* Wednesday C&C "No Theme" Thread #887 / Revived #107 on 2025 04 16*

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!

HOGWARTS EXPRESS

Traveling in Scotland in May 2015 for the first of five bi-annual hiking expeditions, we explored the region north of Glasgow (Loch Lomond, Fort William, Glen Coe, Isle of Mull, Kintyre, Isle of Arran). On the so-called "Road to the Isles", from Fort William westward towards Mallaig, where you can take a ferry to the Isle of Skye and the Hebrides, there is a marvelous scenic car route, but also a train track, on which there is still a regular service with a steam train, called "The Jacobite".

Two of our band of eight really wanted to ride a stretch on that train, so we obliged.
They boarded the train near Fort William and it was the plan that they would ride the long stretch along Loch Eil, and disembark in Glenfinnan where we would be waiting for them to continue our car road trip.

Glenfinnan is a small town on the northern tip of a large loch, and home to the statue of Bonnie Prince Charles, called the Glenfinnan Monument.

The town is also famous for the Glenfinnan viaduct, probably one of the most iconic stretches of railroad in Great Britain, and made famous by the Harry Potter movie series, because the Hogwarts Express rides on that curved viaduct.

Obviously, I had prepared with maps and timetables to determine a solid vantage point to see our friends' train drive over Glenfinnan viaduct before reaching the town, without the need for us to make crazy detours. Sadly, from that point it is not really clear that the viaduct has a spectacularly curved shape through the landscape (google "Glenfinnan Viaduct" to be amazed), but I am still happy with my shot.

I gave it a desaturated processing in order to make it look like an ancient picture postcard.

A Good Year For Azaleas

The last two years we lost our azaleas to late freezes. The ones at my "regular" house didn't come back and are gone forever, but the ones at the country house have thrived this year. Flower photos with nothing else in them can be kinda boring so I stepped to the side and got one of our two mystery buildings in the picture. This one may be older than our 1908 house. Heart pine, tin roof, two rooms, a porch, a chimney, 2 doors and 2 windows with shutters, some spool wiring indicating it was brought online with electricity in the 1930s. The oldest neighbors remember it being where sweet potatoes were "cured" but it seems more complex than that. State architectural historian was stumped.

Think the Rain Will Hurt the Agave?

From a series, So Cal Rainy Day

Rich

Sacura volcano eruption

No-one is safe. Trust no-one.
The Songkran water festival. Chiang Mai.
I took these a number of years ago. at the time, I was too scared for my camera and didn't take chances.
Today, looking at some fabulous Songkran shots this year in Bangkok (check these from The Atlantic) I dug out my old snaps.
mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?hl=en#inbox/FMfcgzQZVKDRlzGnKsZPqBxtLTBbNKlh
The devout monk or the grim policeman are equally likely to have a hidden water pistol and they won't hesitate to douse you and then pretend it wasn't them. Both are also fair game during the festival. Note the monks under fire in the back of the truck. From small children to tottering grandparents, all are hunters and targets. Pitched battles are waged on the streets between gangs in trucks with vast water reservoirs on board.
The City Councils help the mayhem by pumping water into everyone's ammunition reserves. Don't trust them either, they regularly turn the truck hoses onto the crowd..

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Old and new

One of the buildings of
University of Toronto ( built between 1856 and 1859 ) has a soccer field being constructed nearby for athletic endeavors.

Great series, very atmospheric and reflecting forthcoming sunset and accompanying colours.
This shot is very appealing (to me) due to interesting scenery and winding road.

Very joyful series with water being common connection between them. The last one with mother and a child is particularly revealing - utter happiness.

Power of nature. Great shot.

Just on a side. Locally we are about to experience sakura; blossoms of cherry trees.

Very healthy, thriving and surviving specimen and historic to boot.

Trainspotting classic capture at it's best.
Enough said.

@ChrisOly
In Japan sacura in full bloom. I just came back from 17 days trip and have a lot of picture to process.

Yes, Great White Frozen North has to wait till May...

Yes, they look very pretty and the shot is more interesting with the background you chose.
Our azaleas haven't started to bloom yet. I love that fresh smell when they flower

Good shot !
Nicely processed too.
I was also in Scotland in 2015 and waited ages at this viaduct for a shot of the steam train, but it never turned up :-(
Either that particular trip was cancelled or, as my family teased, I can't read a timetable ;-)

Well, I had the benefit of being in contact with passengers on that train, so they could tell me when they had passed the station before the viaduct.

It's the plume of smoke running back behind the engine that lifts the image. The shadowed area of pines gives some contrast to the smake and the smoke expanding from the funnel but more or less horizontal behind, adds speed. generally, I'm not a fan of "aged" images but it's justified by the connection to Hogwarts so all is forgiven.

So, so good. The old building nestles in curve of the blaze of light and colour of the Azaleas. The life accentuates the mystery of the semi hidden building. who planted those flowers in such a spot? What happened? We don't have to verbalize and frame the actual questions, they are just the implications that stir beneath our surface as we look at the image.

Got a lucky shot among many many many shots trying different settings that were suggested to me in DPreview.
Troubleshooting a ghosting issue that could just be too slow shutter and blur.
But this image worked out, even with the over-exposure on the beak.