mark_starr

I really like this image - I like the indefinate feeling to the top of the bridge and the sweep of the water up to the centered pier, and the way the cables that support the deck just rise up to nothingness above. It gives me the impression that even the most magnificent structures we are capable of building are here for only a heartbeat - very dramatic -

Mark

smile and an excellent portrait- the warmth of your subject shines through. The intimacey of the closeness of the shot is perfect - what great textures to her face, well set off by her collare and earrings - doesn't get any better than this-

Mark

Excellent! Great crop and tones - all simple and direct - well done-

Mark

Excellent - very nice feeling to the portrait, both from a lighting standpoint (so great job with your homemade lights!) and from the mood you have captured with the young man - a mood often seen at this age. Beautiful colors and skin tone - a portrait I am sure he will love-

Mark

Beautiful image - great cool colors for the frozen image - the delicateness of the plant is wonderful-

Mark

What a handsome portrait - a very strong face framed well with the turban and made even stronger by it. The color tones to his skin, and I like the almost square crop of the image that puts all of the focus on his face. Great eyes too. Very nicely done-

Mark

This image makes me think of sitting by the ocean on an iron bench to watch the waves roll by - just what is needed after a long day....

Mark

Now that is funny- the light shaft leading down to him is just too much! I think what I like most is the expression on the dog's face - he looks like he is ready to bite the first person who comments on how cute he is - very funny, and certainly a shot that needs to be hung where it will be seen every day before heading out to work...

Mark

I love the spare nature of this image - a zen composition and feeling to it. It has a lot of motion to it considering it is made of but a few vertical lines - a very calming image to look at at the end of a long day.

Mark

I love your images with the moon - a lot of fun to see a whole series of them. (As a matter of fact, the first image that really grabbed my attention when coming to your site was your self-portrait with the moon in the lens - very cool portrait!) I love this shot - it really has a magical feeling to it. The illumination by the moon is palpable - nicely done-

Mark

I really love the way this leaf seems to turn to steel and melt away as it approaches the viewer - a very creative and interesting approach to a simple subject, and wonderful silvery tones to the photo - very well done-

Mark

Usually if you ask this type of question about your own work it is because there is something you already know about it that is bothering you. Since it doesn't ruin the original, I would try to eliminate the background by either blurring it out or by creating an older feeling to the image. It is a nice shot with a lot of character, but the feeling is partially lost to me with the back right fencing and buildings. I went a few weekends ago to a Native American tribal gathering and have been dealing with the same issues - modern stuff ruining the feeling of the images (at least how I want to see them...). Nice photo, but why not give other treatments a try? Thanks for sharing it with us-

Mark

This is such a nice portrait, and the blurred colors of the background are wonderful. There is so much color at these events, not to mention such distinctly handsome and beautiful people. I think in many ways it is too bad everyone doesn't have ceremonial regalia and traditions to fall back on these days. Wouldn't it be fantastic to be able to have these ceremonies take place in a more natural setting without modern distractions around them for photographic purposes? (I know I am missing the point of the event, but it is hard to quell the photographic instinct...) Your portfolio has convinced me to try some in color as the images are so eye-catching.

Mark

What a great portrait of a man and his shop - I love the scale of the entire operation- no giant, mall sized shop but a human scaled place. The air-conditioner set on blocks, the barber pole (who knew they were a world symbol for barbers!) the towels set out to dry in the air and the phone number all give it the personal touch of the obviously proud barber. This is where I would get my hair cut. As usual, an immaculate image in technical terms as well-

Mark

This is such a charming portrait - it gives the viewer a great feeling of lightness to see such a wonderful and unposed smile - it is obvious how delighted the subject is at this point, and you have captured the beauty of the moment so well. It is wonderful to see such life affirming shots after a long, hard day.

Mark

I love this shot - to me it looks as though an ancient mechanical monster has been trapped in this factory and is still searching for a way out. The great iron truss above the monster and the furnace looks like an ancient bird trying to soar out from the mess. The profitability of olive soap gone, the monster is left to die on its own... Great composition and tones in a difficult shooting situation -

Mark

black and white work, and a great composition!

Mark

The power of this portrait is evident in just the list of comments given it by rather astute observers. I am not sure I can do better than they have in describing this, but I did want to say how much this particular portrait struck me. As you probably have guessed, portraits are one of my favorite types of images. I can stare at a portrait such as this one for hours, where the best of any landscape will only hold my attention for minutes at the most. It is the varied nature of each of us that creates this magnetic attraction for me, and in a portrait such as this, where there is information as to what that nature may be, the attraction is strong. A good portrait should ask the viewer to wonder about the subject, even though and especially when the person depicted is unknown to the viewer. While it is still speculation on our part as to what the person is actually like, a strong portrait will have a unversal nature to it - this is someone we have seen, someone we have known, or perhaps we even see some of ourself in the image. I like the fact that the eyes are somewhat clouded by his glasses, and that his mouth is the focused centerpoint to the image, especially in conjunction with the title. It suggests a man who speaks his mind, perhaps not always listening to what his aging eyes show him through glasses he wears. I also like the lights behind him, but not in the direction he is gazing and moving - forward. Your descriptions of your father lend all the more emotion to the image and and bring home feelings of a recent portrait I did of my father - always an interesting exercise for children of our age to go through. At any rate, it is a superp portait in every way, Just excellent-

Mark

So where did you find nude smoke? What a fantastic image - a very subtle abstract with so much to look at and ponder- something made almost from thin air - excellent-

Mark

I love ther repeating detail and the various textures and the way the formal geometry of both the shot and the staircase clash with the decay. You have to wonder if the builder ever contemplated what it might look like in 200 years - tempus fugit!

Mark

Say it isn't so! Ah well, I guess it had to end sometime, but I for one will miss the new additions. It is a really great series, and while a series can get to the point where you don't want to see another in it, for the viewer it is pure pleasure, as we don't have to do the hard work to get it there. I look forward to you next project -

Mark

What an amazing and rich portfolio you have. The new system on P.net for random placing of images into the critique forum leads to new discoveries - I am finding people's work that I have never seen due to the time I generally look, and yours is a great example. I love your portrait work with children. Shots such as this remind us what is important in life to contemplate. Too often we are buried under the news of the day (seldom good...) and it is images such as this one that help pull us back into the positive side of life. This is a great shot, especially with the second child beaming his smile into the camera. The colseness of the camera position gives it an intimacy and power it would not have from a distance. I will enjoy your other work!

Mark

Great shot - to me it looks as though the geraniums are being blown out of his mouth. I love the warm, rich colors of the wall and the cooler colors of the face itself. Great eye for a shot that many would not see and it is always nice to find subtle humor in photographs such as this.

Mark

I just came back to admire this series again - this is just great stuff - the directness of you portraits is wonderful, as are the colors. You look into your subject's eyes and wonder what they are thinking and what their lives must be like. Very powerful as a series, and it would be quite something to see a row of large prints of these on a gallery wall.

Mark

Great shot - wonderful colors in their regalia. I really like the series of these images - is this all one tribe or different tribes? I went to a tribal gathering this Sunday and just posted a series of portraits from there - just an amazing experience. Nicely done portraits, and I am glad I saw them today given my recent experience! Keep up the great work-

Mark