vincentoiseau

Hi Michael, thank you for your friendly words and for adding this photo to your favorites! Maybe you are right about me living there, although it would be mainly the park that 'satisfies my urge to wander'. I suspect what you mean by your comment on the reflections (the splicing) is caused by the shadowy parts of the palace breaking up the rhythm of the reflection. The image now has 33 views, which is still not much by any standard, but I don't worry about those numbers as I know they just depend on the amount of people who are able to see it (the number of views differs greatly between various uploads). You said earlier you wanted me to write a comment on a particular image. Let me know (via the forums?) which one(s) you mean. Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Giangiorgio, thank you for your friendly comments! The park actually interested me more than the palace, maybe not so surprising :) Kind regards, Vincent

Soestdijk Palace (Dutch: Paleis Soestdijk [paːˈlɛis sustˈdɛik]) is a palace formerly belonging to the Dutch Royal Family. It consists of a central block and two wings. Although named after the village of Soestdijk, which is largely in the municipality of Soest, the Soestdijk Palace is just north of the border in the municipality of Baarn in the province of Utrecht. It was the home for over six decades of Queen Juliana and her husband, Prince Bernhard until their deaths in 2004. In the middle of the seventeenth century the Country house on the Zoestdijk was built for Cornelis de Graeff. In these years 1655-1660 De Graeff was involved in the education of Willem III of Orange, as can be seen from his letters in Soestdijk to the States-General and his nephew Johan de Witt. During the summers the family spent a lot of their time at the Palace Soestdijk, and De Graeffs sons Pieter and Jacob de Graeff played with the young Willem. In 1674, after the rampjaar, Jacob de Graeff sold it for the low 18,755 Guilder to Stadhouder William III. Then the palace originally started as a hunting lodge that was built between 1674 and 1678 by Maurits Post, who was also involved in building two other royal palaces, Huis ten Bosch Palace and Noordeinde Palace. William left the Netherlands in 1688 to reside in London as William III of England. During the French invasion in 1795, the palace was seized as a spoil of war and turned into an inn for French troops. When Louis Bonaparte became King of Holland, he took possession of it and had it extended and refurnished. It was presented to William II of the Netherlands in 1815 in recognition of his services at the Battle of Waterloo. From 1816 to 1821, the palace was significantly expanded by adding two wings, the northern or Baarn wing, and the southern or Soest wing. In 1842 its contents were enriched by the addition of the neoclassical furnishings of his former palace in Brussels, today the Palais des Académies. Soestdijk became the property of the State of the Netherlands in 1971, though it was used by Princess Juliana (Queen of the Netherlands from 1948–1980) and Prince Bernhard as their official residence until both of their deaths in 2004. Soestdijk Palace then remained empty and unused for over a year before its opening to the public. From Spring 2006 to 2017, it was possible to visit, pending a decision about its future use. (Wikipedia) Not only the palace, but also the large adjacent park (with lots of sculptures collected by Queen Beatrix) is interesting to visit. I will upload more of my photos of the palace and its surroundings. Your comments are very welcome.

