>>> LPS SF#2 Feedback Thread

**Shay Stephens** · Aug-20-2007, 07:44 PM

2 - sherstone - when the day ends
Beautiful and serene, and the rays coming off the sun look great too. Something though is holding me back. 10x4 crop maybe? The right side is more interesting than the left, so maybe a vertical crop?

3 - Greensquared - Caribbean Amphibian
Wow, beautiful frog and I love the lighting. There does seem to be too much surrounding. A vertical crop and or minimizing the the blue top some may help. But those primary colors are so rich looking that this photo is a joy to view.

4 - shatch - Pride of Workmanship
Holy Macaroni! I could see this in an ad campaign for a national paint company. Great work, you blew me away!

5 - urbanaries - jammin'
Very commercial looking! This too I could see in an advertisement for some music device (Sony, Samsung, etc) The motion blur for the background was a great touch that focuses attention on the man enjoying the tunes. Very effective!

6 - Tentacion - Chicken of the Sea...
Love this! Great expression on the face. What a cool setup. There is something though that is pulling it down a bit visually. It might be the high relative shooting angle, the crop, or something more subtle I can't put my finger on. You might not have had any options for those things, so I don't know. I am torn.

7 - PaulThomasMcKee - Tethered
Bold and graphic-arts looking. A classic beautiful look.

8 - kingmamaof2 - "Make a Move"
Very distracting! And isn't that the goal of the stripes. I like how they lead the eye of the viewer to the eye of the animal. Nice.

9 - nelsonstuff - Hope
Light at the end of the tunnel is often seen as hope, but the first reaction I had was the whole "don't go toward the light" (as in, end of life). I like the detail of the ceiling. It is a bit lackluster though, but that may just be in my misinterpretation of the message.

10 - fashiznitsngrins - Sunset Over Seattle II
Very nice photo, that mountain in the back doesn't come out that often does it :-) It looks a bit tight, you have some sky, you could also consider including some of the foliage just below the frame to help balance that blue expanse above.

11 - peterst6906 - My reflection's better than yours
Very beautiful and relaxing. The bird in the foreground and the flying birds in the background are wonderful touches. Lovely!

12 - quark - Writer's block.
I like the concept, however I think your message might be better conveyed with less space above the head. Pan or crop down closer to the head to infuse a more intimate feeling, more inward pointing to highlight the thoughts trying to come out of that head. Maybe even including a bit of context by showing the top parts of some paper down by the legs which would complement the title too.

13 - indiegirl - Beautiful Dreamer
I think the cool cast on the photo is conflicting with the message of the photo. A warmer cast might give it a softer mood that is more in keeping with the idea of dreaming. A bit of a visual disconnect for me.

14 - LiquidAir - Former Glory
Beautiful and the context of the sea in the background and the working boats is a wonderful touch.

15 - HoofClix - A Little Bit of Bit
Visually a jumble. Not knowing enough about horses, this looks like the detritus of an electricians tool pouch. It could use some product styling. Probably fewer elements would allow more focus and pleasure of the details of the equipment in a "less is more" kind of way.

16 - pyroPrints.com - Poseidon's Crown
I generally like the 10:4 pano crop, however in this case I don't think is complements the vertical nature of the shot. I also wonder why the drop is red but the background is a pale light blue. Perhaps matching the saturation of the background with the drop would help explain the red color of the drop.

17 - Nikolai - Two Hearts
Beware of cliché. If you do want to do it, try a new take on it or add some personal flair to it.

18 - annnna8888 - Coming home
Lovely. The dark land on the right might be better balanced if the boat were to the left of the sun reflection. But that is a hypothetical thing you might have tried when you were shooting the photo. Be on the look out for variations and options. I still like it :-)

19 - imax - Who's Behind The Door?
I like this a lot, the visual hints say more than a fully lit photo could. Do be aware of the image quality, the shadow noise is becoming distracting.

20 - vandana - "Wish upon a dandy"
Very playful. It does look a bit "synthetic" so maybe work on your editing to make the combo look more natural. But all in all, it has a very lovely look.

21 - saurora - "Toe-Squishing The Marmalade Sand"
Nice visual balance, very relaxing looking. Makes me wish I were on the beach again. Love it.

22 - Debboggy - "Beautiful"
I like the low angle you shot this from, it makes for a more intimate connection with the bird. Overall though, the photo is a bit lackluster. Showing a little more context of where this bird is swimming might help.

23 - JFreeman - Do Not Feed the Animals
Very playful, the hint of the sign above ties it all together and provides the context that this comical scene needs to be complete. Well done!

24 - Dee - Archways
Wonderful scene, you might want to consider a vertical crop to compliment the vertical nature of the archways. Another option is to vigorously crop it in a horizontal 10:4 pano centered on the far window. It kind of feels in the middle of a great composition and has to be kicked off the fence of potential.

25 - drdane - Synchronous Flight
Love the repeating pattern of the birds. It is a bit lackluster though. Maybe cropping into the second bird to let the minds eye fill in the missing detail. I could see a 10:4 pano crop centered on the left bird and letting the right bird be cropped into might help add a dynamic feel that is currently missing, at least for me. It would add an element of implied motion like they are swooping into the frame.

26 - seastack - Land of the Quinault I
I can't see the photo and don't remember what it looked like.

27 - Pat664422 - The Perfect Street
Love the repeating pattern here too! The color is pretty subtle, so you might consider a contrasty B&W or pumping the color saturation to help add something to contrast with the sameness of the repeating pattern.

28 - tsk1979 - Golden......
Cool cloud bank. Looks a little dark though. Also consider a 10:4 pano crop, looks like you are already halfway there.

29 - GREAPER - The Path Less Traveled
The handrail seems to be stealing the show here and obscuring the bridge. The shot from a little more to the right would have still allowed the leading line to make it to the bridge without dominating the scene so much and allowed the path to take more of a prominent role.

30 - Xia_Ke - Dawn Of A New Day
The title is working for me because there is no hint of dawn I can see. There is little to nothing going on in the sky, yet it takes up a good third of the frame while the foreground is infinitely more interesting and varied. Panning down and maybe even shooting from a lower vantage point would have helped a lot here.

31 - VisualXpressions - Window Pain
I like the color, texture, and reflection. But I am just not feeling it. Maybe too symmetrical?

32 - f00sion - Black Sands
Beautiful, silky, and well balanced. Love it.

33 - Strikeslip - Three
Half the photo is blank boring sky. Crop it to a 10:4 pano and things may just go up a notch or two.

34 - stuffjunkie - Oh, That's Gonna Hurt!
I like the concept, but the wheel does not imply a crash as much as it looks like a creative frame for the action. Including a bit more of the bike for context would help, maybe even a bit of leg or something. It just needs a bit more of a hint that this is a crashed bike.

35 - McGyver - Caught by surprise!
Great expression and moment. The action is really on the left side, so a crop or pan to that direction would help intensify the moment. But wonderful none the less.

36 - traunerk - Gotcha!
Very nice! This has a fluid action feel I can almost hear the splash as I view the photo.

