I want to thank everyone (JAG, Nikolai, Michael Atkins, AaronNelson, & Travis) that listed my image as a favorite in this discussion thread. Thanks! Unfortunately it wasn't selected by the judges. But, they chose some great ones. Congrats to the finalists.
Yay! Thank you so much Travis!
I guess "KISS" didn't work for me though huh? lol
Never mind, congratulations to those that made it. I'm off to go vote
Canon EOS 40D, Canon EOS 350D, 50mm 1.8 MKII prime lens, 17-40mm f/4 L lens, 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS lens, 430 EX speedlite, Tungsten Continuous studio light, Pocket Wizards, Gary Fong Lightsphere, Stofen Omni bounce diffuser, 5in1 reflector
Thank you!
Thanks to everyone that included my 'wave' in their top-10 and to Kurt for including me in the finalists...as well as for the very kind words! I greatly appreciate everyone's input in transforming this photo from an okay image to one that was able to have such a strong impact.
Thanks again and good luck to everyone.
E
Feedback, Page 1 Entries #2 Honey Do (Kerry Ellis) - I like the perspective and the composition, as well as your use of available light. Love the concept and got a good chuckle . The purplish hue didn't grab me though, it clashed with the drapes ... oh wait, you have no drapes .. my bad!
#3 Guardian of the Flame (JAG) - You did a real nice job making such an interesting photo from the originals. I especially like how the bee turned out after the processing you used. The bee seemed to me to be the focal point, but I had a hard time with it so low in the frame.
#4 Head On (RockPorters) - The dragonfly and rock are superb, especially the added irredescence that the processing gave the dragonfly. The vivid green plant in the BG was a slight detraction though.
#5 Subtle Colors (Pat664422) - Nice shot of the falls, well composed. Lacked some pop even though there is excellent detail and definition in the surrounding landscape.
#6 Residential Reflection (photosbyDan) - Sweet sunset, truly beautiful clouds and reflection! This was close to making my final ten. Very hard to pinpoint what prevented it from taking that extra step. It may be that the middle seemed just a touch over saturated.
#7 Magnolia (pipilio) - A very nice abstract composition, and it would make a great pattern for tiles or wallpaper! And I truly don't mean that as an insult
#8 Beautifully Shy (mycaptures) - Such a pretty little lady who is gonna break some hearts . Well captured in her pose, those blue eyes are striking but I felt it could have used a bit of warming everywhere else.
#9 Thirsty (Bendr) - Nicely lit scene, good texture and I love the toning. If you get a chance to try this one again, it occurs to me that finding some way to get the fountains to arch water would really add impact to this.
#10 Invisible Light Captured (pyroprints) - Beautiful! This came extremely close to making my top ten and was a major reason I was gnashing my teeth over the choices. Could have used a bit more pop in the tower maybe.
My Feedback on Remaining Entries
#2 - Llywellyn - Honey Do
This one totally had a Cathy Bates/Misery feel for me...kinda creepy! The blown out window was distracting and the image overall a little too magenta, otherwise, wonderfully creative and nice use of filters.
#3 - JAG - Guardian of the Flame
Very interesting use of filters. This made my first pass easily, but with so little detail in the flower, I kept wishing for more detail in the wasp. Neat concept though and I think the merged images worked well.
#4 - Rockporters - Head On
Beautiful colors here. With the far wings so sharp, I wished that clarity had extended to the wings in the foreground too. The brightness in the rock is also a little distracting, so you might consider toning that down, or perhaps adding a vignette.
#5 - Pat664422 - Subtle Colors
Disqualified - EXIF date July 13, 2008
#6 - photosby Dan - Residential Reflection
Gorgeous sky and reflection. I love that you kept some detail in the shoreline too. I guess my main issue here was a lack of real focal point. It could have been the sun, but it's too white and not quite enough starburst for me to really enjoy looking at it. A smaller aperture could have helped, or play with the sun color some in PS could have been fun too.
