ricardojmendez

Good timing, but the image itself is uncharacteristic - unless it is because it strikes so close to somebody's home. Still, I like your portraits better than your landscapes or inanimate objects.

The photo is as tightly focused on her as she is on the festivities. Interestingly enough, we don't need a context here: she provides all we need. There are a couple of things I don't like, such as the light lines flowing from her head or the partly seen man on the left, but they are minor things and sometimes you can't choose your environment.

 

Oh, and I personally prefer my images with more contrast, but I'm not sure how well modifying this image would work.

I'm still not sure about this image. I like the subject, since he has a sort of Rip Van Winkle-ish look, like he has been in some cave all this years with his camera. I have no problem with the focus, and actually I think I like it more than if he was in focus and the tools out of focus, or even if the depth of field covered everything. In this way, the subject seems to dissapear behind the tools of his craft.

 

What I'm not sure about is the thing with the clippers on the right. They are too predominant, and take the attention away from the man and the camera. Then again, the cluttered environment helps enhance the feeling that he's impishly hiding from us.

Great tones, Ranjith.

 

I like the image, but I think it would have been better had you crouched and focused on the river, so that perhaps the shadowed trees were at the top of the image; since for me the water with dark plant shadows floating on it and the reflected sky is more interesting than the sky itself. It would also have helped in removing the white splotch of sky on the top left. The only problem, however, would have been that probably the branch on the to pright would have been lost as well, and I feel it adds a sense of perspective to the image.

 

Good shot overall.

What a stark portrait! Besides the exquisite tones and good choice of angle, which makes it seem like we're looking down on him (in more than the literal way), you captured a great expression of him looking back a us. The determination on his look alone makes it worthwile.

 

There is, however, a quibble, and a non-technical one at that. I feel sad about this image, like the kid shouldn't have to be the subject of the photo, or like we're exploiting him for liking the image.

Justin,

 

About the digital art issue: don't ask me why, it's a photo to me as well. I've seen, however, some pretty funny discussions on Photo.net by people claiming that altered photographs were no longer photos.

 

Cheers!

He does look the part. :-)

Hi Erick,

 

Nice work on the contrast, it could work as a poster for the tour, or perhaps printed on the tickets. The almost absolute lack of detail (I can barely see his face) allows us to focus on the crowd's attitude, and unlike in your Vendetta Red folder, people who might have been cut off or partly shown don't matter here, since everyone is blended in black.

 

As Martin mentioned, this gives off a lot of energy.

 

PS: I wonder how long it will be before this sparks an argument if this is a photo or graphic art that doesn't belong here.

 

Cheers!

Quite perverse. Your cats seem to be an endless provider of subjects, Leslie. I wonder what the people who reacted so strongly to the headless Mr. Bun would think of this.

 

As for some of the posts: why do we post images here, if not to attract attention? We might want that attention to get people to comment in our work and thus improve out craft, or to get exposure, or simply because it makes us feel good; but certainly what anybody who posts here wants is attention.

 

And as far as attention-getters go, this one is a pretty good one (both aesthetically and in originality), with great tones that suit its subject.

An image suggests many things to many different people, and more than alone this one speaks to me of sadness and neglect. I'd leave off the title and let people form their own ideas.

 

I like the portrait, and the soft focus enhances the feeling that it's viewed through the memory's eye.

Hi Christopher,

 

If something works or not depends mainly on what you were trying to accomplish. Glamour, sexy, raunchy, it all depends on your intent.

 

I like this image best of the five you've posted of your first nude model shoot. I think that what makes the image for me is the blurriness in her face, since it adds movement to the photo and makes it seem somehow less posed. I personally get the sense of a dancing ceremony, á la Angel Heart.

 

There are some issues, however.

 

First of all, the bra strap thing is distracting since it breaks the skin between her chest and left arm (it's not as bothersome on her right). While the pose doesn't look comfortable or natural, the sense of movement manages to compensate for it since it gives us an idea that she's in transition or moving somewhere. The two moles on her left are more distracting here and in all the other images, perhaps because they're being focused on more directly than in the rest. There are some foreign clear dots (maybe reflections or dust on the scanner) that break the image continuity as well. Finally, I'd like a bit more contrast, perhaps some curves manipulation can help differentiate between her blurry face and the dark background and floor.