37 - Shamguess - Warp Speed
The motion blur looks good, but it might be better if it were to the left of the rider instead of on both sides. A zoom blur might work well too. But it still looks good and the rider would no doubt be happy to have such a photo, it highlights the action and the rider very effectively.

**Shay Stephens** · Aug-20-2007, 07:45 PM

Prezwood gave the following feedback while submitting his votes:

Quote:

#1 - 4 - shatch - Pride of Workmanship

I really liked the originality and thinking in this photo.Also I thought it looked really sharp and loved the contrast.

#2 - 8 - kingmamaof2 - "Make a Move"

I had to look at this one a few times before I chose it for my second. I enjoy how my mind believes it must have been taken in black and white but the sublte brown tricks me. Also its a very strong image in my mind.

#3 - 11 - peterst6906 - My reflection's better than yours

I love the connection of the birds and wind wheels. Two realities depending on the wind.

#4 - 26 - seastack - Land of the Quinault I

Definitely a great picture. The softness, mist, and of course smoothness of the waterfalls. I really like seeing a picture like this without blown waterfalls.

#5 - 23 - JFreeman - Do Not Feed the Animals

This shot is very crisp and clear. I also like how I actually get some feeling from this teddy bear behind bars!

#6 - 33 - Strikeslip - Three

This shot seems like it had a bit to much photoshopping but I feel like it may be a good thing. I love the clouds and all the colors on the ocean make it a nice shot for me.

#7 - 27 - Pat664422 - The Perfect Street

I chose this one because of the title and of the picture. I liked how he called it the perfect street yet to me it is far from it. It showed me adifferent perspective then what I am used it. I also like the colors and that it is such a crisp photo.

#8 - 37 - Shamguess - Warp Speed

I like the sharpness of the biker for sure. He did a really good job of getting this photo!

#9 - 3 - Greensquared - Caribbean Amphibian

Its always great to see such a close and crisp photo of amphibians. Very full of color.

#10 - 14 - LiquidAir - Former Glory

This shot is colorful and warm. I like the angle of the boat with the land and water.

urbanaries · Aug-20-2007, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shay Stephens

I am flying out and won't get to provide complete feedback for a few days. .

what, you planning to motor West, Shay?

**Llywellyn** · Aug-21-2007, 04:36 AM

I'll give you even more to chew on.

I should probably preface this by saying the most humbling part of judging a semifinal is realizing you’re qualified only because you aren’t IN the semifinal, and looking at these entries reminds you strongly of why you aren’t.

I stumbled into an amazing pool of talent. Thank you all so much for sharing your genius.

I’m fairly new to the technical aspects of photography, so you will see many comments below that reflect how amazed I am at some spot on exposures, sharpness, etc. These things will always make a good concept into a great photograph, no matter how pro you go. So if you done good technically, I aim to celebrate that skill.

On the other hand, I’ve been in the publishing industry for a few years now, and stories, unique composition, and language really appeal to me because of this. So while a photo may be technically top notch, if there’s another photo with a story that pulls me in, I’m going to lean a little more toward it. And I pay attention to those titles. Words are important to me.

Plus I love abstracts.

Biases out of the way, let’s move on to the important stuff!

2 - sherstone - when the day ends
Visually, this is just stunning. The colors are so rich and complementary, it’s wonderful to stare at. And the flare from the sun is what really makes this photo shine for me (no pun intended). Very well done.

3 - Greensquared - Caribbean Amphibian
I am beginning to really admire your panache for lighting. I love how the flower glows softly and really brings out the vibrant red underbelly of the frog/toad (I really don’t know my amphibians). The blue background was the perfect choice for this. Very well executed shot.

4 - shatch - Pride of Workmanship [In My Top Ten]
I loved this shot as soon as it went up! I love your creativity and concepts, and you back them up so well with amazing technique. You immediately brought me in to the story and made me start asking questions about the scene, even while I enjoyed the cheekiness of it. The angle is fantastic, and that background… Superbly done!

5 - urbanaries - jammin'
I like this concept, and I love the blur of the nighttime background. For me, the highlight on his right cheek and left wrist really distract me from his expression and the overall feel of the piece. Ironically, his white shirt doesn’t (good job on not blowing that out). More even lighting/flashing in the foreground would make this even more powerful for me.

6 - Tentacion - Chicken of the Sea...
I love this concept! Your model’s pose and expression are what make this an intriguing shot for me, and I enjoyed the detail of the two starfish in the background. Something about the color of the water just doesn’t look right to my eyes, however, and it detracts me from the mermaid instead of lending the scene a dreamy quality.

7 - PaulThomasMcKee – Tethered [In My Top Ten]
I could stare at this for hours. (In fact, I think I already have.) I love lines, color, contours and negative space, and you captured them all in this image, so it really struck a chord with me. The black space really makes the colors pop, and I like how you cut the space with the tether. Wonderful title as well. I would buy a print of this, no question.

8 - kingmamaof2 - "Make a Move" [In My Top Ten]
See the above comment about my love of lines and contours. The composition of this shot is amazing. The lines lead me in and all around, they sort of trap me into investigating every avenue. And that’s before I realize it’s a zebra staring back at me. My only critique is the title—it implies aggression, but the photo feels more serene or complacent to me.

9 - nelsonstuff - Hope
The texture at the top of the tunnel is what really does it for me in this shot. Nice conversion and good contrast. I think the “light at the end of the tunnel” could be stronger if there were a little less foreground. That would also emphasize those amazing streaks of shadow on either side of the tunnel.

10 - fashiznitsngrins - Sunset Over Seattle II
I love the light and sloping arc of the skyline as well as the contrast of city and nature. There’s no story for me here, though. I admire it for its technical excellence, but I am not moved to contemplate it beyond it being a nice capture of a city skyline. I think the mountain would need more dominance to draw me in more and force me to stay a little longer.

11 - peterst6906 - My reflection's better than yours
I love the color and clarity in this shot. The horizon feels too smack dab in the middle to me, but I really don’t know what you could have done about that without losing the cloud at the top and its reflection (which is, I confess, my favorite part of the composition). Ask the heavens to lower the clouds a little next time?

12 - quark - Writer's block. [In My Top Ten]
This is so evocative for me. I relate to the subject immediately, and the emotion resonates very personally for me. Nicely done. Great conversion. Perfect title. My only nit is I wish his left hand weren’t cut off.

13 - indiegirl - Beautiful Dreamer
I love the expression captured here. The eyes could be brighter to really engage me as a viewer, and the blue overtones actually distract me instead of pull me into the “dream.” If the light had fallen more on her face and less on her shoulder, I think this could have been much more powerful.

14 - LiquidAir - Former Glory [In My Top Ten]
This is so moody, sad, and hopeful all at the same time. The angle is fantastic—I feel as if I could just push it out sea myself and cheer it up a little. And I love the details. The outline of the “E” in “Breeze” cheers me up—as if it hasn’t given up no matter how much of its original paint wears off.

15 - HoofClix - A Little Bit of Bit
I love abstracts! The lighting and background are great here. Perhaps moving the bits around so they clumped less and filled in some of the black space with bright, shiny metal could have made this even stronger.

