*challenge 24 ginger,comments please

[ginger_55]

http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/9786561-L.jpg

The one above this is my favorite. The one below is my daughter's favorite.


http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/9784477-L.jpg

[Nir]

Listen to your daughter ... :wxwax

[ginger_55]

Near DC yesterday, fall color compared to carolinas. That is my granddaughter. I don't know if this is a landscape or not, other than the top of a mountain, I don't rightly exactly know, but I did want to show that there is some fall color. Also reds.

http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/10020521-L.jpg

[judyfuess]

Hi Ginger,


Another set of amazing pics. I like the second photo a lot, but it is a little dark, you may want to try lightening it a little.

-judy

[ginger_55]

Hi Ginger,


Another set of amazing pics. I like the second photo a lot, but it is a little dark, you may want to try lightening it a little.

-judy
Judy, thank you. I did those before my computer broke, last wee early hours of Wed morning. So I did them at home.

I am at my daughter's with her new computer now, amazing how much too light everything looks. And green.

We cannot possibly all be seeing the same things, smile.

ginger

[julesnc]

I'm not sure which one I like better. I look at the one on top and think, yea...it's this one. Then I scroll down to the next one and think, no.....I think it's this one. Even though they are of the same subject, I get different feelings looking at them.

[ian408]

The first is very pleasing to the eye. In that the clouds and landscape seem
to draw you into the picture. There is a nice reflection of the clouds in the
water too.

I'd like to see the grass/landscape in the first picture a bit brighter. Maybe a
better way to state it is the sky from 1 and the landscape from 2?

ian

[Andy]

http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/9784477-S.jpg

i like this better. the compo is more pleasing.

[landrum]

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/9784477-L.jpgAbsolutely this one! While the first one is nice, this one looks finished with the framing of the grass. The clouds are more interesting too. Nicely done!:clap

[ginger_55]

thank you for the comments above, duly noted. :deal

http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/9784773-L.jpg

[snapapple]

thank you for the comments above, duly noted. :deal

http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/9784773-S.jpg

Ginger,
I believe I gave you my choice yesterday in another message, but I wanted to post it here. No. 2 is my choice. Much more engaging than the first and the grasses are clearer. Lots to look at. A very pleasing composition.

I like this last one too. It's got a nice mood. I'm sure you'll confuse yourself with so many beautiful landscapes available to you. You have a good eye. But, so far, I still pick No. 2.

[ginger_55]

death. Does that impress anyone. I had my cell, called my husband to talk to all the way back to the parking lot, through very dark paths with huge trees and things, nobody. I have to see if there is any security at night, I was very scared. Also a very long distance to carry a tripod, especially if you are 65, which I will be next month. Could hardly breathe when I got back to the car. But the marsh was glorious, simply wonderful. Am going to take my husband to carry the tripod, soon, to get some roosting birds. Really bores him, though.
g

Oh, brown is our fall color. The more into fall, towards winter the browner our landscape gets. Took me twenty years to appreciate it.

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/9784478-L.jpg

[ish]

thank you for the comments above, duly noted. :deal

http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/9784773-S.jpg


I like this one the best, more minimal and yet poignant. Nice shot ginger~

[tmlphoto]

I like this one the best, more minimal and yet poignant. Nice shot ginger~
Ginger I like this one best so far. Keep shooting, I know you will find a knock your socks off shot soon.

[gubbs]

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/9784477-Th.jpg

I like this one ginger, very calm, could be a bit lighter maybe.
Not very keen on the last one - too many ugly chairs, but some good colours

[ginger_55]

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/9784477-Th.jpg

I like this one ginger, very calm, could be a bit lighter maybe.
Not very keen on the last one - too many ugly chairs, but some good colours
Gubbs, I like it best as a thumbnail, it has seemed busy to me from the beggining, particularly in the front weeds, the framing things, particularly on the lower left. Am thinking, maybe that is where I could lighten. Can't do anything with it until I get home. Just put the old Elements 2 on Sara's computer. That is good stuff for her, but is very awkward for me now, spoiled by CS.

