matthew_s._schwartz

the first thing i noticed was the darkness of the photo... the whole thing seems a bit too drab. was this how it looked in real life? perhaps i'd play with the levels. that said, i love the focus and depth of field, the way the tiny buds are sharp, the flower itself seeming to magically spring from the green behind it. nice.

this is my attempt at capturing a butterfly... thoughts?

I for one like the desaturated look... It really adds to the dreamlike quality of the scene. There is clearly bright sun beating down on the children, and the desaturation echoes what sometimes happens when the sun washes out a scene. I love it.

I like the colors but I would have left a little more space around the tree. Also I am not sure where to look. The lines are pointing me in all directions. What is the focal point? The tree, it seems, but I also want to look at the dark pink sky to the left. So it's a good concept but it needs a little tweaking. :-)

Actually, the foreground blurriness was caused not by a depth-of-field problem but by my shaking the camera. F-stop was already pretty high, but I didn't have a tripod set up, as this was a relatively informal shoot out of my open bedroom window when a storm passed through. I was steadying the camera against the window sill, when BOOM! Multiple bolts of lightning hit directly in front of me, and I was shocked, and I think I wiggled the camera. Fortunately, the lightning was gone so fast, the shakiness didn't affects its clarity. Unfortunately, the buildings had become very blurry.

 

I suppose I could combine this exposure with another one where the buildings are actually in focus... But wouldn't that be cheating?

I've been trying to capture lightning for years, but to no avail...

until now. Suggestions? Anything you would do in post to make it look

nicer?

Wow, look at that. I didn't notice the spider until someone pointed it out. I think the brightness works perfectly here... you THINK it's just your standard flower shot, but then suddenly, Ah! A spider!

 

Love it. :-)

Thoughts?

I see you also like to experiment with long exposures. :-) I like the red streak in front -- is that from the tail light of a passing car? The activity inside the store is good, but I'd probably play with the levels to add a bit more contrast. The danger of long exposures is, of course, overexposure.

Is that one of the S.F.'s famous hills in the background? I love the shot.

I shot it at this angle, but not because I wanted to; I didn't have a tripod with me and the only way I could hold the camera steady was to place it on the angled newspaper box next to me. I agree -- I also wish the foot weren't cut off. Perhaps it's worth going back and staging something...

 

Thanks for your comment!

This is my first foray into long exposures. I thought it was

fortuitous how the girl with the yellow backpack stayed still for the

4 seconds or so that the shutter was open. Thoughts?

With thousands of photographers descending on the capital for the

National Cherry Blossom Festival, it's hard to be original. But I

really liked the way this tree framed the Washington Monument, and a

polarizing filter allowed the blossoms to really pop. What do you think?

 

Please view the Large version of the photo before commenting/rating.

Thanks!

Fascinating... Everyone was convinced you had done major PS retouching, painted with light, etc, but now you tell us you only made global changes. Thus, no "painting with light." So the question, then, is how you accomplished such a beautiful image without major manipulation! Like everyone else, I would love a tutorial, but I understand the need to protect your trade secrets. Keep 'em coming. Wonderful work.

Thoughts?

I think you and I have a different eye when it comes to photos. I don't really go for the abstract look. :-) But I like your portfolio.

 

I think I might try to take this shot again, but this time make sure the view is unobstructed (i.e. no black box!)

Beautiful shot.

You guys are right about the black box in the upper left hand corner... Most of my original efforts were spent on determining how to crop the photo so as to minimize it.

 

Erika, I have updated the shot and included a light gray border. Thanks -- I think it looks better with it.

A subway shot. Suggestions?

Thoughts?

nice

thoughts? I suppose the dof could be greater, but that might take the

attention away from the water droplets, which i love...

 

in any case, enjoy :-)

Thoughts?

Thoughts?

Critiques welcome. Ground Zero is a chilling place.