#7 - pipilio - Magnolia
I love magnolias. The creamy tones in this image are very nice. I think your choice of filter came across almost as noise, though, and the bright petal in the bottom left of the image was quite distracting. Darkening that area and rotating the image slightly clockwise (so the flower center is straight) would likely make this image stronger for me.
#8 - mycaptures - Beautifully Shy
Incredible eyes and I love the pp choices. Had her hands not been in front of her mouth I probably wouldn't have instantly kicked into mommy mode... "take your hands out of your mouth, dear!" Adorable girl though, and made my first pass.
#9 - Bendr - Thirsty?
This is an interesting shot and I particularly like the contrast in textures between the rough wall and the smooth fountains. The warm tones are pleasing also, but other than the repetition factor, I'm not really finding much to keep my interest here.
#10 - pyroPrints - Invisible Light Captured
Great subject and fantastic detail and tonal range. The building completely looks like it's leaning to the right though, and I couldn't get past that. The bright white splotches in the bottom right corner were also quite distracting, so you may want to tone that area down too.
#11 - ellarue - Decrepit
I love this image. It was in my top ten until I realized it had a border and was forced to DQ it. Please, everyone, read the rules regarding watermarks, branding and borders very carefully.
#12 - davev - Self portrait
I think your choice of filters works here, except I had seen the color version in the mini-challenge and totally loved the sunset colors in the glasses. I missed that here.
#14 - douglas - The Naked Sniper
I'm not quite sure how to take this one. If it's supposed to be "thriller-esque", then it's not dark enough. I could see it as almost humorous, as he's naked save the obligatory ball cap, except I don't find guns funny in any shape or form.
#15 - raptorcaptor - Bittern to Bits!
I have a feeling that the original here is quite stunning and probably needed no filter. As it is, the horizontal banding and loss of feet put me off. Very cool bird though!
#17 - Nikolai - Filter Math
Very creative! My main thought was, that if I didn't know what the theme was, I would have no clue what she was holding. And, of course, I thought she looked a little chilly. The pose is elegant though, and I figure it would have scored much higher for me if I'd been male.
#18 - dadwtwins -
Disqualified for watermark.
This is a great way to demonstrate the use of ND filters. The fact that the flipping guy was headless troubled me slightly, but I love the intense expression on the other guy's face.
#19 - VisualXpressions - Rodeo Clownin'
I think your choice of filters here was great for what you were going for. It's difficult for me to get past the busyness of the image though, and the "clowns scare me" thoughts!
#21 - Travis - Haven
I loved what you were going for here, but the light beam just wasn't believable for me. Awesome mood in the clouds here though.
#22 - samsplace - Lillies
I'm not quite sure what the filters used did for this image. While the flowers themselves are gorgeous, this shot seems to have been taken in harsh sunlight and the fence is quite distracting.
#23 - VelvtRide - Wade in the Water
To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking at. A video ipod that you put in the bathtub? I understand that you're working with a song title, but beyond that, I'm not really understanding it.
#25 - jrnylst - Night Lights
I think the filter used here works well. I especially like the colors in the sky. I keep wishing for a bit of foreground, but other than that, it has a nice neon style.
#26 - Antonio Correia - Cross
It looks like you had fun with the filters on this one! The treatment gave some really interesting results, but I'm not finding a real focal point.
#27 - gembobs - Postcard from Murano
I agree that your filter treatment here definitely added to this image. On the whole, the image has a little too much gray in it for me, so you may want to play with colors some. Good work though!
#28 - Jwill - Golden Voyage
Ok, putting honey on your lens is simply INSANE. The effect is fascinating though. Very creative, but please, don't risk ruining your equipment for this!
#30 - tamplum - DragonFly Adventures
Very nice colors here. I love seeing detail in insect shots, so I think the filter used is making me wish for that.
