Wall
by Germaine

Comment:
What a great natural background that wall makes! I like the way you selected your comp on this. Good balance to it. Colors seem a tad warm?

When good toys go bad.
by Yo_Spiff

Comment:
Been there, done that...works for me! :-)

Did you do some selective sharpening on the boys arm and toy? I ask because if not, that camera has some serious DOF! Look at the brick column in the bg by the bar - that looks like the camera focal point.

BTW - I still have good toys going bad around our house. Our youngest is 7. :-D

Learning Curve
by Germaine

Comment:
Heh. I love this shot! :-D

Pike Place Fish
by Leo

Comment:
Reminds me of a place in New York. Like how you caught the photo taker in front of you, intentional or not. :-) The lighting is well distributed in this place...was there a large window behind and to your right?

Hot Dog Mobile
by Leo

Comment:
:-) Fun. Almost has a bit of a lensbaby feel to it with the smaller focal point and surrounding blur.

I share your frustrations with the P&S shutterlag. Certainly something to try and remember (which I'm having a hard time doing!).

original resized.jpg
by pedrobop

Comment:
Hmmm....why are your HDR photos looking so flat? I hope you don't hate me for seeing the downside here. This photo looks like it's missing some contrast and life, especially in the middle areas where the buildings are.

Am I seeing a reflection in the mid upper-left? Were you shooting thru glass (dumb question, you probably were)? THAT could account for some of the flat lighting I'm seeing. If possible (don't know your camera), try using a circular polarizer if you can to cut reflections on glass.

If I were to present this photo I'd have cropped out the upper blownout sky to include just the orange/yellows and the city below. See what auto-levels does for the lighting, and add a touch of contrast.

All JMO of course. This photo could be a good one to post to the forums for additional feedback (if you're looking for it that is). :-)

entry 11 rue de sagres.jpg
by pedrobop

Comment:
You mentioned it, so I'll respond. As for this in the HDR II challenge, honestly, it would likely be a contender for the last page when the results came in. IMO there's just not enough compelling subject matter to make it interesting. Additionally, the HDR (at least as applied here), just gives the lower areas a washed out feeling.

What I do find interesting in this photo is the lighting and shadows upon the wall. There's a photo opportunity in the making over there! :-)

Water Taxi
by Germaine

Comment:
Oh, this is fun! I like the diffusing tension brought in by the smiley in the upper-left. You can't help but immediately go there when this photo comes into view. So, you start off with a smile, then venture into the other areas of the image. I'm naturally inclined to jump down to the wet light reflections and then to the people. Overall, this is an adventure and a fun visual journey.

I would consider just losing enough of the right side to eliminate the upper-right sign. That, of course, is a personal opinion. :-P

Party Tail
by pixelpig

Comment:
Have to love that shutter lagtime, eh? This is more fun and storytelling as is (without his face) I think. :-)

Pastoral
by Germaine

Comment:
I search for some sense of context. The trees look miniature in size at this scale which makes the whole scene take on a grand, intriguing scope. I like how you kept the color palatte soft and pleasing rather than going for the cloud enhancement that for many would be so tempting. :-)

Is that a plane in the sky near the top of the frame?