16 - pyroPrints.com - Poseidon's Crown
I admire your awesome grasp of this technique. I much preferred the blue versions with other angles you had done (I loves me some angles) as the red here is too bloodlike for me and skeeves me out a little. Great lighting and stop action. And another fantastic title.

17 - Nikolai - Two Hearts
This is such a sweet concept. This new angle and composition are much stronger than the previous version. I love the intertwined shadows, and I especially love the little star flare off the front ring. I wish the depth of field were just a little deeper so we didn’t lose the sharpness at the bottom of the hearts or quite so much text, but that’s my only technical nit. (Now, how did you get the rings to stick together?)

18 - annnna8888 - Coming home
Nice title and feeling. Good color and silhouette. I think the composition could be stronger if cropped off a bit at the bottom, perhaps to that first dark break in the “golden road.” The saturation and sharpening could be pulled back a smidge. I think both were pushed a bit too far so it becomes really hard for me to look at this image for long—it hurts my eyes.

19 - imax - Who's Behind The Door? [In My Top Ten]
This image creeps me out. I love it! In your first version, I thought it was a carnival mask, so you’ve done a really nice job on the reprocessing and bringing out the details of the fur and eye on the dog. His eye could be a touch sharper, though. That wrinkle makes me think he’s snarling and just waiting for me to walk around the door so he can snap at me. Great composition and lighting. Thank you for making me even more of a cat person.

20 - vandana - "Wish upon a dandy" [In My Top Ten]
Where do I start with this? I love each piece of this composition and even more what they create as a whole. The crop? Spot on. The rose light behind the dandelion? Genius! The highlight on the floating seed and profile? Perfect! Sweet and wistful, you really captured the end of summer days for me here.

21 - saurora - "Toe-Squishing The Marmalade Sand"
I like the story—it immediately makes me curious about what they’re seeing in the sand that I can’t. I imagine them trying to trap or catch a little crab. Two things I think could have really made this even better to my eye: having the sun completely behind the buildings and less sharpening. I’m learning that I may have a bias toward oversharpening, so take it with a grain of salt. It just hurts my eyes to look at too long. In this case, it might have kept the water more blue than black and really played it off the complementary orange cast of the sky.

22 - Debboggy - "Beautiful"
Cute and curious, though that pose looks a little uncomfy! Looks a bit underexposed on my screen. And a wider crop on the right and top could help pull my eye more toward the interesting curve of the neck instead of to its less interesting back. Incredible sharpness and DOF.

23 - JFreeman - Do Not Feed the Animals [In My Top Ten]
I love it, love it, love it! This shot makes me giggle and feel sad for an inanimate object at the same time (quite a feat!). The lighting really adds to it—nicely done without adding shadows from the cage. I think a little less angle so I don’t feel he’s about to topple out the right side of the frame, and so I can see more of the “do not feed” sign, would make this simply perfect. Wonderful concept nicely captured.

24 - Dee - Archways
Lovely light. Subtle composition to lead me in slowly. It’s so quietly inviting that the beam of light almost catches me off guard before drawing me in a little further. Wonderfully done. I find the color a little distracting, though. For me, more saturation or less color—toward one extreme or the other—would have made this go from quietly inviting to irresistibly seductive.

25 - drdane - Synchronous Flight
Wow! What luck! What light! What an incredibly cool capture. I still looked for signs of PS despite your note. I’m determined to prove no human could shoot something this cool and not have sold their soul to Satan. Really, nice job. A touch wider crop on the bottom so my eyes are pulled up to them more would have made this even more fantastic for me.

26 - seastack - Land of the Quinault I
There’s something just so magical about a sun-dappled waterfall surrounded by deeply green moss, and you captured that magic so well. I stare and wish I was actually there enjoying the serenity. A touch less rock on the right would make me want to stay staring at this scene probably forever. Your title was lost on me, though, without the aid of Google.

27 - Pat664422 - The Perfect Street
Your PP job on this really made those houses pop! Nice job. I would echo feedback you received earlier on how to take this from a neat street scene to an amazing piece of art. Knowing PS skills don’t happen overnight, however, I think a lower vantage point would really push the houses up over the scene and make them demand more attention (and pull it away from the cars). A more dramatic sky would help do the same. Fascinating symmetry captured here.

28 - tsk1979 - Golden......
Oh, how nicely eerie. Nothing like driving into the beyond on your morning commute to make you contemplate life, the universe, and everything. Cool shot. I think evening the horizon line would make this even stronger. And the title, while I understand it, seems at cross-purposes to the image. If I didn’t know the bridge, I’d be looking forever to find the “golden” bit.

29 - GREAPER - The Path Less Traveled [In My Top Ten]
I love this angle and composition. The rain-slicked slats really add to the quiet eeriness and beauty of this shot. Where does it go? Who will I pass? What is that green stuff on the handrail and will it be slimy if I touch it? You pull me in and make me want to walk forward and explore. Nicely done.

30 - Xia_Ke - Dawn Of A New Day
Wonderful conversion and contrast. This really highlights the interesting contours and shapes in the foreground, though it completely kills the sky. A heavier crop with less sky would keep me grounded in all those interesting things I have to explore up close—the slick, the squish, and the warning of those rocks. The swirl of the water foreground center captivates me.

31 - VisualXpressions - Window Pain [In My Top Ten]
Straightening that bottom pane took this from a cool shot to one I can’t resist. It’s like the window of the soul, reflecting back an idea of perfect blue skies and puffy clouds. Its age implies wisdom. And the colors! Heaven help me but that red and blue burning so brightly together hypnotizes me. I want to stare at this window all day. And I would, if the bricks in the lower half were just a little less overcooked. Honestly, though, this is a great capture. I love it!

32 - f00sion - Black Sands
I like the mystery of this shot. And I love the striation from orange to blue and back again. Cropping some of that black from the bottom would really pull me into that reflection of orange more, which is where my eyes want to stay. I wonder if that infamous pano crop would help or hurt this darkly compelling concept.

33 - Strikeslip - Three
I think this is such a neat capture that could really pop with a pano crop from the top. The most interesting pieces of the composition here are the sailboats and the clouds, so cropping off some of the empty sky above would really hone in on these things. And I should say I have no bias against sepia (use it quite a bit myself), but here it just isn’t working for me. We lose the blue of the water and the white of those amazing clouds.

34 - stuffjunkie - Oh, That's Gonna Hurt!
I first looked at this and thought, “Okay, bikers.” Then I thought, “Oh, crap! That bike wheel is flying right at me!” At which point, the title made me laugh. I assume you meant it in relation to the downed biker who’s out of frame, but it applied to the photographer, too, for me. That made me appreciate the angle and composition of this all the more. (Hope you’re okay, by the way!) Nice, punchy colors. And I love how the face of the biker on the far left is between the spokes and thus so very sharp.

35 - McGyver - Caught by surprise!
How very cute. This is such a neat capture of her shock and surprise. The framing feels a bit off to me, and that area of blown-out sky above her head distracts me from her incredible expression. That big water droplet near her tongue also distracts me a bit. Overall, nice exposure and way to be quick on the draw!

