mark_starr

I must agree with all of the above- an excellent portrait - well thought out, well lit and great execution all the way around. The planning for this really makes for a portrait with a lot of punch, as it is so different from the run of the mill shots of children. I really like the fact that it takes the young girl seriously - she is serious and she is playing a serious game and we take her seriously.- too often we overlook that in children. Excellent - 7/7 im my book!

Mark

Excellent! This reminds me of some of the paintings done for the WPA for some reason - the muscles in his arms and the chisled features of his face I guess. That, and he seems perfectly trapped in a different time and place - somewhere distant and slightly unreachable. The great lightness to the water really sets off the darker background and draws you into the image. I also like the room you gave the subject with the crop - nicel long frame to surround his thoughts with. Another great addition to your portfolio-

Mark

Absolutely lovely image of what I can only imagine is a lovely woman- just great in every way! Thanks for sharing it with us-

Mark

This is a real grabber - one cannot help being pulled into it (up into it!) It is amazing to me how dramatically different something can be based on the simplest of techniques - cropping it to what we don't expect. From an image that might have blended into the crowd and gone unnoticed had you gone with a heavy landscape and less sky, you have made something that forces us to stop and ponder. I find that the image demands attention - I can't help looking at it again and again, despite the seemingly simple subject matter. Now that's how a photograph should work! Thanks for your comments and for sharing this with us. (oh - one last thing - I love the titles to your folders, and especially the folder below named Humans Being...)

Mark

Thanks for your very kind comment on one of my photos, but I am very happy you commented as it led me here to your portfolio. What an amazing portfolio it is! There are so many great shots here, both in color and black and white that I will have to spend an evening here to begin to take them in. This shot caught my eye (well, many, many shots did that...) because I love portraits of children out in the world, The way the elephant initially dominates the image before the viewer moves on to the real subject matter of the child is just fantastic. The elephant itself looks as doubtful as the child about the whole deal. The child does not look like she is enjoying the experience all that much, and this seems to worry the elephant. In the end I hope it all worked out for them both! Great job on the composition and the captured emotions. Thanks again, and I look forward to pouring through your other work!

Mark

I am so glad you commented on one of my images. as it led me to your portfolio. What an amazing set of photographs! I love the strong graphic feeling you achieve through your use of geometry and pattern. I am most intrigued by your nature and landscape shots, as even there you have composed the image around the strength of the geometry of the scene. I have never been able to produce a good landscape, but I think that by studying your work I may finally find a path that might work for me in the future. I will have to spend a lot of time here, but it will certainly be a pleasure to do so. Thanks for sharing it with us!

Mark

I think it looks great as a b&w, and that you did a good job converting it. It is difficult to get a wider tonal range in direct, bright light like this. Trying the same shot on an overcast day can really widen the range - its like having a giant softbox. Nice job-

Mark

Excellent street portrait - glad I saw it as it led me to the other wonderful portraits in your portfolio - great work on all of those-

Mark

I like the starkness of the flash and the balance of lights and darks in the portrait - they create some nice geometry around her face, and the straight-on shot is perfect for the geometric feeling created by the shadows and background-

Mark

I just wanted to comment on how great this whole series is (Time Was...) The colors, textures and overall mood throughout this set really is outstanding, and they really gather a lot of power as a group (although they all stand alone very well, togther they are greater than the sum of their parts!) I have been putting together little books made from series of images such as this, and this set would make a nice booklet - I find people really react well when such a set of images is combined and presented. Great set!

Mark

Just great- 7/7

Mark

I like this series of your friend- the blues of his jeans and jacket really come out well in the available light, of which you made great use. The bluejeans also create a real atmosphere for the portrait - I hope to see more of your work on the site soon-

Mark

I love this series in this folder- great brooding tones to go with the aged industrial subject. Are these largely from a single building or many? Of course the text on the iron doors couldn't be better in this shot... I really love the light in the next shot in this folder as well - this series would look fantastic all matted and framed and hanging in a gallery together -

Mark

This is just a beautiful image! So much more is said by what is not in the image than what is - it captures the feeling so completely that words themselves could not do a better job of it. Occasionally I see an image such as this that makes me completely jealous of the person who took it - the type of image that just stops you dead in your tracks. I can feel myself turning green.... Just fantastic! (On a side note, your unbrella image below is lovely - great treatment)

Mark

Can't add much to what has been said above, but I will add another WOW! This is the type of work that makes me jealous... Just excellent!