What do you think re the minimalist look, Gubbs?

I don't want to go lighter overall on the photo here, I particularly liked it for some of the colors, like the reflections in the water. Obviously I liked it well enough to put it on smugMug at 3 AM last week. But the heavy framing at the bottom has bothered me.

Any other suggestions on what to do with that would be appreciated.

I am going to put some stuff up that you all will hate, I am thinking now, why does a landscape have to be pretty, so eventually will put up something ugly from yesterday. And will take off the one with the chairs, the "landscaped" one. I don't go for landscaping myself. But it was a thought.

I do like the minimal thing, not completely happy with that one, though, not minimal enough.........the marsh grass has too much detail, was going to work on that at home, too.

Sorry this is so long, lots of issues. Any suggestions on them, well I will apply at home, Sunday or Monday. And I have an idea for a shoot at home, but cannot possibly do it here. And I have to have an assistant to carry the tripod. (Don't know why my poor husband does not enjoy doing my photography with me, more?) Also, I am, for some things, weather dependent.

ginger

[ginger_55]

http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/10120412-L.jpg

[lynnma]

I'm going with number two of the first two Ginger.. I love it:clap

[ginger_55]

Thanks, Lynn. My daughter wants to put that #2 over her couch in the living room.

I just want to take some clippers and cut some errant folliage out of the left side, lol. Unless that idea I have of a low country shot works out, and it requires time and a physical workout, to say the least of weather and I don't know the lighting on it that well. So, if that works out, we all might change our minds, other than that, I am going to have to go with that second shot.

Anyone have digital clippers? Cletus?:rofl You all wouldn't mind, most of the folliage would still be there, it is just a bit that is annoying me. I looked again, anything I did to it, I think would do more harm than good, you know draw attention to what I think is a problem, and probably isn't, rather than get rid of it.

g

[miketaylor01]

I like this one alot, very simple yet the single tree says alot. Very well composed. of your first two i definitely prefer the one with the weeds up front. I know you said you thinkits destracting and dont like it, but there was something about them that I liked alot. Maybe the framing or the close reference to the surroundings to the whole landscape, im not sure but I liked that shot alot. I think this is my favorite of the two though. My taste and style seems to differ from alot of people here though. Just my opinion.

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/9784773-L.jpg[/QUOTE]

[shooter]

They are both wonderful shots, but while I love the sky in the first one, the second shot has the reeds or grass in the foreground which seals it for me. Number two!! Nice work.

[judyfuess]

death. Does that impress anyone. I had my cell, called my husband to talk to all the way back to the parking lot, through very dark paths with huge trees and things, nobody. I have to see if there is any security at night, I was very scared. Also a very long distance to carry a tripod, especially if you are 65, which I will be next month. Could hardly breathe when I got back to the car. But the marsh was glorious, simply wonderful. Am going to take my husband to carry the tripod, soon, to get some roosting birds. Really bores him, though.
g

Oh, brown is our fall color. The more into fall, towards winter the browner our landscape gets. Took me twenty years to appreciate it.

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/9784478-L.jpg
I am going to go against the crowd a bit here. I think this is my favorite. I love the colors in here, and the peacefullness that it shows! The reflection of the clouds on the water is great!!!! :clap (Plus the story of the way you got it is also amazing!)
-judy

[happysnapper]

I am going to go against the crowd a bit here. I think this is my favorite. I love the colors in here, and the peacefullness that it shows! The reflection of the clouds on the water is great!!!! :clap (Plus the story of the way you got it is also amazing!)
-judy

I agree with Judy, this shot is lovely... and very peaceful

Yvette

[digismile]

Ginger,
Hard choice to make, but I think I like this one the best.

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/9784477-S.jpg

I'd like to see the colours of the sky warmed just a "bit". The colour is there already, it think it just needs a little bit of a lift:D

Very nice shot.

