Critique : Summer's 52 - week 51 negative

[*Sarah*]

Hi Summer, I really like the symmetry of this one and also how the light catches the left hand post!!

[blondie606]

Hi Summer

nice simple & effective shot for the theme...like the B&W , the symetry ...as per Iain on the crop...good work girlie

[Bilko]

I'm liking your B & W. Vice is a cracker. Good entrance shot too.

[sturisoma]

thanks for the comments everyone. Am a bit sad this week cos my camera had to go to the repair shop. I managed to borrow my old 400 back from the guy I sold it to but it's not the same lol

[gramps]

Park entrance works well, especially as a mono pic

[Blank_Canvas]

'Vice' - Really strong image and works well. Captures the imagination..... i think you nailed it this week. Good lighting too !

'Entrance' - I really like it and the lighting on the L/H pillar, really nice perspective with nice lead in lines. Like the fact that there are no people in the background !

Both images in monochrome are the perfect choice I think and wouldn't have worked as well in colour

Nick

[sturisoma]

thanks Nick and gramps. I know that so far this themed idea has done a lot for my technique. I now look at the whole of the bg and try to set up the shot properly. For instance, in the entrance shot I have arranged it so that the direction signpost is fairly well hidden from view...(it's behind the centre post of the gates.)

I think I would clone out the lamp post in future tho - some things you can't hide

[Donnie]

Great shot for entrance, nice use of B&W and good symmetry , if i had to be picky I am slightly distracted by the odd light on the left hand pillar and would be tempted to edit it in pp?

[The goblin]

Originally Posted by Delta Skies

Great shot. The use of B&W really works for this one. I even like the shadows up the back of the legs making it look like the seam of stockings.

I was going to say this too!

I like the strong B&W, I think it works well. The fact you can't see the mans legs properly adds a little mystery to me as you can't quite see what they're up to by their feet!!!

Entrance - another excellent B&W shot Nice and sharp throughout and good composition with the path leading to the gate. I like the sunlight on the left hand post.

My very tiny critique would be to try and get the path bottom left to lead from the very corner as per the right. I thought a crop would help, but that would upset the symmetry of the outer posts

[The goblin]

Oh and I can see your signature just fine

[Dark Knight]

Entrance - Very nice, Agree about the lamp-post and bottom crop, apart from that, love the B&W and the main composition, leads the eye nicely, a nice set

[sturisoma]

thanks guys

soft this week - my very first thought was a northern simile - 'soft as clarts' - which we use to refer to someone who's a wimp. Clarts refers to mud. so I thought a picture of a stone falling into mud or a footprint in mud. However mud is not a good subject - it is brown and boring!

so instead I went for something a little more obvious

my dog as huge soft eyes, a lovely soft nature, and gorgeous soft fur...


week 15 - soft by moominmama, on Flickr

[posiview]

I don't have any animals but when I can I do like to stroke dogs.

You've got some nice detail in the fur and it's well lit. I like how the fur goes from light to dark...almost has a sea wave feel to it.

My only minor crit is the lower left is a tad dark.

Overall, a very pleasing photograph.

Cheers.

[kirkers1978]

Hi Summer,

tis a good shot, nice focus and texture to it, definitely tell its soft. However if I just looked at the photo I wouldn't now it was from a dog!! maybe you could get some of the dogs face in...

[jgs001]

It certainly looks soft, and therefore fits the theme. Lovely textures showing in there too. Not sure on the dark patch lower left, and I agree with Neil... I wouldn't have known it was from a dog.

[gramps]

Dog or not it's obviously soft and I like the move across from light to dark

[posiview]

Hi, Summer, just realised I've missed a few of yours

Anyway, I see where you were going with magical, but it's a but underexposed and lacks colour. I noted your comments about the fairy flying away, but I'd rather it was in the photograph.

I like the low angle of Vice and the lack of any narrative works. Bottom looks a tad bright and perhaps cropping the LH shadow Love the shoes

Entrance...nothing wrong with a literal interpretation. Nice time of day for the photograph and I like the faint shadows. The light on the LH column does draw my eye and the composition is a little off.

Cheers.

[DrRusty]

I hadn't realised it was your dog's coat until I read the text !! would almost say whilst it is clearly hair/fur the tight crop makes it abstract and leaves the view to decide.

I think the grduated lighting helps as it would have been easy to loose detail.

Nice photograph and spot on theme.

[lizzy23]

Hi Summer i thought hair before fur as well, you mentioned your dogs eye, and theres nothing softer than dogs eyes and the bit down the middle of their muzzles, got to agree that the left hand corner is a tad too dark

[Southdowns]

Hi Summer, I like this one a lot. I recognised it as a dog immediately (maybe you have to have a simillar dog), but don't think it matters anyway. It says soft through and through, and I like the abstract nature of it.

The only issue I can see, which I had to look hard to find, is 4 dark spots on the light fur to the right.

The bottom left corner might have worked a little lighter, but I like the graduation across the shot anyway.

[sturisoma]

thanks guys this was natural light - in the garden

also I guess I made a mistake mentioning the dog, the idea wasn't to photograph my dog but to photograph her fur - fur is soft and the theme is soft. As Gramps says - the dog part is irrelevant.

Mark the dark spots are muck - probably crumbs off her treats which we were using to make her sit relatively still I thought about cloning them out but in the end this shot is straight from the camera

[Donnie]

Bang on theme and lovely and soft, my retrievers sat here with my bare feet on him and he's lovely warm and soft :-)

I like the shot, nicely lit and composed

[michael23]

A very nice pic to go with the theme Summer. My thoughts have been covered by other replys.

[ChickenDipa]

Entrance - when I saw entrance as the theme I did think it would be easy, but it would be hard to make it interesting. We can all take door shots! I think you have suceeded in making it an interesting take on the theme. Its a strong B&W shot.

Soft - Lovely soft shot, and if anything like my dog it will be mega soft!

[The goblin]

I looked at this initially and thought what lovely hair you have I think it adds a bit of mystery not knowing who owns such soft lovely hair/ fur! It fits the theme perfectly and I like the graduated colours

[sturisoma]

thanks guys, strangely enough Marsha, we do have similar colouring, everyone said I picked her (she's a rescue dog) because she looked like me

looking forward to pride as my friend at work has agreed to model - I have such good, willing, victims, I mean friends, at work ha ha

[The goblin]

Originally Posted by sturisoma

strangely enough Marsha, we do have similar colouring, everyone said I picked her (she's a rescue dog) because she looked like me

Ha ha ha, I can imagine you and your dog in 101 Dalmatians (animated version) where Pongo is looking out the window at owners and similar looking dogs!

[mattd85]

Hi,

On a mad catch up so ill be brief,

Magical, Nice idea but it doesn't really do anything for me, the reasons are the fairy being o.o.f is practically lost in the picture, my concentration was on the flowers in front, sorry

Vice, Yes , Yes and Yes, great photo, Nice lighting , I'm a sucker for legs and heels lol

Entrance, Nice entrance, not sure if the B N W works though

Soft, bang on theme, as is the others, i like it.

Matt

[superpippo]

Hi Summer

Vice - good shot, nice lighting and a very clean sharp image

Entrance - sometimes hard not to be literal. Composition is a little off with the symmetry and the unmatched benches either side and the single lamp post detract from that symmetry. But good spot.

Soft - I don't mind that I am not aware of what type of animal it is because the shot is so on theme. Nice graduation of colours and the curve of the hair adds to the softness.

[blondie606]

Hi Summer


beautiful shot for Soft....works great as an abstract , you've caught the tones really well...lovely image