espector

What a lovely image--two in one, really:  a nice documentary shot as well as a wonderful portrait.  This image works so well, I think, because you made the effort to be at eye level with the child.  What a difference that makes!  (I have a slight pet peeve about photos of children that are taken from adult height.)   Her expression is so direct and sweetly serious--almost plaintive--and she is utterly captivating in her pose, manner and dress.   There are other elements, though, that make the shot even better:  the way her mom (I presume) is gently holding on to her by the end of her braid, and how we get to see the chubby little leg of her sibling (?) dangling there in the upper left corner.  The colors are lovely too, such vibrant reds, blues and greens.  I'm so glad you left space around the little girl for all the other elements and for the context of the larger scene.   You've managed to still have her  stand out among what could have been an overly chaotic background.  The fact that her face is the only one visible really helps--great timing and framing on your part! 

I was just scrolling through the Images for Critique for the 3rd time, lamenting how I couldn't find a single image that actually *said* something, or made me react with any emotion, and then I came across this one!  I laughed out loud, and still have a smile on my face after looking at it for some minutes.  The absolutely grown-up mannerisms of these 3 boys would make for an enjoyable shot without any other elements, but the pacifier (and some more subtle elements) elevate this to a whole different level!  That pacifier looks kind of  like a cigarette that is in danger of falling out while the kid emphatically tries to get his point across.  (But I get the feeling that he is so adept at managing it that the pacifier really isn't in danger of going anywhere, LOL.)  The body language of the other boys (esp. the one on the far left) is clear as can be; I can almost hear their conversation if I listen closely enough.  I also love the fact that the boys are all standing on the concrete ledge, as if to make up for their (probably acutely self-perceived) lack of height.  And then I notice another fascinating detail--that the 2 boys in dark jackets appear to be twins--dressed identically down to their Ralph Lauren Polo plaid sneakers.  I also like the way this isn't shot *too* tight, and that we can see a bit of their environment, including a sign in the shop window with Hebrew writing, and also the woman gazing out from that same shop.   The whole thing is just so satisfying and complete; nice conversion, too, with a classic, unforced feeling.  What a great image, the best I've seen in some time.

I'm very glad for the exchange of ideas on this image.  One never knows how a critique (no matter how honest or well-intentioned) is going to be received on the internet, and I greatly appreciate your response.   I understand exactly what you are saying about an image serving as a personal outlet (vs. an image created expressly for outside audience, i.e., for sale).   It's too bad that the exposure of images here is so transitory, as you say.  Thanks again for the conversation about this one. 

This is one of those images that is so enjoyable for its understated but strangely captivating elements.  It doesn't hit you over the head with its content or processing (thank goodness for that); rather, its charm sort of creeps up on you silently as you take in all the details and subtle tones.  I like that tonality very much--the warmth, the slight "flatness" of the tone curve, evident especially in the shadows in the lower LH corner.  The composition is very strong, too, with a pleasing placement of lines and of light/dark shapes.  The arc formed by the front-most tree makes the composition for me--a sort of renegade, non-conformist branch that breaks up the preponderance of straight lines with its sweeping curve and that also forms such a beautiful frame for the rest of the tree trunks.  This is a photo I could easily look at for a long time without growing tired of it.  A quiet but very compelling image.

Oh, I love those eyes, those alert ears, the mischievous smile, the body slightly tensed as if ready to spring back into action!  The conversion and tonality are lovely, especially the areas of black blacks and very white (but not blown) whites against the softer mid-tones of the grasses.   Sharpness?  Detail?  Who cares?  IMO this is a wonderful image, the success of which has nothing to do with such technical details (or, let's say, is not diminished by those technical aspects); its success has everything to do with pose, personality, lighting, conversion.  All those things that make *any* portrait successful, at least in my book.  I doubt that I could enjoy this any more if I could distinguish every pore on the dog's nose, LOL.  (Heck, maybe I'd even enjoy it less.  :-) )

The thumbnail drew me in immediately--I love the colors, concept, and 3-D qualities of this one!  It has a sort of creepy fairy-tale feeling that is quite enjoyable.  The quirky colors and skewed angles fit the concept very well, and I find myself making up interesting stories to go along with the scene. 

I'm a bit distracted, though, by the fairly obvious cloning and flipping (with a bit of stretching/warping) going on at the base of the doorway frame and the nearby floor; the resulting effect is perhaps appropriately surreal but I think it might work better if some extra care had been taken to make the work less obvious.  Once I noticed all of the little cloned/flipped details in the lower portion of the image, I couldn't enjoy the rest of it.  :-(    (While I'm on that topic, the cherubs are even more disconcerting; they look completely pasted in and out of place, just floating in mid-air, with one obviously cloned and flipped from the other.  I know they are central to the idea of this image, given your choice of title, but my two cents--one cent?--is that the image might work better without them at all.) 

