photogagog

What a powerful image! There's some discussion on whether he should be off-center. Typically, yes, but i think having the man in the center on this was the right decision. There is a beautiful balance in the photo. If you had him standing off-center, the image would be about the man in the environment but him in the center makes the image about the man. Fantastic. --PatrickD

Ha Naseer, Thanks for sharing. Wow! Great image. I love the stark contrast of the foreground to the mountains in the background. I was immediately drawn to the misty, almost dreamlike quality of the image. The woman in the center is perfectly framed by the wall. There is a beautiful leading line from the bottom right corner to the distant mountains. I absolutely love the overall dark exposure of the image. The only minor thing i would change would be the man on the motorcycle. He is just a bit too dark against the background and is lost a bit. You may want to dodge his exposure ever so slightly. --PatrickD

Hi Gianluigi, Thanks for sharing. Overall, i like this image. The balance, depth of field, exposure are great. I like how you've captured the texture of the wood on the barn. You typically don't see the wide angle distortion on these types of landscapes, but here it works well. I think it works especially due to the brightness of the scene, it gives the overall image an inviting and energetic feel. The only thing that may be distracting is the tree on the far right, It's has a natural lean to the left that magnifies the visual distortion; however, the tree in the background on the left balances it out a bit. I would maybe see what happens if you crop the tree on the right. --PatrickD

@Daniel Not saying that Dana's image is bad, but stating "Nothing to improve, it is a very nice shot" does her and everyone else a disservice. I would say that, maybe as many as .0000000000001% of all images have "nothing to improve." Your comment has wasted everyone's time and has not added to the discourse.

Hi Dana, Thanks for sharing. So there are some interesting things going on here. First I really like the color gradation from blue to yellow to pink, The starry highlights on the lamp posts are nice. I like the symmetry both vertically and horizontally. Your depth of field is very nice from fore to background. It's either evening or morning, so you've used a slightly longer exposure, good decision. How can you improve it? Overall the colors seem a bit muted, especially for the pier, maybe either darken or bring up the contrast on the lower half (but don't overblow the sky). The left side (this may be a limitation of the jpeg) the yellow is looking a bit too harsh, i think there's some tonality loss there due to gamut limits. The ocean is a bit "meh" for drama. Maybe next time try a much longer exposure to get kind of a milky look to it. Technically the image is good. However, and this is not meant to be an insult, the subject is a bit cliche. We've all done it, so i'm not casting any stones. I just did a google for Pt. Lonsdale Pier and found several similar vantage points and compositions. Maybe try to find a unique perspective. I think the real subject here is the colorful sky rather than the pier, a pano from the end of the pier may have been better subject wise. --PatrickD

Hi Rob, Thanks for sharing. if this is indeed your first attempt, you have a bright future ahead. I love the high-contrast and use of black negative space. Many people are afraid of the dark, i say embrace it. This is successful as abstract and landscape as well. There is a beautiful flow and interesting textures. I'm not sure if the foreground rock is optical-illusiony to make it seem soft focus or if in fact the focus may be too far in the background...odd depth of field. In the upper right, i would maybe dodge the first sweep as it is over-exposed just a hair...i think under is ok but over tends to be distracting (imho). I think this will make for a great print, just be careful about the gamut so that the blacks come out solid (no banding). --PatrickD

Hi Lee, Thanks for sharing. I like the sparseness of this photo and the rhythm that the shadows create. Minimizing the subject creates a nice mood of sadness/isolation. The exposure is really nice and the woman's expression is great. His expression is odd and it looks like his nose is crushed and askew against her face. His hand gestures are what brings the viewer in and reveals they are dancing rather than posing. There is one glaring issue: feet! i wish you hadn't cropped them just above the ankle. Normally i would say to crop higher to compensate, but i think you'd lose too much of the story if you did that. --PatrickD

Hi Aanji, Thanks for sharing. I like the organic forms to this. The depth is nice and i like the diagonal that flows from left to right. Overall a nicely executed abstract. I like the texture, but it seems to be lost in the high ISO grain. I would have liked have a smoother film look and let the natural texture of the snow come through. I think also that the upper-middle-left is just a hair over-exposed. I like that there's a small corner in the upper left that connect so you don't have total white. Overall, i don't think it would be bad to bring down the exposure just stop or maybe two, to bring out the forms. --PatrickD

