mirkal

Andrea,
Thank you for posting this image. It is simple and it is just perfect, both composition, exposure are just perfect. Please do not get disappointed by some comments. It become a quite common that POW forum serves as place for arguing almost at the personal level. Nobody ever stated that POW has to be the best image, who has right to call some image the anyway. I looks like we forgot what POW discussion is all about - it is ABOUT THE IMAGE, not Photonet policies critique and even less for personal frustrations ventilation. I made that effort and got through all this forum and it is really alarming how many comments are about anything else just not about the subject of the discussion. Photography should be at first place, let remaining stuff to Photonet administrators, I think they are doing a great job.

Highlands in Peru in some 4,500m altitude. I got invitation for lunch (sheep head soup)

impossible to refuse. Only fuel they had in such altitude is sun-dryied sheep and cattle

excrement. Extremely poor people but on other side really nice characters and I had a

great time with them.

Every time I see picture like this one Oleg I'm questioning my decision to dedicate to landscapes! Now seriously - luxurious environment makes your model to look even more gorgeous. I like that horizontal composition and match of skin color with background makes it very pleasant looking scene. One detail - bracelet should be of yellow metal (gold if you like) rather then silver, it will make good combination with background, girl's skin tone and appropriate for such a beautiful woman.

Gorgeous shot, and wonderful wood textures. This is fine picture indeed!

....and so does mine! What a barbarity, such a fine gear dusting.

Thanks for explanation Vincenzo.

Spectacular image. I can't believe somebody was trying to add jet trail on it (see one critique above). Why people are doing  those "improvements" is beyond my understanding. Very well done, genuine. 

I agree Vincenzo with previous critique - Ansel Adams style indeed. I know that spot as well, I was there before sun rise but...why you shot it on IR?? All this landscape had and still has only little of green which should be reflected at IR, it was mostly red soil up to brownish which do nothing at IR. I guess you will get the same effect at B&W with deep red filter but I still like it. I will post my image and will let you know once it hangs on web.  Maybe I will add bit more foreground in to this image in order to get horizon line bit higher and not right in the middle of the image but that is something I'll do, this is your choice and I respect it.

Excellent, B&W suits well to this subject and composition as it is. Wonderful shot.

Gorgeous shot Vincenzo, I like this color version much more that that in B&W. Why - those two red roofs give to image that last detail it needed. Nice composition as well, I love that simplicity and pure colors on it. Very well done.

David, I'm glad you accepted my opinion and with respect to that unfortunate starfish capture it is your right to express what you feel. I will get back to see your work, I found your B&W architecture shots very inspiring, you have an eye for that kind of pictures and talent, indeed (just take this one out please!). I'm landscape photographer, probably due to my professional orientation, and I use to be very careful if I want to rate other kind of photography as I don't think I know enough about it. But yes, from time to time some pictures catch my attention enough as to get to rate or just comment nudes, macros, portraits etc. I was reading all your posts in that in my opinion bit exaggerated discussion regarding starfish capture and my suggestion would be the same as it is in the case of TV channels - if you don't like it just change the channel. Too much time spent in discussion related to image which in your opinion (which I respect) does not deserve it, why? I agree with you that photo should evidence more then just "being there" however, it is hard to achieve sometime in landscape photography, you presence a great moment at some extraordinary place and you want to share it however, I agree it is not enough. I'm sorry for that 3/3 rating but this image is from my point of view like a bull eye in your small but high quality portfolio. Good luck and good light for you next shots!

I agree completely with Paolo de Faveri's comment. What is all this discussion over compositionally and technically almost perfect image about? If this image got its high ratings is because it deserve them. However, I'm sure some people who are so disgusted so much with this shot still can teach us something - how to get 7/7 ratings on boring captures, that should be really interesting to know! Kah Kit Yoong, my congratulations, this is outstanding capture.

I saw you did commented that Starfish swirl image and I just can't believe what you commented:"too pretty, too balanced and uninspired". I believe this is fitting very well to image above,  thank you for right words.

David, my comment was rude and I believe you deserve to know why. That building is interesting indeed and with your talent there were thousands other ways how to get an interesting shot from entirely glass/metal building like this one however, I respect your choice. Image is divided exactly at half however what should be OK  for "mirror image".Dark areas goes completely black, there is no detail at all and they cover a considerable area in this shot, particularly lower-right corner is a complete waste of space. I guess ND filter should do here a good job and help you to bring some detail from that impressive pine and also from the main subject - building which is barely visible in lake reflection (I tried it on three monitors and it is still just way too dark). What that image is about to tell to viewer I still don't understand quite well. I see it as an average snapshot some tourist could get with point&shoot camera, that's all. With all my respect to your work this image is just way below your portfolio quality and it looks like to me that "nice" pictures are not exactly your focus, I see rather interesting, well composed and technically very well done images in your portfolio. I hope it was of some help to you and also hope you did the same effort explaining your very low rating (3/3) on Kah Kit Yoong image Starfish swirl. You are right, such low ratings always deserve explanation. I found that image outstanding but maybe I'm missed something.