Brad

[ginger_55]

I just looked up the rules and anything taken after noon on Oct 10 is allowed.

g
http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/10272216-L.jpg

[ginger_55]

I used G blur and soft light........... Is it better or worse?

g


http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10274968-L.jpg

The top one has the blur and soft light added, the one at the bottom is the original one that everyone seemed to like.


http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/9784775-L.jpg

[ginger_55]

October 11, I have just liked this one from the beginning. Thought I would see what others think. g


http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/10274974-L.jpg

[pathfinder]

October 11, I have just liked this one from the beginning. Thought I would see what others think. g


http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/10274974-S.jpg

I like the color in this image Ginger, but the big white pilings have got to go - they are just too big and too in my face. Without the pilings I think this would be a lovely image, but not with them, they are just too too much.

[Head in the Clouds]

Ginger - this is my fav! i like the softness that you've put on it. Like a misty morning or something..... also the greens and autumn colours are more vivid ..... i like it a lot :thumb :clap (almost looks like a watercolour)

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10274968-L.jpg

[ginger_55]

Thanks, Pathfinder, I agree.

g

What about that g blur shot. I am concerned about it looking fake.

[ginger_55]

Thanks Aussie Kate. I like it now, I didn't like it before, was driving me nuts.

But I was concerned. I also "dodged" a few areas, left the sky alone, but, well, I didn't know. I am happier with it now.

g

I haven't downloaded those dog shots yet. They blurred at fast speeds, not all blurred, but some did.

I am, I guess I am, my husband said, we are getting 512 more things of memory which will give us 700 something. Should really help.

[ginger_55]

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10286051-L.jpg

One of these is done with a fog gradient and soft light, the other is done with G blur and soft light........that is the basic difference.

http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/10320280-L.jpg

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10274971-L.jpg





It is grey cloudy, dull outside. I had hopes for today. One more thing to try, and I can't do it by myself. Nor can I do it without sun, I don't think. It is a sun type thing. AGGGHHHH!

ginger (This one below is the first one I put up, maybe I should just accept it.????)

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/9784775-L.jpg

[lynnma]

One of these is done with a fog gradient and soft light, the other is done with G blur and soft light........that is the basic difference.

It is grey cloudy, dull outside. I had hopes for today. One more thing to try, and I can't do it by myself. Nor can I do it without sun, I don't think. It is a sun type thing. AGGGHHHH!

ginger (This one below is the first one I put up, maybe I should just accept it.????)

I like this one... the middle one. Now Ginger... I know this is gonna be impossible for you to live with but LEAVE IT ALONE!!!!!!! GINGER.... LEAVE IT ALONE:rofl :rofl
http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10274971-S.jpg

[Sandy]

Have to agree, what a beautiful landscape, very soothing colors.

I like this one... the middle one. Now Ginger... I know this is gonna be impossible for you to live with but LEAVE IT ALONE!!!!!!! GINGER.... LEAVE IT ALONE:rofl :rofl
http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10274971-S.jpg

[ginger_55]

Are you actually suggesting I can stay home and sleep a bit today?? Was frantically trying to figure out where to get a pleasing grey landscape..........like on the ground??


Oh, I bought a Kelby book on CS Killer Tips, I think that was it, at a discount store and it has info in three places on layers and locking and unlocking, same problem I have been having. Had to put back a novel to get it, but that will save me mega time. Probably has some other obvious stuff in it, too.

I figured out how to find the photo, put it up. Thanks,

ginger (my husband says he likes it, too.)

[ginger_55]

That, I thought, might be, the one I put up early in my endeavers last night, Kate said she liked it. I got myself in really weird country later, so went back to try to get the Aussie Kate one. Now I have to find it again, lol. I know it is not in the weird stuff and not in the first stuff.

Oh, have to ask.