36 - traunerk - Gotcha!
I keep staring at this wondering how you got such an awesome exposure. Seriously. I love the color of the light bouncing off the water, and I’m amazed you kept the white bird from looking sickly from the same reflected light. Not to mention the amazing action you caught. Yowza! I find myself wishing only that he weren’t so centered and had more room on the left to zoom into the frame.

37 - Shamguess - Warp Speed
I saw this shot before I went out this weekend for some marathon shooting. At the time, I thought, “Neat capture.” When I came back from trying to stop action on an Ultimate Frisbee game, I looked at your entry again and thought, “How the heck did he do that?” There’s nothing like trying something yourself to really broaden your appreciation for others who do it so well. And you, good sir, capture action extremely well. In a very humbling way. I love the clarity of the single rider, and yet you have just enough blur to really imply the speed and intensity of the race. Composition and lighting are spot on. Fantastic capture.

saurora · Aug-21-2007, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Llywellyn

21 - saurora - "Toe-Squishing The Marmalade Sand"
I like the story—it immediately makes me curious about what they’re seeing in the sand that I can’t. I imagine them trying to trap or catch a little crab. Two things I think could have really made this even better to my eye: having the sun completely behind the buildings and less sharpening. I’m learning that I may have a bias toward oversharpening, so take it with a grain of salt. It just hurts my eyes to look at too long. In this case, it might have kept the water more blue than black and really played it off the complementary orange cast of the sky.

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment on all of the entries. Feedback for alot of us is the icing on the cake for these challenges. Interestingly, my original entry was much closer to what you are suggesting. Trying to second guess what others might like, I ventured in another direction. A little venturing is actually good for me as I tend to play things too safe and I learn new things along the way!!! Thanks again for your participation!

HoofClix · Aug-21-2007, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Llywellyn

15 - HoofClix - A Little Bit of Bit
I love abstracts! The lighting and background are great here. Perhaps moving the bits around so they clumped less and filled in some of the black space with bright, shiny metal could have made this even stronger.

Thanks so much!

I do a lot of this kind of stuff for web sites, and this was exactly my opinion on Sunday evening when I was staring at it, but no possiblity to go reshoot. I could kick myself for not taking the time and care to arrange this thing... I particularly could have taken the chains, which are attached only to one side of their bits, and laid them out in to fill in the gaps.. I am now working on a series of these under a local contract, and I'll be paying much more attention to these sorts of details..

Things we all need to learn one way or another, before we get "kicked by the horse," so to say!

**Llywellyn** · Aug-21-2007, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saurora

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment on all of the entries. Feedback for alot of us is the icing on the cake for these challenges. Interestingly, my original entry was much closer to what you are suggesting. Trying to second guess what others might like, I ventured in another direction. A little venturing is actually good for me as I tend to play things too safe and I learn new things along the way!!! Thanks again for your participation!

Oh, it killed me not to be able to participate in the C&C threads leading up to the end of SF2. I had to do this for everyone or burst at the seams from keeping quiet and inactive for two weeks!

And considering your shot is in the top ten, it looks like your venturing really paid off. You could have very well told me to stuff it.

Dee · Aug-21-2007, 10:00 AM

Quote:

24 - Dee - Archways
Lovely light. Subtle composition to lead me in slowly. It’s so quietly inviting that the beam of light almost catches me off guard before drawing me in a little further. Wonderfully done. I find the color a little distracting, though. For me, more saturation or less color—toward one extreme or the other—would have made this go from quietly inviting to irresistibly seductive.

Thank you for your comments. I'm quite admiring your way with words as you gave your impressions of each photo in SF2 :-) I like the way you find something to admire about each photo. It's almost as if you imagine yourself standing where the photographer stood and then you are able to voice your observations.

You know, it's so interesting the comments I get about this area of Fort Point... I took a similar photo in 2003 and had similar reactions. Go black and white. Change the crop, Crop it in more, your crop is too tight, you need more color, you need less color, you need less red, you need more red.

I even went so far as to do a search in google images and on Flickr and of all the photos of arches that I found only ONE other photographer came close to this particular part of Fort Point and photographed it from a similar angle.

I think perhaps they were wise to stay away and work with the safer angles of arches.

I think I'll go back again and study the light some more.

My camera actually captured the light quite well that day and I was very pleased with it. Unfortunately the spot where I took the photo is very light challenged, so to speak.

I could really spend days at Fort Point, I think it's the magic of the atrium and the effect of the inner light spilling everywhere.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time and posting your comments for each photo. It is indeed a learning process.

Debboggy · Aug-21-2007, 10:21 AM

22 - Debboggy - "Beautiful"
Cute and curious, though that pose looks a little uncomfy! Looks a bit underexposed on my screen. And a wider crop on the right and top could help pull my eye more toward the interesting curve of the neck instead of to its less interesting back. Incredible sharpness and DOF.

Thanks for the very nice feedback. I was actually embarrassed to enter, considering all of the excellent entrants I was up against. I never expected to make it to this round in the first place. I only entered the qualifying round for the critiques, didn't think I stood a chance. Next thing I knew, I was voted through and in way over my head.

I saw that it looked under exposed too. Originally it wasn't. I actually had to burn areas of the feathers to get them to not be too blown out. In Photoshop, it looked fine.

I was in the middle of finishing it up to post when my nine year old needed me (worried about the first day of school the next morning). After I comforted him for a while, I only had ten minutes left to get this posted, find the EXIF info (which my version of Photoshop strips), post onto my SmugMug account, copy the link, post and type the EXIF. *pant, pant, pant*.

Once I saw it posted, I could see that it looked too underexposed, but I only had two minutes till the cut off, so not exactly time to start re-editing.

Thanks for the comments about the crop too. Good thoughts to keep in mind for future shots.

Congratulations to the top ten. All very well deserved and good luck!

LiquidAir · Aug-22-2007, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Llywellyn

14 - LiquidAir - Former Glory [In My Top Ten]
This is so moody, sad, and hopeful all at the same time. The angle is fantastic—I feel as if I could just push it out sea myself and cheer it up a little. And I love the details. The outline of the “E” in “Breeze” cheers me up—as if it hasn’t given up no matter how much of its original paint wears off.

Thank you for your kind words. I was very worried when I entered this shot that the details in it which, for me, make is so much more than a picture of a boat would get lost at the low resolution we post images for this contest. It has made my very happy that you and Prezwoods and all of the people who commented on it in the unofficial feedback thread saw in it what I did.

This particular boat has a rather interesting story. It lives on a beach on the San Pablo Bay (the north half the the San Francisco Bay) at the site of a Chineese immigrant shrimp fishing village which dates to the late 1800s, around the time when the Chineese laborers were being brought to the region to complete the transcontinental railroad. The Chineese shrimping industry in the San Francisco Bay was largely shut down in the early 1900s by the political manuverings of an anti-immigrant movement. The village lives on, now as part of a state park, and still has a functional pier and a reproduction Chineese junk which is actively used for fishing today.

Along with the replaced "E" in the name another happy and yet sad detail are the two blue stripes under the name. At higher resolution they are clearly paint which dripped through a crack in the hull the last time the interior was painted. This boat has been maintained for many years past the last time it was seaworthy.