#31 - shatch - Evening Harvest
Once again, extremely creative. I studied this one for quite a while trying to decide what wasn't working for me, as there was so much that I did like. I finally settled on the color/quality of the strobe light. A colored gel on it may have helped for consistency purposes, as I'm just finding the brightness and color temp not meshing with the rest of the image. I actually went so far as to play in PS with it for a few minutes. Let me know if you'd like to see what I did, as it might help to explain my thoughts further.
#33 - nelsonstuff - The View Through Glacier Glasses
I really liked this one and it definitely made my first cut. In the end though, the shaded side of the mountain appeared muddy. I'm thinking some selective contrast in that area may help bring the detail in as a stronger focal point.
#34 - pyry - This is my better side
I like this take on the theme a lot. However, seeing images do double duty with the mini-challenge makes it lose impact for me. Technically though, it's very well done, with the exception of the bright shirt sleeve which detracts from the true focal point.
#35 - cmorganphotography - Dali's Muse
Disqualified due to watermark
I'm not sure if this originally had the watermark on it originally, but as I verified entries, there it was, smack across the middle. If you add a watermark to the image in your gallery that you linked, this image changes also. Bummer, eh? Especially since this was one of my original favorites. I'd love to see an original on it too.
#37 - Povertybarn - GuyTunes
I think your choice of filter worked perfectly here and the mood is extremely nice. The image looks like it might need straightening though. I also think cropping the top third of the image may bring stronger emphasis on the subject and less on the other distractions.
#38 - imax - Radioactive Creepy Crawler
Ewww! I'm not really sure what the filter did to add to this image, but it looks like you had fun. I think the background should have been dropped to black though to help the images blend.
#39 - WomanWithACamera -
This one is a nice quiet image, although the banding in the bottom right corner is a bit distracting. The original had so much detail though, and I was saddened to see it lose that in the transformation.
#41 - eoren1 - Polarizing Wave
I really liked this a lot. I was hoping for a hint of sharpness in the crest of the wave and felt a little disappointed in not finding it. The sweeping lines are extremely appealing however, and this just missed my top ten by a hair.
#42 - pemmett - Stalking
DQ'ed and no image showing
#43 - mmroden - Inheritance
Very nice soft image and I like the repeating use of circles here. The interior image is very reminiscent of Lartigue's work. The diffuse glow works nicely, but you may want to pull back a bit on the face of the watch to retain some detail.
#44 - puzzledpaul - Just chillin'
So, I'm looking at this image and thinking, "Why the filter? What's the filter? Shooting through a blade of grass? Is there a filter called grass? I dunno." But, as I've said before, I totally appreciate detail in bug shots, and while the monochromatic feel of this is very nice, the fogginess distracts me.
I appreciate you each for inclusion in your favorites. It did not make the judging cut, however, so I don't have to go through that anxiety this round.
Congrats to ALL of the entrants this round. There was plenty of good work there to choose from, and I did not envy the judges having to choose 10 each from the bunch.
Jwill- "Golden Voyage" was my pick of the litter, but also did not make the final cut. I thought it was ingenious and beautiful.
jko- "wholeheartedness" Got my vote. I like the colors ....and have no critique for this image!
#2 Honey Do (Kerry Ellis) - I like the perspective and the composition, as well as your use of available light. Love the concept and got a good chuckle . The purplish hue didn't grab me though, it clashed with the drapes ... oh wait, you have no drapes .. my bad!
:giggle I have curtains, I swear! Thank you for the feedback. Looks like the "tangerine filter" worked only for me.
#2 - Llywellyn - Honey Do
This one totally had a Cathy Bates/Misery feel for me...kinda creepy! The blown out window was distracting and the image overall a little too magenta, otherwise, wonderfully creative and nice use of filters.
Wow, I didn't even take this with a creepy bent in mind (for once)! So interesting to hear. Thank you for the feedback!
Thanks Nikolai, Michael, Richtersl, VeltRide, and Aaron for including me in your top picks. There were so many great images! Emily, I appreciate the feedback.