Does it need straightening on the horizon at all? Promise I will not touch it, not unless instructed, heck don't know which one not to touch. But I have been wondering whether it was level. Hate those things that might be a tad, or might not.

ginger

[ish]

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10274971-S.jpg

This new one, this is "the one" for me. That gradient filter did woners, it looks amazing!

[ginger_55]

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10274971-S.jpg

This new one, this is "the one" for me. That gradient filter did woners, it looks amazing!
This isn't the gradient filter, though I love using that. This is the use of layers, to duplicate layer to Gaussein Blur, to Soft Light mode. Plus I think I lightened a few things a tad, just for realism (tops of the marsh grass). I actually think that the first thing I did was select, with the polygonal tool, the sky, then actually selected everything else and lightened it a bit, perhaps using the brighten and contrast tool. That was the sky stayed dark, but some of the stuff important to me became more visible. Oh, I also upped some of the colors, don't remember, am sure yellow would have been one, and blue, but the cyan really helped the reflection in the water. I wouldn't want anyone trying to do something like this and wondering why just the blur and the soft light wasn't working. I work like I am painting when I am doing post. It is not a lot, sometimes three steps, including the sharpening USM, but sometimes a few other things come into play. I don't write them down, just dabble here and there.

The blur to Vivid Light mode was in a tutorial when I first joined, so it is somewhere around here. I try both, but end up using soft light more.

Thanks, ginger

[ginger_55]

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10313692-L.jpg


Photography by ginger
October 10, 2004
Sullivan's Island, SC
Looking out to the Atlantic Ocean
From Breach Inlet
The round house, it was there when nothing else was.
When I moved to that island in 1984.

(I forgot I took these, I wanted to capture the yellow flowers. Since I did not get them in glory, I did not try to work them up, these photos I mean.
I did a lot of photography that afternoon, after church which ends at 12:30.
Amazing.)

It reminds me of the painting of Andrew Wyeth, or Jamie, one of them, and I love their work. So now I have a quandary again.

I used the blur and aggressively used vived light, I chose to leave it at about 75% giving the photo a painterly wild look, that is how I see it. ????

g

[ginger_55]

http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/10313696-L.jpg


I took this the same afternoon, Sunday Oct 10, 2004. Thank gosh for fall colors, huh, smile. I park there sometimes and go down to see what opportunities might be there for a photographer. I used to go to the other side, for awhile I lived on that island, too. This time there were the fisher people. I sat on the beach and took some pictures. That is when I took the picture of the little sandpiper. It is a nice place. This is a new bridge in the last couple of years. I thought I would hate it, just a part of the landscape now.

g

[pathfinder]

Thanks, Pathfinder, I agree.

g

What about that g blur shot. I am concerned about it looking fake.
http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10274968-S.jpg

I think this lovely - Has it been processed? - yes - but I find it lovely and not distracting at all. :thumb

[ginger_55]

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10274968-S.jpg

I think this lovely - Has it been processed? - yes - but I find it lovely and not distracting at all. :thumb
Thank you, Pathfinder. I am getting rather fond of it myself. That puts me with three photos I am fond of. This is the one I have struggled with all week, my daughter loves it, I have had positive comments........... I imagine I will use it, and I do like it more and more........ I did raise one discerning daughter, if not two. Now, me, I just take the pictures, LOL.

g

I should buy bunches of calenders to use my shots. I wish more were in black and white. Even with all those years of taking black and white, I don't think in terms of light enough.

Did you see what the next thing is going to be... Now I really don't think that way when it comes to photography. I like my subjects down, out and sad. If they are a kid that way it makes it even better. But I don't pinch them or anything, I just have to see it........... but anything else with a camera.

I have two ideas, both set ups.

[dragon300zx]

Ginger personally I like the third option that looks like the ski is pink (mainly cause I like the clouds) the most. But I can see why everyone else likes option 2 as well.

