blago

Beautiful picture, Aykan. Far more beautiful, than in the case a pretty lady is sitting on the chair. Regards. Blago

It's a nice picture, Peter, but you've included too many things in it, imo. Maybe, the statue on the left or the church on the right is enough. But, I suppose, it was not an easy take. Regards. Blago

I agree with previous comments. Well done, Dmitry. Looking formalistically it's a busy photo -- too many details. But they work together, creating a mood of soothing sadness, never mind so different and almost not connected. I like the dramatic sky tangled in wires, that single leaf on the foreground switching on the "Autumn Leaves" in my mind, the cracks on the ground echoing the naked branches, that enigmatic 33, and so on. The post processing enhanced the mood, for sure, though I'd try to "use" the grain in the original, too. Regards. Blago

Good. Following the suggestions above and slightly changing the tone. Better? Regards. Blago

Michael Chang

 

Michael, I'm not going to argue what's more important -- form or essence, craft or chance, science or art, eye or mind, common sense or emotion, and so on. All of them matter and all of them could be improved. Even the chance. (See, I'm going with a bear to the beach and the probability to frame it with a naked lady trying to photograph it is greatly increased. :-)) I like this picture. It brings to me visual pleasure, but I like far more the other picture because it offers me also a mental pleasure and (at least for me) such a combined impact is much stronger, than the beauty of the visual only. Regards. Blago

Pretty shot, indeed, but compare it to this one. That's the difference between a masterpiece (Wilson's work) and a simple decorative photo. Regards. Blago

If I knew what does "SPearS" mean? Any help? Regards. Blago

I agree with Hulki -- nice and difficult to take. Revealing magic of another and often underestimated art. I like the grain in it. Regards. Blago

Very nice shot, PT. Pleasing geometry, nice primary colors, and definite theme fit. The only thing that bothers me is the white line in the upper left corner. A tighter crop or even a square format (taking the lower part of the picture) could eliminate it increasing, in addition, the overall impact of the photo.

 

Was it a real game ? There're even hidden emotions behind this shot. One of the players is triumphing --the ball is inside the playing field, but the other one, hoping the ball is going out, is cursing his bad luck. Simple and strong idea.

 

 

Regards. Blago

Nice, unexpected, and moody shot. I'd tone down a little the brightest reflection at the bottom. Also lightening up a bit the folder on the top could ease the viewer's eye scanning the picture. Pipes are in place, imo, since they suggest the real dimensions (the height) of the place. Deleting pipes and the corner on the right could add mystery and drama to the photo (some lady hanged herself), but that's another story. :-) Regards. Blago

Really cool! Reminds me of "The Cube". Regards. Blago

Nice shot, Miles. Any of the four characters is playing a different part in the scene and they all are connected in some "chain" of life. Not only a slice of life, but "arranged" slice of life, if such a thing exists. Maybe, that's what I like the most in this photo.Starting from the boy under the haircut eager to free himself, through the barber doing his job, then the mother carefully monitoring the operation, and ending with the other boy, the "patient"'s older brother (?), writing something on the wall.

The last player is the most interesting to me. He's already got his haircut and now hiding behind his mother's back is doing wrong to the barber's telephone number. Or, at least, I'm pleasing myself thinking so. :-)

 

 

You know, Miles, when I'm writing a comment the picture I'm addressing is next to (in fact, under) the page I'm writing on, on the same screen. And here, after I wrote "Nice shot, Miles." , next to my page I saw Balaji's "nice..." comment on your picture, as if instructing me to make it short.:-) Regards. Blago

 

 

 

Clever picture, indeed. A dissection of a professional game.

All shown in a single picture: player, ball, net, referee, sponsors, advertisers, awards, and, of course, its majesty -- the public. The public supposed to be fed with "bread and entertainment". All in a single shot ! Well done, Paul. Regards. Blago

So refreshing and nice, Radovane! I believe it's not arranged, though the composition is suspiciously good. :-) Regards. Blago

You know, seeing a similar subject always brings me back to this photo.

 

That's how Josef Koudelka is depicting the invasion of the Soviet troops in Prague in 1968. A great PJ shot, never mind the poor technical quality.