One of these days the popular vote will translate into me making the finals vote. Thanks for another great round. Now off to find something pastel (didn't that go out of style years ago )
Feedback for Page 2 Entries #11 Decrepit (ellarue) - This was in my top ten as well until I noticed it had a border ... broke my heart cause it is a quite pleasing image.
#12 Self Potrait (davev) - well composed, I like the tight framing and head placement. The diffuse glow works very well in this. Just didn't have enough oomph to break into my top ten, but it ws knockin' on the door real hard
#14 Naked Sniper (douglas) - Didn't quite get this one. Like the effect and I'm a guy so guns are cool, just seemed to have a muddled story that I couldn't wrap my mind around.
#15 Bittern to Bits (raptorcaptor) - The detail in the bittern is excellent, and good colors in the overall photo. The 2 FG grasses (or whatever) were a major detraction though, and the head position was not enough in profile for my personal taste. But a full frontal where I could see both eyes might have looked good.
#16 Still Waters (fashiznitsandgrins) - Another great photo knockin' at the door of a house with a limited occupancy (ie, *just* outside my top ten). The toning works very well with the IR filter, and the composition is beautiful.
#18 No title (dadwtwins) - This also would have been pushing hard to get inside my top ten. Excelllent lighting, and wonderful composition and subject.
#19 Rodeo Clownin' (VisualXpressions) - Absolutely great expression and smile on that clown! That shirt overpowers the face though.
Thank you Emily and Kurt for including me in the voting round. Just to make it that far feels like a big accomplishment when I look at what I was up against. Thank you to those who have already voted for my entry. You've shown me more than anyone else that I just might have a nack at IR photography. This photo was from my first day with the new filter and you have encouraged me to work that much harder at it. Also, thank you to everyone who entered the contest because you all have pushed me to step my photography up a notch, well, several notches.
#23 - VelvtRide - Wade in the Water
To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking at. A video ipod that you put in the bathtub? I understand that you're working with a song title, but beyond that, I'm not really understanding it.
Yes, it's an iPod in the water. Was trying my hand at creativity
The filter I enjoy goofing around with most is Liquify. What better way to use liquify than in water? So I put the iPod into the tub and found a song/image to relate to the theme I was using. I wanted to be different - not to take a beautiful photo and 'enhance' it, but to have one that worked as a fun piece.
One of these days the popular vote will translate into me making the finals vote.
Not Gonna Happen at least IMHO
Velvtride, thanks for including me in your picks. Another should a could a would a round. I think I'll just stick with gut instinct now, it seems to work better for me. As for this round, another bunch of stunners unfortunately only one can win. As for my favorite
#55 - SciurusNiger - State of the Nation
And Shatch
And Pyroprints
See you next round, Naked Women should be fun........
Feedback for Page 3 Entries #21 haven (travis) - I very much liked what you were going for, comp is quite nice. Just too contrasty though (which is odd, I love dramatic contrast) to be truly effective.
#22 Lillies (samsplace) - Nice lillies, I like the warming and the exposure is quite well done ... that fence had to go though
#23 Wade in the Water (VelvetRide) - I love the colors, the comp, those swirly soap bubbles. Not much to criticize here. Just not strong enough to make it to the top ten, although it was in my agonize over cutting it list
#24 Orange Colored Glasses (CuriousCamel) - Just a lovely sunrise Gail. I found myself wanting to see much more definition in the clouds and sky. But that orange color is quite nice!
#25 Night Lights (jrnlyst) - One of the few neon filter photos I like The moon is just too big and too dark to really add anything to the final composition for my taste.
#26 Cross (Antonio Correia) - The filter effect worked very well with the brick supports, but the overall photo was just too busy.
#27 Postcard from Murano (gembobs) - This came very close to making my top ten ... loving the painterly effect and the canal scene is well composed.
#28 Golden Voyage (jwill) - You certainly won the prize for most creative filter! I like the overall composition, color and the feeling I get of a flight of discovery. A strong entry.
