* Wednesday C&C "No Theme" Thread #879 / Revived #099 on 2025 02 19*

First a quick heads-up: we are nearing a milestone.
NEXT WEEK the 100th EDITION of this thread on DPRevived will be published.
Let's not let that pass without (at least a little bit of) fanfare. Suggestions are welcome.

But now on to the order of the day/week:

Welcome to the Wednesday Comments and Critique (No Theme & No Brand) thread!

We are dedicated to continuing the great tradition of this C&C thread because we are convinced that looking at, and talking about images is vital for better photography.

Our tried and tested concept (15 years and running!) is a weekly "peer-to-peer" photo comments & critique encounter, in which you GIVE and RECEIVE.

The idea is simple: you post a photo or photo-based image that you have made and get critique on it. And in return you give other people your honest but constructive opinion of their images.

Any Theme, Any Camera, Any Style, Any Subject.

We are still figuring out how to create the convenience of threaded view on this new forum.
For now, let us agree that you post an image or essay with a title and short explanation, and that all comments include the image as a quote.
Replies to comments may or may not include quotes.

THREAD GUIDELINES – THE SHORT & SWEET VERSION
• This thread does not care about brands. It’s not about the tool, but the image.
• Post one image or essay that you have made and would like to get comments on.
An entry can either be a single image or a short essay. With an essay we mean not a collection of random images without any connection, seeking C&C on more than one of them. We mean instead a limited number (3 to 10) of connected images that together try to tell a story, create a fuller picture of a situation, event or location, etc.
• Add a clear title to your post to distinguish your entry.
• Look at the other images/essays and give your comments on at least one of those.
• For comments, try to go beyond a simple pat on the back or a short dismissal.
• Do you like an image (or essay) ? Try to explain WHY it appeals to you.
• Negative feedback is OK (we all want to learn), but be polite and constructive. Try to explain why the image (or essay) does not appeal to you and how it might be improved.
• Please stay on topic, i.e. concentrate on the image and the photographic comments, without getting into politics or other distractions. No non-photographic arguments.

The critique you give is vital.
What was your first impression? What catches your eye about an image? Why?
What do you like, and what distracts you? What would you change?

Fiddle with the image in your head - composition, perspective, color balance, exposure.

PLEASE NOTE CLEARLY:
Unless the original poster specifically states (for every individual posting offered for C&C) that they do not want their image(s) to be downloaded, altered or reposted, it is understood that within the context of this thread, other participants are free to download and alter the posted image and repost it in a reply for C&C purposes. That reposted image may remain permanently within the week's thread, or you may remove it after a short period of time if you prefer. The downloaded and altered images are not to be used for any other purposes nor uploaded anywhere else than within the context of the C&C in this thread. No copyright disputes here!

Encourage - it is a scary business putting your work up for other people to judge!

More general feedback is also welcome.
Do you know something about taking the same sort of image that would make matters easier - share your own as an example in your reply.

Have fun, be respectful and let’s stick together!

READYING FOR THE REGATTA

Iphone images this week. A sequence from last year September in Taranto (Puglia).

We were taking a leisurely stroll after lunch along the (not very idyllic) quay of Taranto in Puglia (Italy), when I noticed some movement with splashes of bright azure blue (traditionally the colours of Italian sports teams) between the anchored little yachts and fishing boats.
So obviously I had to go take a look.
I found an all female rowing crew getting ready to leave the quay.

They explained that they were about to begin a training session for an annual regatta in Taranto between teams of the different quarters ("rioni"), aptly called the "Palio di Taranto", which immediately makes clear that this is probably one of those city rivalry events like the two annuals horse races in Siena (but much less publicized).

With more than just a hint of pride in their voices, they boasted that they were one of very few all-female crews.
(if I understood correctly, I believe that all teams must include at least one woman.
But I may have gotten that wrong. My Italian is OK, but grasp of the Pugliese dialect is quite a bit less...)

