blowingsky

Very nice mood. Works as a photographic image and also as an object of art, or an installation. I love the grain and tone.

I thought Judy's comment was very interesting: "It's a pleasing statement of our dependence upon the whole of our world." I am not sure I would readily use the word "pleasing" but I completely understand her viewpoint. For me, this vividly exteriorizing image has an edge to it that is variously transcendent and existential depending on how I want to see it. The paradox of the image resolves if you consider that the world and the bodies stuck to this world by gravity are the creations of life and we who view this image are the life itself.

Great shot! Realism moving into abstraction by way of impressionism.

I would definitely lose the title and let the viewer's imagination wander, as it certainly will! Why hitch their attention to the literal meaning when there is so much to imagine? The clipper ship in the background and the tilt of the picture make this immediate poetry.

I really like the off kilter and over the shoulder view going into curved light. Funny, spend all that money on a precision M7 and summicron 35 and some of the best pictures are blurry.

The Hyena ate his homework? I'm assuming this is a manipulated shot, but it looks quite real. Very catchy.

I agree with Roger. Great confluence of elements. Don't know if this is your family or not, but imagine having a photograph like this of your family. It would be treasured through many generations. Imagine a 5 year old 80 years from now looking at this picture of his great great grandfather and understanding immediately what it was like to be him at that moment.

I love this shot. moody, atmospheric, aesthetic and questioning or mysterious. However, I think placing the land and trees so squarely in the middle makes the image a little too locked up. It is hard on the eye trail. Consider cropping down from the top till you hit the heavy fog and possibly raising the contrast of the river, or darken it. Even if you don't change a thing, nice shot!

You have a great portfolio, but this shot is one that really shows your pedigree. In an instant, it told me everything about wood and water.

Yes, the original is superior, and a great shot.

its a great shot on its own but the post processing is a big distraction to me because it calls attention to itself and is in opposition to the naturalness of the scene. is it really necessary? you have such fine positions in all the people and the composition is excellent. was it so terrible before that you had to do this? I can't image that it could be.

I agree with what everone else said. Great observation. I also kind of like it cropped down from the top to the back of the booths, even though it cuts off some of the tops of heads. When I crop it, my attention goes even more onto those wonderful expressions and exchanges.

Your crop idea is very interesting. I like it. My intention in keeping things more full frame was to slightly de-focus the scene and show some of the distractions in that single moment of time. The hands the little feet, etc. The mother's right hand is part of a vertical that ends at her face.

 

But when I saw your crop, I felt like I was facing the truth of the image. I think I might take your suggestion. Thanks.

Wow, it's like you built a stage and hired a model. But I don't mean it looks fake. Very intriguing shot.

Love the way you caught each kid in a different position with regard to the water. The boy on the end, whose face we see, signals both the joy of the moment and how immediately it will change.

I like it as an abstract but the difference in focus between the foreground and the background distracts me a little bit. Its broad strokes come through better if you step back a bit.

I particularly like how you caught a flow coming up from her neck and pooling in her eyes. Technically, it's a fine shot, but you added that little bit extra that makes it remarkable.

Nice shot. Out of date? I don't think so, although it does look like a Corbis or Getty image (stock shot companies). Is that good or not good?

I agree with Fred. This is a really good shot. It asks a question and invites you in to find the answer.

so, was the news OK I hope?

In terms of critique, the question really is: if I saw this photograph with no title or introduction, would I see emotional intensity? Or better yet: what do I see when I look at this image?

 

 

What I see is a man withholding himself, removing himself from the act of being photographed. I don't know why. His eyes are withdrawn, non-engaging. His hand is in front of his mouth, rather than on his chin or cheek. Because of those eyes, he looks more tense than relaxed. These are all preconditions of anxiety, but I don't necessarily see "intense" except in the cropping and in an interpretation of the eyes.

 

It's a good photograph. I like the composition and the directness. I am not sure about the soft focus, as if you shot this inside the close focus limit.

 

This is a magnificent shot, Doug. Shows the strength of his character, his intelligence and the fact that he has been tested in this life...as well as his creative musical brilliance. That's quite a lot for a portrait. I particularly like the crop, as it adds power to the image.

I love it. You've somehow subdued the depth and maintained focus so that the abstract works. Shows the viewer what the everyday can look like through the eye of an artist.

It is beautiful and very reminiscent of a Japanese tapestry but on my monitor, the foreground snow is blown out. I would let the background go darker if you have detail you could bring out in the foreground.

very good decision on what elements to include and the angles and crop too. The mother's hands tell the whole story.