I hate to sound so negative.  I absolutely love the middle of the photo, with that wonderful pink light and view out the window.  If the balance of the image weren't so good, I wouldn't even bother to comment about the cloning distractions.  The quality of the rest of the image is good enough that I think it would be well worth the effort to clean things up a bit.  And I admit I may be in the minority when it comes to noticing and being bothered by such things.  (Note that it is *not* the manipulation I object to at all!  It is merely the lack of time and effort taken to make sure the results aren't so obvious (and therefore unnecessarily distracting).  As an analogy, I love immersing myself in the fantasy of a good motion picture, but I don't want to see evidence of the camera crew or lighting assistant in the corner of the frame, LOL.) 

BTW, I found this image when I linked to your portfolio from your lovely B&W photo, "Variety of Purposes."  I will try to comment on that one later.  Just glancing at your portfolio, I can tell you have some very accomplished images, and I'll definitely take the time to go through your work at a more leisurely pace when I get the opportunity! 

Thanks, Gamini, Pedro, Maurizio, Christal and Theo for viewing and commenting.  Christal, I really appreciate you taking the time to visit my portfolio!  And hi, Theo, always nice to hear from you.  I don't think you need any lessons, LOL.  I'm still taking notes every time I look at your portfolio.  :-) 

Thank you so much for looking and especially for commenting, Alon, Eduardo, H., and Tommy.  I'm glad that the colors and mood of this image convey the tranquility I felt when I was there.   This particular location isn't conventionally "beautiful" by most people's standards, but it is one of my favorite places to visit, with or without a camera.

The colors are just gorgeous--I love the quiet golds against the richness of the complementary blues.  Speaking of blues, the blue tones in that very striking, deep shadow make the image for me; that shadow adds wonderful drama and depth to the dunes and ties the foreground to the sky very nicely.  The tonal transition in the shadow is mesmerizing to me (i.e., where the tones blend from blue to gold on the LH side, almost like a painting).  The other thing I like very much are the sharply defined details in the sand that provide an essential contrast to the soft, amorphous shapes everywhere else.  And, finally, I love the lines in the composition, particularly the shadows and ridges in the dunes that lead my eye in a zig-zag path from the lower left corner right up to the apex of the dune.  This is an image with just the right mix of subtle/understated beauty and drama, very lovely.

I love the concept, and the execution is even better.  The lighting is absolutely gorgeous--perfect separation of the darkest (and almost identical) tones in the subject and background; that tonal control is breathtaking.  I also admire the way you've managed to make a "dark" and nearly monochromatic portrait look positively luminous and with a luscious depth of subtle colors.  The lighting is obviously very carefully thought out and controlled, without looking the least bit contrived.  Everything works in harmony as in a painting.  What an exceptional image.

One of the best portraits I've seen in a while.  It has all the elements of a beautiful painting (always the mark of a great image, in my book!).  The pose of the girl is lovely, almost poetic (love the hands especially and the tilt of her head), but the addition of the bunny elevates this to a whole different level.  The bunny truly seems to be watching, even mimicking the girl--it's such a sweet touch and manges not to look staged.  The simple background, soft lighting, and color scheme all do their part, too.  What a wonderful image.

Jessica,

I think this is lovely family portrait.  Your subjects' body language and facial expressions look genuinely relaxed and unforced--probably the hardest element to get right in a portrait and even more difficult when you have 4 people--and 2 kids--in one shot!  I don't have any problem with the highlights in the hair, given the strong morning (evening?) light.  My eye doesn't *expect* to see full detail in those areas with that kind of lighting.  What I would object to would be if any of the faces/skin had blown areas, but those areas look perfectly exposed.  The white shirts may be a little over-exposed around the shoulders, but I doubt the family would even notice a detail like that. 

The background looks good to me, too--out of focus enough to bring your subjects forward, but with enough detail to give a nice environmental element to the composition.  The colors are great--love the way the family's clothing is coordinated without being cliche (e.g., everyone in matching outfits that make them look like co-workers in uniform, LOL); the pink against the bright green of the trees is so lively and playful.

The only slight quibble I can come up with is that I might prefer to see a very slight crop from the RH side, to make the space to the right of the dad more similar to the space on the left hand side of the boy.  I agree somewhat about the cut off hands, too, though that aspect doesn't bother me too much--maybe because the little girl's hands are not cut off, and they are the most critical to the portrait. 