 

 

I'm not going to compare this photo with the Koudelka's masterpiece but I cannot see the meaning of it. If there is nothing interesting to look at down there, then using the selective focus is a right decision. The pavement is pleasingly blurred. Maybe, we should know more about the place. "Sedemmilove", does it mean 7 mills? Bratislava, Slovakia, a part of the former Czechoslovakia, Prague, Koudelka... I'm giving up. :-) Regards. Blago

Yes, Eugenio, it's better. But it's better also to crop from the top. In the latter case you emphasize on the back boy's look. This crop, drawing attention to the eyes, is very popular in modern portrait photography. In Germany they call it "bleeding". :-) It's a matter of taste, I prefer not to clone. Regards. Blago

Cristian, I think, the original placement of the two sleepers is better. Usually we look first in the upper left corner of the page/picture. (At least in Europe and America we read like this and it's a habit.) We find here the sleeping father and following his "look" we go to the babe. The viewer's sight is moving naturally from left to right along the main diagonal. Another reason is the two black pillows in the original look like a roof of a house, thus making the connection between the sleepers even more stronger -- on the same (double) bed and under the same roof. Regards. Blago

It brings me back to a photo in the Ecocide assignment -- plants in somewhat strange glasses. Maybe, the same PT?

Again some enigmatic chemistry. It's not easy to level it, I mean to make the liquid surface in the bottle strictly parallel to the horizontal borders of the frame, because then the vertical axis is no more parallel to the vertical borders of the frame. I tried some distortions but there's no reason to make another bottle just to fit the theme. From the other hand, "almost parallel" is a theme fit, too.:-)

 

I like this bottle. It has a pleasing graphic quality, as if somebody has colored a hand-made pencil sketch. Is there any trick or it's due only to the thick and coarsely shaped glass ?

 

I'd like it better if put in the centre, as suggested above. That involves tighter cropping, what, in turn, is going to reduce the vignetting. I'd try this shot also in stronger light with a polarizer. Regards. Blago

 

Nice crop and a touch of humour -- enough to create a pleasing and original photo. Cute animals -- very long-legged :-) and curious. Regards. Blago

Strong portrait, Manuel. Strange way of greeting. Before reading your explanation I thought it's some dance. Such an ominous look to just say "Hello". :-) Yes, how different we people are. Regards. Blago

Nicely done, PT! Theme fit in a clever and beautiful composition. Agree with Seven and Tom a little more contrast would be better. (Thanks, Seven! I've learned a lot from your pictures and comments, too. That's why we are here, in PN and PT, -- to learn and share.)

 

About using the Selective Color tool to improve the contrast. I'm finding it convenient, though I've never read somebody to recommend it. Usually it's used for pre-printing adjustments. What I've learned from practice: bigger file -- better results. Otherwise the image could get pixelated.

 

For this image, I think, Curves could do the job.

Outstanding picture, PT! Regards. Blago

You're right Joe, but don't get too emotional. It happens every day here. Welcome to PN!

 

The image features a lot of drawbacks. Stars as such are not something that could bring any originality to any night shot.What's unpleasant here is they are out of perspective.( Maybe, it's because the bulbs are different -- some new and some older.) The overexposed lights in the distance are distracting. Better not include them in the frame at all. The backs of the blurred couple add nothing to the overall standard composition. Less than average shot, imo. But I could be jealous. Regards. Blago

Yes, it's funny and well-composed. Reminds me of the good soldier Schweik, of Catch 22, and even of Forest Gump. The absurdity of war. I know these guns -- it's the famous Manliher rifle introduced in WWI and used in WWII, too. You can stick a bayonet on the top of it and use in close fight. You know, Erin, I make a small discovery in eBay: you can buy in a minute a WWI Manliher bayonet plus a metal sheath for only $19.99. Same price for the same product, but for the WWII rifle.:-) Imagine how many rifles had been produced. Regards. Blago

 

Beautiful composition, Eugenio! Just a small thing. Maybe, it'd be better if you crop out this post (?) on the background, never mind some of the cover of the back boy would be lost. Regards. Blago

Nice photo. I fully agree with the RFC narrative and the following comments. From one hand, there's a lot of formalistic reasons not to like this picture. But, from the other hand, it grabs you immediately, you get emotionally trapped, and just not able to hear the weak internal voice trying to say something like "It's too busy!". I like especially the girl's legs. That's the way the legs of birds are hanging during a flight. I'd make it B/W. Regards. Blago