Hi Leslie: So much do I admire your pictures that I spend time wondering how I might take them, if ever I saw "the scene" in the first place. So here are some comments which I am quite sure you've already thought about.
(i) the pool with reflections is the sort of scene I like to photograph. The question I ask is what is one seeing here? My own first impression, to be frank, was of the light in the middle of the picture and then my eye moved up and down and saw the rubbish on the bottom; and then from right to left and saw the rubbish on the right. Both were distracting from the strengths of the picture which I see as lovely colours, strong lines, well caught reflections, all in a forest with playful light. So your smarty-pants critic here spent less than 10 minutes in Lightroom to test these conjectures. I'll post the results in a minute - largely crops with added contrast. Perhaps you'll like one of them. In both a strong vertical tree trunk to the right anchors the frame; & then in the wider picture the diagonals add a lot of dynamism; in the portrait frame it's the vertical reflections doing the work and providing depth.
(ii) picture number 3 of the ferns and the spatula leaves shot from above is very very good. It's a restful shot and one just lingers with it. My compliments.
My .02: I paused at the moss log with VA bb and fern on the way out and back, not sure if I even shot or not. If you click to enlarge the image to see what is really sharp, the focus is about the place where fern and partially spent bluebell with inner flower parts revealed intersect. This focus says this is what the picture is about - and I definitely think it is - this selective focus is not random. Your picture read my mind's eye.
My only issue with the wealth and arrangement of detail at lock 6 pool is the areas included with blown highlights. If you can pay more attention to dynamic range and the highlights that have gone off the chart, sometimes you can crop (in camera) or recompose your way out of the situation.
I like this kind of "show it all" take when it reveals complex relationships visually and ecologically in a way that assures me that I am seeing what the photographer intends.
3 comments:
Hi Leslie: So much do I admire your pictures that I spend time wondering how I might take them, if ever I saw "the scene" in the first place. So here are some comments which I am quite sure you've already thought about.
(i) the pool with reflections is the sort of scene I like to photograph. The question I ask is what is one seeing here? My own first impression, to be frank, was of the light in the middle of the picture and then my eye moved up and down and saw the rubbish on the bottom; and then from right to left and saw the rubbish on the right. Both were distracting from the strengths of the picture which I see as lovely colours, strong lines, well caught reflections, all in a forest with playful light. So your smarty-pants critic here spent less than 10 minutes in Lightroom to test these conjectures. I'll post the results in a minute - largely crops with added contrast. Perhaps you'll like one of them. In both a strong vertical tree trunk to the right anchors the frame; & then in the wider picture the diagonals add a lot of dynamism; in the portrait frame it's the vertical reflections doing the work and providing depth.
(ii) picture number 3 of the ferns and the spatula leaves shot from above is very very good. It's a restful shot and one just lingers with it. My compliments.
Farid
My .02: I paused at the moss log with VA bb and fern on the way out and back, not sure if I even shot or not. If you click to enlarge the image to see what is really sharp, the focus is about the place where fern and partially spent bluebell with inner flower parts revealed intersect. This focus says this is what the picture is about - and I definitely think it is - this selective focus is not random. Your picture read my mind's eye.
My only issue with the wealth and arrangement of detail at lock 6 pool is the areas included with blown highlights. If you can pay more attention to dynamic range and the highlights that have gone off the chart, sometimes you can crop (in camera) or recompose your way out of the situation.
I like this kind of "show it all" take when it reveals complex relationships visually and ecologically in a way that assures me that I am seeing what the photographer intends.
And yes, I'm a pushover for maidenhair and mayapple - another relationship picture, visually (textures, form) and plant community wise.
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