• Members 1589 posts
    Oct. 12, 2023, 8:42 p.m.

    That first image is an incredibly beautiful piece of art. It is well framed with subtle lines of warm light and shadow leading from upper left to lower right, and truly gorgeous color. The editing enhances without intruding. The framing by the nearer more distinct leaves at the bottom is brilliant. Print-worthy.

    The second image of your pup companions is adorable. Well posed and full of personality. The little pup has lost a bit of detail in the lightest areas, or I'd be urging you to put this one in print as well. The expressions are priceless. If you do any mixer brush painting of photos, this would be a gem to turn into a faux painting and put on canvas,

  • Members 196 posts
    Oct. 12, 2023, 8:54 p.m.

    Thank you for the kind words. The picture of Daisy and Dexter was alas a quick catch on a phone, getting one of them to pose is tricky getting both a miracle 😀

  • Members 689 posts
    Oct. 12, 2023, 9:09 p.m.

    Thank you for the kind words. I tried to blur background more, but it starts to look unnatural. BTW I tried a new LrC Lens Blur feature.

  • Members 1662 posts
    Oct. 12, 2023, 9:18 p.m.

    This one is incredible - love the colors! Such a warm and nice feeling fall image!

  • Members 54 posts
    Oct. 12, 2023, 9:53 p.m.

    Spirit Bear

    Back again after an extended break. Good to see the group is still going strong.
    I captured this image last week in the Great Bear Rain Forest of British Columbia, Canada.

    Spirit Bear.jpg

    Spirit Bear.jpg

    JPG, 1.1 MB, uploaded by MikePDX on Oct. 12, 2023.

  • Members 1416 posts
    Oct. 12, 2023, 11:24 p.m.

    Beautifully positioned to get the steep fall aways to each side. The decreasing human sizes give scale and the touch of mist at the end draws us on. I like wa lens use as done here where it makes possible details of the roughness of the track within the scale of the scene.
    Looking at this and understanding when it was taken, I became aware of something in my response. It is something that comes from looking at many landscapes with humans over many years. It's me, not the photo. Strictly speaking, the red backpacks-or shirts or jumpers etc are positives. Any National Geographic "How to do it" guide will suggest that your companion should be asked to wear/carry something red for moments like this.
    My problem is that I have seen it too many times. Finding an alternative is another matter.

  • Members 1589 posts
    Oct. 12, 2023, 11:29 p.m.

    I love photographing old textured objects like this. I like how the rusty hook and chain and the foremost part of the knotted rope are in sharp focus, with focus dropping off as you get further back in the frame. The texture in the in-focus area is very engaging. There is obvious physical tension that grabs our attention as well, in the chains and ropes leading off to the right, pulling away from the ropes and the metal hook. I like this a lot, but then I like almost all the stuff I find on docks.

  • Members 1416 posts
    Oct. 12, 2023, 11:36 p.m.

    The purples and greens are good colours to show off the golden brown tones of the bee. Lots of close up details on the bee and the flower for us to explore. Marvelling at that kind of detail is the pleasure of macro photos.
    Just for the fun of it and to add, I think, a bit more impact, I might have tried a more radical crop. Take off from the top until that edge is just above the bigger bee's wing. Take off from the right so it almost touches the tip of the same wing. Maybe a small amount off the left? What do you think?

  • Members 1589 posts
    Oct. 12, 2023, 11:44 p.m.

    Don't you just hate to try and do serious editing on mobile devices? Give me my real computer every time!

    The first photo has a very interesting old building with lots of cool detail to study. The mid day light isn't doing you a lot of favors and I don't think the blown out sun is helpful; I would either repair it or crop it out.

    With the light trails, I think the first capture is preferable, because there are fewer blurry people included, but I do like the monochrome treatment in the final one. I still think laying a gradient over the overbright right lower quarter might help out, as that lighted area is stealing way too much attention from the part of the photo you were focused on (the moving vehicles).

  • Members 1416 posts
    Oct. 12, 2023, 11:51 p.m.

    It has to be viewed large to bring out all the details in the mid distance. Full of repeating horizontal lines that create joy in the expanse. The flat line running beneath one lot of cloud formations is especially noteworthy because we know this is transient. The photographer has positioned the foreground rock to contribute to those lines. The textures and lighter tones of the rock mirror the sky and create a satisfying sandwich of the mid ground.
    One thing about the rock. Sometimes a little soft focus adds depth. I don't think you need depth here, it's self evident in the image. In this shot I think sharpdetail from front to back would be preferable. Off course, that's a lot of dof we are talking about and it may or may not have been possible to do this, depending on your lens and whether or not you had a tripod available, etc.

  • Members 1416 posts
    Oct. 12, 2023, 11:55 p.m.
  • Members 1589 posts
    Oct. 12, 2023, 11:56 p.m.

    I love it, but you may not want to listen to me, because I consistently stuff too much material in the frame. Simplification is not my deal. The brightly clad dancers are shown in sharp detail and quickly establish themselves as the subject. The reflected building has lovely detail but its more muted colors tell us that it is not the star of this show. the spectators are bookends that help hold things together. For me, it all works. But for someone who prefers simple compositions, it may not.

  • Members 1589 posts
    Oct. 12, 2023, 11:58 p.m.

    A fall foliage fantasy shot, with orange trees swimming in a blue sky. Colors on steroids. But blue and orange will always work if you have a good composition.

  • Members 1589 posts
    Oct. 13, 2023, 12:03 a.m.

    I actually wondered about that new feature for this image. I'm sorry to hear it didn't work well. I was hoping it would give a more natural result than fiddling with box blur on layers the way I've always had to do it in the past. This looks like a perfect image for trying it out because it's so darned detailed (and pretty!).

  • Members 1589 posts
    Oct. 13, 2023, 12:14 a.m.

    Welcome back! It's homecoming week! Another of our long lost citizens has found his way home!

    And what an amazing image you are sharing. The Great Bear Rainforest has long been one of my dreams, and I now am pretty sure it's one I'll never get to live out, but these beautiful bears and their gorgeous environment have captured my imagination for a long time. I am terribly jealous. This is an outstanding nature image, well composed and perfectly exposed, in great focus. The diagonal tree trunk places the bear in the perfect position, and at a nice 3/4 angle, The detailed view of those claws is pretty wonderful. And the yellow of those few leaves along the top border are a great touch to include. Excellent work, as usual.

  • Members 1416 posts
    Oct. 13, 2023, 12:55 a.m.

    Real photos, not AI, that let us marvel at the real world we cannot see. That's something AI can't do, unless it merely piggy backs on real photos. The magic of water droplets frozen in time.
    I also liked looking at even bigger sections of these in enlargements. Your selected angles and lighting brings out the edges and that is exactly what is wanted in shots like these.

  • Members 1416 posts
    Oct. 13, 2023, 1:09 a.m.

    Science spends multi-millions to get shots of the interior of molecular structures. Well done!
    The feeling of speed along the electron paths that comes from the dof is simply great.
    The composition balance between the interlocking tracks to the framed "nucleus" is also beautifully controlled. The nucleus will be revealed as our intrepid scientist masters the technique and gets to the heart of all things.

  • Members 1416 posts
    Oct. 13, 2023, 1:16 a.m.

    Sometimes I don't see point in your colour treatments. This time I do. A couple who look at the world through their own reality. They enjoy their view.
    It may not have been your intention but I see this as a political comment and laugh. The world of those who see and interpret events through their own news and media bubble.