Hi Jiri, Thanks for sharing. SO overall i think this is an excellent portrait. I like the seriousness of the her expression that plays well with the uniform but there is a definite femininity with the subtle way her mouth is opened. I really like that you've payed close attention to her makeup which looks professionally done. The framing is excellent and i like she's forward of center. A couple of things that could have been done to improve it a bit. The coat/shirt has a fold in it the front that could have been straitened out...i think if you had pulled the back tight a bit, it would have been a bit sharper. The top of her head is almost lost in the background, so maybe a hair light or raise the background light to help define the line. --PatrickD

Hi Andy, Thanks for sharing. I like the use of one light to create some shadows and highlight the texture. I also like the fact that it isn't completely vertical or horizontal in the frame. I really like the solid black background. I would suggest however cropping it a bit more symmetrical, from left to right mostly...i think it may be ok to be weighted heavier at the bottom. I think you've over exposed the upper left side. I'm assuming that the shell is laying on a table and you're shooting from above. I would maybe try moving the primary light a little higher to add some light to the opening and cranking the intensity down a bit OR move the light further away to create more dramatic shadows. You could also try elevating the shell from the background with something hidden by the body of the shell. Once off the table, you can add a secondary light to illuminate the shell from behind...much like a hair light in a portrait....that will help define the edges but still keep the background a nice solid black...it also may add a bit of an internal glow depending on how translucent the shell is. From underneath using acrylic stands (or a modified coat hanger) and museum wax are great ways to elevate, pose, and stabilize it for shooting. Also, you may get some great effects if you play around with some focus stacking...will allow you to get real close, lots of details. This image concept seems like it would be awesome as a 16x20 series. --PatrickD

Hi Aileen, Thanks for sharing. When i look at this image, i see three thing: 1) the birds in the top half; 2) the birds in the bottom half; and 3) The power lines. Unfortunately, the power lines are killing the effectiveness of the image and I don't think there's much to work with, though i like the varied sizes/distances of the birds against the sky. However, the top portion, the birds are more uniformly distributed and are more recognizable and therefore (i think) more pleasing to the eye. I think that if you did some cropping from the bottom to just above the power lines, you may have a much more powerful (no pun intended) image. Although the image is naturally monochromatic which typically screams to convert to Black and White, i think the overall grey/blue hue enhances the emotional impact of the image. I also like the under exposure which sets the mood. The exposure falls off to the right, so maybe you could first try to balance it out across the whole image and then add a vignette to make it more "artsy." --PatrickD

Hi Miroslav, I won't be the only one to say this, but holy cow, that sky is absolutely amazing! Please tell me that it is not photoshopped in. Assuming it isn't pshopped, i must say that i think this is a very dramatic image. I always love panoramics, so have some bias. I like the exposure of the building, but think maybe you could use just a bit of contrast on it and bump some minor exposure, it fades towards the right. I know you're shooting against the light on the right causing a natural darkening on that side of the image, but you may want to dodge the trees just a bit, they seem a just a bit under exposed....i'd like to see some of the details similar to the trees on the left. I like the fact that you've captured the tops of the trees (so often people cut those) and the rhythm of the tree/building line against the sky. The mix of rebellious sense of graffiti pares well with the angry sky. Overall a nicely balanced image with some very dynamic action going on. Minor observation: I'm ok with copyright watermarks in general, but the location and intensity on this image interferes with the image...i would maybe put some transparency on it and move it to the right. --PatrickD

Hi R A, Nice to see a fellow pano'er. I'll critique this one, but wanted to ask a question or two (i don't get to chat with other pano photogs). I noticed that this is much closer to the 6x17 than most folks shoot at. Was that your intent? What are the final dimensions? I didn't see what equipment you're using, i'd be interested to know if you're stitching multiple or cropping down for the pan.

Hi Jorge, Thanks for sharing. Though you've categorized this as "abstract" there is no question as to what it is. I really like your decision to take what could have been a very cliche horse picture of the zebra and brought it down to what uniquely makes a zebra a zebra. I like the symmetry of it and the balance created by the slightly offset vertical hair line. So, compositionally i think you've done an excellent job. But the problem i'm having with this image is the visual quality. I'm not sure if you've over-applied a PShop filter or if you've cropped/zoomed too far, but the net result is not visually pleasing. I think because it is so recognizable as a known object (a zebra), the viewer subconsciously knows what the clarity should be. The hair of the mane is blurry and there are some noticeable artifacts in the white stripes that look less like natural grain and more like technical issues. I think that you could also play a bit more with masking for contrast to boost the whites and darken the blacks. --PatrickD

