• Members 704 posts
    Jan. 13, 2024, 2:34 a.m.

    Minnie,

    I don't really know why the addresses are the same. The doors are an entrance to a "hairdressing salon" on State Street in Carlsbad Village, a trendy shopping area in Carlsbad, CA. I assume these were doors to two separate establishments and the space was combined to create the salon. The two doors originally, probably had separate (sequential) addresses as that's how municipalities identify properties.

    I guess the owners of the Salon had a sense of humor, recognizing the "jarring" nature of having the same address on two entrance doors. It looks like they couldn't match whichever was the original typestyle for the numerals. (They should have replaced both with the same style - or not)

    Rich

  • Members 1576 posts
    Jan. 13, 2024, 3 a.m.

    Orcas are such beautiful creatures, but so dangerous. They look adorable, appear so cheerful, but that orca could easily kill that woman before anyone could help her. The dilemma always is, whether we attempt to keep wild creatures in captivity or not. Wounded, recovering, or healthy, there is always danger to both the animals and the humans who care for them. This makes the image deeper and more interesting than a simple documentary shot.

  • Members 1576 posts
    Jan. 13, 2024, 3:02 a.m.

    The equipment you're using must allow you to create stacks of captures. This is essentially the same effect as the oriental poppy you showed us earlier in the thread. It is an interesting effect; I think it worked better on the poppy than the statue.

  • Members 1576 posts
    Jan. 13, 2024, 3:06 a.m.
  • Members 1576 posts
    Jan. 13, 2024, 3:13 a.m.

    Rich emerald colored foliage that's almost jungle-like in its depth. I find no fault with your focus, which is sharp enough across the frontal planes. I almost always prefer focus on the fronts, and let the background go soft. I wonder about the orientation possibilities, though. Was there something distracting below the bottom of the frame? I wonder what a portrait orientation shot would look like, and if the trees would become more majestic shown that way? You were there so you probably made the best choice you could, but I was curious....

  • Members 1576 posts
    Jan. 13, 2024, 3:16 a.m.

    Nice sharply detailed images of the cicadas, my favorite insects. I love their noisy uproar, I love their interesting prehistoric-looking design, and I love the shells they leave behind for us to find. Yours are a little different from ours but similar enough to recognize. Well captured.

  • Members 1576 posts
    Jan. 13, 2024, 3:24 a.m.

    I don't think I've ever caught one in flight like this. He's pretty sharp everywhere except his wickedly fast moving wings, so I'm impressed, but not entirely sure I like the look of him caught in the act of flight in profile. He does resemble an aircraft. Still, it is an interesting and unusual shot, and the background blur is lovely. So consider it a victory.

  • Members 1576 posts
    Jan. 13, 2024, 3:27 a.m.

    No clue what this is. The shape is not engaging but the colors are nice, and the weird bokeh shapes are fun. I have to stop myself from imagining what I see - an eagle? A woman made of melting wax? I dunno.

  • Members 1662 posts
    Jan. 13, 2024, 5:21 a.m.

    This is an effective shot in terms of composition and the matching colors certainly help as well. Even though most of it might be for show and intentionally placed there by brutally calculating humans, it‘s possible that there‘s some genuine connection and appreciation there. Well done!

  • Members 1662 posts
    Jan. 13, 2024, 5:25 a.m.

    Very beautiful and elegant - such beautiful shapes, nice colors and excellent use of the reflection.

  • Members 1662 posts
    Jan. 13, 2024, 5:30 a.m.

    I like this one best - well done! The color combination is great and it‘s interesting as an abstract image with those tanged shapes. Depending on your technique used (still some reflective material?) and the technical devices available to you, a t/s lens or bellows would perhaps allow you to create some additional feeling of DOF in these shots, if you prefer.

  • Members 861 posts
    Jan. 13, 2024, 9:52 a.m.

    The "look" is 100% made in camera, one shot. Lil' bit of post clean up.

  • Members 861 posts
    Jan. 13, 2024, 10:19 a.m.

    This one funky. It's a reflective surface, but it's barely reflective to the human eye. I've found things that react differently in infrared, and it makes for some really weird stuff, like this.

    For anyone curious, it's stadium lights, like for a baseball game, hence the title. And no, I can't really explain what happened to get from an observable physical object to this mess. I thought maybe I was reverse ICMing, but given the 200th shutter, clearly I am wrong or secretly the flash, so I'm at a bit of a loss outside to say this is what the surface made. I really can't tell what I'm shooting clearly while snapping. Things come alive in post.

    You can't bellow handheld and hold at least two other things. I swear I was screaming to myself for a third arm the entire time I was shooting these because it's hard to shoot this way solo, and very limited. I have a TS gimmick, but it doesn't work with any of my IR gear. Without at least 2 assistants, and a good bit of money to buy things, this is all pretty limited. There's also no "depth" to capture, I think, so I don't think it would work. I need to try it anyways and see what happens one day.

    Also, RIP to the first piece of crafty that lead me to more of this stuff. I lost it during this shoot. My wife joked I need a bag with all the crap I take with me. As usual, she's right about things.

  • Members 689 posts
    Jan. 13, 2024, 2:46 p.m.

    Thank you for looking and commenting. All animal - tamers ware clothes of the same colors which matched colors of orcas dolphins. This moment when women gives orca a treat. What do you mean by "brutally calculating humans"?

  • Members 1662 posts
    Jan. 13, 2024, 2:58 p.m.

    The exact thing you‘ve mentioned… the matching clothes, the background colors, the choreography - everything is put there in place by someone to enable visitors to take a shot, they will likely share and thus create free advertisement for the event. Always a lot of calculations going on with us humans! 😅

  • Members 689 posts
    Jan. 13, 2024, 3:43 p.m.

    Yes, I understand all that. Just did not understand "brutally"

  • Members 1397 posts
    Jan. 14, 2024, 11:39 p.m.

    It is impossible to look at this image without drawing on theatre connections.
    Ghosts on battlements hover. A shrouded figure is overwhelmed and draws into itself.
    Choices offer. A staircase might be ascended. Or it might not. It might be a path downwards.
    Zig zag lines usually convey action. Not here. The position of the bird and its contrasting tones ensure that it is centre stage. But it is very static. The suggested action becomes a possibility rather than an actuality.
    Large pools of black dominate.
    Hamlet in a single image.
    Simply fabulous.