#30 Dragonfly Adventures (tamplum) - Nice light on the dragonfly, but I didn't really care for the squarish aspect ratio or the lack of detail in the dragonfly. The sandstone works very well with those colors.
Just create a new document and then copy the photos into individual layers, resize them, arrange them and then save it out as a jpeg.
Regards,
Peter
Thanks for the tip! Finally got it. Now I can play! The compression on smugmug looks terrible but I'll work on that. ;/
These are no particular order and missing a couple honorable mentions.
I would say my faves are
richtersl - vintage
SciurusNiger - State of The Nation - yikes
shatch - evening harvest - keep surprising me with your images and the tilt adds to the anticipation of the coming swipe
regarding honorable mentions:
davev - self portrait (extra points for fitting two contest on the same forum at the same time)
fashiznitsngrins - Still Waters - I LoVe This shot and even though I'm not an official judge, it tore me up for a while. The bridge listing to the pictures right bothered me. A little straighten tool and
I'll try and come back to comment on others later.
Canon 40D : Canon 400D : Canon Elan 7NE : Canon 580EX : 2 x Canon 430EX : Canon 24-70 f2.8L : Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L USM : Canon 28-135mm f/3.5 IS : 18-55mm f/3.5 : 4GB Sandisk Extreme III : 2GB Sandisk Extreme III : 2 x 1GB Sandisk Ultra II : Sekonik L358
#3 Guardian of the Flame (JAG) - You did a real nice job making such an interesting photo from the originals. I especially like how the bee turned out after the processing you used. The bee seemed to me to be the focal point, but I had a hard time with it so low in the frame.
Thanks Kurt for the critique. Its helps me to know things to look for the next time. I had tried a version with the bottom edge cropped further out to keep him off the edge...but then the petal he was one became too distracting. What I really wanted to do was make him on a pop out of the frame...but frames were not allowed...so oh...thanks again for taking the time to give a critique.
#3 - JAG - Guardian of the Flame
Very interesting use of filters. This made my first pass easily, but with so little detail in the flower, I kept wishing for more detail in the wasp. Neat concept though and I think the merged images worked well.
Thank you for at least considering me in your first pass. I didn't want the flower to over power the hornet. The hornet has as much detail as the images would allow. Next one I am going to do better!:D
#45 - swintonphoto - Season's Fall
Very cool color combos and definitely made my first pass. I couldn't get past the unrealistic grass color however. Just a little too dayglo for me.
#46 - MrsCue - Bullied no more
Image not showing. As I remember, a gorgeous portrait, but I don't remember enough to comment on use of filters.
#47 - silvercolor - Pretty as a painting
Disqualified for watermark
I think this had really lovely possibilities. I would probably play with the curves some to get the blacks a bit deeper and also play with crops so it's not quite so centered.
#48 - sunita - Paper in pen and ink
Really nice tones here and a great effect with the filter choices. Not really enough going on to hold my interest, however.
#49 - Tentacion - Two Hearts That Beat As One
This is definitely a unique portrait. I'm not finding your filter choices flattering, however. It reminds me of veins, making them appear ill.
#50 - thegreenegg - boogie man under my bed
I do like the light in this quite a lot and feel that the filter compliments it nicely. I'm not seeing enough of the bed to really pull the image together without the title though.
#51 - Michael Atkins - Sibling Rivalry
Phenomenal shot. Unfortunately I felt that the filter used ruined it.
#52 - jeffreaux2 - Just Married
I really like the tilt and comp of this image. I think the conversion and blur filter worked well also. There was just too much softness in the faces to make it work 100% for me.
#53 - Flyinggina - Encapsulated
This easily made my first pass. Very neat concept. I think maybe it's the dry brushy giving it a grainy effect though, which makes it feel a little less believable for me.
#54 - reach4urstar - Rays of Sunshine Over Kyoto
This is an interesting image. How cool that you got to visit Japan during the contest period. I don't think your choice of filters really compliments this scenery, however.
#56 - crockett - Northern Exposure
Lovely waterfall. The green is a little too neon for me, however, and detracts from the main focal point.