Hi Jim, Thanks for sharing. So your question is to the composition. For me, a primary purpose for composition is to tell the viewer what to look at. What is the story or intent of the image. The issue with this image is that i don't think you've got a clear message for the viewer. There isn't a primary visual clue to say: "look at these column details", "look at the way the architect complimented the colors or forms with the environment" or "look at how the fauna and man-made connect/contrast". So how could you improve this image to have more clear vision? First, i think if you had shot a bit wider (and from a higher vantage point), we could get more contextual clues as the building's purpose. However, I think the details on this are much more interesting. The two foremost columns on the right should be the visual focus point so first thing would be to crop away all that does not add to the image (the fauna on the bottom and the background columns on the left...this would make it more portrait orientation. The next thing i would do is sharpen it. There is a lot of texture and detail on the columns, but they are a bit lost. The overall focus is too soft, there's no crisp landing point for the eye to start or be directed towards. If you had been standing closer and used a much lower aperture, you could have used a shallow depth of field to separate the foreground from the background with bokeh. Also, the colors seem to be muted that also takes away from the form. I wasn't the first to say it, but have often repeated it: "in photography, color is about color. Black and white is about everything else." This image is (in not a negative way) nearly monochromatic, to highlight the forms, it may be better to go all-in and subtract all color. Finally, i would work on the exposure, i think that if you looked at the histogram, you'd see that there is very little information on the left and right of the scale. Try playing with Levels or Curves to increase the dynamic range of the image. I hope this helps! --PatrickD

Hi Miroslav, Thanks for sharing. I think this is a great shot. The exposure is spot-on and i'm assuming was quite difficult to achieve. It would have been so easy to make this symmetrical by placing the main door totally mid-image and I'm glad you didn't; offsetting it just slightly to the left and then showing the window and light on the wall on the far right is excellent. I love the darkness of the foreground and the way you've emphasized the floor, giving insight into the architectural space. Having people in architectural images is always a tricky proposition and you've made some excellent decisions here. I love that the little boy/girl is in the light, but only wish you had waited for him/her to take a half step more so that they are framed in the door...then again i could be wrong. The only other minor thing i would consider is cropping in just a bit on the left side; just up to covering the vertical seam in the wall. Overall, when i look at this image, i am transported to the space and can imagine the sounds and feel the atmosphere. There are many layers of story here and it compels the viewer to study it. This is an awesome image. --PatrickD

Hi Jorge, Thanks for sharing. I think you've done a great job at capturing the soft lines of a rigid structure. I like the dynamic perspective that makes this almost abstract. I think the upper left may be a bit too under exposed. I also think i'd either like to see the column on the right either excluded or included so that you can see the base of it...just an opinion. It's hard to tell from the web image size as to the depth of field, but it looks like you've got some good focus from front to back. You may want to bump up the contrast just a bit to bring out the texture in the stone blocks. --PatrickD

Hey, you should submit this for the current Photo.net contest. The theme is Symmetry.

Hi Tom, I'm really seeing some of Cartier-Bresson influence in your street image. You've definitely got the eye for the Decisive Moment. This one, for me, was very reminiscent of Henri's...

Hi Tom, Thanks for sharing! I really like the way this plays with the brain. I love that you've flipped it and created a whimsical image. It is really helped with the reflection being in such sharp focus and the actual subject being blurred. I think you could possible crop the top third and maybe the right to remove some of the negative space and make a more impactful image. --PatrickD

Hi George, Thanks for sharing. So I really like the composition and the decision to go Black & White. I would have like it to be a little more off-center (push the tree to the left). I really like the exposure of the tree's blooms and the dog's fur. I think there may be something odd going on in post production or conversion to jpeg OR you've added some Gaussian blur to the edges or over-sharpened the tree that gives the grass a weird and inconsistent texture. If you correct that, it would be a much better image. --PatrickD

Hi AJ, Overall, i like the concept and think you did a good job at executing it. One thing that i think may be a distraction is the stem. It looks awkward where it meets the "water." Rather than coming out of the water, it seems that it's leaning up against the water's edge. I think if you created some minor reflection beyond the harsh demarcation of the waters edge, maybe subtly extend it into the distance, or added a slight curvature to the seam where the water meets the stem OR brought the flower down so that it looks like it's partially submerged it would give it a more "natural" rather than manufactured feel. --PatrickD

Part of the clown makeup process is ensuring greasepaint doesn't smear by applying talcum powder which can be a messy process. Here, Molly Anne goes outside to powder puff. What i liked about this image is the almost religious tone, like someone taking communion. These performers are not unlike missionaries, humor their religion, pushing out into the world looking for converts. PLEASE, critique/comment on the photography. (If you don't like clowns, no need to share your prejudice in this forum) Thank you!