andy210966

Nice work but needs tidying up as there are a lot of residual clone brush marks - noteably below and to the right of the spikey fellow and below the frilly flower head. Alos I think trimming the the blocky base of the stems will be worthwhile. Nice design work and a lovely part to the series but feels rushed.

Andy

A sensual shot Vasile. I think I would have like to see more of the head in this shot - but that is just me and doesn't take anything away from what is a lovely shot and, thinking more on this, I understand that the relationship between the eyes and the hand pulling the shirt is important for this image . I wonder if you have a simple 'headshot' from this set?

The texturising at the bottom of the frame I feel is unnecessary and becomes a little distracting - though the it's use at the top corners and encroaching onto the shirt works nicely and adds a nice feel to an already accomplished image.

Again, a beautifully emotional and somewhat melancholic image in which you have gained the best from your model.

Well done!

Andy

Beautifully done! It's all about timing Gary - not sure of your method for releasing the drops but I use a freezer bag suspended from a frame - put a pin ***** in the bag and you'll get a regular dripping flow which then aids with the timing. I use the same focus method as HarvetSquires mentions.

It's a really attractive shot this!

Andy

This is a smashing shot! Normally I would have considered removing the barrel from the backroud but here I think it has a good relationship within the composition and gives a good reference to the nature of work the dog does.

Andy

Another very nice portrait. Super sharp eyes, accentuated by the narrow depth of field, grab the attention straight away and dare you to leave them to view the rest of the shot - but you always end up back there! Fabulous work - well done!

Andy

Another portrait which really appeals to me Vasile. The subtle texture work gives a nice painterly quality to the composition which suits the tonality and slightly desaturated nature of the original. A beautifully thoughful expression on the models face with lovely eye contact. Grand work!

Andy

A nicely captured moment Andrew. The warm tones add to the appeal of the composition and the eye is led straight to the sun and the child on the structure @Just one more slide before bedtime'.

There is also some nice detail here too which could have easily been lost with this sort of shot.

Well done!

Andy

This is beautifully done Angi! I really like the close viewpoint here. I think I have to disagree with Andrew regarding the eyes on this one - if feel if they were lighter the whole feel of the picture wouldn't work - the focus would be drawn directly there and I don't think that is what this composition is about.

There is a very melancholic feel (almost contemplative)to this and your model has conveyed the mood very well.

A smashing shot - very well done!

Andy

Thanks for the comment Dave! Everything is deliberate.

The horizon is Out of Focus ( not Soft Focus) and bleeds into focus the closer to the subject the backround becomes, this is used to create a Depth of Field to the image and to focus the eye on the subject.
The 'halo' is sun glow and is an interpretation of reflected sunlight off of the surfaces facing the sun and because it is a 'glow' it would bleed over more distant surfaces.

The rock does meet the water as the reflection dictates- I didn't want just a lump sticking out of the surface - this Erratic from Snowdonia had a great shape and I wanted to maintain as much as I could so there is no reason why a small overhang wouldn't appear above the surface.

Really appreciate your comments and I hope I have explained the reasons why I presented the image in this way.

Andy

.... further to my earlier comment - I am at work so don't always have the time I would like to sit and view, also viewing this now from my own computer rather than the very contrasty work monitor.

The initial comment still stand in that I find this an appealing image with the random verticals and the linear splash of light beyond the woods. There is also some really good textural detail here in the foreground trees (and love the dappled sunlight striking the right hand edges) which subtly fades out creating a lovely feel of depth. 'They' always say 'that as a general rule you should shoot odd numbers' and here it has been done to great effect the five trees standing prominantly in the frame and positioned nicely in the composition which gives. The mono works here and this adds a moodiness and dark emotion to the shot, whereas, I feel the colour (though lovely I am sure) might appear too gaudy. I like this a great deal - grand work!

