CRW_2705
by Nusbaum

Comment:
Ah, lovely. Rarement élégant.

The Kozak
by smokeditor

Comment:
I would have loved to see the horse's head, the whole saddle, a blade of grass on the rider's boots, but I can appreciate a portrait too. This one is very satisfying.

The enounter (between camera and subject) is cordial, informal (despite occasion and festive attire) and, credibly, sincere for such a fleeting look. The natural manner of the photo (lack of any 'evidence' of post-processing/appeciably 'juste' the degree of sharpness allotted/the nature of ambient light left unaltered) contributes as much to the moment as it compliments the horseman's features and bearing.

Given the fact, that (to my senses) the true subject extends well beyond the confines of the image, I should call this crop 'tight', but I can easily appreciate the 'personal proximity' this choice has afforded me.

It is a succinctly quiet photograph, an almost venerable portrait without defect and distraction, and, as such, very exciting.

Megalomania
by Remie

Comment:
Outstanding, simple, surreal - a perfect example of classic photography.

I feel profoundly exhilarated by this unexpected find: a timeless subject which never ceases to excite the imagination, a distinctly deliberate composition, which makes cosmic child's play out of our endeavors, a wonderful detached perspective, something rarely present in contemporary photography.

The dynamic between the near-silhouetted men, accentuated by both intervals and lines is deliciously contrasted with the slumped pose of the flyer hanging from his precarious perch. Even the exposure, trimmed to the sky, where the action is, renders a fine gradation of tones -tangibly.

The portrait format, apt to more than this purpose, employs the whole vertical expanse of sky (all the gauze-like subtlety of it) to counter-weigh the silhouetted base of the image. The effect, although not new, has been so nearly forgotten that, at least to me, seeing it resurrected here so simply feels dramatically new and fresh.

The title, too, moves me like a 24-karat surrealist hyperbole :-), nevertheless distinctly consistent with the visual manner of this remarkable capture.

I have not given out a 10 in about a year or so. Here it is.
-Use it wisely. ;-)

Piano Haven
by saintaugust

Comment:
You have composed a musical note. (Applause...)

Competition
by Gabriel

Comment:
Beauty - aptness to purpose. Purpose, apparently, exceeded the photographer's.
I'm glad you entered this image.

The Atlas
by Rooster

Comment:
Just a lil observation: "Atlas" with the golden apples, ally of the Titans, condemed to carry the weight of the world vs. "(The) Atlas" - a book of world maps.

I'd consider dropping the definite article.

Skylight
by jjbeguin

Comment:
Quite an appealing image, well composed and edited (to contain highlights?). Both pespective (triangulation of square) and the single cropped mirror tile (at right edge) adds a welcome deliberate feeling to the geometry of the arrangement.

Given the relative underexposure of the ground cover, a very satisfying balance has been achieved between the acrcane and the stark. The larger depth of field evident here appears to make child's play of the conceivable difficulty to render both the tiles and their reflected images in focus.

The photograph also appears to avoid easy clichées often associated with mirrors, and, instead, radiates a clear and reflective quality. There are no better or comparable works, I could find, in this challenge.

Enchanted BC
by zeuszen

Comment:
In response to comments requesting post-processing details:

I used the clone stamp and smudge tools to remove a partial halo of a steering wheel in the very bottom right of the image (the photo was taken during a downpour from inside a car).

Minute adjustments were made to contrast/brightness (levels) and hues. I used a lighting effect to emphasize the presence of light in the sky (above horizon/top left) and applied smart blur to the entire image. Sharpened (via USM) and resized, as usual.

The effect so many of you questioned is due to the smart blur filter entirely.

Whether or not this shot has 'photographic integrity', I cannot say, because I don't know what the term, specifically, means. To me, the 'effect' suits this particular photograph, since the 'irreality' proliferated by it
replicates the one inherent in the actual scene (confusion of sharpness and unsharpness of objects perceived during a torrent / play of light under such conditions).

I, decidedly, do not view this image as 'digital art' (with all its aesthetical connotations), but wish, instead, I could have found a way to render the photo less inclusively sharpened, as I have done and as wagnes has so aptly pointed out.

Stable Environment
by sher

Comment:
"Make it new," was Rimbaud's advice to fellow poets. You have done this simply and admirably here.

-I still think you shouldn't have revealed your magic and left us with pin and glue. ;-)

The horse rider
by heida

Comment:
I want to suggest "The Horseman" in lieu of the present title, if the rider depicted here is a male. In English, a "rider" is the proper term for someone riding a horse, regardless of gender. Adding the word "horse" in this context sounds a little like a foreigner speaking English. ;-(

Also, "Horseman" alliterates "Norsemen", which would be a nice touch given your locale and heritage.

Message edited by author 2004-08-12 23:45:13.