johnlund

I hope you don't mind a well-meaning attempt at a constructive comment from a lesser photographer like me: The face looks heavily over-sharpened, otherwise, it's a really good headshot. Nice lighting, tones (I don't find it too contrasty), framing, and expression.

You've filled the frame with an eye-catching and colorful subject (glasswork?), but different lighting, like diffuse light from an angle, would bring more depth.

The color comes across as a gimmick to me, but I find that true of most uses of selective coloration. This photo is a very fine B&W work without it, either as simple grayscale switch or the colder version offered by just the red channel.

You have lots of good shots in your PN gallery, but this is one of 2-3 that make me positively envious.

 

I think you lead the viewer too much with the title; let us discover the sky and determine if it's magnificent, ominous, or whatever. Otherwise, I enjoy the way this image encourages interpretation.

 

Framing a square scene between the curtain and wall (?) is a nice touch.

Is this really a photograph of motion-blurred insects? If so, this is a case where knowing something about the photo makes it so much more interesting than merely presenting the image itself. Original is right: I haven't ever seen a take on insects like this before.

I wouldn't be able to mount a worthwhile defense for this opinion if pressed, so I hesitate to commit it to this page, but I've been tilting my head as I look at this image, and find myself spreading attention across a greater portion of the image when rotated at +/-90 or 180 degrees. As-is, I can't seem to get away from the upper left corner for very long. (This probably reveals more about me than the image! UPDATE: I see that Salvatore might share my peculiarity.) I don't think this is based on an expectation that the streaking wouldn't travel upward; it's more about how my eyes are pulled around the scene.

 

My favorite features are the little details, like the pitted surface that sometimes blends, and sometimes resists the other fields of color. An 800px jpeg doesn't do much justice to details like that, but I bet it looks great as a print.

I would prefer that the subject wasn't as crowded by the frame, but I enjoy the ghost effect -- it works really well with B&W. Speaking of which, I'm fond of the B&W section of your PN gallery.

This view is from a resort in Glacier National Park, so I'm sure that

there have been hundreds of thousands of shots taken from nearby, but

I hope this one is a little different.

 

The weather didn't cooperate with a rosy sunrise on this morning, so

I looked for a point of interest to break up the monotony of empty

sky and smooth water. I chose this take for the suggestion of 2-3

different axes of symmetry. I also hope the branches bring a

dimension of depth, but you can be the judge of whether or not that

works.

 

What mood does this shot evoke for you? Does the more diminutive

landscape yielded by portrait orientation contribute to the mood?

I shot this photo through an opening in the trees. Is the frame

dramatic, annoying, or what? If it's acceptable, should I darken the

tree "frame" via burning?

The best wildlife photos capture behavior instead of a mere pose, which this does, but it's especially interesting for the unusual lighting. It's not a technique I'd want to see put to heavy use, but you've scored a creative victory.

Compositionally, it's pretty good. At first glance the lower trunk of the nearest tree looked abruptly chopped to me -- how do you feel about cropping the bottom?

 

I suggest toying with the curves some more, especially for a lower black point (and slightly higher contrast).

 

As for presentation, the border calls too much attention to itself. It's terribly heavy for this image.

It's odd to see daisies dropped into a pond, but the effect is fun -- the shot reminds me of an AstroTurf welcome mat.

This piece didn't say "voyeur", to me, but combining different perspectives for a composite study is fresh. It reminds me of those kids' flipbooks where you can mix and match parts of a figure by turning parts of the page, except the content here is serious art. I enjoy the interpretive possibilities.

 

 

I expected a leg, foot, or lower torso on the bottom. Why an arm? I like a surprise, but it's a confusing message. (Or maybe I've assumed too much.) From a distance it looks like walking legs, which is interesting. At any rate, the bottom frame doesn't stand well as a composition of its own like the other two do -- the proportions and cropping aren't as compelling.

 

The soft focus works with the high contrast.

 

Ignoring Gerald's insulting tone to give his comment a charitable reading, I'd agree that the lighting over-emphasizes the model's ribcage, and she appears to be "sucking it in". That will influence the way many people read this image; whether or not that is a distraction is up to you.

Trees in managed woods. Comments welcome; suggestions preferred. Also

see Tree Trunks II.

All 3 of your currently posted skating photos are terrific for the "poses", color, and sharpness.

I wish the branch didn't touch the edge of the frame, but it's a wonderful shot anyway.

Funny and cute. You need to trim the black edges at top and right.

I prefer the results of the sweeping wide-angle versions in your PN gallery, but the first-person nature of this shot appeals to me. My reaction to this composition is that the centering doesn't encourage my gaze to walk through the image as much as the others. I seem to bounce between looking at the tip of the raft and the middle of the treeline. At any rate, all of the versions are pleasing.

I appreciate your choice of an overlooked common weed as subject matter. It's even neater that you captured them going to seed instead of the more obvious flower shots. But my favorite part is the stark, high-contrast look. Moody.

 

The cropping is too tight for my tastes, crowding the left, bottom, and right sides of the frame.

I don't know the story behind this, but it's quite funny.

"the format (35mm) doesn't do it justice"

 

That's an odd comment in a gallery of JPEGs that don't get larger than 800px on a side.

 

The lack of light on the front of the driftwood is a serious shortcoming, otherwise I think it could be terrific.

Very creative. You've inspired me to look at buildings in a new way, at least for a while.

 

As for a suggestion, pay close attention to the reflections in the windows if you try a shot like this again.

I'd prefer a lower perspective so the shoreline didn't cut through the middle. However, I enjoy this photo. The suggestion to crop into a square isn't a bad idea, probably from the center section.

This is a little too minimal for my tastes. I appreciate what youre attempting, but I wish for a tiny odd/contrasting detail in the sky like a wispy cloud, or a passing jet. Your "Grass" photo is a little more successful, I think, due to the more complex texture.

Must there be a view through the keyhole to make an image like this

evocative?