catherinevankempen

Hello all, this is one of my first and perhaps my last digitally

created image. I loved making it, I just dont know if Im cut out for

the fun fun world of ps. Should I stick to traditional photography or

should I keep plugging on and hope I may one day actually create a

passable image. Please be honest, I can take it. Thx, Catherine

Very very nice, can't think of anything else to say. Catherine

Hi Roy, looks like you added a bunch of stuff to your portfolio, I'll have to head over there later to take a closer look. I personally am most definitely not a portrait/formal/studio photographer. I like to mess around and see what happens. That being said there is one thing that strikes me in these pregnant images and it may seem like a detail but I think if you fix it they will seem a lot more natural. It is the shirt rolled/pushed up above her tummy. I am assuming you are doing this because she or you or both of you do not want to show her nude. Everyone may not agree with me on this but to me it makes it feel more like a snapshot. Maybe you could play around with scarves or a lot of photos I see of pregnant women use sheets to cover up the parts that they do not want to show but to still let us see the belly (beautiful belly by the way). Or maybe a pretty bra so the belly is still showing, the breasts are covered but the whole pose feels more natural. Just a thought. Is this your wife by the way. If she is, congratulations !!!!! Catherine

It seems you have a good eye, I like that you caught the lovely color combination of the snack and the flowers. the one thing you may be careful of is the use of Depth of Field. In some instances having an object in the foreground that is out of focus can add to your image, but usually I find it distracting, especially if it makes up a large part of the image. I don't know how much theory you know but if you were to close down your lens, this means you would shoot at a higher f-stop, the flowers in front may come into focus. Often it is a question of shooting a certain scene in many different ways and then deciding which one you like best. Good luck and keep on posting, this is the best hobby ever. Catherine

I dont know what I would advise you on, this is a wonderful image, great composition, I love the abstract value of it, even though I know exactly what it is. The colors are great, the lines just lead you round and round the frame ... if anything the only distracting part of this image that interrupts the flow are the lights but I am assuming there isn't much you can do about that. If you are a PS fiend you may be able to clone them out, Im not worried about the ones in the background, just maybe the ones in front. And if you do decide to clone stuff out you may want to get rid of the plane in the lower left corner, it doesn't bother me here but if you were ever to print this image in a very large format, for which I think this would be perfect, it may become more bothersome. Great work though, Catherine

I like the pose - contemplative, I like the composition - not too centered, and I even like the grain - it works well with the mood of the image but the one thing I would comment on is that it seems a little flat to me. A bit more contrast may help this image. Catherine

My first thought was ouch, great photo but ouch.

I love this image because it is of a very often photographed building that has been done over and over and over again but you managed to show it to me in a way I had never seen before. Bravo !!!! Honestly, I may not have known what it was had you not told me.

That is one creepy photo, at first I just saw her body and I thought it was a nude study but then I saw her face and especially her eyes and ... dumdumdum, well done. I love it when a photography makes me think one thing and then upon closer inspection its something else.

Very pretty, I love the surface she's on, it almost looks like she's floating on water. I know this is a minor detail, and please don't be offended but her nipple is slightly distracting to me. It is such a soft beautiful image. Pasties may have been in order here. Lovely pose, beautiful light, ... wonderful wonderful. Catherine

Hey guys, this is the last one I have for now, I need to get more of

the negs scanned. Any ideas where I can get 4x5's scanned without

breaking the bank? Oh yeah, if you have any thoughts or ideas bring

em on. Catherine

David, what a great idea and so much fun. I knew I liked your work. Catherine

One more out of the series ... I'll quit soon, I promise. Again, any

advice or ideas are welcome. Catherine

Infrared film or a photoshop trick? If its photoshop please tell me your secret. Like the contrast of the dark car with the blown out whites of the landscape, but then, I'm sure you knew that. It gives the image a creepy feel, I may be reading way to much into this but it reminds me of those movies where everyone disappears off the face of the earth and you're the only human left behind ... this is a scene you may happen upon while roaming the empty roads. Very nice, Catherine

Wow, what a beautiful place. Its so funny because while I was looking at this image I was physically craning my neck trying to look around the tree. I want to see the stand of trees in the midground but I wanted to see those mountains even more. A very interesting take on what could otherwise be just another landscape / ansel adams wannabe. I wonder what would happen if you crouched down really low and shot up, giving more of the mountains in the shot ...

Catherine

Hi Alexa, Do you mean how to fix it in photoshop or how to fix it if you were to have a chance to reshoot. If you can reshoot you may want to try some filters, I dont know, maybe a polarizing filter, I never did get very savvy about filters, but im sure someone on here could help you. If you're talking photoshop then that is way beyond my manipulation skills. I still struggle with removing a pimple on someone's nose ... If you are going the photoshop route you may want to consider cloning the blue writing in the foreground out somehow.

Good luck,

Catherine

 

Hi Andrew, I think I like this image. Its one of those that I almost feel like I shouldn't but I do anyways. I can't figure out if you ran a filter on this or if its levels or curves but I think it may be a bit too much for me. I can't recognize what's in the foreground and since it's so prominent it is distracting me. Same goes for the background, whatever is there must be important, if only because it is counterbalancing the object in the foreground, but I have no idea what it is. If I could even have a little bit more detail I think my attention would keep bouncing back and forth around the frame. No I just kind of give up if you know what I mean. That being said, if you meant for this to be more of an abstract then I obviously have no idea what I'm talking about and you can just shhh me away. Is it a leaf, an umbrella and a table or something. If it is an abstract than let me pass on this little pearl of wisdom. Someone once told me that for an abstract to be really successful you need to get to the point where people dont even care what it is, ... it should not become a game of guess the object, guess the body part, guess the place.

But like I said, you must have something going for you cause I still like, despite everything I just said. Happy Shooting, Catherine

Oh my gosh, I love this image. I've been wanting to do a series on early 20th century girlie shots/pornography forever and you may have just inspired me to do so. The light is lovely, you;ve done a wonderful job costuming ... The sepia works very well. Good job, I'm heading over to your portfolio since I think I caught a glance of some more of this stuff. Love it.

Catherine

Mark,

Thank you so much for your ideas. I think you are right on the money with your comment about that bright spot on the left side. I am definitely going to work on that. Thanks again,

I'm glad to know I'm not crazy, at least not in your eyes.

Catherine

Alright ya'll

I know there is a fine line between fine art photography and the other

categories, I guess this could be a still life too, still a little bit

clueless on how to categorize my images but here it is. What do you

think.

Thanks

Catherine

Hi all, I absolutely love this image and I dont know why. This is why

I would like some honest, tough love from you guys. Am I insane for

liking this. Thx, Catherine

Any ideas, thoughts, problems, comments are welcome. Thx, Catherine

Okay guys, at the risk of sounding like an idiot, what on earth is HDR? Pardon my ignorance ya'll but Im just a little missy from the sticks. Cat

Trying to master the art of landscape photography, any ideas would be

much appreciated. Thx, Catherine

I thought about the square format too, but I think the composition works well as it is. You could always give it a shot.

Catherine