#58 - Idlewild -
This has a wonderful feel to it, but the blacks were so dark that its legs aren't really visible. I do love the soft, dreamy feel though.
#59 - RocketMan - Seeing Stars
Nice composition here, but the star bursts are a little too uniform.
#60 - Karrie McD - camel face
Image not showing. As I remember it, I had to work out what it was first, then read the title for confirmation...and then it gave me a chuckle. I hope it didn't spit on your lens!
#61 - rhommel - Photographer Friends
Great feel here and excellent use of filters to add to the image. You may want to consider cropping a little off the bottom though, as the white areas are drawing my eye away from the great triangular composition.
#62 - jeffmyers - Battened Down Boosters
I'm not 100% certain of what I'm looking at here (part of an aircraft?), and what filters were used and why.
#63 - jpl - Farmer's Market
Really nice and easily made my first pass. The filter use does add to the image, but I think all of the busy-ness at the top of the frame became distracting. Maybe a different crop would help there.
#64 - photobrando - Miksang
Image not showing. Don't remember it to be able to comment.
#65 - jziegler - Green Rose
While I find the filter used pleasing, there's just not enough bokeh to make the flowers really stand out against the background.
#66 - PackingMyBas - Evening Coalescence
Not really sure what I'm looking at. Reflection in a car tail light? Dunno.
#67 - Dee - Dried Red Sunflowers
I think you have a great subject here to work with. The bright upper corners are drawing my eye out of the frame and I think it could do with a curves adjustment to obtain a true black.
#68 - TheHouseCat - Misty Morning Sunrise
Disqualified due to watermark
A nice peaceful scene. I think I'd prefer a little more color in the sky though, and the horizon off-center.
#69 - TPBinKC - Auto reverse
Really nice comp and great use of the filter. Just not drawing me in quite as much as some of the other entries.
#23 Wade in the Water (VelvetRide) - I love the colors, the comp, those swirly soap bubbles. Not much to criticize here. Just not strong enough to make it to the top ten, although it was in my agonize over cutting it list
Thanks!
And, to be honest, I wouldn't have picked mine for the top 10 either, with all the other fantastic shots entered - you chose well.
Feedback for Page 4 Entries #31 Evening Harvest (shatch) - Yet another one on the agonize over cutting it list. The composition is captivating, as is the lighting. Two things I didn't like, the vignette and the sky and far BG grass colors. It did give me a feeling of trying to bring the harvest in before night fell.
#33 The View Through Glacier Glasses (nelsonstuff) - excellent scene composition and I like the toning. The lighting just doesn't appeal to me here as the most interesting part is in shadow (although it has good detail) and my eyes get drawn away.
#34 This is my Better Side (pyry) - Very inventive shot for this challenge! The hand holding the filter glass is a little blurry and the lighting is not *quite* dramatic enough to really make this pop. Still, this was well executed.
#35 Dali's Muse (cmorganphotography) - Very intriguing, I kept flipping back to it and wondering why I didn't like it as much as the ones in the top ten. The comp is very good, the colors and effect really work. I finally narrowed it down to the light being slightly darker near the eyes where my own eyes want to rest, and the curly effects messed up her ears, which became subtly distracting.
#37 GuyTunes (povertybarn) - The light from the window in the BG was a major distraction for me. I think the composition really needed to focus more on the light and the guitar player to heighten interest. A much darker BG would have helped tremendously.
#38 Radioactive Kreepy Crawler (Imax) - Nice detail on the spider and the web. But that color just didn't do it for me. Maybe more of a glowing blue.
#39 No Title (WomanWithACamera) - I sorta liked the lighting but the composition and the subject didn't engage my interest enough. It may be just the flower choice, I felt like I wanted to see more petals spreading out rather than all bunched up like that.
#65 - jziegler - Green Rose
While I find the filter used pleasing, there's just not enough bokeh to make the flowers really stand out against the background.
