* Wednesday C&C "No Theme" Thread #815 / Revived #035 on 2023 11 29 *

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).
• Add a clear title to your post to reflect the image’s title and distinguish your entry.
• 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.

PLEASE NOTE CLEARLY:
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!

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.

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!

SPARRING

For lack of recent work, I once again turn to an older image, taken from a documentary series of a group of semi-pro boxers preparing for an upcoming boxing gala event.

I like it - a very effective image and excellent composition! I love how you used the head in the foreground to mask part of the boxer in focus. The eye is a clear center of attention and a perfect symbol for the necessary concentration in a sport like that, but there are lots of other interesting aspects to the image. My favorite is the contrast between the idealized sport (poster of the wall) and the real sport (the two men in the foreground), where the skin on the back of the head seems to show quite a few bruises already and the nose of the opponent probably could do without the whole thing as well...

Excellent work!

Living above your means by simple.joy, on Flickr

Water

1932 Art Deco Filtration Plant still in full use.

The thin white line!
On Sunday, I took a walk through our fairly big local forest.
The light was a bit boring and quite subdued with only uniform white clouds covering the whole sky.

Opting for a new route this time, the path meandered, twisted, and intersected with various junctions,
leaving me just a tad disoriented after a while ;-)
Thankfully, at the beginning of my walk, I’d noticed a thin white line of snow running vertically up each of the pine trees, albeit only on one side.

Looking forward, towards the East

Now looking backwards, towards the West from the same spot on the path,

I guess that thin white line was made as the wind was blowing from the west while it was snowing? Anyway, I realised that navigating my way home would be a breeze, thanks to the natural compass provided by the distinct snow pattern on the trees 😊

Along the path found these nice looking wet autumn leaves in a puddle
All taken with my phone this time.

I was very happy that these two stopped for a rest and let me get close.

Very clever. Are these bird houses or roof ornaments?

[quote="@Bryan"]

I like the clarity, colours and lightness in these photos. Very good effort.

Like them all, but this is my fave. Visual impact of these straight trees with a dusting of snow is very captivating.

... or possibly a storage place on the roof, to stack up the mats used as sun shades for something like a lemon grove?
Clever title, as so often before :-)

Interesting capture due to the fact, that we do not see a full face of the boxer. It's captivating, intriguing and interesting approach to image making.

The brilliant white snow accentuates the wonderful array of colors. For a dull overcast day, the colors remain really vibrant. Your pond (it's much better than a puddle 😊) looks like a glass mirror. Phone cameras should be banned... 😉

You have captured the imposing nature of this intriguing architecture. No wonder it has been used as the setting in a lot of films (many as prisons but also comedy). The soft yellow brick in the sunlight retains enough warmth to keep it from becoming too foreboding. Perhaps comically futuristic.

Great shot and a very impressive building! I like the composition as it is but would turn the image a little bit (around 1.5-2°) so that the lines of the main building are straight.

Thank you both very much! They're actually tiny roofs for two (differently sized) chimneys on top of a real roof below.😄 So I guess roof ornaments is a pretty close...

Well seen and presented. A composition that's intriguing on its own, plus makes me wonder if I'd have been alert to the possibilities had I wandered past.

Wow, very impressive! They sure don't make 'em like that anymore...