foto zerüi

One of the joys of photography is that it reveals details the eye misses. In this case

the camera reveals patterns in the water around a swimmer. They are created by a

combination of reflection and refraction at the water surface disturbed by the

swimmer's movements. The patterns are displayed in the three source colours of the

scene: blue reflected from the sky; green upwelling from the sea; and the skin tones of

the swimmer.

Swimmer covered with water.

Beautifully done!

The sphere makes me think of Highland games.

Was NZ not colonized by Scots?

Best wishes John

The position of the figure helps compensate for the severely symmetrical composition. Well done. But let me share a thought with you. I learnt long ago when on safaris in Africa that no picture of a wild animal works if the animal is walking away. That also goes for pictures of pets. And it goes for figures in architectural pictures. In this case the figure is striding purposefully towards the exit, and the untidy street beyond. The picture leads the viewer's eye away from the beautiful art gallery towards the noisy ugly street. Is that what you intended? Sometimes the story becomes the dominant factor in a picture. In this case it takes away from your beautiful capture of light and tones. Best wishes John

Clever, unusual composition. I love it. 7/7. Presumably you were inspired by Giovanni Segantini"s painting "Le cattive madri" which is now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

Congratulations. John

Great shot! I have long been fascinated by the complex patterns created by refraction and reflection. Have a look at the Acquarelli2 gallery in www.fotozerui.com. Congratulations. John

Inspired by F.Leighton's paintings of coastal lagoons in the Mediterranean.

The extensive Riva Bella naturist camp in Corsica includes the Terenzana lagoon. The

campers live in huts and caravans on the sand ridge between lagoon and sea. Here,

one of the campers enjoys the sunset. The picture was inspired by paintings of similar

seaside lagoons by the Victorian artist, Lord Leighton (President of the Royal

Academy). Double click to see the full size picture.

This photograph was inspired by the paintings of Mediterranean seaside lagoons by the

Victorian artist Lord Leighton (President of the Royal Academy). The sand bar

between the lagoon (on the left) and the sea (on the right) is occupied by huts and

caravans in the Riva Bella naturist cap, Corsica.

I would appreciate a brief statement about your vision regarding the colouring of this picture. It is not realistic. These are not the colours I see when visiting such a site. I assume you have worked on the colours in Photoshop. Was your aim to rescue a picture that was not right in the camera? Or did you have some artistic vision of the colours that you wanted to put into the picture? To my mind the result is rather like the tacky hand-coloured black-and-white photos from a hundred years ago. Were you seeking to produce that kind of retro feel? If so, why? Puzzled. John

Thank you Yves (long time! - see http://www.virtualecology.org). I used Photomatix for HDR synthesis of five images in aperture priority and subsequent tone mapping. 6x4 (feet) reflector to soften shadow on figure. Large (60x90) prints of this and other pictures will be on exhibition in June at Riva Bella where they were taken last year. Clothed figure in a naturist camp! Best wishes John

Thanks Mary. Yes, it was a real haircut, and a good one too! Best, John

Inspired by Pierre Bonnard's genre paintings, which feature figures performing everyday

activities at home. The figures are unclothed when that is appropriate for the particular

activity. Like many artists Bonnard liked painting nudes and chose domestic activities

accordingly. Here the activity is haircutting, which is best without clothes - at least when it is

done at home.

Inspired by Pierre Bonnard's genre paintings, which feature figures who are unclothed when

that is appropriate for the domestic activity depicted in the picture. It is normal to wear no

clothes when having one's hair cut - at least when it is done at home.

Inspired by Pierre Bonnard's painting "Siesta".

Much better this way up!

They were right.

How about choosing a focal length and camera distance that would make the sun and the black balls the same size? Interesting series. Congratulations John

Thank you John for your comment on my picture. I used HDR (5 photos) to pretty well eliminate hotspots. But I am happy to include them if they contribute to the effectiveness of the total picture. In this case my aim was to create a picture that was full of light and colour in the style of Bonnard. The nudity also echoes Bonnard's genre paintings. Actually I started with the figure clothed, but it was less effective, and less true to Bonnard; so i did not submit it to Photonet. However all viewers have their own tastes, which I respect. What I carry home from this site is not the comments based on taste, but the constructive criticism of the photograph as a photograph. Your comments are helpful. Thank you.

[i have decided to drop the issue of the spurious ratings added to upgraded photos before they are exposed for criticism and rating by ordinary members. The moderators have not replied to my e-mails or to the note attached to this picture. So I guess my conjecture was right: they presumably are complicit in this bad practice. But let's leave it at that.]

Thank you for your positive critique. As others have reported, the stupid 3/3 ratings are awarded before the picture is displayed. The moderators do not respond to my messages complaining about the table showing that I give low ratings which I never do. Whatever the cause of the spurious ratings, the moderators need to sort out the issue. They could easily do so by using only named (rather than anonymous) ratings for Best Pictures. Good luck with the PhD - takes me back to Imperial in 1964! John

THE CREEPS WHO GIVE VERY LOW RATINGS AT THE INSTANT THE PHOTOGRAPH IS

SUBMITTED ARE THE MODERATORS OF THIS FORUM: Josh Root & Bob Atkins. EVEN WORSE,

THEY HAVE CORRUPTED MY INFORMATION BY ASSERTING THAT I GIVE SUCH LOW RATINGS,

WHICH I NEVER DO. THIS IS NOT ONLY IMMORAL BUT LIBELLOUS. Last year I wrote to the

moderators asking for a correction, but none is forthcoming yet. I have deleted and

resubmitted this picture because it was allocated a 3/3 rating before anyone viewed it.

Inspired by Pierre Bonnard's genre paintings in which a figure (often nude) is depicted

performing everyday activities at home.

Thank you. Floriana Barbu, for your constructive critique and your kind remark about the light. I feel that the composition requires the sun to be present. It explains the shadow. And it balances the picture left-right. The picture was designed to be geometric, with a series of strong lines: the horizontals are the horizon and the lines of cloud; the verticals are the figure and the light pillar; the diagonals are the shoreline and the footprints leading into the two tide marks; with the shadow orthogonal to them (in the horizontal plane). John

I consider this to be the best picture in your portfolio. It is a classic nude portrait. Excellent pose and framing. An air of tranquil contemplation. Effective lighting. Perfect skin. I bet the young lady is delighted with her portrait. Congratulations. John