КРИТИКА

lcelvenes (0) 2007-09-24 11:30

Hi Agnieszka. This is a great photo :) 1) The composition is well balanced I think. I like the diagonal line from the bottom right to the upper left formed by the rock formations meeting the ocean. I really love wide angle shots, and I think you've done a good job here. 2) The exposure for the photo is good. No blown highlights, or too dark shadows, and I like the effect created by the water covering the stones during the long exposure. Very nice. 3) You've got some interesting textures in both the water as well as the rock formations. This I like. However, for me personally, I would have liked to see a bit more contrast, and maybe a little more saturation, punching both the textures and the colors up a couple of notches. 4) Please provide some more information in the note section. Part of the point of TE is to share both images and info from the world. A bit more about the place, your reasons for taking this photo, as well as any PP you might have done (like what you used to provide the frame) is interesting for the rest of us to know. Hope my comments help. Beautiful photo. TFS :) Regards, Lars-Christian

lcelvenes (0) 2007-09-24 9:26

Hi Felix. This is nice photo you've made here. 1) I think you've got some interesting layers in your compostion, consisting of the beach, water, reflection, mountains, and then the sky. What I like quite a lot in this photo is the is how the colors work well together. Especially the mountain's dark grey and brown. 2) The reflection is beautiful. The white line of sand and snow in between the mountains and the reflection complements the snow on top of mountain as well as the reflection, I think. 3) I would have liked to see a bit more contrast in the image. I think this would have made especially the foreground with the snowy shoreline and water come out a little clearer. 4) The sky has some noise in it, so a bit of noise reduction might be good for this image. This is most visible around the top of the snowy mountain. 5) Like I said, you have many layers in this photo. I like that, but think it could look quite good if it was a bit more simple as well. A photo focusing on just the mountains and the reflection would have looked very nice, I think, and had a calm feel to it. It might be something to try if you have another chance at shooting this scene. TFS this photo :) Alle the best, Lars-Christian

lcelvenes (0) 2007-09-18 8:35

Hi Brian. This photo I think is very good. A few thoughts: 1) I think you've got a great exposure for this image, with the urban scene well lit. For a 1 second exposure you've really hit the shutter at the right time, getting such smooth lines. I was quite surprised it was not longer. 2) I like your composition for this photo. I don't know whether you planned it this way, but it's really amazing how the two busses have managed to create a gap just so that you can see all of Big Ben in this image. Again, great timing. The running lights create nice lines for the eye to follow, parallelling the buildings in the background. Good thinking getting the corner as well, as I think this helps to provide a sense of depth. 3) There's really not a whole lot to be picky with for me with this image. The only thing that would have been better, in my opinion, would have been if you didn't have the blown highlights in the watch/clock in Big Ben. On the plus side this creates the effect of lighting up the image a bit, but it could have been interesting to see it without the highlights too. Taking a shot at HDR and bracketing the shot might do the trick. Other than that, this shot works very well for me. You've done well capturing an interesting urban scene here. It's inspiring. TFS :) All the best, Lars-Christian

lcelvenes (0) 2007-09-17 10:11

Hi Daisy. My eyes were drawn to this one. I think partly because of the frame. A couple of thoughts: 1) I think the composition is a bit messy, but there's something about this photo that works for me. I like the depth you've created with the buildings almost fading out from left to right. The slight diagonal lines created by the sidewalk, the road, and the architecture accentuates this depth. I think I would have liked it more if you had included the light on the left side just inside the frame. Then you'd have more of a frame withing the photo as well, emphasising the road, and putting the crossing woman just right of the centre (in the "light pole-frame") 2) Light: A small change in light management could have helped, in my opinion. The little part of the sky that's visible, is quite bland, and looks partly like a blown hightligt. A bit of work with levels and curves in photoshop (if you have access to it), might help you get hold of some texture here by darkening the sky and the top of the buildings. 3) It looks to me like you've got quite a bit of noise in the image, so a little bit of noise reduction I think could help. 4) Regarding the noise, an alternative to reducing it, could be to turn this image into a B&W image (using Channel Mixier in Photoshop for conversion is good way to go). In B&W the noise could become an interesting grain effect. Also, the white van, and the yellow cab (as well as the other colors), which to me are a bit "in the way", would fit right in. This kind of city scene I think would work very well as mono. Just an idea. 5) As I mentioned in the introduction to this review, the frame for this image caught my eyes. It's a bit boring (no offense intended), but it works well for me. Not sure why, tough, but well done. Should you try this image as a B&W though, I would suggest changing the gray part of the frame into black. Hope my comments help. TFS :) Regards, Lars-Christian