Another detail that I enjoy is that the Benicia oil refinery and the Carquinez straits bridge are both clearly recognizable on the horizon as a reminder of how much the world has changed in the 130 years since the village was in its heyday.

**Llywellyn** · Aug-22-2007, 06:55 PM

I love the stories that are appearing here in response to the feedback.

But then, I already made my disclaimer about loving stories, eh?

Thank you all for sharing.

kingmamaof2 · Aug-22-2007, 07:31 PM

Thanks for your kind comments Llywellyn and Prezwood! Here's the story about my entry 'Make a Move'...This shot was taken at Fossil Rim wildlife sanctuary during our family vacation and was really a stroke of luck. My three year old daughter and I decided to take the guided tour through the park. I almost didnt bring the camera (

) but decided to do so in case Hannah was able to feed the giraffes, I wanted some memorable shots. I snapped pictures of various animals and my daughter feeding them. We stopped to feed the giraffes and everyone on the tour crowded to one side of the bus to see them. During the comotion, I was at the back of the bus and noticed a lonely zebra wander up from behind. Hannah started feeding her(even though we were told not to get close to the zebras) and she gave me a blank stare as if saying...make a move-feed me! lol

I grabed my camera and took some shots. I was about 3 feet from her but not for long, the giraffes chased her off after the pictures but I couldn't help but smile knowing that I got the shot.

Congrats to all the finalists and entrants! It was a TOUGH round!!

**Shay Stephens** · Sep-09-2007, 11:25 AM

Or better late than never? You be the judge hehehe. My feedback has been added to the first post of this thread for any who are still interested.

**sherstone** · Sep-09-2007, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shay Stephens

Or better late than never? You be the judge hehehe. My feedback has been added to the first post of this thread for any who are still interested.

Well I am very happy that you went to all the trouble - I love reading your opinion of each image. (very insightful)

Thank you!

Tentacion · Sep-09-2007, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shay

6 - Tentacion - Chicken of the Sea...
Love this! Great expression on the face. What a cool setup. There is something though that is pulling it down a bit visually. It might be the high relative shooting angle, the crop, or something more subtle I can't put my finger on. You might not have had any options for those things, so I don't know. I am torn.

Awww shucks, I bet you say to all the girls....lol Thanks Shay

Actually my first choice was "Seashells by the Seashore" in your fav kind of crop LOL (not posted here) ....but I thought against it cuz I figured it might be too risque for some...

Thanks Again, and WELCOME BACK...what did you think of the "Shay Sightings"..lmao

**Shay Stephens** · Sep-09-2007, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tentacion

Thanks Again, and WELCOME BACK...what did you think of the "Shay Sightings"..lmao

Loved them, they were hillarious!!!

saurora · Sep-11-2007, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shay Stephens

Or better late than never? You be the judge hehehe. My feedback has been added to the first post of this thread for any who are still interested.

Thanks Shay for taking out the time. I just stumbled upon this not expecting to find you had posted on these after all this time. You're the best! Thanks for the approval.

HoofClix · Sep-12-2007, 09:36 AM

Shay, I was curious if there was to be some more specific critique on LPS11? It's certainly understandable and OK if there isn't to be any, but I suppose we've just gotten used to it...... I'm sure I'm not the only one who's curious...

**Shay Stephens** · Sep-12-2007, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HoofClix

Shay, I was curious if there was to be some more specific critique on LPS11? It's certainly understandable and OK if there isn't to be any, but I suppose we've just gotten used to it...... I'm sure I'm not the only one who's curious...

Yes, I hope to get that in the coming week. I am hopelessly behind schedule right now.

peterst6906 · Sep-13-2007, 01:47 AM

Thanks for adding the feedback Shay.

Your comments are always anticipated and highly appreciated.

Regards,

Peter

Aug-22-2007, 06:55 PM	#11
Llywellyn Temperamental Irishwoman Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Alexandria, VA Posts: 2,943	I love the stories that are appearing here in response to the feedback. But then, I already made my disclaimer about loving stories, eh? Thank you all for sharing. __________________ Kerry Black Cat Photography • Word of the Day Photo Project • The Scratching Post Photo Blog • Twitter Moderator of the DGrin Challenges—Sponsored by SmugMug

Sep-09-2007, 11:25 AM	#13
Shay Stephens Artist in Residence Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: New York Posts: 3,162	Too little to late? Or better late than never? You be the judge hehehe. My feedback has been added to the first post of this thread for any who are still interested. __________________ Creator of Dgrin's "Last Photographer Standing" contest "Failure is feedback. And feedback is the breakfast of champions." - fortune cookie

Sep-12-2007, 09:36 AM	#18
HoofClix Hoofsational! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Carolina Thermal Belt Posts: 1,083	Shay, I was curious if there was to be some more specific critique on LPS11? It's certainly understandable and OK if there isn't to be any, but I suppose we've just gotten used to it...... I'm sure I'm not the only one who's curious... __________________ Mark www.HoofClix.com Facebook saw a werewolf drinking a piña colada at trader vick's.... ...his hair was pperfect....

Sep-13-2007, 01:47 AM	#20
peterst6906 Expat Aussie Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 267	Thanks for adding the feedback Shay. Your comments are always anticipated and highly appreciated. Regards, Peter __________________ It's not my camera's fault, I'm just visually illiterate

