mrraz

The wine and glass are excellent as far as the lighting goes. You might find that a closer arrangement works a bit better. The whole shot seems to be very loose as far as the composition goes. The only reason that makes sense to me for this arrangement is the location of type blocks for a brochure. I have to agree about the flowers in the BG. They draw the eye away from the focal point. Lowering the BG light level would tone the BG down, so this would not be so obvious. The bright spot behind the candle is another place that needs to be adjusted. It disrupts the tonal flow across the far BG. You got the right idea, but there's some refining that needs to be done.

There's a quality to this shot that I find attractive. The use of a frame that is actually part of the image makes for a stronger composition, but you might consider about half the top between the frame edge and the point. It does suffer from being shot by a cell phone. It has a soft feel that takes something away from its impact, and it's very contrasty. Still you've captured a well composed image with the equipment at hand. Nice work.

The stairway inside the Ponce Inlet Light House is distinctive. You've captured it with a great deal of detail, and the color is beautiful. The only possible improvement I might suggest is maybe moving the top off center a bit. Very nice work.

Had you not cut off the foot, this would be fine as presented. You might also consider cropping the top to just above the reflections in the window. It will tighten the composition just a bit. The monotone red takes away some of the emotional impact this shot has naturally. I'd have left it in B&W. A little too stylized for my taste, but still nicely captured.

While the nude is rather nicely accomplished as far as composition, lighting and pose go, the light stand and other studio stuff on the lower left of the frame just don't seem to add to the shot. You might consider cloning that out. Then you might find a more finished image.

I have a guilty pleasure that involves storm clouds, so this image is very attractive. The range of color is seductive going from light to dark. It's well composed and finely balanced. A superior natural image.

I'm not a big fan of digital manipulations, but this is just an amazing image. The colors are surreal and intense. This I can see hanging on my wall. An eye popper.

A great use of shadows makes this a startling image that draws the viewer into the frame and holds them. There is one small item that keeps drawing my eye. The frame you've used appears to be tangent to the edge of the window sill. Had there been a bit more overlap or a small space between them, this image would be just about perfect. Very nice work.

Simple, minimal, and clean are the hallmarks of this shot. The color is muted and elegant. A cliche' turned to art. Beautiful work.

It would be nice to see a bit more density in the sky, but this is a very unique view of this church. The composition very strong and keeps the eye totally within the image. Fine work.

This is beautiful work. You've capture this portrait with great strength and character from an unorthodox point of view. Your processing shows finesse and purpose realized in a truly dynamic image. Kudos!

The tonality is very impressive. IR always provides an interesting variation on the grey scale. I do wish you had taken the time to clone out the wires and pole. Their presence is very visually disruptive to an otherwise outstanding image. Nice work.

Fine composition, excellent tonal range and beautiful sense of depth make this a very attractive landscape image. Very fine work.

You've chosen a very challenging and spectacular subject for your first HDR. You might consider a bit more gradient mapping for this shot. There is still a bit too much range from light to dark. A little more evenness would be a real help.

 

The composition would be enhanced, I feel, by providing a bit more space on the right. There is a tightness that is distracting and places the marble columns too centered in the frame. There is also an issue with the multiple image registration. There are places in the frame that don't look OOF as much as double imaged. A very good start.

Circular stairways are some of the most difficult shots to accomplish. While I don't mind the vertical format, I think it leaves the composition compromised requiring some cropping that doesn't work well. By clipping the railing on the lower right, I feel you trimmed a necessary part of the composition. Had you widened the frame to include that section of railing, I think this might have been a stronger visual statement. I do find the DOF, lighting and tone of this shot to be very well chosen.

 

This would be an ideal location to shoot some experimental work. I can see a large number of opportunities in which to test ones skills. Maybe this has to come down to photographer's choice. Nice work.

It could still use a little more contrast. The tighter composition has increased the feeling of flatness. You might have gone too tight, but I like the image. It says wall now.

There is a beautiful Dutch painting feel to this image. It's one of those that might make a fine post card. It's a little centered horizontally, but it almost doesn't matter. Crop the FG just a bit to remove the very closest rock, and it will be almost perfect. Very fine work.

I do like fireworks, and this is a nice capture! You might consider cropping the black on the right side by about 60 to 70%. I think you'll realize a much stronger composition. Fine work.

Aside from the softness this is a very well accomplished shot. You might consider a version with the perspective corrected. The color and exposure really compliment the subject. Good work.

I have no problems with the technical parts of this shot. The composition, color and lighting are all excellent. However, since this for a catalogue, there are some styling issues that might have been better. I'm speaking about the wrinkles along the model's back starting just above her waist going down to the fold back of the skirt. My eye goes straight to that area. It disrupts the natural flow of the of the dress. Otherwise, excellent work.

I've looked at this shot for almost a minute trying to figure out why it doesn't work for me. First of all I think there is just too much going on with no point for the eye to come to rest. This is the kind of shot that really needs less to be better. The two FG figures are clearly the focal point but get lost somewhat in all the BG color.

 

Were this my shot I would crop the right through the right void starting just behind the FG figures right foot. I would then crop the the left, so the two outside figures were removed. This would place the frame edge through the middle of the blue flag. Finally, I would crop the top through the middle of the yellow strip of the FG flag.

 

I feel this will tighten the composition enough to create a focal point. In a perfect world you would have had a better location from which to shot allowing you to get some CUs of the action.

This is another excellent shot with perfect composition and tones. I know the lips are the focal point, but you've let the eye go just soft enough to be noticeable in a way that disrupts the visual flow of this image. Fine work.

This is the kind of shot that needs maybe a diagonal presentation of the bloom. If the stem were coming out of the upper or lower right corner, the composition would have a more dynamic feel. You might also try to get a bit more light into the shadow areas using a small hand held reflector like a small piece of white paper. It would provide some detail and shape. A nice start.

I have to say this is certainly an interesting Heron shot just for the context. I've seen them in some unusual places, but this is a first. You've managed to capture a rare and unique image. If there was one thing that I feel might improve it, It would be the BG contrast. The bricks in the wall come across as a might flat even with the softness. Very nice work.

Although this shot is well captured, I feel your PP has given it a feeling of unreality. It's difficult for me to put this into words, so please bare with me. It has a soft quality that seems to drawn way from the sharpness that is obviously there. It also seems to be maybe a little over-saturated. It's a well done shot that you might have taken just a bit too far in post processing.