GBarrington

At least for this photo!  All the really good adjectives have been used and I refuse to use less appropriate words.  It IS dark and haunting, and it is precisely because the photo isn't 'beautiful' and well composed that makes it rather powerful. 

The tension between the beach umbrella, the . . . cabana(?), and the sky reflected on the water, make the viewer's eye restless.  The eye continues to move, unable to find the focal point increasing the sense of unease.

It makes me wonder, just WHAT am I seeing?  What is the story?  So many unanswered questions.

It reminds me of a ballerina's shoes.  Not sure how I feel about it though.

I find you as brilliant as you are insightful!  Thanks.

Eerie!  Definitely not the stairway to Heaven!  Someplace else, maybe.   I love unfinished sories!  And this is most definitely a story that has not yet come to an end!

Thank you for your kind words.  I find the prairie states to be very dramatic in nature.  And SO MANY photographers overlook them in favor of mountains, and beaches, and gritty street scenes and such.  I'm not sure why.

I've heard the prairie described as the Serengeti of North America.  I wonder if African photographers feel contempt for THEIR prairies.

Please comment . . . Thanks

Thanks

A lovely smile!  This candid makes me feel like I know the subject and regret that I don't know her at the same time!  Good job!

Also, have you noticed how the E500 is still the best when it comes to skintones?  I still like my E500 when it comes to candids.  Maybe it's the Kodak sensor.

 

Clearly a young woman satisfied and fulfilled with her shopping experience!

On a technical note, I think it might be cropped a bit too tight for my taste.  I think showing the woman in her environment (particularly if the environment is obviously some sort of shopping mall) might reinforce the satisfaction and help explain the look of fulfillment on her face.  In  general, I like subjects well placed in their environment, and I think the modern trend is to crop too tight.  Even so, this is a good capture.

 

What I like is the composition, and how the red napkin holders seem to pop out at the viewer!  I just noticed that the Napkin holder in roughly the middle is a little out of place, and I like this too.  The world just doesn't allow for complete uniformity!

And this photo proves a photographer is the equal of a stand up comedian when it comes to commenting on the absurdities of everyday life.  Good catch!

It reminds us that no matter how we isolate our subjects, they still have to go out into the real world!  However, if you DID want to soften the reflection a bit, you could suspend some 'butchers' wrapping paper or wax paper in front of the window.

Unfortunately not everyone has the taste, wisdom and photographic knowledge that you have!  Thanks for the kind words.

Superb color and composition

Cropped a little too tight in my opinion. I like to see the subjects in their environment, and I think you've taken away too much of that! Otherwise I quite like it!

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What do you think? Thanks for your response.

Besides, I think the car fits the theme perfectly!  The car, the flag, the wood, the name of the business. . .

Thanks for your input!

Thanks for viewing

The 'language' of imagry transcends genre.  It seems to me that you are locking yourself into some pretty rigid boundaries.  If my photo works at you like a sore tooth enough that you have to ask questions about it, then clearly you are responding to it on some level.

The fact that you are responding tells me you have it in you to respond appropriately. I bet you already have a photo that can respond to my photo. 'Genre' is irrelevant.

This is a color photo. . .

I know what I was trying to say. Communication is a 2 way street.  the sender sends a message, the reciever recieves it, interprets it, and then sends a response.  Using words to ask a question is unfair.  Send me a photo that seems like a reasonable response.

A photogenic town, Alton

VERY Interesting! However, I wish the foreground were a bit sharper. The 'fuzziness' of the trees and sky work well, but the lack of sharpness in the foreground works against the photo, I think.

New Salem, Illinois, but the river moved. They do that from time to time.