Mark

Well I can't add much to the above comments as I feel the same way- I can't imagine why you thought this image wouldn't be well received - it is excellent in every way - from your technical handling to all of the aesthetic considerations - very well done in what I always find to be very difficult lighting conditions - glad I saw it!

Mark

This is a real attention getter at the top of your portfolio - I hate to say this but this image would make a pretty reasonable portrait of me. In fact, my wife thought it was me... Great shot, and excellent use of the colors within it. I haven't been to your site in a while, and as always, there were many new images to enjoy- great shooting to you this new year, and I hope these guys leave you alone-

Mark

This is one of many, many excellent shots in your gallery. The geometry in this image is fantastic, and I love the fact that the clear sign showing the one and only way is actively undercut by the person walking in the other direction. Life's paths can not simply be reduced to black and white in this case. Evidently, there are at least two ways. Great shot, and great black and white work as well.

Mark

This is so cute- it seems to say to me "Here is the young princess captured in an unguarded moment before heading off to visit with the other heads of states gathered at the palace..." Just a wonderful expression, one that you don't often see in a child's portrait - quite charming-

Mark

Very cool image- I really love the mystical and somewhat rustic feel to the photo, and it really does feel like she is heading into a brave,new world - uncharted perhaps, but all the flags flying and every sail set. The hint of waves crashing on the shore being left behind and the thick swirling vapors from above further the sense of adventure, and of course, the man fishing off the back of the ship is a great addition.... Great job with the image-

Mark

Great shot of this flower - I really like the colors, not only of the flower itself, but the background as well, which really shows off the reds and oranges. The sharpness of the image and the clarity of the drops of water is fantastic, and I love the way the drops are echoed in the background with the circular patterns on the blue/grays. Very nicely done!

Mark

Your children's portraits are quite beautiful - I have been looking at this series and can't seem to come up with a favorite - there are reasons each should be! I really love the directness of this one, the directness of her gaze into the camera. Very few children's portraits show this intensity, and I think parents and photographers miss a lot when they stick to standard images of children (playing, laughing, running around or dressed up and sitting for a camera...) These are the images that capture who else the child is and give us a glimpse as to what may lie ahead in their lives. Really well done-

Mark

Thank-you for your recent comments - it reminded me to pass some more time in your portfolio! I love the weight your architectural shots have. The buildings in your black and white work have a solidness to them with your renderings in the grey scale that they wouldn't have in color. There is a real permanence to them - we know they will be there for hundreds of years more. I especially love the reflection of the tree in the round window above the doorway, as it heightens the contrast between the man-made and the natural world. Your choice of angles to photograph these structures also makes the most of their solidness. First rate renderings!

Mark

My heart about stopped to see this series of images. First, and most importantly, I hope that all is well with your daughter. This image brought back a year spent in the hospital with my daughter undergoing treatment for cancer, and the hundreds of hours I sat and stared at her sleeping in a bed like that, hooked up to machines and bags of toxins. She was 20 years old at the time, and didn't want me to take photos of her, but I did on occasion and some when she was asleep as I knew it would be important some day for her to be able to fully come to terms with what she went through. Your images brought back a lot of memories for me, and remind me of the power this photos can hold. The images I took of my daughter are the most important photos I have ever made, although perhaps the audience for them is limited to myself. Difficult as they are for the parents or family to look at, they can help us understand things about the experience in the future. Thanks for sharing them with us, and I will be thinking of you and your family-

Mark

I really love this shot - I think any viewer can relate to the feeling of bearing a huge burden, one that is unseen by the rest of the world, and that is what this image brings to me. Not seeing what he has to carry has a huge impact on the meaning of the photo, and we are left to wonder or to place our own burdens on the pedastal above him. Great composition and a well thought out shot!

Mark