• Members 109 posts
    Sept. 2, 2023, 2:18 a.m.

    Two more I edited from this excursion.

    This one just encompassed sooo much. Oculus, 9/11 memorial, tall buildings, bay, east river, brooklyn, a bit of the oldest church in NYC and where Alexander Hamilton is buried
    NYC 2 (1 of 1).jpg

    Looking into Brooklyn over the Brooklyn bridge and Manhattan Bridge. I feel like I should have included a bit more of Manhattan or tightened up the image with a longer focal length.
    NYC 2023-08-28c v4 bw (1 of 1).jpg

    Thanks for looking at my images.

    NYC 2 (1 of 1).jpg

    JPG, 16.7 MB, uploaded by JSPhotoHobby on Sept. 2, 2023.

    NYC 2023-08-28c v4 bw (1 of 1).jpg

    JPG, 7.9 MB, uploaded by JSPhotoHobby on Sept. 2, 2023.

  • Members 916 posts
    Sept. 2, 2023, 1:12 p.m.

    Roel is correct. The red umbrella is wielded by Suzette, my all round accomplice in life. It was late on a very wet night in Ortigia and we were enjoying walking the deserted streets. I had already taken lots of shots of staircases in Sicily. You will see more of them. This happenstance had to be added to the collection. The Suzette shot was staged which is why I preferred the first. There is a general photography rule that mandates that a photographer's partner must wear a red jacket at all times.

  • Members 523 posts
    Sept. 2, 2023, 2:53 p.m.

    Thanks very much! I was surprised and gratified to discover I had a whole "new" image once I'd converted to b&w.

    I think your version is marvelous! I had done a very slight sepia color, but didn't care for it. Now I know why. Yours is bold and beautiful, and works perfectly with the story you told. Thanks so much!

    So glad you enjoyed, Chris. Thanks!

    Appreciated!

    It is fascinating, for sure, and I'm very glad my aging mind thought to try it :) Thank you for your in-depth comments, Minnie.

  • Members 743 posts
    Sept. 4, 2023, 10:07 a.m.

    Technically not a great shot but these guys don't display too often, especially as there is no hen around. He lives with my neighbour's chooks. Too many trees to get him in full sunlight...

    P1050311a.JPG

    P1050311a.JPG

    JPG, 4.3 MB, uploaded by Bryan on Sept. 4, 2023.

  • Foundation 115 posts
    Sept. 4, 2023, 10:59 a.m.

    When I first saw this image (the right hand one or possibly the bottom one here depending on your screen), I thought it was the cleverly lit inside of a cellar, or similar. It was only when you posted the second one that I realised it was a narrow back street

    Just goes to show how one can wrongly interpret a photograph....

    Tim

  • Members 1171 posts
    Sept. 4, 2023, 2:08 p.m.

    I like the abstracted forms even the little squiggles (maybe related to the earlier turquoise tornado??), also the bright colors and how they interact with each other. There is a clear path for the eye to follow lower left to upper right. Nice.

  • Members 1171 posts
    Sept. 4, 2023, 2:11 p.m.

    I really like the monochrome one. The composition works well, with the bridge serving its bridging function to lead us from lower left to upper right of the city scene. The taller buildings are placed nicely in accordance with that compositional path. Good conversion as well. The vertical reflection lines are still a bit of a distraction but because they are well balanced and aligned, they look more at home here.

  • Members 1171 posts
    Sept. 4, 2023, 2:17 p.m.

    A gorgeous bird in his full glory. I like his stance with one foot delicately raised as if striking a pose for your photo. And I like how the greens of his magnificent tail blend in with the greens of the bushes and trees behind him. I hope you took some closeups too but if not you can visit him again. Their eyes, headgear, and individual blocks of feathers are wonderful fun to make images of. This is much better light for catching his colors than full sun would be - their feathers have too much iridescence and would have probably washed out in full sun. You are lucky to have this gorgeous guy as a neighbor.

  • Members 1171 posts
    Sept. 4, 2023, 2:19 p.m.

    I assumed the same, that this was a below-ground area. When the umbrella version appeared, I was confused at first as to why she had an umbrella in a cellar.

  • Members 547 posts
    Sept. 4, 2023, 10:43 p.m.

    To

    ChrisOly, MinnieV, LindaS, Roel,

    Thank you all for looking and the thoughtful comments,

    Rich

  • Members 1662 posts
    Sept. 4, 2023, 11:06 p.m.

    Sorry - I actually forgot to comment on your shot, which I wanted to do, because I love it! Recognizing the leaning trees in combination with the arrows is an excellent ability and I also find the look and processing highly effective! Excellent work. 👍

  • Members 916 posts
    Sept. 5, 2023, 8:31 a.m.

    There are a couple of reasons why I prefer three. The figures on the forearm are important. I think they need to be large enough in the image so they can be clearly examined . Two and three both allow this. Three adds the reflection whereas the base of two feels too tight against the frame. Two in portrait frame with the reflection included might have worked even better.
    Thanks for posting these. It's a monument I hadn't been aware of.

  • Members 916 posts
    Sept. 5, 2023, 8:51 a.m.

    A good moment of observation.
    Three are many horizontal straight lines all through the image and they make the curve stand out. Even so, perhaps consider taking out the two on the road closest to the bottom edge. These two compete with the curve of the road marking. You might also either remove the small box on the right hand edge or take a thin slice off that edge to eliminate the box. The extra width and objects on the left hand side is a strength as the trees lean into that space.
    B&W was a good choice here to keep the attention on the lines of the image.

  • Members 916 posts
    Sept. 5, 2023, 9:01 a.m.

    He's great. You don't often see a tail as immaculate as this. The row of "eyes" along the bottom edge is complete. Usually they seem a little worse for wear.
    Love the raised and pointed foot. Traveling recently we were vastly amused by the "influencer foot" pose with one foot advanced and pointed. The same pose was being used over and over in selfies at tourist locations. Your peacock has it precisely right.
    You got him exactly as he hopes his lady friend sees him.

  • Members 547 posts
    Sept. 5, 2023, 8:24 p.m.
  • Members 916 posts
    Sept. 5, 2023, 9:46 p.m.

    What isn't shown becomes the point. The ref lead is marvellous. The loop tells that whoever holds the other end and the cat are relaxed. The vertical line of the lead suggests that the holder is far taller. They care about the cat. The red makes the lead striking and ensures its importance.
    A clever shot that is really about a relationship with a person we never see,

  • Members 916 posts
    Sept. 5, 2023, 9:52 p.m.

    I agree with Fireplace. However, the image has to be viewed large. The grass textures kind of all blur together when viewed small.

  • Members 1171 posts
    Sept. 6, 2023, 1 a.m.

    i like this one but it's too late in the thread-week for everyone to see it, so you may want to repost it. I like the look of the tiny "door" in the the center, with everything spinning off of it getting more compressed as we fall "down" like Alice falling down the rabbit hole abstracted. Love the colors and radiating lines. This one really does emulate paint strokes quite well.