t37traveler

Thank you Larry. This is actually the kind of photography I really enjoy - honing in on elements of a larger subject.

Thank you Pierre.  Cardinals are wonderful birds to photograph; they almost always look angry. I think maybe he is annoyed because the squirrel is offering him a metal acorn.  : )

Larry - Thank you for the comments. Yeah, black powder muskets  do put out a bit of smoke. This was indeed a Revolutionary War reenactment - the Battle of Guilford Courthouse near Greensboro, NC. Getting the fiery shot blazing from the barrel of a gun or the flash in the pan as the powder ignites on a gun is  kind of a holy grail of reenactment photography; getting both in the same photograph is dumb luck and a dream realized. 

I was at an American Revolutionary War reenactment preparing to

photograph other foods and bowls on a table when suddenly one of the

reenact ors came up and started slicing the chunk of bread. It was

frame/focus/shoot in a matter of 2 or 3 seconds - truly a grab shot using

my 105mm macro lens. Comments/suggestions appreciated.

I've been shooting birds in my "feeder garden" this spring and caught this

shot of a Cardinal perched on the whimsical feeder. Just as I snapped the

shutter a gust of wind came along and blew the bird's crest up even higher

that it had been raised. Hope it brings you a chuckle; any comments are

appreciated.

Natural light outdoors. Photo is not cropped, but was intended as a portrait.

Comments or suggestions would be appreciated - I don't do much

portraiture.

Fascinating abstract! I love the rich colors and superimposition of angles and shapes.  I could hang this one on my wall.  Very well done.

I really like this abstract. Very interesting shapes, textures and colors.

Nice image with good leading lines and spot of bright color… the lighting is a little flat which detracts from the impact the photo could have. Maybe a little playing with sliders in LR?

Tony, I was scrolling through your photos, saw this and simply gasped, "OMG." This is exquisite. Black and white, light and dark, riveting diagonals and triangles that lead the imagination to try ever harder to put a name on what the eyes see. My first impression was the open beak of a giant bird! I would hang this on my wall in a heartbeat!

This is fantastic…. I love the overall simplicity of the composition that leaves the eye free to wander the diagonals of frozen drifts dusted  by blowing snow. What draws my eye to the top of the photo is the lure of the warm gold tones leading me ever farther from the icy white chill of winter. My eyes seek sun on warm sand. Will I find it just beyond the edge?   

Simple and ethereal… stripped of everything non-essential… Mother Nature in her rawest beauty. Simply beautifully done, Tony!

Tony and Chalres - 

Thank you both so much for your comments. Tony, I am.. simply...blown away by your high praise.  

I took this at one of my favorite locations for photography - the North Carolina Museum of Art which is about 15 minutes from my house. That place is a festival of photo ops. I went out there a couple of times and just sat, walked, waited, took all kinds of photos in the entry corridor.  This one is my favorite. I will be going back for more shots…. again and again.

To Tony and Larry - 

Thank you both for your comments; I really do appreciate them! 

@Tony - Yes, there is a lot going on… I had my doubts about how busy would be too busy, did it add or detract, etc. etc., but figured I'd put it "out there" for comment.  I do have another image, but I didn't want to put them up together and get "cross-contamination" affecting any comments.

@ Larry - This is a single photo with a textured backgrounded added as a layer,. The trees and the monuments and clouds (mostly obscured by the layered BG) is a single photo and a view not often seen. And yes, there is a message conveyed thru the juxtaposition of these two monuments, the fresh spring buds on the trees near the MLK memorial, the clouds and crackled background….. I was hoping to just keep the viewer engaged and looking long enough to begin thinking beyond the image. 

Talk about leading lines! Wow! This is what I call an architectural abstract because it can be interpreted in so many ways…. great use of angles, repetition of pattern and a simple complimentary color palette of predominantly orange and purple hues. Well seen and beautifully executed!

Stunning light and soft colors.Lots of textures and contrast in a peaceful scene that is a joy to look at. Anyone would love to see  this from the backyard  or hang  the photo on the wall.  A beautiful capture!

Tony - I love the earth tone colors and textures  here. Very understated for you.. : )  The lines are amazing - it looks more like an abstract painting than a photo. 

To Larry and Tony - Thank you for both of your comments.  And I do need to make a small but large correction. In my initial comment I typed "pro-shoot" when I intended to type "pre-photo shoot." @ Larry - this was shot in the J. Raulston Arboretum. I actually live in the Southeast - NC to be exact.  : ) 

Stunning light and mood… stormy skies, agitated water and a rainbow…. I  love the rich autumn-hued trees stretching toward the rainbow… and the little strip of buildings (amusement park amid the stormy waters?)  echoing the tree colors is a real catch.  You've captured the colors, lighting and mode that I love to photograph. The intense green foliage in the lower right is competing a little too hard for my attention… it's pretty but perhaps a tad distracting, at least for my eye.

Hey Tony-

Thanks for the comments… loved them (and the humor). I have to admit to finding this on a pro-shoot scouting trip without my camera. I was looking for shadows and reflections… found this and a few other things, noted the time of day and came back 2 days later to photograph. It was a peaceful, purposeful experience. I'm glad someone else sees/feels what I did/do - I just sit back and "zen" into the photo.

It immediately reminded me of one of those scratch paintings I did as a kid in which I colored a  paper with different  bright colors, colored over them with solid black crayon, and finally scratched a drawing into it revealing the bright color below!  (I took a quick trip back in time…) When I first saw the thumbnail I thought it was an insect, but then I saw the large image with all those beautiful delicate details and discovered it was a plant. It is wonderful - colorful, whimsical!  It did what a good photo does - keep the viewer engaged and interested. : )

Comments appreciated. This is a digital alteration of an earlier "natural

abstract" submitted for comments. There are a couple of other versions in

my portfolio entitled "my Photographic Journey 2011-2013." Thanks for

your time and thoughts!

Wondering WHY I haven't seen this one before!   Color, light, motion blur, snowflakes and low clouds - this one has it all. I love the understated beauty and and strength in this composition.

Neon candy!  Nicely done...very effective use of color and pattern.   : )_

Michael, this is beautiful... simple and evocative of another era. and if you haven't already done so, you should go back with the new post processing technology nine yers later and try again. I'll bet you ditch the yellow cast now.  That said, a yellowish cast can be very mood-enhancing giving the look of an antique photo.