Sad story Bob but excellent street shot. Your capture shows all that misery related to alcoholism and compressed in one single picture. It is also well composed, I like that horizontal and vertical settings leading view to the main subject. Very well done despite I feel pity for that person, what a manner to waste the life.

Richard,

You should allow that mine to start, seriously! You would not believe how colorful that creak will be once the mine commenced to operate, you will be able to take unique shots!

Joking, keep it as it is = clean and healthy. 

Average snapshot of boring subject. How you got 8 ratings 7/7 on picture like that is beyond my imagination. Overal quality of your portfolio is excellent, I don't undesrtand why you included this picture in it.

Richard, this is fine work, I agree with all told above and difficult to add something new. Fine work with light, very nice transitions from background to subject in front and the contrast of green with almost white or bright grey tonalities is gorgeous. Excellent, fine-art work, will like to have that framed hanging on my wall. This is one of your best close-up images indeed.

Beautiful color rendition Richard. I like that bluish water tonality matching fine with grey-blue rock fragments of the boulder in front. Actually that rock is apparently breccia, I would say hydrothermal breccia with some likely interesting infill judging based on iron-oxides coloration of the breccia matrix. Bright green plants just gave that fresh breath in to all scene, very nice and nicely composed, well done. BTW - I'm wondering if that breccia has some gold or silver in it.... you know, professional deformation.

Igor,
Despite landscape photographer I do follow your work with interest. There are many gorgeous images in your portfolio showing great talent and outstanding artistic skills, many can feel envy only looking through your work. Nude never was in my photographic intentions, I do prefer look at it when made by photographers as you. Some of your pictures I downloaded and looking through them I'm always amazed how intriguing, attractive and beautiful women bodies can be even after my 47 years of learning. However, please no offense, I do agree with Stephen in this forum this is or can be seen as a kind of degradation of such beauty I believe this image is. Maybe it is lack of "artistic view" or poor knowledge of act/nude/erotic photography on my side but I do not feel any magic looking at this picture in comparison with some of yours gorgeous shots. To be frank and straight - I don't see anything interesting in this one particular shot but it can be just my very subjective opinion and point of view. I think it is empty, nothing telling shot despite of gorgeous girl of course, sorry. I will keep coming back to your work because I believe you are and will be a great figure of contemporaneous nude photography, I hope you will be as careful to pick up your pictures as you are selecting your models!

Excellent work Richard, glad to see your palladium printing skills got to such a high level! Particularly knowing how difficult and laborious this process is. Congratulations!

 

I guess everybody already mentioned it is nice shot, good composition, colors etc etc. I'm wonderig how intensively you altered curves on this image, your grey stones in front are just completely shifted somewhere to kind of strange tonality and I'm sure it is not like it was when you took the shot. Actually all your shadows are completely shifted (e.g. right corner down where even green was affected). Good subject but badly processed image.

Well, this photo deserves to stop and look carefully. It is perfectly done from the technical point of view indeed, excellent grey tones rendition, excellent detail rendition in both dark and bright areas. I believe B&W choice for this scene is almost a must! Composition is another strong aspect leading viewer’s eyes from bottom right corner through entire image up to upper right corner enjoying every single square centimeter of this scene. Brilliant composition, nothing to add to this statement. Subject is another outstanding feature of the image, bright white edification (light-house apparently) contrasting with dark grey to black cliff but still with some bright details like bleached cliff edges and rocks on the top of the cliff makes this scene interesting and full of tiny details attracting your attention throughout the image. Sky is of course the last but not the least detail adding solitary atmosphere to this image in accordance with lonely light-house aspect. Almost continuous transition of sky and sea grey tones is another exquisite aspect of the image. Summary - this is outstanding work, gorgeous scene perfectly technically done. Congratulations to such a beautiful image and thank you for sharing it with us.

Another example of fresh-mind approach to extreme wide angle. Common subject converted that way to very attractive scene, colorful vegetation is the key element well placed in the middle - despite all rules it fits to its place perfectly. I love this image Karl, this is fine work, THX for sharing it.

Excellent use of Hasselblad X Pan panoramatic capacity despite in very unusual way. I like your composition and the way you managed very high-contrast scene! Excellent work Karl, gorgeous scene, breathtaking indeed, not for cardiacs! Well seen and well done.