erik_sven

Hello Paulo,

Interesting to see how many 3-rates you have obtained for "originality", although this picture is definitely different from the thousands of overprocessed landscape shots and the hundreds of overphotoshopped nude photos posted on Photo.Net.

Original idea and interesting high key presentation. I'm less sure, however, about the upper part of the photo. In spite of the parallelism with the horizontal lines of the lower part, I think it somehow "crushes" your composition. I personally would have left it out, but feel free to (dis)agree ;o).

Kind regards,

Erik

Hello Tricia,

Personally (and without knowing that place), I ask myself whether there weren't other and more original angles from which you could have taken this picture. To me, this rather looks like a mainstream postcard. Surely not bad, but not creating a "aha-effect" either.

On my screen, the picture also looks very bright, near to overexposure in the white tones. I think you could have opted for a shorter shutter time in order to give more "content" to the colours and to darken the shadows a little, what could have resulted in a crisper image.

Just my opinion, of course. Feel free to (dis)agree ;o)

Kind regards,

Erik

Hello Vladut,

Very well spotted and shown from a captivating angle, that underlines the oddness of the situation. Interesting depth of field and composition, in which the only disturbing element is your signature (I would have tried to place it elsewhere).

Kind regards,

Erik

Hello Hasan,

Appealing layered composition. The colours look natural and do justice to the atmosphere your photo conveys.

Kind regards,

Erik

I like the impressionist feel in this picture, thanks to the natural framing of your "model". Good depth of field and timing.

Though your composition looks coherent, I'm less sure about the partly missing hands (especially the left - right for us - hand). I've the feeling that you had some more "expressived potential" in that area of your picture.

Said this, nice work ;o)

Kind regards,

Erik

A spectacular sunset, indeed, Hanh. As you say, it has to be viewed in its large version: we then see that you did a good job on light management in quite dark and contrasted conditions (good detail in the white tones of the building and hardly any noise).

Said this, to me, you might have been the right person at the right time, but not at the right place. The setting (an unpersonal and interchangeable modern cityscape - in spite of the prominent building) did not help you to give this photo that little transcending touch that makes it pop out against the (too) numerous sunset shots that we can see on the web. We too much feel that you HAD to take this picture without having the time to choose a more original angle or composition. Maybe cropping the left half of the picture could help, but it would remain a rather mainstream image.

Just my personal view, of course, and I admit that it isn't easy to still find original angles for sunset or sunrise shots. So, do feel free to (dis)agree ;o).

Kind regards,

Erik

Hello Floriana,

This image goes beyond what we see. It somehow expresses a state of mind. The subdued grey tones, as well as the merging of water, sand and sky, enhance that mood. Clever placement of the person, with the interesting detail of the converging waterline and footprints.

Good compo and adequate choice for a square format.

Kind regards,

Erik

Hello Peter,

A textbook composition for this beautiful landscape. Everything fits. The colours look crisp and natural at the same time. As it should be. A well-balanced image throughout.

Kind regards,

Erik

Hello Rudolf,

The idea behind this "mise en scène", with the (formal) interaction between the small sculpture and the model, surely is interesting. I also think (without being a specialist in the matter) that your light management is technically very good: all colors, especially the white tones, are full of nuance.

Said this, to me, your picture looks both too explicit and too clean to really evoke emotions. Hard to discover more than what we see at the first glance. Paradoxically, your good light management, by revealing so much, also is responsible for that lack of mystery in my opinion.

Finally, I'm not 100 % sure whether the model felt confortable in that pose (but I understand you needed it like that) and I also have the feeling that she is too much aware of the presence of your camera, rather than of the presence of the sculpture behind her (see the look in her eyes).

Of course, this only is my very personal opinion. Do feel free to (dis)agree ;o)

Kind regards,

Erik

Hello Bjorn,

I like the apparent "randomness" of this shot, giving it the aura of a daily life picture. Yet your model is posing with grace and your composition is simple but subtle.

Like in another shot of yours, I'm not 100 % convinced about the hard white tones (I would have liked to see more detail in the right part of the table cloth), but the gradient of brightness (from the left towards the right) works well here, as it suggests the presence of the sun outdoors...

Finally, I like the grain in this picture, enhancing the vintage feel.

Kind regards,

Erik

Hello Laszlo,

A striking picture, of course, due to the colors, but to be 100 % honest, it does not really work for me. I don't know how the light really is in that area, but I have some difficulties to "believe" your color treatment. I mean: it does not look "logic" to me, but rather over the top and hence lacking real magic. As if the landscape and the sky did not belong to each other. Moreover, your postprocessing has created a blown-out white area in the upper right part of the picture (sky).

I also have some difficulties with sharpness: nothing really seems in focus. Due to HDR or to the amazingly wide aperture you used for a landscape picture (see the technical info you provided)?

Composition and the landscape itself ARE beautiful though.

Hope you don't mind my opinion. Feel free to (dis)agree ;o).

Kind regards,

Erik

Compelling interaction between the model and the objects surrounding her, Bjorn. It gives your image a strong mood and a certain suggestive power.

I'm just not sure about the rather strong contrasts and light, with the white tones looking rather blown-out on my screen (especially the food on the plate and also the right - left for us - arm). As I personally don't see what this feature adds to the mood of your picture (on the contrary, it somehow breaks the balance between the different elements), I would have opted for softer contrasts and more nuanced tones (shorter exposure?).

Just my personal view, of course. Feel free to (dis)agree ;o)

Kind regards,

Erik

A great landschape and a classic but very good composition, Paolo.

The colour boost (at least, I suppose) in the area of the rocky mountains gives an interesting, warm touch to the photo. Nice contrast with the dark tones of the forests.

