* Wednesday C&C "No Theme" Thread #786 / Revived #006 on 2023 05 10 *

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 an image and get critique on it, and in return give other people your opinion of their images, or vice versa.

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 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 that you would like to get comments on (exceptions: see below).
Put a clear title at the top of your post to reflect the image’s title.

Look at the other images 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.

We will start with single images.
Re-establishing our C&C for essays will be a next step.

Please limit any individual contribution to a single image.
This avoids confusion.

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.
It is understood that unless the original poster specifically states that they do not want an altered image posted that you are free to alter the posted image and repost it in a reply for C&C purposes (no use for other purposes!). That reposted image may remain permanently or you may remove it after a short period of time if you prefer. No copyright disputes here!

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

And finally, here are some useful hints for navigating and familiarizing yourself with the forum mechanics of DPRevived:

Unfortunately, there is no threaded view (yet).
We can’t simply keep images and their related comments together like we used to.
So please make clear about which image you are commenting.

To do that, you may make good use of the “quote” feature.
This allows you to keep the image in your reply.
Excess content can be deleted.
The “preview” button allows you to look at what you are going to post.
There is a difference between the “reply” button that sits at the top of the forum, and the reply buttons under every post.

A few threads in this new forum with useful navigation information:
dprevived.com/t/how-to-use-this-site/387/ 
and
dprevived.com/t/how-to-embed-photos-into-your-post-directly-from-flickr/456/
(this applies also, with modifications, to other photo hosting websites)
and
dprevived.com/t/how-to-quote/1014/

Have fun and let’s stick together!

Scotland 4.0 aiming for Scotland 5.0

I must confess that the image shown below is one that I did not make myself.
I did not press the shutter button.
It is made with my phone, but with one of our spouses handling the phone.
Processed for a bit more punch in the phone's apps.

I spotted the opportunity and chose position, angle and lens (iphone x0.5)
And then I made a sample shot to show "this is the composition I want".
But after that I joined the merry band of Scotland travellers in the frame.

This is an image from aboard the Pentland ferry from the Scottish mainland to the Orkney islands.
After a few pleasant days in the Highlands driving up from Inverness, we were finally en route to our Orkney adventure.
All revved up and ready to conquer the islands.

This was in 2022, on our 4th bi-annual Scotland hiking trip, always with the same group of three couples.
I remember the image because we are now starting to organize the 5th edition that will take place in 2024.

That's a great shot - I like your use of the shapes and strong color on the ground and the wide angle is perfect for that. Well done!

As mentioned in my thread on Adapted lenses with interesting bokeh shapes, I created this image and am calling the result 'brokeh' 😎 Because this lens is severly affected by separation, to a point where most people would just trash it. Instead of doing that I tried to incorporate it into the theme of the image:

Crush hour by simple.joy, on Flickr

Shot with a Steinheil Repro-Objektiv 80 mm f/4.5. If you know any vintage lenses with unusual bokeh shapes, please join the discussion in thread mentioned above!

I really like all of your experiments with those adapted lenses.
(I also really loved the macro close up of the broken pen, but I did not comment in last week's thread for two reasons : Minniev had already comprehensibly written everything that I also thought and I returned to the thread only quite late. I try to avoid making more comments after Tuesday afternoon, in order to let the weekly thread sizzle down and start a new one on Wednesday. Especially the posting of additional images is best done in the new thread rather than the one of last week...)

Very creative and with bewilderingly nice results. The colour diffraction is interesting.

And I think that you have coined a perfect phrase with "BROKEH".
That is a term that deserves to be used widely.
Love it.

The Girl in the Window. Naples.

*I don't know anything about lenses like this but I like some of the things you are doing with them. The delicate globe between the crocodile jaws gives a compelling contrast in concept, lines and colour. The bend in the wire convinces us about the strength of the pliers. I like the positioning of the pliers/globe as well. Coming in from the side with a small upwards slant gives movement - a carnivore striking prey comes to mind. This isn't explicit, it's the response the image creates by drawing on our past experiences. *

Another series that isn't abstract. IR-modded camera.

AFTER THE HARVEST

Shot in 2017, re-edited a few times since. Feedback has often been about the diagonal pole. Your thoughts? Also, do you know what the scene is, and does knowing or not knowing add or detract from any possible interest? Thanks much!

Sunrise Over An Ugly Shore

No iconic landscapes where I live, so I make do with what I find.

Another intriguing image in your collection. You've caught a rainbow moon in some gator-toothed pliers while Mars awaits. However you manage to control the creation of these, they are terribly fascinating. The "brokeh" is more interesting than an unblemished sort, as if the pliers have already done some damage.The subdued blue/purple tones make a nice backdrop for the smaller "brokeh"

In this one, unlike your others, there's nothing out of focus in the foreground; all of the foreground element is quite sharply rendered, which makes it stand out even more fiercely, and the blurred balls of light melt away in the distance. Nice contrast, nice creative piece..

Wow - I like these a lot - love the unusual look the IR creates, which goes very well with you're skillful playing of perspective, shapes and shadows. I like how some of the different 'frames' go along with the trees or their shadows, like each of those occupies a different space and the whole landscape merely appears because of the overlap. I could see a series of those with more space between the trees where there are even empty black spots between, examplifying the constant struggle between life and death. Have you seen the end of the movie "The Fountain"? Reminds me of that concept... Excellent work!

Really beautiful colors and excellent composition - I love that the sunlight only appears at the very edge and that the dark trees on the right provide a visual counterweight to that. I doubt I'd be able to take landscape shots like that, even if I had that scenery in front of me. Excellent work!

I've always been intrigued with IR especially for trees. This set reminds me of some IR-captured prints I've been tempted to buy in South Louisiana: gnarled trees with Spanish moss hanging from them. The way you've incorporated the shadows as leading lines doubling as triangular compositional constructs guiding us to the backlit trees is pretty great. Managing the backlighting has let you get a full range of tonalities. Very nice. I don't know what the black space is. I suspect it is a result of framing multiples and stitching but I could be wrong. It does give a unique presentation and I am always interested in unique. My first thought was NO but after I looked closely my thoughts changed to WHY NOT?

You're right.

blog.kasson.com/the-last-word/celebrating-the-process/

What are the end results?
Would interest me.
Some photos would not leave much to see.

Prints hanging on walls. Exhibitions. I've printed these as small as 8x10 and as large as 30x40. Because they're stitched from many captures, there is a lot of detail.

On the right and left of the photo I can see joy on his face.
The man in the middle, I don't know.
No facial expression recognizable, the photo is just too small.