* Wednesday C&C "No Theme" Thread #899 / Revived #119 on 2025 07 09*

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 (almost 17 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!

DALWHINNIE

Luster Publishers is gearing up for a new edition of the book "Hidden Scotland", to which I have contributed a number of images from our five hiking trips.
In the previous edition, roughly a third of all images in the book were mine, with other photos contributed by two other (local) photographers.
In the new edition (which will now also include the Orkneys), more than half of the images will be mine.

In the chapter/list on whisky distilleries, an image of Strathisla in snow will be included.
Which means that this image of Dalwhinnie distillery was proposed for the book but not included.

Textures and Tracks.

This is a good view of the Dalwhinnie distillery, pity it won't be included in the book.
The typical pagoda style chimneys are a real classic for the whisky makers.
On a tour of Scotland I drove here once, but arrived just a few minutes too late for a tour, but the car park was nice ;-)

Soteska Vintgar Gorge

There are some great waterfalls and fast runniing white water along the Soteska Vintgar Gorge in Slovenia!

Here are 4 shots from just one of them, all just slightly different.
I'm curious, which one works best for you?
Thanks

Two images from the same place... one up, one down!

Very nice colors and nuances in the tones - well captured! I like this one best in terms of composition. The landscape one works great as well with the whole rock in it, but I'm not sure about the format... I would use the full image there unless there's something very distracting in the parts you cropped.If so, I would crop some more from the bottom or opt for a square format.

Congregation

While touring Georgian Bay, Ontario I came across this peculiar assembly...

Like the shapes and sizes. Little red colour adds extra interest.

For some reason this particular shot appeals to me most. It's most complete, because it encompasses all the features in a compact capture.

Unusual, but very interesting. Reminds me of streets of Pompeii with their drain system, well before anyone thought about it.

Like the location of the buildings, all set against background of magnificent mountains. Very captivating shot.

Interesting !
The B&W one is intriguing. I looked a few times but can't quite work out where this part of the shadows are coming from?

I'm guessing that the 2nd one has that nice swirly bokeh, from one of your special adapted lenses :-)

I guess they are thirsty :-)

This would fit in well in a series with abstract shots of different textures

It's from a small metal beam which is attached to the curved (mirrored C-shaped) ornaments. On each of those there are three candle holders.

The shadows were indeed what made me interested in the scene because I feel like there's lots of ways to interpret the shapes.

Yeah, it's a really enjoyable lens to experiment with, fast, very small and lightweight.

Private Entrance

It's good to be the King. Or as wealthy.

Don't even ask. You wouldn't believe . . .

Rich

Just My Yard

Watching the aftermath of a nice sunset from the porch swing, I decided to experiment with the new Adobe camera phone ap for iPhones which seems to be named Pi but some refer to it as Indigo. It's very "computational" in a way that is supposed to make phone photos look more like those taken with "real" cameras, less artifacts, less flat, less plastic-y. Right now it's free. So far I am liking it but still a novice with it. Still prefer my real camera, but it is a lot better than what I was getting with the native camera ap, especially in extreme ranges of lighting like this. I took photos with my camera, too, with regular settings and in HDR mode, and even with careful editing, neither of them came out as good as the Pi image.