lcelvenes (0) 2007-09-17 4:24

Hi Yoga. Just caught sight of this photograph. Here are my thoughts: 1) I like your composition very much. I think you've kept it simple, and managed a beautiful relationship between the two boats. I also like the light in the water creating a "divide" between them. The position of the two boats also add to the depth of the photograph. Well done. I like the reflections as well. I'm especially impressed by the clarity of the reflection of the boat furthest away. 2) Going for a B&W image with this one works very well (is it a color original, or shot in B&W?). The photo has a nice calm mood to it (in my opinion), and I like looking at it. It's very easy on the eyes. 3) Light: I think this image could improve with a couple of changes. For me, the foreground is a bit too dark. I would have liked to see this part brightened a bit. As I see you have access to PSCS2, I would recommend some work with levels and curves to help brighten the foreground, as well to see if you could get just little more contrast. It's the other way with the background, for me. I think the horizon and the sky are a bit too bright. Parts of the horizon also seems to have some blown highlights. Darkening this area could get some more texture into the sky. Again, levels and curves should do it. As it is a mono, you could also try some dodging of the highligts (2-4 %), and burning of the shadows (2-4 % also), to get some more contrast in the sky area. 4) I would also suggest a slight cropping of the image. The first reason for this is the lack of texture in the sky. Cropping a few cm from the top (a few cm. above the mountain/hill top in the background) will leave you with some more interest in the sky, a diagonal line formed by the cloulds, and (for me, at least), a bit more focus on the boats. The other reason I'm suggesting some cropping is that the upper right corner is bit darker than the rest of the image. Rather than fixing this with the clone stamp tool, or the healing brush, I think cropping will yield a better composition altogether. 5) Just a bit more info in the note section would have been nice. A bit more on the location. Is there a story here? Why did you decide to shoot this scene, and so on. Some info on PP is also interesting to know. Lots to learn for the rest of us :) Hope my thoughts have some value to them. Like the photo a lot. TFS :) All the best, Lars-Christian

lcelvenes (0) 2007-09-13 7:20

Hi Olivier. Some thoughts on this photo. 1) Nice exposure. I think you've managed this one well. Apart from maybe the sign in front of the windmill, there really aren't any highlights to speak of, and I think you've managed the light very well. 2) Compostion: The windmill, to me, is too much in the centre of the photo. The lawn in the front doesn't offer much of interest in the foreground. Cropping off a few cm from the bottom and up would, in my mind, be an improvent. You'd have more focus on the windmill. Also, I think I would have enjoyed the photo more with the windmill either a bit more to the left, so that the building on the right hand side would have been included, or, if you had gone a bit closer and focused solely on the windmill and the sky. That way I think you could also have given a greater feeling of size in the photo. 3) It looks like there's a bit of noise in the sky, especially over the top of the windmill (between the two upper arms). A bit of noise reduction on this part too I think might help. Those are my thoughts. Regardless though, it looks like an interesting place for photography, with many opportunities. And, like I said, I'm impressed with you exposure on this photo. TFS :) Regards, Lars-Christian