Andy

I really like this sort of shallow depth photography. Nicely done - would have liked to see the ery tip of the hull at the bottom of the frame but that doesn't detract from what is a lovely shot.

Andy

A great looking image Jools! If you want to draw straight lines on PS, make a new layer and select your brush Press 'shift' while drawing the line, this will give you a straight one. Because the line is drawn on a layer means that you can manipulate its shape and aspect separately. Hope this helps in the future!

Andy

A nice composition Linda with some lovely light too. I do find the depth of field a little distracting here however and the large cluster of 'out of focus' blooms on the right of centre I find a little distracting and feel that these should have been the ones to focus on. That notwithstanding it is still a very nice and natural floral scene.

Andy

A nicely accomplished panorama Linda which is pleasant enough to view though I feel there are a couplle of issues here.

The first one is that this seems to be leaning down toward the right - if you haven't a horizontal in the sculpture of the landscape then use the base clouds as they will invariably give you the horizontal line you are after.

Secondly... though, this is a well concieved panoramic, it does lack, for me, a focal point and therefore image longevity and viewability. It could be said that the road line on the right leads you into the image but just feel it isn't defined enough and where is it leading you to? Panoramic images are difficult to get right as you have to think where your feature placement will be within the image when taking multiple images.

As for detail, colour and depth this is very good and more impressive as this is your first stab at this type of photography.

Well done with this and the points raised are only my opinion and others may well disagree.

Andy

I really like this Tom, both the painting and your addition to the scene(which fills the space under the shoulder very nicely. Too late now I suppose, but, I wonder it if this may have worked better with the flowers being drawn closer to the camera to make them more of a featue in the composition as a whole. Nonetheless, this is a fine shot and reminicent of an Urban Cyberpunk Memorial. Nicely done!

Andy

Tah-Dah!!

Hi Sylvia! I have uploaded a Mod for you - without the twig! On a personal note - I quite like twig as it adds another dimention to the image. A nicely taken shot - here is how the Clone was done:

Selected a portion of the right hand frame using the Rectangle Marquee tool and copied that to a layer. Flipped the layer horizonally and moved it over to the left of frame. Selected the backround and using the Polygon tool selected the tail feathers then switched to the layer and deleted the tailfeather selection. All that remained was to blend the slightly differing shades down the vertical - did this by using the clone stamp on Lighten mode and then erased the very left of the layer to bring the framing back.

It's a bit rough and ready but I hope you like!

Andy

I really like it when someone deliberately flouts the rules and this is a fine example why sometimes we shouldn't be too obsessed with them! A good bold composition Bill and I like the central dominance of the Mount. As for processing, well, there are those that do and those that don't - personally I love dabbling with images. Many folkes now photograph with the 'Can I fix that in Photoshop?' subconsciously sounding in their heads. It is fair to say that it is always nice to get it right in camera (infact - very rewarding) - however if you travel miles to a place and the light isn't how you would like it - why not change it to suit if the ability is there to do so.

I like both versions here Bill - they both create unique moods with the manner in which they have been dealt with but it is the composition which makes the image!

Andy

Both versions are very nice and good examples of how to use narrow focal distance to create drama in otherwise ordinary subjects. Great isolation here Tom and each version has it's own appeal. Very nice!

Andy

A very nice shot Sylvia! Can't help but think that a Levels tweak might help here to deepen the shadows a tiny bit - perhaps it's just my work monitor. That said - a fine shot and well captured!

Andy

Colin - you took the photo and therefore have the right to display it however you wish, regardless of objection.

The Bullfight is a traditional arena event and part of Spanish make-up. Though some may object to it, I do feel what you are doing is reporting on it in a visual format - it is a contenscious issue and considered cruel in many countries and, thus, difficult for people to understand why this takes place.

OK I have ranted and that was not my intention - it is a shame that the original shot is not posted as a Variant but what you have created is a splendid portrayal of the dance - the Matador in a classic pose and the Bull in full charge. This works really very well!

Andy