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Aug-20-2007, 07:44 PM	#1
Shay Stephens Artist in Residence Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: New York Posts: 3,162	>>> LPS SF#2 Feedback Thread 2 - sherstone - when the day ends Beautiful and serene, and the rays coming off the sun look great too. Something though is holding me back. 10x4 crop maybe? The right side is more interesting than the left, so maybe a vertical crop? 3 - Greensquared - Caribbean Amphibian Wow, beautiful frog and I love the lighting. There does seem to be too much surrounding. A vertical crop and or minimizing the the blue top some may help. But those primary colors are so rich looking that this photo is a joy to view. 4 - shatch - Pride of Workmanship Holy Macaroni! I could see this in an ad campaign for a national paint company. Great work, you blew me away! 5 - urbanaries - jammin' Very commercial looking! This too I could see in an advertisement for some music device (Sony, Samsung, etc) The motion blur for the background was a great touch that focuses attention on the man enjoying the tunes. Very effective! 6 - Tentacion - Chicken of the Sea... Love this! Great expression on the face. What a cool setup. There is something though that is pulling it down a bit visually. It might be the high relative shooting angle, the crop, or something more subtle I can't put my finger on. You might not have had any options for those things, so I don't know. I am torn. 7 - PaulThomasMcKee - Tethered Bold and graphic-arts looking. A classic beautiful look. 8 - kingmamaof2 - "Make a Move" Very distracting! And isn't that the goal of the stripes. I like how they lead the eye of the viewer to the eye of the animal. Nice. 9 - nelsonstuff - Hope Light at the end of the tunnel is often seen as hope, but the first reaction I had was the whole "don't go toward the light" (as in, end of life). I like the detail of the ceiling. It is a bit lackluster though, but that may just be in my misinterpretation of the message. 10 - fashiznitsngrins - Sunset Over Seattle II Very nice photo, that mountain in the back doesn't come out that often does it :-) It looks a bit tight, you have some sky, you could also consider including some of the foliage just below the frame to help balance that blue expanse above. 11 - peterst6906 - My reflection's better than yours Very beautiful and relaxing. The bird in the foreground and the flying birds in the background are wonderful touches. Lovely! 12 - quark - Writer's block. I like the concept, however I think your message might be better conveyed with less space above the head. Pan or crop down closer to the head to infuse a more intimate feeling, more inward pointing to highlight the thoughts trying to come out of that head. Maybe even including a bit of context by showing the top parts of some paper down by the legs which would complement the title too. 13 - indiegirl - Beautiful Dreamer I think the cool cast on the photo is conflicting with the message of the photo. A warmer cast might give it a softer mood that is more in keeping with the idea of dreaming. A bit of a visual disconnect for me. 14 - LiquidAir - Former Glory Beautiful and the context of the sea in the background and the working boats is a wonderful touch. 15 - HoofClix - A Little Bit of Bit Visually a jumble. Not knowing enough about horses, this looks like the detritus of an electricians tool pouch. It could use some product styling. Probably fewer elements would allow more focus and pleasure of the details of the equipment in a "less is more" kind of way. 16 - pyroPrints.com - Poseidon's Crown I generally like the 10:4 pano crop, however in this case I don't think is complements the vertical nature of the shot. I also wonder why the drop is red but the background is a pale light blue. Perhaps matching the saturation of the background with the drop would help explain the red color of the drop. 17 - Nikolai - Two Hearts Beware of cliché. If you do want to do it, try a new take on it or add some personal flair to it. 18 - annnna8888 - Coming home Lovely. The dark land on the right might be better balanced if the boat were to the left of the sun reflection. But that is a hypothetical thing you might have tried when you were shooting the photo. Be on the look out for variations and options. I still like it :-) 19 - imax - Who's Behind The Door? I like this a lot, the visual hints say more than a fully lit photo could. Do be aware of the image quality, the shadow noise is becoming distracting. 20 - vandana - "Wish upon a dandy" Very playful. It does look a bit "synthetic" so maybe work on your editing to make the combo look more natural. But all in all, it has a very lovely look. 21 - saurora - "Toe-Squishing The Marmalade Sand" Nice visual balance, very relaxing looking. Makes me wish I were on the beach again. Love it. 22 - Debboggy - "Beautiful" I like the low angle you shot this from, it makes for a more intimate connection with the bird. Overall though, the photo is a bit lackluster. Showing a little more context of where this bird is swimming might help. 23 - JFreeman - Do Not Feed the Animals Very playful, the hint of the sign above ties it all together and provides the context that this comical scene needs to be complete. Well done! 24 - Dee - Archways Wonderful scene, you might want to consider a vertical crop to compliment the vertical nature of the archways. Another option is to vigorously crop it in a horizontal 10:4 pano centered on the far window. It kind of feels in the middle of a great composition and has to be kicked off the fence of potential. 25 - drdane - Synchronous Flight Love the repeating pattern of the birds. It is a bit lackluster though. Maybe cropping into the second bird to let the minds eye fill in the missing detail. I could see a 10:4 pano crop centered on the left bird and letting the right bird be cropped into might help add a dynamic feel that is currently missing, at least for me. It would add an element of implied motion like they are swooping into the frame. 26 - seastack - Land of the Quinault I I can't see the photo and don't remember what it looked like. 27 - Pat664422 - The Perfect Street Love the repeating pattern here too! The color is pretty subtle, so you might consider a contrasty B&W or pumping the color saturation to help add something to contrast with the sameness of the repeating pattern. 28 - tsk1979 - Golden...... Cool cloud bank. Looks a little dark though. Also consider a 10:4 pano crop, looks like you are already halfway there. 29 - GREAPER - The Path Less Traveled The handrail seems to be stealing the show here and obscuring the bridge. The shot from a little more to the right would have still allowed the leading line to make it to the bridge without dominating the scene so much and allowed the path to take more of a prominent role. 30 - Xia_Ke - Dawn Of A New Day The title is working for me because there is no hint of dawn I can see. There is little to nothing going on in the sky, yet it takes up a good third of the frame while the foreground is infinitely more interesting and varied. Panning down and maybe even shooting from a lower vantage point would have helped a lot here. 31 - VisualXpressions - Window Pain I like the color, texture, and reflection. But I am just not feeling it. Maybe too symmetrical? 32 - f00sion - Black Sands Beautiful, silky, and well balanced. Love it. 33 - Strikeslip - Three Half the photo is blank boring sky. Crop it to a 10:4 pano and things may just go up a notch or two. 34 - stuffjunkie - Oh, That's Gonna Hurt! I like the concept, but the wheel does not imply a crash as much as it looks like a creative frame for the action. Including a bit more of the bike for context would help, maybe even a bit of leg or something. It just needs a bit more of a hint that this is a crashed bike. 35 - McGyver - Caught by surprise! Great expression and moment. The action is really on the left side, so a crop or pan to that direction would help intensify the moment. But wonderful none the less. 36 - traunerk - Gotcha! Very nice! This has a fluid action feel I can almost hear the splash as I view the photo. 37 - Shamguess - Warp Speed The motion blur looks good, but it might be better if it were to the left of the rider instead of on both sides. A zoom blur might work well too. But it still looks good and the rider would no doubt be happy to have such a photo, it highlights the action and the rider very effectively. __________________ Creator of Dgrin's "Last Photographer Standing" contest "Failure is feedback. And feedback is the breakfast of champions." - fortune cookie