Hi Franz, where did you find this? I gather it's an old home front, decorated with Mondriaan-like color surfaces. I like the concept and the composition. Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Michael, that's fine; I'll gladly comment on it. What photo is it? Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Sandor, thank you for your friendly comment! Yes, Giangiorgio was right in his description of what B&W does for the look of a photo. Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Michael, in this abstract the colors and the in - and out of 'focus' parts provide an organic sense of moving water (or another liquid). The 'eye' on the right is intriguing; where is this amorphous movement taking place? The blue in the bottom right corner, seemingly reflected in the watery matter, adds some depth. I hope you don't mind the fact I like to mention my associations when viewing and exploring your art, but this abstract made me think of this Pink Floyd album cover: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meddle . Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Franz, I had to look closely at the treetrunks to realize there were two of them, even if your title hints in that direction. The difference is detail is clear, but could be easily mistaken for natural focus fall-off as a side effect of the angle you chose. It's a good thing the background provides some context. I like the colors and concept of this image, maybe partly because it made me investigate what I didn't see right away. Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Wayne, an appealing composition with colors that go well with the scene. What I like the most about this painting is how the bright sunlight is filtered through the awnings and changes the colors underneath, very realistic yet with a poetic quality to it. I can see how such a scene can transport you into your vivid memories of Piazza San Marco. A nice detail is the red of the wall in the background echoed in the shirt of one of the guests. Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Giangiorgio, an equally detailed and masterful photo of this tern as the other one, but I prefer the dynamic qualities in this capture. This too will go into my favorites! Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Giangiorgio, stunning detail! Although there are more elements that make this a great shot (composition, natural colors), I think I like the other one even more. Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Eric, you succeeded to capture the kingfisher in a moment we have all seen, but few have photos of it. I like the crop, the colors and the ripples in the water. Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Michael, an intriguing view into this landscape you present in B&W, putting the emphasis on composition lines and shapes. The ominous sky is very present as an important element, but it suits the overall image well. There are many paths to follow and explore in this landscape. I like the power pole as an interruption of the sky and the fact there are some people in view, but they are no more than extras in a movie scene. Kind regards, Vincent

Hi TmJ, I agree with Giangiorgio: your series of Peregrine falcon photo's is amazing, very well done! Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Sandor, your response to my comments explains how you go about having no distracting elements in your photos. The winning of a national competition and selection of your work for National Geographic exhibitions are something to be proud of. Your evident skills will make you get good results out of garden photos with a compact camera as well. Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Mitch, that's an interesting point; can we capture the grandeur of nature in a photo? I think it heavily depends on the way the viewer can feel a (personal) connection with the subject. Even if the view you present is nothing short of majestic, a viewer will only engage with your image if it has a recognizable or intriguing feature or a detail that makes him feel how it would be to actually be there. There's lots of ways to do that, e.g. capturing mood, noticeable details in the fore- or background, a clear and inviting view into the landscape etc. Although I like landscape as a category, I personally feel more at ease concentrating on the 'smaller', seemingly less significant features of the spot. Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Michael, thank you for your kind comments and adding this image to your favorites! Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Giangiorgio, thank you for your comment and continued support! I chose B&W exactly for the reasons you describe. Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Sandor, nice and simple close-up composition with this black ant starring in it. I like the quiet fore- and background that make sure I'm not distracted by other elements of the image. Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Mitch, this impressive landscape that seems to have a strong bluish color cast and some other hints of color made me think of the option to covert this to B & W. Exposure and detail are fine and the image opens up a lot of cropping opportunities. Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Norm, a very nice immersion into the yellow world of this flower with more than enough variations in color and shape to keep it interesting. Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Mitch, I agree with Wayne's comments; texture is key to the success of this image. Not only does the canvas of the tepee with its interesting way to close the tent and the poles sticking out make a fine subject, you have brought a similar texture to the background, adding a lot of mood. The composition is simple, yet effective. Well seen and executed image. P.S. I responded a little late to your wonderful comments on some of my photos, my apologies. I used to see new comments in mails PN sent me, but one has to check regularly. Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Franz, Some say a static composition is boring/uninteresting. This photo proves otherwise; the blossoming tree provides a subtle accent, as do the walkers who lend human measures to the image. The fresh green is inviting. Well done! Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Mitch, thank you for your appreciation and taking the time to write! Mirrorless takes some getting used to, but I really struggled with the almost infinite settings in the menu. Due to personal circumstances I haven't spent much time on shooting with my R6, but I hope that will be more soon. I have looked at an in-depth review of the RP (https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canon-eos-rp-review) and it almost seems like a bargain! It's packed with features and seems to offer good image quality, although I've read the raw files can be a bit noisy. What you'll like is the AF of the mirrorless Canons, it is truly amazing. It works flawlessly with your existing EF-lenses, so you don't have to invest in the rather expensive RF glass right away. The maximum number of shots in burst mode only might be a problem if you want to shoot wildlife and/or sports. The size and weight are a lot less than those of the 6D, so you'll like those too. It's just a bit less sturdy and solid than what you're used to. Kind regards, Vincent