Out of a sense of sheer idiocy, I've decided to comment on every single
one of the March PUG photos. I'm not sure why I'm doing this (probably
just to postpone working on my thesis), but I am. We're not talking about
any in-depth analyses, since I don't have *that* much spare time, so I'll
just mention one or two things about each photo that I liked or thought
could be improved. *Please* don't take any criticism the wrong way; it's
not meant to be insulting. If you disagree with something I say, tell
me. It's not a big deal. Everyone likes different things for different
reasons, so all I hope this will do is spark a bit of discussion about
some of the PUG photos, and to acknowlege the work of everyone (including
Mr. W. F. Bill) in contributing to the gallery. Thanks!
(I'm going this in multiple parts, which could take a week or more to
complete. This chunk refers to the next 15 photos.)
" Scottish Barbs " by Steve Lewis
A nice scenic. Turning more towards the barbs would emphasize them more,
but then you'd lose the landscape on the left. A tough dilemma... how
about shooting from the other side of the barbed wire? <g> Care to walk
another 95 miles to try it?
" Spring Arrives " by Tadek van Bussel, The Netherlands
Beautiful. Never let it be said that you can't take good pictures with an
MZ-50. :) I'm quite partial to toning so I admit to being biased. I'd
darken those front petals a bit, as they call a little too much attention
to themselves.
" Whooosh! " by Bill Peifer, USA
So, uh... Bill. Beautiful shot, sure. Fabulous timing, yeah. Incredibly
etherial trail, of course. Golden rocket arcing gracefully into the
afternoon sky, given. But you know what? You tilted the horizon. *LOL*
(No, I don't mind tilted horizons, so please don't flame me about
them. <g>) I like this shot, though I would have gone with a smaller
aperture and faster film.
" Grandfather Panorama " by Bill Owens, USA
Nicely balanced composition, Bill. All it needs now is a shaft of
sunlight from the clouds or some Pentaxians clomping around those
foreground rocks. I like your exposure, though the left side is
noticeably darker than the right.
" Winter's Early Sunset " by Bob Gosselin, New Hampshire, U.S.A
I like this one. Pretty good on the flare, too, isn't it? I might have
darkened it a bit to make the trees more mysterious, but I'm not sure how
the snow would wind up looking. Nice shot, and kudos for being outdoors
in some good Canadjin-type weather. :)
" Winter morning at the Lake " by Allan Møller
Nice colour saturation, but those dang tree limbs just seem to be getting
in the way of the photo. :) I'd like to see them either emphasized more
or just left out of the frame, and I think some interesting things could
be done with that gorgeous reflection you captured on the left on its own.
" Touching Beauty " by Ollen Mullis
This isn't a studio shot? Wow. Very impressive. The flower petals are a
touch softer than I like, but I'm not sure if that was
deliberate. Anything else I mention would just be nitpicking. Congrats!
" Simplicity " by David Cleary, Nova Scotia, Canada
Nice looking mill, isn't it? The colours and exposure are very nice. I'm
usually disappointed with my shots through out of focus leaves, but your
are relatively unobtrusive. Did you try some shots without leaves in the
foreground? How did they turn out?
" Whitetail Doe in Queen Anne's Lace " by Bill Sawyer, USA
Nice photo, Bill! This might also look nice in panoramic format, with the
deer off-center. I wish I could get shots like that from our local
parks. <g>
" At Speed in the Corner " by Frank Theriault, Canada
I like this one, too, Frank. The lower left corner could be tidied up a
bit with some cropping, and it's a shame about the hands at the top
left. Apart from burning in parts of the track a bit, I can't think of
any other ways to improve it. Like you, I'm impressed with the effect.
" Wild Konik horses in the "Oostvaarders plassen" swamp area " by Jan van
Wijk, Netherlands
Beautiful exposure on the horses, Jan. I'd burn in parts of the
foreground water so it doesn't overpower the scene. The background reeds
are gorgeous, almost like they've been painted. I love the way they look.
" Katmai's finest (Ursus arctos) " by Ken Waller
Nice bear shot! I like the composition, exposure, and the different
shades of blue (I'm a sucker for variations on a tone). It would be a
great shot if the bear didn't have that ugly bald patch.
" Industrial Photography " by Tiger Moses, Houston, Texas
Not bad for an industrial shot. It might benefit from a bit more exposure
in the foreground, or a touch more contrast overall, as it seems a bit
flat to me. That being said, it's a perfectly serviceable photo, and
congrats on getting paid for it! Oh, and watch out the crane doesn't hook
that guy's hat. :)
" Intruder " by Robert Poe, USA
I love the way the lines work in this shot. The lower and middle left
might benefit from a bit more contrast and/or burning, but I like the rest
of the exposure. Motion-blurring the animal (cat?) was a nice touch. Was
it intentional, or did that happen to be the shutter speed you had it set
to? (And no, I don't have any +1 viewfinder correctors for the "K" or
"Spotmatic" finders. Sorry!)
" Renewal " by David Chernicoff, USA
This is a beautiful effect, David, and a fitting title. Apart from a
darkness in the corners, the only nit I'd pick would be that orange
light... what is it? Perhaps a bit of cropping from all four sides would
eliminate both of these things, though there's not much room for
cropping. I love this picture.
chris
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