suggestion. Feel free to discard it at your will.

Wonderful picture! The combination of antique gable wall and columns with a contemporary glass and steel structure, the inclination of the building which gives the image a more dynamic look, the black and white simplicity and the mysterious window silhouettte as the final touch works perfectly well to create an out-of-ordinary architectural shot. There are two possible improvements that I can see. One would be to let the left hand shadow go completely black, to reinforce the graphical elements in the picture and the contrast between the 2-dimensional shadow and 3-dimensional building, and I would crop the left-hand side of the pic a little bit in order not to break the diagonal line of the shadow and the sense of direction.

This is a nice series. I like the fact that the hand movement gives a feel of direction. There's one little nit to pick - I think the series would be more effective, if you scaled the images to the same size.

This is a lovely, moody picture. I like the lines and the shapes, the red strings work nicely with the dark background. I wonder why you did not submit the picture to a concert critique forum, though.

Funnily enough, I have just scanned a picture that looks like a monovular twin of your image.

I like the gritty, abstract feel of the image. My eyes would prefer slightly looser crop and less distinctive framing, as it keeps them wandering away from the picture, looking to see something beyond the frame. This does not mean the tight crop is a necessarily a bad thing, though. When assesing a picture, I just try to analyse my eyes' expectations separately as it often pays to "disappoint" them in order to create a better image. However, most people tend to put more trust in their "gut" feeling, and might find the crop a little disconcerting.

The placement of figures, the dynamics of their movement and their expresssion - these are simply fantastic. It is great pity that the patterned background is so distracting. Otherwise it would be one of the best theatre pictures I have ever seen. Normally, I am not in favour of extensive photoshop manipulations in photography, but if it were my image, I would pay some digital darkroom expert to mask out the background, and make some A4 prints to offer to the theatre company and local theatre magazines.

Another photo from my folder

HREF="http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=404124">24 Hours

in Prague

, a series of pictures shot in the course of a 24-hour

walk through the streets of my home city.

This picture was shot at half past four a.m. on the Charles Bridge.

One of the busiest and most photographed sights in Prague, thronged

with tourists all over the clock, it is very difficult to shoot this

place differently, to boldly go where no one has gone recently, as the

saying goes. I spent two or three hours on the bridge waiting for the

pre-dawn light. However, as the old man walked along the bridge,

returning home from a pub where he has spent the night, I suddenly

realized that photographically, the bridge was not important. It is

the feeling of the place, the romance and the mysticism that captures

the imagination of the millions of visitors, the idea of the place.

And, somehow, with a single old man in view, the idea of the place

looked much more tangible, as if the city and the old man silently

communicated in the language that no one else understood.

Thank you for you kind comment. This was my second attempt at concert photography, so I am far from feeling secure, there's so much to improve.

This is a picture of Charles Bridge, perhaps the most visited tourist

attraction in Prague, Czech Republic. Shooting a place like this is

always a challenge, as there are tens of thousand people walking on

the bridge everyday, many of them taking snapshot after snapshot. So

given the reputation of Prague as the city of magic and mystery, I

tried to capture the spirit of the place instead of its surface

appearance. The shot was taken at 4 a.m. on Delta 3200 and developed

to emphasize the gritty, abstract look of the grain. The picture is a

part of

HREF="http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=404124">24 hours

in Prague

portfolio. Thank you for your comments.

The bodyscape style is one of the most frequent approaches to nude, so it is the execution that matters. In this case I would say that you did a good job. The lighting is interesting and I like the use of negative space. One thing could be improved, in my opinion - I think that the hand is a little superfluous in the picture, as it detracts from the overall landscape expression that the picture seems to evoke. It would be less noticeable and distracting, if it were not for the rings and shining nail polish, but I think you would be better off without the hand altogether. As usual, I do not give any ratings, since they are meaningless without any comment.