edith_frederick

-- those who take the work of life in their hands.

I really like this photograph & in these times.

-- are expressed in your perfect timing. This is a beautiful executed & memorable photograph.

Congratulations - you have captured the essential uniqueness of this woman's presence in the world at this time. You have achieved the goal of fine portraiture. I think it is all the more difficult with beautiful women.

-- and sumptuously realized. You really have perfect pitch in the concepts you demontrate in your portfolio.  T.S. Eliot had a phrase for it - kind of eggheady - "objective correlative." I love the sense of ease with which you provide eye contact and not eye contact. When I saw this photo in thumbnail I thought the name would say something about yin/yang. But you leave it to the memorable image --  

Past, present & future are one. -- Albert Einstein. Congratulations to your subject on being so observant so young.  As many others have noted here, your concept execution is satisfying. I will try to upload another image from photo.net that expresses the same theme for me as decades: Autumn in Poland by Przemyslaw Kruk. Ah -- let me know if there is a way I could have resized this image to display online with only word-processing software & iPhoto --

This is a clarifying, stunning view of Machu Picchu that I have never seen before. Congratulations on making a world famous site your own and delivering new information and beauty to your fortunate viewers. Thank you.

This beautiful portrait drew me into your portfolio -- Here and in a few other portraits you have achieved an outstanding rich simplicity of naturally limited palette, natural light and natural expression that adds up to great iconic strength. In each case your composition is artful but always feels natural. This work is very memorable. Contratulations!

-- like the cross-section of a heart in form and color.  A wonderful photograph! Thank you for describing the setting.  

Ali, I came to photo.net today for an image to celebrate a special friend who is an archeologist living in a solar-powered earthship out on the mesa near Taos, New Mexico. This year, via satellite, she sent me an interview of Iran's President by Amy Goodman on Democracy Now.

 

Today I have enjoyed seeing beautiful Iran -- for the first time -- through your eyes.

 

In the spirit of your iconic photograph, I wish you happy holydays filled with warm light, lucid atmosphere, satisfying color and plenty of good company! ... then all is well.

 

And where I live, near Sun Valley, Idaho, it feels and looks like this ...

 

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=3197436

After the storm by Jim Fenton

 

Congratulations on photographing this innovative wedding series as grandly as the setting.

Your images capture the truly glorious, expansive scope of the concept. I can empathize because my explorer partner shared many of his favorite rare places in the world with me and my bliss and

gratitude to him is eternal.

 

Also from empathy, I think two things are missing in this series -- and I mention them only because they could easily be remedied in future sessions these photographs may inspire.

 

The first would be "sensible shoes" for the women, who seem to be struggling with their footing while the adequately shod men stroll along. I too have limped gingerly over rocky terraine in thin-soled satin slippers -- on the way from my car to a party in New Mexico, where yards of rough gravel seem to pass for landscaping. And the second would be a dress rehearsal -- held in a stand-in setting with rocky, uneven footing, wearing familiar evening attire rather than the unique wedding clothes. I think these images would be "even more perfect" if the people looked more at ease in the setting.

 

These two factors do affect the body language in a way that I cannot claim to fathom. My father was a great trekker as well as a great human being -- and in their ~65 years of marriage my mother never met a man she preferred to him. However, she was always really annoyed when he walked ahead of her for any reason!

 

 

... of the land and human-scale agriculture with this kind of fitting response to place are themes with emerging vitality in this decade. Sami, the vista you show us so skillfully here would indeed require a book to unpack the history and craftsmanship that have preserved it so beautiful throughout the changing weather and climates, both planetary and political. I hope that you will continue to photograph this theme wherever you have the opportunity and I will watch for more.

... for a raven. Joan, your composition, light and DOF here evokes the feeling of the awesome Grand Canyon habitat in a very pleasing way. I have enjoyed walking down the Kaibab trail where the views are vast and looking down on ravens flying in big interweaving circles -- calling in their primitive voices. And back up the Bright Angel trail where close-up geology is the more visual interest. Oh to be a raven flying in the Grand Canyon!

Danny, you have perfect pitch in this dynamic, asymmetrical play of contrasts in color, tone, texture, timelines, density & distance. Congratulations on envisioning & capturing such a refreshing image.

... of duress or of a lifetime of useful service. And its a fun twist on "To a hammer everything looks like a nail."

... the two tiny human figures carry or sign -- like the proverbial perfectly placed period. Your memorable composition and contrasts in the early light and mists make me want to see this scene 100% ephemeral and atmospheric before any burning or added blue. But your presentation here has held me for some time ...

Ginni, you have captured a lovely feeling between these two happy people

and this photo will be sweet to remember by ... Your soft, natural lighting under

the gazebo works well for this warm sharing.

