mike_stemberg

Lovely scene here, but I do feel that the colours have been 'pushed' a bit towards what a lot of people might call unnaturally oversaturated. best wishes ~ mike

I admire the processing (in a sort of way).

Apart from that, I don't think it all comes together somehow. Is it meant that the buildings lean backwards and towards the light? I sort of feel that the light and the clouds (perhaps with great colour before the B&W conversion) might have  been the 'focal point' of the image, but I'm not sure. Could it be the few lone figures amongst these buildings. The empty bus shelter? I'm sure there is, or was something here, but I'm not getting it. Is it just your successful exercise and achievement of pulling back detail whilst shooting against the light?

To come back to with the first point I made, I respect and appreciate the process made to achieve this image, but perhaps those would be best appreciated with an image other than this. This is all said with the best of intentions of course. best wishes ~ mike.

Is this what they call a  'topless shot'? Ha ha!:=)

(PS. ...and somebody even gave you a 7 for this? Yes, humour is good too)

Very nice. This is probably the 'best of' the series so far. More coming? This is artistic, accurate and precise work.

You have mail!

I love the lines and the placement of all the elements here.

Lovely crisp action shot!

It's a pity we notice the the processing halo marks around the lads head and body. This can be easily remedied. Perhaps, you were in a hurry or something. best wishes ~ mike

I never noted down what I did exactly, but basically I made 4 copies (in layers) of the scene. I named them starting from the top ~ Sky , Back rocks, Mid-water and Forground. These layers were all masked. I then worked on each of the layers only concentrating in the area in question ~ using Levels, Curves and sharpening. When I was done with all four layers I masked in (i.e. made visible) the areas relevant to each layer. So basically I exposed those 4 areas in 4 different ways with the botton layer being #5. Yes, I did use parts of the original image in places.

If it will help, if can send me your regular e:mail address, and I can try and send you the .PSD file. It will be a largish file, so I hope both our e:mail systems will allow whatever size that file that is. I don't think the internal photo.net e:mail system allows attachments. I'm also glad that you responded when you did. I normally would have deleted such example 'work-files' almost immediately.

best wishes ~ mike

There are times when I see images here on photo.net and wish that I had taken myself.

This is one of them times. I feel this image has got all the potential of being a 'A' class image, but something is missing to raise it to that level. I have no answers, except to present an interpretation that might excite (hopefully not enrage) you to do a little more work with what you have presented us here.

best wishes ~ mike.

Tannie, this is spectacular!...but I still feel a sense of too much overall sharpening. Perhaps I really should suggest that you might try say, two or three levels of  selective sharpening on different areas of your images, if you must. best wishes ~ mike.

I would just love to have been here (and spend lots of time at this scene), but somehow even if I had taken an image, it would never convey my pleasure, my appreciation of the beauty of Nature.  I could imagine lots of things but somehow it's hard to convert such feelings (which you might have felt or something similar to what I mentioned) to an image sometimes.

I don't know, maybe opening up some of the shadows a bit , or increasing the drama in the sky or something might help, but primarily as the commenter above mentioned, there is nothing here  to kick-start the visual 'what-ever-it-is' to even start to say 'Wow' . best wishes ~ mike

I don't think I would have made the so very much more telling observation about this image if not for your titling. But, even without your titling, this is a strong image , but would have told a different kind of story. NIce work. best wishes ~ mike

Is it HDR? ...or is it not? My guess is might be, and if so, I think the technique is used to maximuum effect without abusing it. On the other hand it might very well have been a very effective and judicious use of your sharpening skills. Nice work, indeed!

These scenes can be quite tricky to capture well with a right balance between mist and detail, but that is precisely what you have done. Nice work!

An excellent image showing so well the characteristics of this 'stick'!

A nicely framed sharp image for the very 'live' situation in which it was shot. On second thoughts, I might consider it just a wee too sharp, but is ann allaround well executed image. best wishes ~ mike

I like the complimentary colours and the although sparse diagonally placed branch and bird, filling the frame way above its actual substance. best wishes ~ mike

Hah! Just wonderful!

This kind of shot (including lots of mine) always makes me wonder if it is the architecture or the photography that might be more noteworthy? Either way, this is an excellent subject of art to photograph. If this 'thing' was in my neighbourhood or within easy traveling distance, I dread to think how many times I would visit it to really try and 'capture' the spirit of it, if I ever could.

I'm sure the designer never envisaged  this being photographed with a so-dash-ordinary lamp post in front and with an orange fire-hydrant sort of thing spoiling its aesthetics. Hey, that's an idea! Could you just make that architect so much happier by just 'dissapearing' that lamp-post and hydrant?

Yes, I wonder how this would look in just moonlight? Just another wild thought. best wishes ~ mike

What jaw dropping architecture this is, and an internal structure as well. Quite amazing! On a side note, what may I ask is the function/purpose of this in terms of church architecture? Wow!

This portrait is so much better than the last one I commented on with those hot spots. Over here, lifting a bit of the mid-shadows I feel would enhance this image a lot more. best wishes ~ mike  

Siamak, this might have been have been more acceptable and appreciated if not for those 'hot spots' in several areas of the face. best wishes ~ mike

I'm sure this would be quite amazing as a LARGE print on somebody's wall. Excellent!

This is a lovely B&W (which I love), but what attracted me to this image was the unorthodox, or should I say the unusual framing of placing the subject were you have. So you 'caught' somebody, and that's always good in trying to make an image stand out from the hundreds one views here.

I've spent some time with this image, and played around with some different crops, and came to the conclusion that no, I would not change the overall impact of the man looking out of the frame and into  ..the past? But, I would suggest just a little bit of the crop, and of course off the right side of the frame. I feel that that would not only emphasise the man's position and posture within the frame, but also draw the viewer to closer look at the man himself, and be less occupied with the structure on which he is.

Heck! that was quite a long-winded way just to say that I love the image and the B&W interpreatation, and that I recommend a thoughtful crop! best wishes ~ mike