The rural character of the last two photos appeals to me. The latter for its beautiful shape and colors and the third also for its colors. In the third picture there seems to be a bonus, namely the pile of stones with an entrance. That's in that photo what looks like an archaeological question mark. The atmosphere in which this olive garden seems to come to an end will undoubtedly be followed by rejuvenation. Beautiful series.
Lou
Love the look - in my opinion it's a perfect fit for your image! Really spectacular processing. I've never tried a look like that, but I've experimented a little bit with textures and it can be a lot of fun. I fully agree on using it selectively though, not just as a preset.
Of course my eye falls and for whom I wouldn't say on the third photo as it is very pronounced with its bird shadows, but let's not forget the vegetation and the colors in this vertical landscape. Well tasks.
Lou
Minnie, your curtains are typically Dutch, I thought. In any case, the name for it is Brabants Bont, but it is of course possible that they occur naturally in more places in this world. The lace strip at the bottom of the curtain really adds something. You have captured the atmosphere well with this processing. I like it.
Lou
MinnieV, this is an utterly delightful creation, full of love and warmth. It just occurred to me that all your images from the family homestead feel this way. Your memories and your recent years of restoration have given you a ton of inspiration, I think.
Re simplejoy's agreement with you on pre-set use, I've become a little bit lazy in the past couple of years, but you did help me so much when I was learning layers - suggestions such as combining two effects, but using careful masking and opacity changes.
Thanks very much for your interest, Johannes! Below is the image before any edits. The light was flat, but I was impatient to find something for this week's theme in the Compositionally Challenged flickr group 😀
In my PS Elements raw editor, I increased clarity and vibrance. In the main editor, I accessed Nik Color Efex for a "contrast color range filter," then Topaz Studio 2 for an HDR pre-set (but set to 50%), then another layer of Nik. Among those steps were a couple of levels adjustments. Often I just keep playing 'til I like my result, though that can lead to next day's remorse, "What was I thinking?!"
Serenity in Japanese Garden in Gibbs Gardens
Thank you, Lou! I was never happy with my photos from that site until I realized that attempting to get the entire cliff into my composition was a useless enterprise 😁 So, I started doing closer shots with the longest lens I have. This spring was the first time I had visited when the swallows were nesting. There were probably 200 of them, and they fly so fast I did not know I had captured those shadows (and a couple of others) 'til I opened the files in my computer.
The impact of all those shades (hues, tones? I never remember the proper terms) of green is breathtaking! How can anyone not be in love with nature when exposed to a scene like this?
As much as I adore your photo as-is, I can also imagine cropping out the sky, and cropping out the tan-yellow foreground, to feel totally enveloped in the dense and delicious foliage.
Thank you for your kind words and suggestion. I agree that bottom portion does not add anything to the image, but I always like to have sky in the image. IMO opinion gives a feel of perspective and space if you will. Is this better?
Funny combination, but a very nice Graffiti.
Lou
This is a different kind of offering from you! Still appears to be shot with your creative lens, with visually appealing blur around the edges and sharp focus on the statue's face. The statue itself is kind of unusual and appealing in its own way. The background works, with the arch framing the form and the reflection of the outdoor scene in the glass. All of it works well together. It would also work to extract the statue and edit it in any number of creative ways, altering treatment and background. Infinite possibilities on this one.
I agree that your Palio series is some of your finest work, Roel. I enjoyed looking at it again. This is a wonderful sample, and the expression
of the rider says it all - dignity, tradition, seriousness, determination. The legacy of their contrada is emphasized by the inter generational characters in the foreground. Great sense of place and cultural tradition revealed here.
And a wonderful series it is, though terribly sad. Seeing these ancient pieces of living history die and be taken down is heartbreaking. I have an almost obsessive love for trees, and have agreed with my youngest grandson that killing one of the old trees should be as much a crime as killing a person. They cannot be replaced. So this series touches my heart. The photos are well taken, well edited, well presented, but the story itself takes top billing. Well done, should be shared further. I hope someone is doing research on possible ways to address this.
Certainly it's beautiful to have the blue and pretty clouds! I felt that the foreground patch of dirt and fountain (?) were distracting and unneeded, though I was more inclined to simply mention the alternate "all green" approach. All good!
These are majestic. All except the third could be shown in a set, and I think the third is either a crop or a different view of the 4th. The common theme is Tiny Humans in Massive Landscapes. I will take those kinds of shots whenever I get an opportunity, and have a pretty sizable collection though the landscapes are not as jaw dropping as these beauties. I also try to catch friends and family in these kinds of scenes when we travel. There is something terribly impactful about a human figure, and especially a single human figure, silhouetted against a magnificent and inspiring landscape. That juxtaposition is the reason we as photographers are drawn to them. Yours here are very well done, with glorious skies, craggy peaks, fog and billowing clouds. Beautiful collection.
I will have to just accept it as an abstract as you suggest, since I cannot figure out what it started out as. It seems like the golden door of an Egyptian pyramid lit for Christmas with projected lights, and I know it surely isn't that. The lighting seems somehow sculpted onto the structure. So it is interesting, eye catching and mysterious. It has good balance due to the lines and shapes embedded in whatever structure that is. Congrats on an effective puzzle with lots of interesting nooks and crannies.
Excellent name and lead. The clue suggests this is an upended fork and its shadow set across a background that's been turnt lavender I think, rather than having been found lavender. I always make a try at solving your puzzles but seldom get even close. Your projects are creative, original, and you have a bottomless well of imagination. The color is beautiful and so is the textural contrast. Very nice.
