michaelchristensen

I like this photo. It is indeed different in that this lighting is not what most people desire to use, yet, it is striking to see children photographed in such a manner in which there is such a seriousness.. as opposed to playful/carefree tone .. the eyes engage a viewer and the expression poses a question or makes a statement .. I can think of many commercial applications for such an image .. But I think I like it simply because most of us seldom view children with such seriousness and on the "same level" as this portrait implies .. we tend to look at children from a higher angle which makes them smaller, diminutive, and helpless ... seldom engaging them intellectually as this angle and lighting demand. I think it works as an image very well due to the youth/age of the subject and the smooth skin tones; with older children or young adults I think a similar photo would take on a more sinister implication and lose the appeal which innocence implies.

Beautiful girl.  A touch overexposed on the torso and the background is a bit distracting, but I like the pose and wish there was more texture in the hair partially covering the face.  I think your left light is a little hot; and the skin is too soft for this age of subject. Very nice composition/pose.

One of my favorite places to go. The Arch is to your back and you feel seemingly small standing on this high ground in the grass, just cropped enough to eliminate the busy street traffic. Although I been there many times I have never seen this buiilding without the US flag flying. Perhaps you shot this on a Sunday at about 11-12 am. Not sure but a good capture. By the way, it is 1 July 08 and the flood water has covered the road in front of the arch; the place with the 3 flag - overlook just down the steps from the Arch where a lot of people photograph the river, well the water is higher than the railing right now.

This is a captivating shot. Love the square frame. All the elements for a good photo at work here. I think the hair is the most difficult aspect to do right .. without the black blocking up and of course, the strands of hair looking real. Perhaps a little too much unsharp mask is used to smooth the skin .. certainly a judgement call, but while the face is perfect, the hand is less than real; probably an issue related to your depth of field.

 

Very pretty girl with good expression; like the way you've cropped this one. I wish for a little more light to bring out the neck area .. certainly nit-picking. I'd be very pleased with this capture.

Hi Ron, this is a tough shot to do .. I've tried it no less than three times on successive visits to the Botanical Garden .. especially with bright lighting like you have here. I've found I need a cloudy, preferably dramatic sky to reduce the contrast .. and of course, some patience .. good capture ..how do they clean it? .. and how did they get it up there?? Then again, I've seen it where there is harsh sunlight streaming through the glass and it looks again totally different .. this is good subject material. Nice.

 

 

Taken in Yosemite, May 2008. The light is harsh, but the scenery

fantastic.

An unknown photographer at Yosemite (May 2008) .. resides

somewhere in Sacramento. Anyone know him?

This photo has all the elements for success .. wonderful balance of color, slightly off-center composition, perfect expression of movement. I think the photoshopping is just a little over the top .. the out of focus area seems to be a product of post processing and not something created by the lens, so in that regard there are some elements that appear to be blurred by hand.

 

But overall this is really a good photograph that is both fun and facinating to look at. The degree of out of focus seems a bit harsh but it makes the motion appear to be faster than the speed I would expect these girls to be running.

 

A wonderfully compelling photograph, but the hands are out of focus .. the depth of field a little too shallow, although I like what it did to the background, I think you should have the hands in focus or select a different composition. But I really like this composition so I would have sacrificed the background and gone with a more generous depth of field.

 

A very good photograph that could have been made better. I do notice a bit of image fragmentation in some of the strands of hair as well as the makeup under the eyes ... these of course are minor issues which you can correct digitally.

I like both images ... the colors "pop" and the pose is good .. what's wrong with you guys?? Pretty girl .. should be enough

Shots like this are indeed compelling. Very feminine pose, masterful lighting, good texture in the dress. Perhaps the "boa" could be eliminated .. the photo is so strong as to not require that ornamentation. Would love to buy this one for my wall! Tell us more about the set-up .. just love it.

Great shot, love the feel of motion in this one. I would like to have more space in the direction of travel to give balance .. but everything else is wonderful and sweet.

There is just something about a 6X7 image that challenges the mind. This was not an easy shot. You've got the lighting just right, the motion blur of the water, the light & shadows make for a surreal effect. I won't comment on perspective, as obviously you didn't have a ladder to stand on, but what I see is breathtaking indeed. Great work. Thanks for sharing this one.

Great shot Margaret. I like how that road disappears before taking over the picture; and the colors are wonderful.

Nina, this is a great shot... how did you get so close? I've tried this a number of times, but the butterflies don't share my passion for photography. Super job!

She's a sweetheart! Love the composition of this one - maybe a slightly wider crop to include the hands would be better. But nicely executed.

Good seperation from the background; and the hair light is right on! A bit of shadow from the nose, but all in all well done.

Great lighting, beautiful model .. don't know about the rope around the feet - a bit distracting for a prop, but a well executed photograph. Thanks for sharing with us.

 

Brad, thanks for the translation .. saved me hours with my German dictionary :) .. and Jason, well, wax on brother!

What a perfect flower. Colors are right on. Try again with a little more of the stem/foilage. This is difficult to rate as it is such a common image, but the water droplets are indeed sharp. I'm inspired and I've seen lots of roses, but none as nice as this.

Critique requested.

An outstanding work of art. The pose and composition work well, as do the harsh coloring. Reminds me of the paintings from the "old masters" that you see in various galleries. The appeal strikes me as strictly European and it is masterfully done. On first look I thought it was an oil painting, but the description details the work otherwise. This is about as close to "painting with light" as one can achieve.

Agree on the perspective. This looks like a Mark 10 grenade launcher. The rounds should be about the size of 12oz. Coke can. About a 150-200 meter range with a 15-meter kill radius per round on target. I believe the Mark 10 throws about 200 of these a minute .. thought this was more used by ground troops in base defense or from tank and armored personnel carriers .. first time I've seen it employed on/near water. (?)

A very pretty girl. The shadow is distracting, but not overwhelming. Perhaps the use of a silver or white reflector to lighten the skin tone would work better; or even a daylight flash. I like the composition and monotone clothing. I would have liked a bit more glisten to her eyes perhaps, from a fill flash. Great shot, and a beautiful girl.

The reflections here are well minimized to give it an earthy feel. I've spent many days on the flightline with this aircraft and your photo brought back the feeling of the heat, thunder, and power of this baby - great shot.

Michael, good shot. I find the flag pole a little distracting and wish you had not cut off the hands. On composition perhaps looking out over the landscape would have worked a bit better as you've give 2/3's exposure to what's beyond the balcony. But perhaps you wanted to play with the shadows a bit -- in that case, I would have shifted the frame to just "you" as that appears to be the true subject. I like that you selected black and white for this candid -- it gives good feeling to the shot.