[FreeUps]

Thank you, Pathfinder. I am getting rather fond of it myself. That puts me with three photos I am fond of. This is the one I have struggled with all week, my daughter loves it, I have had positive comments........... I imagine I will use it, and I do like it more and more........ I did raise one discerning daughter, if not two. Now, me, I just take the pictures, LOL.

g

I should buy bunches of calenders to use my shots. I wish more were in black and white. Even with all those years of taking black and white, I don't think in terms of light enough.

Did you see what the next thing is going to be... Now I really don't think that way when it comes to photography. I like my subjects down, out and sad. If they are a kid that way it makes it even better. But I don't pinch them or anything, I just have to see it........... but anything else with a camera.

I have two ideas, both set ups.

Ginger, my vote is on this one as well. Simply beautiful!

It's a weird thing though, I was originally going to say that I would play around with the sky a bit. So, with that comment, I saved the picture and opened it up in photoshop. BUT NOW, The sky is perfect, the colors are different. It's so much better in PS.

It kinda makes me worry though. I wonder why it is displaying so different for me in Safari (worse) than it is in photoshop (wayyyy bettter).

Anyone got suggestions?

Its already a winner Ginger
Marshall

[ginger_55]

I could go back and look, not that I would dare touch it, I have to follow Lynn's advice once and see how that goes. Then it is all her fault, and I read that she is going to Arizona. When she is gone............

No, I will leave it, probably.

Are you talking the third option on that "shot"? I didn't touch the sky. I don't like to use technical language, mostly because it confuses me. But I think I used a mask to protect the sky. I put the marching ants around the sky, then I inverted that so that everything but the sky got the treatment, well, I guess the sky got some at the end, but it was not lightened or anything. Those vivid modes are really contrast things, I think, and maybe they got to the sky a bit.

If I ever do it from the beginning again, I will erase that from the sky next time. It should not be that different. Really what I did was geared to lighten the top of the marsh grass a bit. It is a pretty gold, kind of, and I wanted to try to not have it look so blah. Then the green weed was bothering me in the front, I am not sure what I did, but the weed doesn't bother me as much..
I worried about something else for awhile. The water turned a nice reflective color of the sky when I added some cyan, maybe that makes the actual sky look lighter.???

ginger, thanks for commenting.

[ginger_55]

Ginger, my vote is on this one as well. Simply beautiful!

It's a weird thing though, I was originally going to say that I would play around with the sky a bit. So, with that comment, I saved the picture and opened it up in photoshop. BUT NOW, The sky is perfect, the colors are different. It's so much better in PS.

It kinda makes me worry though. I wonder why it is displaying so different for me in Safari (worse) than it is in photoshop (wayyyy bettter).

Anyone got suggestions?

Its already a winner Ginger
Marshall
Thank you, Marshall. I personally do not think most of us are seeing the same thing, lol. If we spend the money and time to calibrate, then we might be seeing the same thing, but .........I know my monitor was seeing darker than Snappy's, so I turned it up lighter. My daughter's is a little brighter, and it is newer, too. Then my friend in DC, I can see why she was disappointed in prints she had made, her monitor is dark enough for serious eye strain.

Now that shot I worked up, I think I did, in SRGB, I brought it down here that way, I think, or not. That might worry me. I brought down to smugmug last night. Baldy has a whole explanation for this. I am sure it is around somewhere, but I am not sure where.

It is interesting......... And it does have ramifications, I will check to see what that is.

ginger

[ginger_55]

Marshall, et al. I went and found exactly which version of that photo I had used. I could tell you the numbers, but they wouldn't mean anything to you. Most of the EXIF info was gone from that one, version 4, and I don't know why. The way it was feeling when I moved it around to match it up with the one down here, well I worried whether I had ever flattened it. So I put it in layers, pretended to mess with it, then "flattened" it. It is possible that it was never flattened????