Anyway, a good opportunity for a short sequence of images.
With the real camera, I got a few more shots of them maneuvring to get into open water, but those images are still unprocessed on my hard drive.

*EDIT :
More accurate information after a quick google search (and some results in "regular italian...".

Apparently, the more established traditional Palio is raced twice a year between two-man teams.
In 2024, a nocturnal edition was held.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHuymGO29iw

But since a few years, the "Palio in Rosa" is added to the calendar, for female crews.
Last year's edition was raced on October 9, os obviously that was the event that these women were training for.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrO44D-gAM4*

Great story. Fab light, sky and transparent water. I like this capture in particular due to vivid colours and shadows and reflection in the water of human figures. Also contrasting boats paddles are very eye catching. Very joyful image.

Snow Dance

ENLARGE, for better viewing experience.

Villach, Austria.

It's been quite cold here this week and I didn't ventutre out to take any photos this week :-(
Here's three from the archives, taken in 2021 during a short visit to Villach a city in Carinthia, Austria

[url=dprevived.com/media/attachments/4e/72/sBuKsd3jiOo8pp6fXvfOf5MONwrJrxKKzRA7o1O6LlyvzDNEXQqNCjHfaZIdb40G/dsc-8825-smaller.jpg[/url]

That looks really interesting, love the way you caught them dancing around like that

Mo'ai?

Cast concrete bollards along the shore road (The Strand), Oceanside, CA.

I had challenged myself that day with a 50mm lens on a FF camera, set wide open at f/1.8. Everything at f/1.8.

After I saw them in processing I really wanted to make a project of them. I couldn't return for about a week.

When I got back they were gone - "renovation" construction of the area. The over-all park area that was created is very nice, but I miss the bollards!

They had probably been there for 30 or 40 years before I wanted to photograph them, and . . . poof!

Like the people of Rapa Nui.

Rich

Ii always have to make a winter trip into the swamp when we get a foggy morning. I've posted similar but every fog is different. Here's the result from this one a couple of weeks ago.

Cool!
They do all have a really bright vivid blue look to them. Good luck to the ladies !

I probably applied my usual special sauce for some “pop” (brightness, contrast, vibrancy).

But I did not consciously overstep it on the blues.

It really was a gorgeous indian summer day with perfect sky, reasonably clear water and then that typical Italian “azzurro” blue that is omnipresent in sports and in maritime atmospheres (go figure for maritime sports!).

The Archway

This photo shows my dad underneath a beautiful natural arch in an absolutely gorgeous park in Kent in England. I took this photo the day after my cousin's wedding. So, taking a walk through the nearby park was both terribly exhausting and an excellent way of getting rid of my hangover. It helped that the surroundings were certainly pretty enough to distract me from my consequences of my actions the day before.

It's hard to believe that's a photograph. That's absolutely spellbinding. I'm such a sucker for foggy, spooky environments. The way the trees reflect on the water is so clean it doesn't look real. The clear harsh dark lines of the front row of the trees and then the background trees immediately sinking into deep fog makes for such an eery mysterious mood. I also love that the reflected trees are incredibly clear, but still darker and less detailled than their real counterparts. It gives the image a sense of balance and downwards gravity and creates a nice contrast with the lighter, spotted real trees up top. It's also fascinating how the reflection of the trees in the back is significantly clearer than the real trees.

This image radiates both a sense of tranquil peacefulness and a looming sense of dread and danger. Like it would be oppressively quiet and if you saw a light in the distance you'd best hope it's your friend with a torch and not something out to get you.

The Girls Night Out.

Cordoba

Bangkok

Both excellent representation of female camaraderie. Colour, outdoors, sun, drinks, laughter and the second - well, I like the movement and night shot. So much to see and experience.

Like the mist, fog and atmosphere of this image. It's clear and not so clear. Excellent.

It's a mystery shot with human figure and beam of light at the end. Image has layers to discover.

Interesting and uneven street posts and the distant Stop sign. Like the light and cement texture.