lcelvenes (0) 2007-09-12 15:18

Hola Erick. Quizбs en el futuru puedo escribirle en castellano, pero ahora no escribo muy bien. Entonces, nesecito escribir en inglйs. Espero que es vale. 1) First of all, welcome to TE. I think your first photo is an interesting one, and I like the fact that you have provided an informative note. It helps me appreciate the image more, as well as your reasons for taking it. 2) From the info on your photo I see that you've got Photoshop CS2. On this image, I think that it would be a good idea to work a little bit with levels and curves. This will help you get clearer colors, as well as creating more contrast. It gives the photo a bit more "punch". 3) I don't mind your point of view (POV), but the next time you're shooting an image like this, you might want to experiment with different angles. Below the person, above, etc. With this photo I think I would have liked it more if you had taken a step or two to the left, and the taken the photo. That way you could have avoided the person in the background, and the background would have been a bit simpler, consisting of the stone wall, and the white wall. That might also have helped create a bit more depth in the photo. Another reason for leaving out the person the background is that, judging from my own experiences with a sony dcs f717, it's difficult to obtain a good bokeh effect where the background is blurred out, with your type of lens. An idea for a similar setting the next time you're out photographing daily life might be to try som close up portraits if the subjects don't mind. The woman in this photo, for instance, I think has a very intersting face. I hope my comments are of some use, and hope to see more from you. Thanks for sharing :) Regards, Lars-Christian

lcelvenes (0) 2007-09-12 12:46

Hi Fara. Beautiful photo, this one. 1) Great exposure. You've really captured the colors and light well. 2) Great colors. You've found a beautiful spot here, I think. I like how the colors complement each other. The dark sky is just light enough to help emphasise the green colors. 3) Wonderful composition. The fences, ridge on the left side, and the road on the right side lead the eye into the photo. I think the two rocks in the ridge on the left side creates interesting textures that capture the eye as well. You've done a great job conveying the depth of the landscape here. The tree in the background (between the to reflected trees) also provides depth. I like the refection. It's awesome, and the split between the sky and the landscape is well placed. 4) There really is nothing I find wrong or out of place with this one. An idea for the next time you're in the area might be to do a few shots with the fences as guidelines into the photo. Both sides has interesting aspects, but I think (judging from this photo) I favor the left side with the rocks. A photo focusing solely on the reflection might be something to try as well. I think I would really like a photo of just the left side with the fence, rocks and the tree on the left hand side, shot with an upright position with a wide angle with the first rock in the foreground. Imagine if you cropped this photo vertically just right off centre. Hope my thoughts offer some ideas. Love the photo. TFS :) Regards, Lars-Christian

lcelvenes (0) 2007-09-11 2:43

Hi Alain. Looking through your photos, this one really stands out. I'm a sucker for sunsets, and this one is fantastic :) 1) First of all the colors. I think they're perfect. The rock formation in the left foreground does a great job of both framing the sunset, as well as creating some interesting shadows and textures in the foreground. 2) Composition. With the shadows and textures created by the rock formation, and the line of the horizon, you've turned the image into a beautiful "three-piece" photo, each following the other from the sky to the foreground. Great job. 3) I like how you've captured the line from the sun, despite there being so much light there already. I think in creates a nice contrast to the horizontal lines that dominate the photo. Placing it just off centre is perfect. It's one of those photos where (for me) this effect really pays off. 4) The only (and only slightly) negative thing I see in this photo is a black dot just to the left of the top of the rock formation, but I had to look for this, and it may be just a piece of rock sticking up from the ocean, so it doesn't matter. 5) Good choice on the thick black frame. I think it puts even more emphasis on the golden colors in the photo. Awesome job, Alain. Love it. TFS :) Regards, Lars-Christian

lcelvenes (0) 2007-09-10 7:48

Hi Christin. This one really caught my eye. It's a beautiful photo. My thoughts on it: 1) Composition: I like the lines in your photo very much. Especially how the water and the shipyardlines (sorry, not sure what to call them :) run in different diagonal lines. I also think your use of colors work very well. The red and blue tones really create a mono-like effect. 2) The addition of people is a nice way of conveying size in photo. I also like how they're silhoutted. That way they don't take anything away from the overall focus. 3) I would have liked to see some info on where this is taken. What compelled you to take this photo. Anything special about this shipyard? just general information. This is also interesting for fellow photo-enthusiasts who might be in the area, and would like to take a shot at the same location. 4) I see you've done som PP on. I would have liked to know what. I think you've got a nice effect going here. Almost dreamy, with the faded frame. A comment or two on that would have been interesting. 5) Not really related to this specific photo. If you have other photos from this location, please post them. Looks like there are lots of possibilities in this place :) Those are my thoughts. Hope they are of some help. TFS :) All the best, Lars-Christian