catherinevankempen

I wouldn't worry about, like I said, I was nitpicking and I still think it is a great image !!!!

I love it when people don't take themselves too seriously. A lot of fun and well executed. A perfect combination ! Catherine

Looks like a jelly fish. Wish the smoke ring was actually in focus. Would be cool if you could reshoot this, cropping out the lips and making sure the smoke ring is totally crisp. Make it more of an abstract. Catherine

Very cool idea. Almost wish I didn't know how you had done it since it takes some of the mystery away. Kind of like knowing how a magic trick is done ... That being said, the lighting is wonderful, I like how it goes from gray to black. The one thing I would say, and I am nitpicking here, I think I would either have moved the composition more off center or centered it perfectly. Either way, this is a cool image. Catherine.

Hey Vincenzo, thanks for taking the time to go check out my images and thanks for the nice comment on my Eiffel Tower shot. In my comment on your image I was just pointing out the difficulty of trying to do something new while taking photographs of monuments and architectural elements that have been shot by so many before us. I've never been to visit Lourdes even though I used to fly there often for work. Oh well, some day. Happy shooting. Catherine.

Very pretty. Is this some kind of alternative process or is it digital alteration? Regardless, it's very nice. Catherine

I like it this way. I wouldnt change it. Catherine

I know this sounds really dumb, but this totally reminds of that movie with Julia Roberts, Runaway Bride or something like that. This is too funny! I like it a lot!

Having just been to Paris and trying to capture the beauty of some of the monuments there, I have to applaud this one. I'm sure it's been done before, but it's still very nice. Catherine

and already growing a beard !!! Amazing. Just kidding ! This is very cute, nice detail.

Ah, to crop or not to crop ... that is the question. I guess it could go either way. I personally would probably try to crop it in, even though I think it works this way also. I think if you were to crop it tightly the main focus would become the legs, the hairdryer and the stuff going on in the mirror, which I think is more interesting than having the hallway in the image. As it is here it takes awhile to find the really interesting stuff and some viewers may have moved on before they get there. All that being said, the hallway does make a nice frame ... don't know if that helped much, but there you go. Catherine

Hey guys, thanks for your thoughts. I thought the sky was almost more impressive than the actual Eiffel Tower. That being said, I realize it is near impossible to shoot it in a way that has never been done before ! But, I figure if I don't try I'll never know. If nothing else I have a shot I like for myself !

This image caught my eye right off the bat. Though it is very busy and there is a whole lot there it is not overly so. Often times when I see or shoot abandoned and destroyed buildings there is so much 'junk' in the image it gets confusing. And though there is certainly a whole lot of debris in this one, for some reason, it is still very interesting. It feels as if there are 3 layers to this picture. On the bottom, is the part where nature has taken over, the plants and trees have invaded the structure. And then in the middle is the part that is still more or less free of the encroaching area and then the clouds on top. Very nice and I think it is this structure that makes this image so successful. It's not just a jumble of walls, and bricks, and junk, there is actually some order in the chaos. Also a kudos for keeping the post processing very subtle in a not so subtle way. Bravo. Catherine

Very nice capture, I really enjoy the contrast this image has. Maybe crop in a bit on the left? I think this may add some dynamics to the composition by putting the larger tree off to the side a bit and creating a diagonal.

I really like this image, mostly because of the energy is exudes. Not sure about the rings ... maybe if they were a little bit more subtle. For me they are a bit distracting. The energy between the woman and the little girl is, for me at least, the center point of this image and though I think I understand what you are doing with the circles, I'm not sure they are necessary. I think the movement in the hair and the way in which the image is framed is enough. Still a lovely capture of a wonderful moment. Cheers, Catherine

Hello, so this is a different take on the typical photo I take of my

son. What do you think? Any and all thoughts are welcome. Thanks,

Catherine.

Hey all, i'm new to this type of shooting, I think this is a pretty

cool shot but what do you guys think. I'm open to any kind of

critique! Thanks, Catherine.

Hi Michael,

 

Please don't misunderstand me, I am most definitely not "concerned" that you are doing anything wrong. I am talking about my own mental block. I have so many ideas that all involve my son, but for some reason I can't bring myself to create them.

 

I'm hoping I'll get over that at some point.

 

Cheers,

Catherine

 

I'm not saying I don't like, I'm just saying it's a very strange image ... and I guess I think that's kind of a compliment. The reason I say too weird is that I just don't really know how to critique it. I guess also, the fact that I have a little boy doesn't help since I have some serious issues using him in my stranger pieces which, let's face it, this is pretty strange!

Ha, I actually did correct the horizon a while ago and just forgot to repost the pic. Thanks for reminding me !

This is just too weird for me ...

Girl with the diamond earring ...

First of all ... thank you for using a 'real' woman, she is absolutely stunning !!! This image is very dark and foreboding. My first thought was ... oh great ... another soft porn image ! I'm glad I took the time to take a closer look. It really is very sad. I love the texture of the wall (?) behind her, the lighting is beautiful and again, your model is perfect ! Very nice. I wish I could see this image from closer, it looks like there are figures in the background, I see a face maybe?

I really like this idea but there is something not quite right that I can't put my finger on. I love the light on the back wall, it really brings out the texture of the wall. I am thinking there is something about the bars maybe ? I think they detract from the main focus of the composition, the beds and wall behind it. That being said, they do lend context, which I'm not sure if that is absolutely necessary since the beds and night table pretty much say it all. Since they are there I wish they were in focus and more evenly lit (the left side is much darker than the right). Another thing you may want to try is to even the lines out, it looks like you were shooting at an angle and it skews the lines of the bars. I'm pretty sure that would be an easy fix in photoshop. Overall, I like the image, just maybe tweak the bars and it will be very very cool! Happy shootings, Catherine. Cheery place by the way, is the Pennsylvania State Penitentiary?

Very very cool mask. I guess I'm not quite sure what you are trying to convey here. You have some very nice elements in this frame, I am just wondering if you would be able to tweak it to the point where it is telling me something more. One concern I have is the harsh shadow; I am not sure if it is intentional or not but here's my take on it ... I think you could have used the shadow as a compositional element (framing the mask within the shadow's lines for example). The way it is now I find it a bit distracting. I am also wondering if it would have helped to have the mask facing the camera ... Like I said, I can really see a lot of potential here and it really makes me want to play with this image. Maybe rearranging the elements surrounding the mask? You posted this under still life and that to me implies intent on the arrangement of the objects and I'm missing that here, it feels like you found this laying around somewhere and you just shot it right there and then. Happy shooting, Catherine.