• Members 699 posts
    Sept. 28, 2023, 11:44 a.m.

    Another one from serenity place

    Gibbs Gardens 230917 - 946.jpg

    Gibbs Gardens 230917 - 946.jpg

    JPG, 3.3 MB, uploaded by Sagittarius on Sept. 28, 2023.

  • Sept. 28, 2023, 12:46 p.m.

    Thanks: this is a lovely photo! But, please allow me to ask, why does everything red stand out so much, as it used to do on Kodachrome? Was this deliberate on your part?

    David

  • Members 699 posts
    Sept. 28, 2023, 1:24 p.m.

    It is not on my calibrated monitors, but I can see on the un-calibrated monitors. And it was not intentional, OTOH these red flowers are quite red

  • Members 523 posts
    Sept. 28, 2023, 2:33 p.m.

    This one gives me a sense of a special place to spend time in contemplation. It feels alone but not lonely, and I imagine the sounds of birds and insects. The natural line of grass leading to the tree is lovely. The distant hills suggest this special spot is elevated, with a great view.

  • Members 523 posts
    Sept. 28, 2023, 2:34 p.m.

    If this were sharply focused, it would feel too busy or unnatural to me. I love the softness because it makes a more gentle scene. Perfect with the lovely greens and hazy blue distance.

  • Members 523 posts
    Sept. 28, 2023, 2:35 p.m.

    Nature is awesome!

  • Members 523 posts
    Sept. 28, 2023, 2:38 p.m.

    The yummy golden light grabs me immediately, and the calm waters make me want to spend a lot of time there (assuming no mosquitos and low humidity 😂

    I'm envious of your great blue heron photo. Great clarity and the classic pose of intense concentration in its quest for breakfast.

  • Members 523 posts
    Sept. 28, 2023, 2:41 p.m.

    The bright white of the chair back and lady's pants distract me initially. But wandering around the details of the rest (televisions for every game on that day?!), the positions of the people within the frame, the body language of all, and of course the gentleman's difficult-to-interpret facial expression = intriguing image!

  • Members 523 posts
    Sept. 28, 2023, 2:44 p.m.

    The dappled light on the walkway, the cotton candy trees surrounding us, the prize at the end of the journey - I'm enjoying this very, very much!

  • Members 523 posts
    Sept. 28, 2023, 2:47 p.m.

    HA! Great title and commentary. I admire your courage!

  • Members 861 posts
    Sept. 28, 2023, 2:52 p.m.

    dsc00113_$33_72dpi_web_1.jpg

    dsc00113_$33_72dpi_web_1.jpg

    JPG, 1.1 MB, uploaded by OpenCube on Sept. 28, 2023.

  • Members 523 posts
    Sept. 28, 2023, 2:53 p.m.

    Everything here works for me: lush greens, gentle waterfall (I can hear it), the curves of the rock structures. The more I look at this, the more serene I feel. I can imagine a very large print hung in a room where I'd go to relax with a good book, a glass of wine, and Queen Stella on my lap.

    It seems like there is a tiny lean to the left. I didn't attempt to rotate, and it might be just illusion.

  • Members 1662 posts
    Sept. 28, 2023, 4:20 p.m.

    Wonderful abstract - like a mixture of rust and clouds! Is it a reflective metal surface?

  • Members 118 posts
    Sept. 28, 2023, 4:21 p.m.

    It's a beautiful place
    In my opinion the composition lacks life... it has little dynamism... (please note this is just my personal taste)
    The image is correctly sharpened but it's flat (especially in the vegetation). If you increase the overall contrast and reduce the light on the greens, you'll see that it gains volume.

    Manuel

  • Members 861 posts
    Sept. 28, 2023, 4:58 p.m.

    Mirror surface.

  • Members 822 posts
    Sept. 28, 2023, 5:19 p.m.

    The vertical orientation shot is interesting to me, because it combines the grasses in the foreground with the tree as main focal point in an efficient way.

    The horizontal extreme panorama has a good number of wonderful characteristics : the diversity of colours is interesting; the light creating rays through dramatic clouds is an eternal winner, etc.
    But I feel like the foreground lets it down just a bit. The nearest foreground is just a bit plain and boring.
    If this was not that wide a shot, foreground interesting could easily be added by placing yourself near any kind of feature in the landscape (a rock, a small bush, etc). But of course, because the shot is wider, that technique is not so obviously available. We are left with a rather monotonous stretch of dry weeds.
    Cropping away a bit of that is not an elegant solution because it would make the horizontal slenderness of the frame even more slender.
    I don't see an easy solution.

  • Members 822 posts
    Sept. 28, 2023, 5:22 p.m.

    That seems like it is light-painted, but I am wondering about the reflection on the surface of the guitar neck.
    I don't think I remember ever seeing a "paint with light" image where the reflection of the painted light was so prominent (and wonderful).

  • Sept. 28, 2023, 5:23 p.m.

    Maybe there is more of the dramatic sky on the original that could be used.

    David