Aug-21-2007, 04:36 AM	#4
Llywellyn Temperamental Irishwoman Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Alexandria, VA Posts: 2,943	I'll give you even more to chew on. I should probably preface this by saying the most humbling part of judging a semifinal is realizing you’re qualified only because you aren’t IN the semifinal, and looking at these entries reminds you strongly of why you aren’t. I stumbled into an amazing pool of talent. Thank you all so much for sharing your genius. I’m fairly new to the technical aspects of photography, so you will see many comments below that reflect how amazed I am at some spot on exposures, sharpness, etc. These things will always make a good concept into a great photograph, no matter how pro you go. So if you done good technically, I aim to celebrate that skill. On the other hand, I’ve been in the publishing industry for a few years now, and stories, unique composition, and language really appeal to me because of this. So while a photo may be technically top notch, if there’s another photo with a story that pulls me in, I’m going to lean a little more toward it. And I pay attention to those titles. Words are important to me. Plus I love abstracts. Biases out of the way, let’s move on to the important stuff! 2 - sherstone - when the day ends Visually, this is just stunning. The colors are so rich and complementary, it’s wonderful to stare at. And the flare from the sun is what really makes this photo shine for me (no pun intended). Very well done. 3 - Greensquared - Caribbean Amphibian I am beginning to really admire your panache for lighting. I love how the flower glows softly and really brings out the vibrant red underbelly of the frog/toad (I really don’t know my amphibians). The blue background was the perfect choice for this. Very well executed shot. 4 - shatch - Pride of Workmanship [In My Top Ten] I loved this shot as soon as it went up! I love your creativity and concepts, and you back them up so well with amazing technique. You immediately brought me in to the story and made me start asking questions about the scene, even while I enjoyed the cheekiness of it. The angle is fantastic, and that background… Superbly done! 5 - urbanaries - jammin' I like this concept, and I love the blur of the nighttime background. For me, the highlight on his right cheek and left wrist really distract me from his expression and the overall feel of the piece. Ironically, his white shirt doesn’t (good job on not blowing that out). More even lighting/flashing in the foreground would make this even more powerful for me. 6 - Tentacion - Chicken of the Sea... I love this concept! Your model’s pose and expression are what make this an intriguing shot for me, and I enjoyed the detail of the two starfish in the background. Something about the color of the water just doesn’t look right to my eyes, however, and it detracts me from the mermaid instead of lending the scene a dreamy quality. 7 - PaulThomasMcKee – Tethered [In My Top Ten] I could stare at this for hours. (In fact, I think I already have.) I love lines, color, contours and negative space, and you captured them all in this image, so it really struck a chord with me. The black space really makes the colors pop, and I like how you cut the space with the tether. Wonderful title as well. I would buy a print of this, no question. 8 - kingmamaof2 - "Make a Move" [In My Top Ten] See the above comment about my love of lines and contours. The composition of this shot is amazing. The lines lead me in and all around, they sort of trap me into investigating every avenue. And that’s before I realize it’s a zebra staring back at me. My only critique is the title—it implies aggression, but the photo feels more serene or complacent to me. 9 - nelsonstuff - Hope The texture at the top of the tunnel is what really does it for me in this shot. Nice conversion and good contrast. I think the “light at the end of the tunnel” could be stronger if there were a little less foreground. That would also emphasize those amazing streaks of shadow on either side of the tunnel. 10 - fashiznitsngrins - Sunset Over Seattle II I love the light and sloping arc of the skyline as well as the contrast of city and nature. There’s no story for me here, though. I admire it for its technical excellence, but I am not moved to contemplate it beyond it being a nice capture of a city skyline. I think the mountain would need more dominance to draw me in more and force me to stay a little longer. 11 - peterst6906 - My reflection's better than yours I love the color and clarity in this shot. The horizon feels too smack dab in the middle to me, but I really don’t know what you could have done about that without losing the cloud at the top and its reflection (which is, I confess, my favorite part of the composition). Ask the heavens to lower the clouds a little next time? 12 - quark - Writer's block. [In My Top Ten] This is so evocative for me. I relate to the subject immediately, and the emotion resonates very personally for me. Nicely done. Great conversion. Perfect title. My only nit is I wish his left hand weren’t cut off. 13 - indiegirl - Beautiful Dreamer I love the expression captured here. The eyes could be brighter to really engage me as a viewer, and the blue overtones actually distract me instead of pull me into the “dream.” If the light had fallen more on her face and less on her shoulder, I think this could have been much more powerful. 14 - LiquidAir - Former Glory [In My Top Ten] This is so moody, sad, and hopeful all at the same time. The angle is fantastic—I feel as if I could just push it out sea myself and cheer it up a little. And I love the details. The outline of the “E” in “Breeze” cheers me up—as if it hasn’t given up no matter how much of its original paint wears off. 15 - HoofClix - A Little Bit of Bit I love abstracts! The lighting and background are great here. Perhaps moving the bits around so they clumped less and filled in some of the black space with bright, shiny metal could have made this even stronger. 16 - pyroPrints.com - Poseidon's Crown I admire your awesome grasp of this technique. I much preferred the blue versions with other angles you had done (I loves me some angles) as the red here is too bloodlike for me and skeeves me out a little. Great lighting and stop action. And another fantastic title. 17 - Nikolai - Two Hearts This is such a sweet concept. This new angle and composition are much stronger than the previous version. I love the intertwined shadows, and I especially love the little star flare off the front ring. I wish the depth of field were just a little deeper so we didn’t lose the sharpness at the bottom of the hearts or quite so much text, but that’s my only technical nit. (Now, how did you get the rings to stick together?) 18 - annnna8888 - Coming home Nice title and feeling. Good color and silhouette. I think the composition could be stronger if cropped off a bit at the bottom, perhaps to that first dark break in the “golden road.” The saturation and sharpening could be pulled back a smidge. I think both were pushed a bit too far so it becomes really hard for me to look at this image for long—it hurts my eyes. 19 - imax - Who's Behind The Door? [In My Top Ten] This image creeps me out. I love it! In your first version, I thought it was a carnival mask, so you’ve done a really nice job on the reprocessing and bringing out the details of the fur and eye on the dog. His eye could be a touch sharper, though. That wrinkle makes me think he’s snarling and just waiting for me to walk around the door so he can snap at me. Great composition and lighting. Thank you for making me even more of a cat person. 20 - vandana - "Wish upon a dandy" [In My Top Ten] Where do I start with this? I love each piece of this composition and even more what they create as a whole. The crop? Spot on. The rose light behind the dandelion? Genius! The highlight on the floating seed and profile? Perfect! Sweet and wistful, you really captured the end of summer days for me here. 21 - saurora - "Toe-Squishing The Marmalade Sand" I like the story—it immediately makes me curious about what they’re seeing in the sand that I can’t. I imagine them trying to trap or catch a little crab. Two things I think could have really made this even better to my eye: having the sun completely behind the buildings and less sharpening. I’m learning that I may have a bias toward oversharpening, so take it with a grain of salt. It just hurts my eyes to look at too long. In this case, it might have kept the water more blue than black and really played it off the complementary orange cast of the sky. 22 - Debboggy - "Beautiful" Cute and curious, though that pose looks a little uncomfy! Looks a bit underexposed on my screen. And a wider crop on the right and top could help pull my eye more toward the interesting curve of the neck instead of to its less interesting back. Incredible sharpness and DOF. 23 - JFreeman - Do Not Feed the Animals [In My Top Ten] I love it, love it, love it! This shot makes me giggle and feel sad for an inanimate object at the same time (quite a feat!). The lighting really adds to it—nicely done without adding shadows from the cage. I think a little less angle so I don’t feel he’s about to topple out the right side of the frame, and so I can see more of the “do not feed” sign, would make this simply perfect. Wonderful concept nicely captured. 24 - Dee - Archways Lovely light. Subtle composition to lead me in slowly. It’s so quietly inviting that the beam of light almost catches me off guard before drawing me in a little further. Wonderfully done. I find the color a little distracting, though. For me, more saturation or less color—toward one extreme or the other—would have made this go from quietly inviting to irresistibly seductive. 25 - drdane - Synchronous Flight Wow! What luck! What light! What an incredibly cool capture. I still looked for signs of PS despite your note. I’m determined to prove no human could shoot something this cool and not have sold their soul to Satan. Really, nice job. A touch wider crop on the bottom so my eyes are pulled up to them more would have made this even more fantastic for me. 26 - seastack - Land of the Quinault I There’s something just so magical about a sun-dappled waterfall surrounded by deeply green moss, and you captured that magic so well. I stare and wish I was actually there enjoying the serenity. A touch less rock on the right would make me want to stay staring at this scene probably forever. Your title was lost on me, though, without the aid of Google. 27 - Pat664422 - The Perfect Street Your PP job on this really made those houses pop! Nice job. I would echo feedback you received earlier on how to take this from a neat street scene to an amazing piece of art. Knowing PS skills don’t happen overnight, however, I think a lower vantage point would really push the houses up over the scene and make them demand more attention (and pull it away from the cars). A more dramatic sky would help do the same. Fascinating symmetry captured here. 28 - tsk1979 - Golden...... Oh, how nicely eerie. Nothing like driving into the beyond on your morning commute to make you contemplate life, the universe, and everything. Cool shot. I think evening the horizon line would make this even stronger. And the title, while I understand it, seems at cross-purposes to the image. If I didn’t know the bridge, I’d be looking forever to find the “golden” bit. 29 - GREAPER - The Path Less Traveled [In My Top Ten] I love this angle and composition. The rain-slicked slats really add to the quiet eeriness and beauty of this shot. Where does it go? Who will I pass? What is that green stuff on the handrail and will it be slimy if I touch it? You pull me in and make me want to walk forward and explore. Nicely done. 30 - Xia_Ke - Dawn Of A New Day Wonderful conversion and contrast. This really highlights the interesting contours and shapes in the foreground, though it completely kills the sky. A heavier crop with less sky would keep me grounded in all those interesting things I have to explore up close—the slick, the squish, and the warning of those rocks. The swirl of the water foreground center captivates me. 31 - VisualXpressions - Window Pain [In My Top Ten] Straightening that bottom pane took this from a cool shot to one I can’t resist. It’s like the window of the soul, reflecting back an idea of perfect blue skies and puffy clouds. Its age implies wisdom. And the colors! Heaven help me but that red and blue burning so brightly together hypnotizes me. I want to stare at this window all day. And I would, if the bricks in the lower half were just a little less overcooked. Honestly, though, this is a great capture. I love it! 32 - f00sion - Black Sands I like the mystery of this shot. And I love the striation from orange to blue and back again. Cropping some of that black from the bottom would really pull me into that reflection of orange more, which is where my eyes want to stay. I wonder if that infamous pano crop would help or hurt this darkly compelling concept. 33 - Strikeslip - Three I think this is such a neat capture that could really pop with a pano crop from the top. The most interesting pieces of the composition here are the sailboats and the clouds, so cropping off some of the empty sky above would really hone in on these things. And I should say I have no bias against sepia (use it quite a bit myself), but here it just isn’t working for me. We lose the blue of the water and the white of those amazing clouds. 34 - stuffjunkie - Oh, That's Gonna Hurt! I first looked at this and thought, “Okay, bikers.” Then I thought, “Oh, crap! That bike wheel is flying right at me!” At which point, the title made me laugh. I assume you meant it in relation to the downed biker who’s out of frame, but it applied to the photographer, too, for me. That made me appreciate the angle and composition of this all the more. (Hope you’re okay, by the way!) Nice, punchy colors. And I love how the face of the biker on the far left is between the spokes and thus so very sharp. 35 - McGyver - Caught by surprise! How very cute. This is such a neat capture of her shock and surprise. The framing feels a bit off to me, and that area of blown-out sky above her head distracts me from her incredible expression. That big water droplet near her tongue also distracts me a bit. Overall, nice exposure and way to be quick on the draw! 36 - traunerk - Gotcha! I keep staring at this wondering how you got such an awesome exposure. Seriously. I love the color of the light bouncing off the water, and I’m amazed you kept the white bird from looking sickly from the same reflected light. Not to mention the amazing action you caught. Yowza! I find myself wishing only that he weren’t so centered and had more room on the left to zoom into the frame. 37 - Shamguess - Warp Speed I saw this shot before I went out this weekend for some marathon shooting. At the time, I thought, “Neat capture.” When I came back from trying to stop action on an Ultimate Frisbee game, I looked at your entry again and thought, “How the heck did he do that?” There’s nothing like trying something yourself to really broaden your appreciation for others who do it so well. And you, good sir, capture action extremely well. In a very humbling way. I love the clarity of the single rider, and yet you have just enough blur to really imply the speed and intensity of the race. Composition and lighting are spot on. Fantastic capture. __________________ Kerry Black Cat Photography • Word of the Day Photo Project • The Scratching Post Photo Blog • Twitter Moderator of the DGrin Challenges—Sponsored by SmugMug Last edited by Llywellyn; Aug-21-2007 at 04:54 AM.