Overall, I think this is a very successful shot, and far better than a lot of family portraits I've seen from professionals.  The most important thing, I think, is that your subjects seem very much at ease with you as the photographer, and I can sense your own enthusiasm in the portrait. I'm sure they are very pleased with it!

A calm, foggy morning along the Texas Gulf coast.

Any comments appreciated.

Ruud and Isabelle:  Thank you very much for looking, and for your kind comments!

Any comments or feedback on this one are appreciated! Thanks for

looking.

I hope I didn't twist your arm, LOL, but I'm glad you kept the background and (more importantly) I'm glad that you have an image you are satisfied with now.   (I'd be quite happy if it were mine!)  I have a feeling that this dog will inspire many more wonderful pictures over the years.  :-)

First, what a wonderful portrait!  It grabbed me right from the thumbnail, and is a beautiful shot in so many respects, just as it is.  I absolutely love the pose, expression, lighting, and color; they all contribute to a sort of old-world painterly feel that is very special. 

Second, I disagree that there is nothing to be done about the background!  I quite like the background as it is, save for the distracting bright reflections.  The darkly lit scene fits very well with the idea I mentioned earlier, about this looking like an Old-World oil painting.  The background adds some subtle visual interest and depth to the image, as well as context (in that vein, I very much like the rope chew toy we can see hiding back there!).  I tend to prefer environmental portraits to those that are too clinical; the environmental ones are much harder to pull off I think, but are more rewarding when they succeed.

I took the liberty of playing with your image--just some quick and dirty changes that didn't take overly long.  If you want to work on your larger, original file, I could give you more details about what I did in case you want to try any of these things yourself.    The first iteration simply removed the distracting reflective bits.  I think this one is my favorite version, since I happen to like the background for the reasons I stated.  The next 2 iterations just darkened the background a little further, and the 4th and last iteration involved some cloning out of the chair legs and taking the background to full black. 

I don't know if any of these versions are what you had in mind, but thanks for letting me play with your image!  I think it's a beautiful portrait of a beautiful dog.  :-)

http://spector.smugmug.com/photos/i-RpxgPXf/0/S/i-RpxgPXf-S.jpg 

http://spector.smugmug.com/photos/i-r2vBHhg/0/S/i-r2vBHhg-S.jpg

http://spector.smugmug.com/photos/i-scx7KVf/0/S/i-scx7KVf-S.jpg

http://spector.smugmug.com/photos/i-57R54hg/0/S/i-57R54hg-S.jpg

P.S.  If you want to see larger versions, try the following link, where you can view the different images as small, medium, large and original.  The images are in an unlisted (not publicly visible) folder but I think the link will get you in directly; let me know if you want me to remove the images for any reason.

http://spector.smugmug.com/Other/Photo-Revisions/1642552_rcrJ5D

Elisabeth

The overall composition and colors pulled me in from the thumbnail and the larger image didn't disappoint at all!  I love the triad of deep navy blue, crimson red and olive green.  The colors are rich and somber, but the bits of reflected light bring the whole thing to life.  (My favorite bit of light is where the stem gracefully slips below the surface of the water).  The depth of field is perfect here, too, with all of the important parts in sufficient focus.  What a lovely image, almost poetic in its simplicity and beauty.

The tones are beautiful, and I really like her expression--completely at ease in front of the camera with an ever-so-slight air of impatience (love the subtle, almost quizzical arch of her left eyebrow).  The lighting is very nice, though I have to agree about the glow on the right hand side of her body.  That halo appears unnatural, conflicting with the other light cues in the rest of the image.  I would love to see that entire right hand area behind her body in the same dark slate color as found in the lower RH corner, with just a hint of tonal separation to keep her from melding completely with the background.  Just my two cents; it's a gorgeous portrait either way.

Absolutely gorgeous!  The colors are outstanding (reminds me of the 70s, LOL), but the composition is what keeps me mesmerized.  I just love looking back and forth between the in-focus butterfly in the foreground and the out-of-focus butterfly in the background.  It works very well to have them facing opposite directions.  The balance of positive and negative space is very pleasing, too, with every part of the image contributing to a "complete" and satisfying whole.   

Olivur, this is a bit out of my usual style for portraits, but I thought I'd try something a little different.  I'm happy that it works for you, and thanks very much for commenting. 

Olivur, LOL--that's very funny about the file name; I hadn't noticed that before!  I'm glad you like this one. 

Thanks for the comments, Gunnar.  I was very attracted by the triangle formed by the buildings in the foreground (with so many shapes and details to look at there!), with the Empire State Building at its apex.  I guess this view of Manhattan is a rather overdone subject for photography, but this picture is still a favorite of mine.  Appreciate you taking the time to leave your thoughts.