What I was concerned about was to make sure I had sent it down here as sRGB.
I have Adobe set back on it now, I would forget otherwise. Since I did that only half way through last night, I thought maybe it had not gotten changed. Then it would definitely, as I understand it, look worse down here. I did make sure this time that it did say sRGB when I saved it. I uploaded that one to smugmug, brought it over here, it is next to the "other" one on this thread. I replaced the one on the challenge with the "new" version. And I wrote in the back of a Kelby book how to find it again.

Now why that sky looks a little less pink, and I still do see pink, but the sky was not involved in the lightening of the grass top, the increase in some saturations, etc. But it was involved in the blur and soft light mode in layers.
I am going to assume that just like any contrast thing it did make the light part of the sky lighter. I guess that was a trade off. Maybe I could have masked it then, too.

A lesson learned. The layers blur and soft light does really help the photo, I think, and if I had to choose I would do it over again. I will see if I can be more protective of anything I do not want to put through a contrast situation, next time.

Did anyone get to watch that new housewives TV show??? I have wanted to see it since it started. I finished that picture, looked up, my husband was going to bed, and I totally missed the show. And so it goes.

I don't understand why they put different numbers on them here, it makes it difficult for me as I am not savvy on that stuff. I had to finally eyeball them, I know that in the end I got the correct one, but it was work. I don't want numbers displayed, but I would like to be able to get to the same number I have in my files.

Thanks for alerting me on that sky. If you get to read this, let me know if it looks any better to you. I can't do any more now without risking the photo, if it came down here as an sRGB, then I don't know why you had trouble, if it didn't..............well that is it right there.

ginger

[ginger_55]

This is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I saw a painting once just of color, it was a Charleston marsh. I had the opportunity today, Oct 25th, to take some photos of the marsh. I did not know how they would work, I am quite pleased. ginger


http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/10383986-L.jpg

[ginger_55]

http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/10384614-L.jpg

[ginger_55]

http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/10384618-L.jpg


Kind of interesting how I did the color. Desaturated some color. Saturated yellow and green. Went to selective colors, saturated some black in to add back delineation, then I added white to turn the background a consistent color, or I should say a consistent "non color".

g

[ginger_55]

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10393831-L.jpg


This side erodes, grows backs, always changing seascape.

g


http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/10393833-L.jpg

[snapapple]

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10393831-S.jpg


This side erodes, grows backs, always changing seascape.

g


http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/10393833-S.jpg

Lovely shots here. The the boats in the sunset, the marsh and the beach shots. Love them all. Mostly the boats. Hey, did you know it's 2am where you are. I'm going to bed now, eleven is late enough for me. :wink

[ginger_55]

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10384609-L.jpg

Between these two, plus rules on sunsets.......

http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/10274971-L.jpg



Maybe break down the criteria, like we were judging, might help some others of us.

On topic?
Execution?

and what else?

g

[Sandy]

Ginger I see your dilemma they are both great shots. I really like the boats in the sunset, but I also like the colors on the other one. :dunno

[ian408]

Ginger,

I sure hope you pick the second shot for the challenge. Really, I do.
It's a great example of a landscape.

Earlier, I'd suggested a shot that had a better sky. But this one has
the better sky and seems more balanced. As others have said, the cat tales
and grass help draw you in to the picture. In a single word, the scene is
inviting.

Ian

[snapapple]

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10384609-S.jpg

Between these two, plus rules on sunsets.......

http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/10274971-S.jpg

Maybe break down the criteria, like we were judging, might help some others of us.

On topic?
Execution?

and what else?

g

Ginger,
I love your sunset with the boats. And, it is a landscape. However, of the two, the second one is much more pleasing to the eye. The marsh grasses are prettier. The light is prettier. The sky is more interesting. The composition is so much more flowing. I definitely prefer the marsh.