Aug-21-2007, 10:21 AM	#9
Debboggy Major grins Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 145	22 - Debboggy - "Beautiful" Cute and curious, though that pose looks a little uncomfy! Looks a bit underexposed on my screen. And a wider crop on the right and top could help pull my eye more toward the interesting curve of the neck instead of to its less interesting back. Incredible sharpness and DOF. Thanks for the very nice feedback. I was actually embarrassed to enter, considering all of the excellent entrants I was up against. I never expected to make it to this round in the first place. I only entered the qualifying round for the critiques, didn't think I stood a chance. Next thing I knew, I was voted through and in way over my head. I saw that it looked under exposed too. Originally it wasn't. I actually had to burn areas of the feathers to get them to not be too blown out. In Photoshop, it looked fine. I was in the middle of finishing it up to post when my nine year old needed me (worried about the first day of school the next morning). After I comforted him for a while, I only had ten minutes left to get this posted, find the EXIF info (which my version of Photoshop strips), post onto my SmugMug account, copy the link, post and type the EXIF. pant, pant, pant. Once I saw it posted, I could see that it looked too underexposed, but I only had two minutes till the cut off, so not exactly time to start re-editing. Thanks for the comments about the crop too. Good thoughts to keep in mind for future shots. Congratulations to the top ten. All very well deserved and good luck! __________________ ~Debbie~ Canon Rebel XTi w/18-55mm kit lens 28-105mm 100-300mm USM 100mm macro USM & Kenko extension tubes Last edited by Debboggy; Aug-23-2007 at 01:40 PM.

Aug-22-2007, 07:31 PM	#12
kingmamaof2 Major grins Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 179	Thanks for your kind comments Llywellyn and Prezwood! Here's the story about my entry 'Make a Move'...This shot was taken at Fossil Rim wildlife sanctuary during our family vacation and was really a stroke of luck. My three year old daughter and I decided to take the guided tour through the park. I almost didnt bring the camera ( ) but decided to do so in case Hannah was able to feed the giraffes, I wanted some memorable shots. I snapped pictures of various animals and my daughter feeding them. We stopped to feed the giraffes and everyone on the tour crowded to one side of the bus to see them. During the comotion, I was at the back of the bus and noticed a lonely zebra wander up from behind. Hannah started feeding her(even though we were told not to get close to the zebras) and she gave me a blank stare as if saying...make a move-feed me! lol I grabed my camera and took some shots. I was about 3 feet from her but not for long, the giraffes chased her off after the pictures but I couldn't help but smile knowing that I got the shot. Congrats to all the finalists and entrants! It was a TOUGH round!!