Photos in caves are hard to do, but this is successful and the stalactite formation is spectacular, with a variety of shapes and slight variations of colour.
Pete
Aug. 16, 2023
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If that is a post box, I am glad I don't have to put my hand anywhere near it to retrieve my letters! Despite its smile, it has the scary appearance of an evil clown. I really like the colours of the dark red box against an unnaturally cyan cloudy sky.By being unnatural, it puts the viewer at unease, trying to explain it and this adds to the uneasy feeling created by the subject. It is a case where unnatural colours have been used to great effect to enhance the image, rather than just for the sake of the effect.
It is an excellent image.
Pete
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I can imagine you thoroughly enjoyed that tough job you had, being forced to look at all that green scenery! No doubt the inhabitants of Maui would give anything for some of those clouds and damp air and lush greens, It is quite the contrast to the current palette os blacks and reds and oranges,
Pete
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Again, the colours caused by the extended sensitivity range of the sensor have been used to good effect. The man is serene and powerful in his unusual world. It hints that he is an artist in a world of his choice or even of his making. The pose emphasises that feeling.
It is a very strong portrait.
Pete
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I really like this. It is that unusual beast of a very lively street photograph. Even the main subject in motion blur is something not seen very often and already sets it apart. I also like the effect of his foot, which is planted firmly o the ground and remains sharp, whilst the rest of his body pivots around it.
I didn't notice the second figure at first, and I cannot make iup my mind about her(?). Her body is completely hidden by the pillar, so we can only see a foot and a hand, and whilst this is very mysterious and adds a layer of ambiguity and a chance to invent a narrative of the two persons' interaction, I can't help feeling that s more visible figure would be better. Then 10 seconds later, I like it the way it is, and ten seconds after that would like more of the figure ....
Pete
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Thanks so much, Pete. I posted a b&w of part of #2 within my earlier group thanks. Am still not that crazy about the idea because the lichen become just a bunch of bumps, rather than a pleasing texture (to my eye). I'm now steeling myself for a winter photo shoot 😁
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Not cheating, creating! Take it from one who knows, if you get hooked on compositing, it's hard to let it go, because you keep on learning new ways to make the composites better, and you keep on finding new ideas. You start raiding stock photo sites, then museums with public offerings, then you get all into brushes and you end up with 200 layers then you need a better computer and a graphics tablet and an art pen. It is terribly addictive.
These are fun creations! Love the one with the tiger.
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Good utilization of negative space here, with all that open water, also waiting. Nice leading lines within the dock and the mast and delicate rigging of the boat. I'm not sure what that leaning thing is on the dock. At first I thought some kind of traps but I decided probably not. Its leaning shape suggests that the image is leaning but I don't think so, I think it's the Thing itself.
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Leuven seems to be quickly becoming Lou’s favourite city in Belgium.
He has shared so many nice photos from his visits there. He has shown obvious landmarks like the Library on Ladeuzeplein but also lesser known sites like the Cemetery.
I’m glad to tell you, Lou, that the upcoming book that I illustrated has gone through the graphic design and proofing stages and is ready for printing. The publisher told me that the book will be at the printer’s in early September and available for purchase before the end of that month.
It will be launched with an event in Leuven City Hall on September 26.
The Cemetery gets ample attention in the book. I’ve spent a few hours there to capture different statues and monuments about which the author had interesting trivia to share.
(Your photo of the grieving figure would fit right in!)
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I am here to confirm MinnieV's warning 😂
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That is technically impressive.
But who cares, in the end, about technical impressiveness.
It is also stunningly, hauntingly beautiful.
An itching combination of smooth silk dragged over harsh concrete, and an occupant fearlessly braving those contradictions.
Now THAT I do care about. -
Public Service Announcement.
1) My apologies to all those whose images I have been able to give their due attention.
My past few days were filled because my next few days will be empty (of work).
They will be filled with hiking, camping and laughter with friends.
2) I will probably be off the grid until Thursday.
I expect (and kinda hope) to have NO wifi where we are going, and limited cell service.
3) This means that next week's edition (number 801, on Wednesday August 23) will be started by someone else.
Probably Mike Fewster. So if you are like the best of us and await the new edition eagerly, look for his postings on Wednesday. -
Pete, Mike, Minnie, Fireplace33, Lindas, Chrisoly,
Everyone who was kind enough to comment about this image, thank you. I loved those opportunities to go to Molokai.
For those who have wondered if this were a film image, I took it with a Fujifilm S2 Pro, 6 megapixel digital camera and Nikkor 200mm f/4 lens in 2004.
The camera had a unique hexagonal grid of pixels which was a challenge for RAW converters of the day. There were all kinds of wild claims about enhanced resolution, but it was really just a 6 MP camera. Over the years, Adobe Camera Raw improved and so did my my ability to process digital files.
One of the "secrets" is to turn off all sharpening while working on the RAW data and get the file into Photoshop as cleanly as possible. A tiny bit of Topaz Sharpen AI then helps. The image easily prints at 24" wide. (And that's just amazing, considering the sensor was only 1/2" wide)
Rich
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LAF! I made up my mind early on that I would not clean up bird poop, I would consider what they slathered over the concrete as Abstract Art and leave it be! Maybe the bother is that there isn't enough! I never know whether an experiment will work or not, but I keep doing them anyway. I think I've done one smooth-water image experiment there before, but not of a bird's behind. About the green: it is a feature of the summer months when blue and green algae builds up on the concrete. In the fall it sometimes turns yellow or orange.
Thank you Chris, I'm so glad you liked it! It was definitely an experiment, and one I'll probably try again.
I think you and Linda are in the same critique boat. It is different from my others in several ways. And a bird's behind is not his most elegant feature. Thanks for explaining your thoughts.
I had wondered about cropping almost all the side and bottom concrete off, so I'm glad you mentioned it as a possibility. It does change the look and I may yet do it. The framing I usually use is almost too jarring for the filmy water.
Thank you Roel, I have long preferred the tumultuous water I usually photograph but when water is scarce like it has been this summer, a slower flow is less interesting. The silky look seemed at least worth a try!
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