kyle_m

I like the photo. I would like to see more of a David vs. Goliath effect by having the firemen framed more centrally as small "Davids" fighting the wall of flames. However, I'm sure your ability to control the content was, shall we say, limited.

You know, I agree with the confusion about the photo content (or lack thereof). For some reason though, people who see this like it and I was hoping someone could tell me why. Seems an ambiguous image at best.

Len,

After thinking more about your comment, I opened the file and did some work on a new layer and merged them together to compensate for the lack of detail. Any thoughts on the results? BTW, does anyone have a suggestion on how I might have retained detail in the highlights given the dramatic contrast? Palomar sits at the top of a mountain at about 5200' elevation. The UV filter didn't do enough to cut the blue thus the use (overuse) of the polarizer. Maybe I should try less polarizer with a graduated ND filter. Any thoughts? Thanks.

I do tend to agree with the composition comments. After looking at the photo, I want more of a very vertical frame with some green foliage at the bottom, the observatory at about the middle bottom third of the image, and a very blue linear expanse reaching toward the sky. Basically, a photographic nod to the use of the observatory rather than just a picture of a building. As for the exposure, I think you have identified my el cheapo flatbed scanner! The reflective scanning doesn't help the foliage or the dark sky at all.

The cow does appear to have drawn a line in the sand so to speak. Something about the face seems to regard the viewer as an interloper. I think the relative inability of a cow to hold it's head above the plane of the body makes them appear timid. The lower the photographic angle, the more the cow (or any other animal for that matter) will appear to be holding it's head up thus giving a more confident appearance. That's my experience anyway.

Is it my eyes, monitor, or the bird that has the magenta cast? Some color correction seems necessary for a better color balance. Just my 2 cents.

I used a polarizer to remove the harsh glare from the observatory

dome and ended up with the ink colored sky. The contrast, while nice,

certainly isn't what was there that day. Also, any thoughts as to how

the shadows might have been improved by waiting or taking the photo

earlier? Thanks.

I think this would be interesing as a long horizontal image. Keep the reflection in the water and crop out the top quarter to one-third and do the same at the bottom. Actually, a polarizer to remove the reflection (or digital edit after exposure) while keeping the shadow, then cropping to a panorama might be interesting. Just my 2 cents.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. This is the actual color

of the photograph which was exposed through a very thick glass viewing

wall at Seaworld in San Diego. I don't recall if I used a 28mm or

50mm for the shot. Having just done a behind the scene tour of the

facility, I had been allowed to touch the beluga whale in this photo.

The color is quite representative of the near freezing water

temperature.