* Wednesday C&C "No Theme" Thread #818 / Revived #038 on 2023 12 20 *

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!

CHAMBORD

When our children still lived at home as late teens, they wanted our house for themselves and their friends on New Year's Eve.

We grabbed that opportunity to travel in the week after Christmas and/or the first week of the new year.
For travel within Europe, that was a slow period. We have visited places on New Year's Day that are routinely swamped with tourists, but on that day (especially before noon) we were almost alone (maybe together with some Asian tourists).

That was the way in which we visited Chambord in the French Loire Valley, on a cold and grey December day, almost exactly ten years ago:

I found a small dam with plenty of reeds for these guys to hang around in. Common darter and graphic flutterer

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,
Lou

That sounds familiar ;-)

Well you have certainly caught the "cold and grey day" feeling here. And nice to see it without the hordes!
With the risk of mentioning something that is already completely clear to you,...
... because you wanted to include the near bank in the image you have pointed the camera downwards, and then you get the key stoning effect in the image; where the building is splayed out to the right and left, and the reflections are no longer vertical (as they are when looking in real life) but they are also splayed at an angle.
I get the feeling that in such shots that I'm looking at a photo of it, but when corrected it feels more like I'm really there and looking at it in real life.
It can easily be corrected, if you want, to in pp with the distortion controls, or you can use a tilt-shift lens, or you can just avoid the near bank and hold the camera straight and vertical (that would have been my choice in this case)

These are lovely, especially 3 & 4
the detail is great and they are nicely composed. The bokeh in 4 is very good and the background colour harmonises well with the dragonfly

Good looking abstract. Very colourful against that dark background.
It keeps you busy for a while, looing around all the details when enlarged :-)

The last summer rose
Before all the snow melted this week, here's a quick shot taken about 2 weeks ago of the last of the summer garden roses

Above and below the boat dock.

"Lo0k"

Really enjoy the colors here and how effective they are in contrast to the white of the snow - well spotted and a wonderful capture! It also has a nice symbolic layer with everything pointing down, yet still looking graceful in the eye of the inevitable...

Fantastic work as usual! Can't decide which one I like better. Both images are fantastic. The first one has so many interesting elements to discover and a great separation between heaven and earth/water... the second one is an excellent abstract with really effective use of colors!

I like it - another great example from your recent fashion show shots, I assume? I like how different the expressions of the eyes above and the rest of the face below are, almost like they reveal a hidden layer of emotions, which wouldn't be visible otherwise. Like an emotional X-ray... Well done!

Serenade in sea sharp by simple.joy, on Flickr

Umbrella

Different Directions, Different Priorities.

The Strand in Oceanside, CA is a one-mile, one- and two-lane street fronting the beach. It's a very popular place to walk and pedal one's bicycle. Cars are permitted. The speed limit is 5 MPH. It's a pleasant, peaceful stretch most weekdays.

The Strand attracts Low Riders, especially on weekends (usually much more elaborate than the one here), who's main purpose is to be "noticed" and heard.

It's apparently necessary to constantly be scowling when driving these vehicles and to stare sternly, unwaveringly, straight ahead. And to have sound systems capable of producing at least 120-130 decibel sound levels - approximately equal to the sound pressure level of a jet engine.

Especially for bass notes.

These systems are capable of playing only Hip-Hop.

Rich