ken schwarz

Great shot! Where are you? I like the shape of the black area in the middle, too. There's a lot to like in this one.

So many great pictures in this set, but this one is especially strong. She's so self-possessed.

What a striking photo. Original and compelling in many ways.

Usually I go for a stronger contrast to make my subjects stand out,

but here the muted effect seemed to convey the morning atmosphere in a

new way for me. What's your impression?

Ravishing. The toning adds a superb touch.

Gorgeous texture, color and tone. The effect of the moving water is marvelous. To my eye, the composition could be improved by cropping out some of the dark material at the bottom of the frame; this heavy stuff pulls the eye away from the action above. If you use Photoshop, you can enhance photos like this with perspective control: making the distant objects bigger and the close objects smaller could make the picture feel even more inviting and dreamy. (You might find that the top of the frame is too tightly cropped to do this, however. Maybe you have another image from the same place that would support this.)

I'd appreciate your comments and ratings. Thanks for looking!

Beautiful back illumination and strong line make this one a winner in my book. Wish there was more going on in the dark mid-right area, but the contrast with the rest is important, too. Thanks for posting this!

Beautifully conceived and executed. As an experiment, try tighter framing for more drama and less distraction from the dark corners? Well done!

Thanks, David. I like your crop idea, and in fact did do that in another version of the same shot. As you'd expect, it becomes even more abstract at that point and dramatically changes the impression of the shot. Now that I go back and look at the photo in full magnification, I can see the dust spots, too. I shot this at f/8, and that's enough to make them come up as little round shadows. Thanks for visiting!

Thanks for your comments.

Stunning. What an interesting effect you achieved with the dark bands to the right and left. I've never seen this before and it is most memorable.

Great fun, this one. If only he (she?) went head-first! (Then it would be a 7/7).

Thank you for your critique

Spectacular. I can feel the warmth of the sun on my face. Thanks for sharing this!

Too tight, or just right?

Thanks for your critique!

Flowers make such attractive and willing subjects. Here's one I like.

Does it grab you?

This is a beautiful and unusual photograph. If I may ask, how did you get this painterly effect?

I'm new to the world of macro, and eager to explore. What do you

think? Minimalism or minimalism of ideas?

Looking up, from the base of an unspoiled gorge that runs through

Todoroki, a sleepy suburb of Tokyo.

I've heard from people who make it their business to photograph Mt.

Fuji that that every day holds a new promise for something special--

it all depends on the weather. On the one day I was there for

sunrise, the air was crystal-clear, and an lovely alphenglow

illuminated Fuji and the Japanese Alps in the distance. I shot this

on 6x7, and then cropped to create this panorama.

Gorgeous colors, what a place! Since all the interest is in the background, I wonder if you could get more impact by cutting out a panorama, effectively turning the distant building on the left into the subject and the mountains and sky as its setting?

On Saturday afternoons, the Ginza, one of Tokyo's major shopping and

nightlife districts, is closed to traffic, and families like this one

go to town. While the cultural cues are obvious to Japanese viewers,

I'm interested in finding out how universally this picture conveys a

sense of place and time as a memory of childhood.

This little known spot not far from trendy Harajuku and Aoyama offers

a splendid escape from the hustle and noise of Tokyo. It belongs to

the Nezu museum, to whom you must pay an exhibit entrance fee to see

the garden. Inevitably, the museum is empty; visitors go straight for

the garden and skip the art.