 

I took the liberty of modifying the image and attaching it to illustrate my points. What I did mainly was: a) modify the curves a little to increase the highlights; b) removing the moles on her chest; c) removing some of the random clear dots on the image. I tried removing the strap as well, but I'm afraid my digital processing skills don't go as far.

 

Good luck,

Almost like a painting. Beautiful image, superb use of shadows and what a great end result.

Hi Detlef,

 

Good use of a softening effect and a good pose. Her arms looks like she's putting up a fight, while her eyes look mischievous and inviting. The only thing that bothers me a little are the ripples on the white fabric in the background, near the bottom left of the image.

 

Good shot.

Hi David,

 

Once again you chose my favorite from the series, since on this one his expression and body pose is more characteristic than the others, and with the sole exception of Senad Speaks #1, his face is better lit here. On all three, the contrast in light between both sides of the building creates an interesting effect. However, as a series I find the other ones redundant, unlike in your "Communication Crisis" where there was enough difference between them to make them look like a series and not different moments of a pose.

 

There are some distracting issues, such as the figure on his socks and white garbage on the street, but these I suppose are unavoidable with subjects in the real world. There's also a softness of the image, but judging from your past comments this must be a scanning issue.

 

I suppose that what really catches me from this photo is his body expression, which seems to say "well, whatever God wills".

 

PS: Is he missing a finger?

My second favorite from the series, right after this one. I think that what I like about this one is that the distance and wide angle adds a voyeuristic touch to the photo, like you're not with them and neither of you is supposed to be there at all.

I like the effects the two models create here, like the only two statues left on the ruined scenery. How did you get their skin to look so pale? The light? Good framing of your subjects, the stage and the roof.

 

An interesting series.

Great framing, good tones, superb isolation of the subject. I'm also curious as if you were using it at 1600.

Hi Erick,

 

They're very The Who-ish. The image does portray an intensity to the band, they seem to have a good dynamic between them.

 

There are some issues, though. First, there's 30% of a guy on the right who was cut off, and sort of blends into the bass player. Also, the arm of somebody (a technician) protrudes from the singer's side. Other than that, this would be a good publicity photo for them.

 

Good use of a longer framing, it makes the eyes wander around the image and adds to the lively band effect.

Good choice, having her look towards the left instead of to the right - if not, our gaze would wander off into the empty space and stay there (I had a small discussion with a friend who insisted I mirror this image, where I made a similar choice).

Now, as for the image itself, I like it. The blue-green in the bandana is almost too predominant, but luckily the red-pink matches her blouse and it serves to add a little color to the shot. The profile is well executed and her hair carefully kept out of the way, and skin tones were nicely recorded.

A pleasant image.

I like the movement lines, and while I agree that they don't feel jazzy (more like speed lines) I like the way it makes me feel that he's flowing into the audience. The only thing that does bother me is that there are some lines across him, they are a bit distracting on such an isolated image.

Incredible moment. Is this for real?

 

PS: The blurring edges do show, but the beautiful moment of those two makes one ignore them.

My favorite from the Lightbrush folder, even over the Landscape-Waterfall one: I like the sense of being safely inside a cocoon that she projects, as well as the warmth of her tones over the cool green of the fabric below. The only thing that bothers me a bit is the left arm falling out of the composition: it looks too elongated (a problem that I don't have with the right arm, even though it seems that the fingers and hand are part of the arm as well).

Hi Heather,

 

I like better your facial portraits than you body shots. This one, for example, would be perfect were it not for the two wrinkles on the neck as you looked back and the fact that it needed a bit more space on top (both, I'm sure, hard to control on a self-portrait).

 

On this photograph I specially like how you seem to be shying away from the light, perhaps hiding your face from scrutiny - not paying to the viewer the attention he's paying you.

I have a thing for abandoned buildings as well, they make for great places to find interesting light effects. Even though in my experience they work better in black and white, the different colours (yellow, red, orange, grey, black, white, cobalt blue) in this image make having it in colour worthwhile. It brings life to a dead place.

My favorite from the four you uploaded about that place, with the symmetric Hallway being the second (the other ones look pedestrian by comparison). Only one complaint: they look a bit soft.

What a good reason to reach sainthood. I love the sense of depth that the shadows on the mirror give.