[ginger_55]

Thanks Sandy, Ian and Snappy, that is the stuff I needed. Anyone else please leave a comment, too.

ginger

[wxwax]

Ginger, you have a bunch of extremely nice shots, I'd be proud to have made any of them. Especially these:

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10274971-S.jpg
http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10384618-S.jpg http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10384614-S.jpg

You've done more post processing to the first one, and it's paid off. To be honest, Ginger, you're at the point when you should decide which to submit, rather than having a poll before the official poll! :evil

[ginger_55]

Ginger, you have a bunch of extremely nice shots, I'd be proud to have made any of them. Especially these:


http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10384618-S.jpg

You've done more post processing to the first one, and it's paid off. To be honest, Ginger, you're at the point when you should decide which to submit, rather than having a poll before the official poll! :evil
Funny, Sid! Thanks for commenting though. And I like the shot that you picked out there. I mean I really like it, and I never expected anyone to notice it.

As far as my poll is concerned, I am just innocently asking for comments. I am really very close to the subjects.......I mean the photographs.

Kind of one of those things like asking someone if they could only save one person from drowning, would it be their kid or their spouse. Never could answer that one......can now, lol, but can't decide on the photographs.

I even saw something about judging your own photographs in a Freeman Patterson book last night. Was no help, just said he had his students do it.

Maybe we should have a tutorial on objective ways to to choose, or evaluate, one's own photography, especially when they are all good, or bad.

I did a lot in post on that one photograph, because I did not really like the photograph. I am partial, just me, to not liking "green". So it was quite difficult for me to accept that one as my entry. I made it where I liked it, everyone else already did. I have looked at it a gazillion times, and I do like it now. Something pulls me, and others, I guess, to that photograph. I was thinking last night, it is the cat tail. I loved cat tails as a kid, just one cat tail probably sets that photograph up to be liked. (More cat tails would not have the subtle emotional impact that lets your eye wander around the photo, more would make the cat tails the subject, one, well one of anything is special.)

But I like the others, too, am quite proud of them. The fact that you did not gravitate to the one that was my husband's favorite helps me a lot. Except for the marsh grass, oooooh I think the workup, very little, but what was, is sooo cool, I love it, but the others are obvious shots, don't have the pull of a cat tail, lol.

Thanks so much Sid, have about talked myself into which I should enter, also. And I am sooo glad that someone else likes my marsh grass.

ginger:lust

[ginger_55]

Oh, yes, and the marsh grass might be cool, but it is less obvious that it is a landscape. In fact, there are other categories it would fit in better. Am glad I did it, though. Have been wanting my own marsh grass for years. It is not as easy as it looks.

g

[snapapple]

Oh, yes, and the marsh grass might be cool, but it is less obvious that it is a landscape. In fact, there are other categories it would fit in better. Am glad I did it, though. Have been wanting my own marsh grass for years. It is not as easy as it looks.

g

Hi Ginger,
That's the boat picture I like the best! I like all of these. Funny about the marsh grass. I never would have thought of working it up like that. That's what makes it special in my mind. I would have left it green with natural water. Then it would have been ordinary. I like the way your creative ideas work.

[ginger_55]

Hi Ginger,
That's the boat picture I like the best! I like all of these. Funny about the marsh grass. I never would have thought of working it up like that. That's what makes it special in my mind. I would have left it green with natural water. Then it would have been ordinary. I like the way your creative ideas work.
Snappy, I have lived here since 1984, sometimes more photography, sometimes less. Have been doing a lot of "nature" stuff since joining this place.

My files and CDs are littered with failed marsh grass. I looked at this, well the thing that saved it was that it was not even pretty marsh grass. So, I played with the little "bad boy" shot. And it was the only one that has worked in 20 yrs. A really famous photographer has just a very simple marsh grass shot, think it might be Ansel Adams, is blk and white. I could copy his, but even they were not right.

Thanks, for commenting on it. It has been at least 20 yrs in the making. Most of those years, I have had a strong preference for the marsh over the ocean. But no grass, to speak of anyway. :roll (never did like that stuff, smile.)