I'm personally less keen on the sky: the blue looks a bit overdone to me, with a gradient that does not look natural in my opinion. I also think you oversharpened the photo. Consequence: a loss of detail in the sunlit rocks (in spite of the above-mentioned beaufitul light falling on them, their textures do not show clearly) + there are artefacts (pixels) visible around the mountain tops.

Just my personal opinion, of course. Feel free to (dis)agree ;o).

Kind regards,

Erik

Hello Kurt,

Whereas I DO like this kind of dept-of-field-experiments, I'm not convinced by the result you got here. The fact that each sharp flower is somehow "shadowed" by a blurred flower just behind or in front of it, prevents the sharp ones to really pop out and to make your image "legible". I'm not sure whether a wider aperture would have helped, as suggested above. I would rather have changed the point of view, in order to get as less juxtapositions of flowers as possible.

Colours and background bokeh are beautiful though.

Kind regards,

Erik

Hello Neven,

Whereas photographic rules would tell you to off-center your subject, I think the centered position of your model is very adequate here. To me, it underlines the innocent mood of your picture, rendered as well by the look of your model and by the flowers she seems to want to protect as if they were her favorite doll ;o).

Nice background bokeh, light and colours.

Kind regards,

Erik

Hello Brian,

The play of vertical (AND horizontal) lines really is striking in this photo, providing for a strong composition (enhanced by the zoom effect, I suppose) and with a good placement of the pedestrian.

I like the overall introvert atmosphere of this suburban shot.

If I had suggestions to make, I would have cropped +/- 1 cm from the right side of the photo, in order to get rid of the small triangular shadow on the street, as well as of the lamp posts, that don't really add something to your image in my opinion. I also think that this photo would work well in black & white.

Kind regards,

Erik

Great harmony. Subtle and poetic rendering of this sensual theme, thanks to an appropriate compo and focus.

Kind regards,

Erik

A truly interesting series, Yoss. Sensual in an introvert way. Difficult to appreciate if you only cast a quick glance on your picture.

A such, I think this is the most difficult one of the series, if you look at it as a mere individual photo.

I think I would have preferred to see a bit more on the top and a bit less on the bottom of the photo. Of course, I don't know whether the form of the tree trunk allowed you to do that. Maybe a bit more sharpness on the woman's body as well...

Anyway, suggestive and poetic work

Kind regards,

Erik

This is an exquisit spontaneous wedding shot, Deb. You certainly captured a special moment, perfectly expressing the joy and the optimism of the moment. The early morning light provides for subtle colours.

It took me some moments to get used to your 50/50 compo land/sky, but finally I think it works and, anyway, I don't see how to compose this image better.

I would have cloned out the spot (dust on you lense? bird?) in the sky though.

Kind regards,

Erik

Hello Mike,

I have to say I read Erich's critique before writing mine and must say I agree about the lady too explicitely looking in your lens. I think you had the potential to make the two persons interact much more if the lady's face had been a little more in profile. That would have suggested a story, making us, the viewers, wonder what is going on between those newly married. Why is there that distance between them: a sudden doubt? The fact of the man being out of focus (not too much, in my opinion) has that potential story in it. But now, due to the too straigthforward pose of the lady, you rather have a juxtaposition of the two models than a suggestive interaction between them.

Said this, I like your general composition and on my screen, the colours look vivid but not necessarily too hard (only a slight tendency towards overexposure in some areas of the lady's wedding dress).

Interesting and creative work...

Kind regards,

Erik

A cute photo, indeed, Dana. You achieved to capture an intense moment.

Good off-centered placement of the young model, giving space to the nice background bokeh (and, somehow, to the tender thoughts of the girl).

Two remarks, though:

The white fur of the rabbit looks overexposed on my screen + I would have softened the black spot just above the girl's head.

Just my personal opinion, of course. Feel free to (dis)agree ;o).

Kind regards,

Erik

Excellent "still life", Shane ;o)

Focus is were it should be, with the rest of the photo offering a suggestive soft focus. Interesting humoristic details as well.

Kind regards,

Erik

Hello Deb,

My sincere thoughts are that this is a delicious souvenir, with, above all, the priceless expression of the child.

Photographically spoken though, I'm less convinced. First of all, the flash caused dark, unaesthetic shadows behind the cake and the persons. It would have been better, I think, to adapt sensibility (high ISO), aperture (as large as possible) and shutter speed (as slow as possible) in order to avoid the use of the flash. Maybe you also would need a tripod then in order to avoid motion blur.

Secondly, I think it is a pitty that the hands of the parents are hidden by the cake. I would have tried a slightly different point of view in order to make them more visible. Thirdly, I think the point of view is quite "common". Was this the only possible angle you could take this photo from?

Of course, this only is my personal opinion. I hope you won't mind and, anyway: feel free to (dis)agree ;o)

Kind regards,

Erik

First of all, I like the link between text (title) and image, Jochen. But as such, the photo is a great achievement as well. Especially the tension created by the play of the wind in your model's hair on the one hand (movement towards the left + towards the landscape), and the direction in which your model is looking on the other hand (to something/one on the right, outside the frame). Consequently, there is more to this photo than meets the viewer's eye. Very suggestive...

Nice colours & depth of field too.

Kind regards,

Erik

An interesting and creative crop, Mike, making these foggy trees look like sculptures. Your composition creates depth, enhanced by the progressively fading colours of the trunks against the white background.

Maybe I would have preferred the extreme left side of the photo to be just a little simplier (less busy), but you don't choose these material circumstances, do you?

Kind regards,

Erik