 

In the future, you need to look beyond the moment -- sort of throw your eyes out

of focus and see what shows up in the background. You seem unaware even now

of the paler tree trunk his nose is visually touching. It makes his profile harder to read

within such soft tonal contrasts. In this setting and pose, if you moved slightly

to the left you could center the fountain subtly between them to echo their upwelling

of feeling and his profile would be shifted a few inches to the right into a darker

foliage contrast so it would be easier to read.

 

Or, you could experiment with toning the tree trunk darker in post processing one way

or another -- as I have done a few times to tone down distractions or even to create a

field for reverse type in a photo that carries ad text.

 

I would prefer a natural horizon -- she is already looking up to him -- and then the

duck swimming by could be fun since it's not too contrasty. The water is a good

symbol for flowing feelings and again, the soft tones are good together.

 

... when there are so many ways to be beautiful. Congratulations Jingna on your perfect composition of

this woman's exotic styling and on your capture of her perfect comfort in her skin. I enjoy your rich use of color, clarity and contrast. I admire the way her eyes are dreaming and alive without overlighting. She resembles the photo by your bio. If this is your self portrait, you may double my 7/7 for your double design forethought.

Steve, I have returned to your photograph several times this evening. Are these courting vultures? And you suggest they are thinking of dinner? Their whole body gesture of intimate communication is very expressive. That brings me back -- and especially in the exquisitely simple, almost oriental setting of this habitat and skyscape. The curves of the deadwood branches describe the curves of the birds' breasts. The angle of their perch branch is the same angle as their heads against the sky. The weight balance of dark and light branches echos and brackets the birds' plumage contrasts with great artistry and makes your image read as an energy-charged full frame. Your focus and DOF are excellent! and the detail to be seen in the light and dark feathers is informative and tactile. And finally, the array of their powerful talons up the perch branch is visually tactile. Congratulations on a great photograph!

 

Hmm. This photograph too "...has not been submitted to the Critique Forum and can not be rated." Perhaps that can be changed.

Steve, I really appreciate your photograph of the wonderfully versatile Cormorant.

You have captured the vitality of a beautiful creature in its element as I have never

seen before -- this semi-submerged swimming of a diving bird. The water is beautifully

reflective, serene and elemental. Your quiet composition with the ovals of ripples is

perfect and satisfying.

 

When I clicked the rate button I got the message "This photo has not been submitted to the Photo Critique Forum and is not ratable." Perhaps that can be changed.

Jose, your arresting image evokes the "amenity migration" that is literally gaining ground around the world. Google knows this phrase ... Congratulations on seeing so surreal in your beautiful, unmanipulated photograph and powerful composition. I see in your portfolio that you have used a long foreground in your bicycle and beach photographs so effectively that it creates a dynamic viewer entry into the scene, as it does here. Ken's thought to clone out the stop sign and radio tower could be satisfying for clearing the natural landscape, but the tentative communication foothold and the frailty of the stop sign also fit well with the play of forces in the big picture here.

 

Paal, there is a world of story and photographic skill in your image. I am in awe of all the life and art you have presented in this unmanipulated photograph. The variety of direct and indirect light sources is beautifully organized by the way you have captured cool light-to-dark hues paired with warm light-to-dark hues. Your enchanting composition is a wonderfully unique expression of the classic graphic-design school assignment of "variations on an expanding point." The expanding point you have created here with this real-life scene breathes both in and out. I will be back to study your portfolio at liesure.

 

Thank you Dusan. Some of us are willing it and working on it. I will be back this evening to study and enjoy your portfolio. Your documentary portrait work is outstanding. We have a kindred spirit there too, because I have always admired portraits that include expressive hands in a meaningful way. I have "collected" some previous documentary portraits on Photo.net that are composed with working-hands-forward. As you will understand, I am thrilled to find your artful, documentary hands-forward portraits.

Martin, your appealing macro gets me to thinking about storytelling because

you present this individual in its appealing home environment -- with greenery

& water, light & shade. Very well done in all respects! I have seen interesting photos of this insect

before, but at a greater distance. Here you show us beautiful color, shapely stripes,

velvety texture and -- thighs and shins!? I'll let you know what happens when he/she

shows up at storytelling time this evening.

 

Later ... the four year old artist in residence here dived into this micro-cosmic world with curiosity and empathy for quite some time. She said in summary, "Bugs can be boring and yukky ... but this one is beautiful!"

Ivan, you show us a wonderful convergence of preparedness, good fortune, good-eye, athletic timing, unmanipulated artful composition, resonant visuals for a thought-provoking concept -- and a witty title. Thank you!