I need your help in cutting, moving and pasting some moons, I lost your post on that stuff in my PC disaster.

ginger

[photocat]

Have to agree with your daughter here. I like it that there is grass in the foreground who frames the picture. The top one is more common, the bottom one has UMMPHHH

[ginger_55]

http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/10514630-L.jpg

[ginger_55]

Photocat, I appreciate your input. I have noooo idea what I am doing here, except that I think yesterday and today have become one, if that makes any sense. (I just realized that sitting here working on this thing, I forgot to feed the dogs this afternoon, and they are starting to think this is normal.)

Thank you for your input on the magnolia gardens shot. Now it has become between that and the sea shot, as I have adopted the name, smile.

Most of what you see is necessity. The waves are blurred because of the time I was there, my camera was set on 100 ISO for a long time, then I just upped it to 200 or 400, I put it on AV priority at about f16, maybe f8 and I was trying keep the EC at -1. And I was just working then like I am now, trying not to mess up, guarding the tri pod....................... and while all that was going on the shutter speed was getting slower and slower, so the water blurred.

I often use, lately I do, G blur and soft light on layers, that would show off the blur here, I think.

I have places that I go, I kind of rotate, or I go where I hope is best that day for photos. I looked at the beach when I got there last night and had to decide, because of the tri-pod I couldn't run every which way, and I was hoping to get the moon at the horizon with the ocean. Thanks to the haze and clouds that didn't happen.

So, I tried to work with what I had, and watched my tri pod, camera and husband at the same time. Mixed with panic over a battery going out, the remote coming loose and me not knowing what was wrong.

You might kind of get the idea. It just helps to know the area, and I have lived here for 20 years. Most of that time I was not using my camera, I thought this area was boring, but I did remember when the time came, and I use trial and error, smile.

Thanks for commenting.

ginger

[miketaylor01]

Of your last two shots I prefer number 2 much more. For some reason the moon looks waay too big in the first one. The second looks alot more natural and even though you said it was out of necessity due to the slow shutter speeds you got a great effect in the water.

Now about which to enter. Thats a very hard one. I like the on you already have entered alot, but I also like this one alot. Honesty I think you just need to go with which one you prefer more. I know we all thrive on the feedback we get, but unless you go with the image that you like better you might get disheartened if it doesnt make it. please dont think im saying that either of these are not great images, I just mean that you know you might blame yourself for listening to others when your feelings told you otherwise on which to enter. Then again if you choose your fav and it doesnt make it you know you gave it your best shot and that a whole lot of people loved almost every single one of the images in this thread. I mean you have gotten 65 posts to this thread so far. Thats awesome that that many people felt they had to say something about your images. I will say real quick though that I think I slightly prefer the one you have already entered.

[ginger_55]

http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/10274971-S.jpg


http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/10518459-S.jpg

[ginger_55]

Re the great water :rofl in my shots, some of them. It may be the particular beach where I often go. South Carolina is known for it's gradually sloping beaches, and the one I went to last night, and often, it is one of the best beaches for that. I was looking at my shot too, that is calm water, high tide, on a gradual slope (up).

The night of the blue moon, I went to another place just a few miles away, the water was quite choppy, I thought it was the weather. But I have been back, and I think of that beach as a "dirty" beach. Seems to always have a bunch of old grass and stuff littering it. I lived front beach for almost a year right there, it was not like that, nature does change beaches..........

And last night's beach was really clean. It has been dirtier. The waves must have been good, lots of surfers. But the waves were not choppy, they were long............as in the photo. (I often clean my beaches with the clone tool, a really dirty beach, after a storm or something, can't clean it.)

So, that may be one of the answers to that water. It is sure quiet tonight, here. I was reading some stuff, ran into my old long posts, really boring.

g:D

[judyfuess]

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10274971-S.jpg


http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10518459-S.jpg
these are both great shots! I can see how you would have hard time choosing. I think I like the beach with moon the best! I have tried taking moon shots but still haven't had one that has come out right! Great shots! :clap :clap :clap