Thanks for the feedback Emily. That really does help me with the next round (at least tells me that one of my ideas probably won't work). The joys of not having a DSLR and the money for one not being in the budget. Makes me think harder to come up with something that I can make work technically within my limits.
#46 - MrsCue - Bullied no more
Image not showing. As I remember, a gorgeous portrait, but I don't remember enough to comment on use of filters.
Sorry. I always take my picture down as soon as the results are out. Would you like me to put it back up til the feedback is over?
I used the Kodak Airbrush filter.
Thank you for the feedback
Canon EOS 40D, Canon EOS 350D, 50mm 1.8 MKII prime lens, 17-40mm f/4 L lens, 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS lens, 430 EX speedlite, Tungsten Continuous studio light, Pocket Wizards, Gary Fong Lightsphere, Stofen Omni bounce diffuser, 5in1 reflector
Thank you very much Kurt and Emily for your honest, but kind critique of my DragonFly Dancer. I honestly believe I learn each time I submit. I am glad you like aspects of my photo and hope to one day, make the final cut.
**Taking the moments one shot at a time**
~Working with my Nikon D80~
<My dream is to be the kind of mother, my kids already think I am>
#19 - VisualXpressions - Rodeo Clownin'
I think your choice of filters here was great for what you were going for. It's difficult for me to get past the busyness of the image though, and the "clowns scare me" thoughts!
I'll post the rest ASAP...
Thanks for the feedback Emily! He was meant to scare you... So at least my image elicited the emotions I intended it to from someone... Thanks again... doing a great job by the way!
Comments
http://www.jonathanswinton.com
http://www.swintoncounseling.com
Thanks to both you and Nikolai for choosing my entry as one of your favorites. I really appreciate it.
I was not even going to enter it but my wife talked me into it.
Thanks for including me in your favs.
Also the Judges did a great job of wittling it down. Hard to choose just from this 10 list.
I sure would love to recieve some critiques from people. That is how I learn the best. Am I really off on my photos and ideas?
Good job to everyone!
PBase Gallery
I guess "KISS" didn't work for me though huh? lol
Never mind, congratulations to those that made it. I'm off to go vote
Thanks to everyone that included my 'wave' in their top-10 and to Kurt for including me in the finalists...as well as for the very kind words! I greatly appreciate everyone's input in transforming this photo from an okay image to one that was able to have such a strong impact.
Thanks again and good luck to everyone.
E
My site | Non-MHD Landscapes |Google+ | Twitter | Facebook | Smugmug photos
#2 Honey Do (Kerry Ellis) - I like the perspective and the composition, as well as your use of available light. Love the concept and got a good chuckle
#3 Guardian of the Flame (JAG) - You did a real nice job making such an interesting photo from the originals. I especially like how the bee turned out after the processing you used. The bee seemed to me to be the focal point, but I had a hard time with it so low in the frame.
#4 Head On (RockPorters) - The dragonfly and rock are superb, especially the added irredescence that the processing gave the dragonfly. The vivid green plant in the BG was a slight detraction though.
#5 Subtle Colors (Pat664422) - Nice shot of the falls, well composed. Lacked some pop even though there is excellent detail and definition in the surrounding landscape.
#6 Residential Reflection (photosbyDan) - Sweet sunset, truly beautiful clouds and reflection! This was close to making my final ten. Very hard to pinpoint what prevented it from taking that extra step. It may be that the middle seemed just a touch over saturated.
#7 Magnolia (pipilio) - A very nice abstract composition, and it would make a great pattern for tiles or wallpaper! And I truly don't mean that as an insult
#8 Beautifully Shy (mycaptures) - Such a pretty little lady who is gonna break some hearts
#9 Thirsty (Bendr) - Nicely lit scene, good texture and I love the toning. If you get a chance to try this one again, it occurs to me that finding some way to get the fountains to arch water would really add impact to this.
#10 Invisible Light Captured (pyroprints) - Beautiful! This came extremely close to making my top ten and was a major reason I was gnashing my teeth over the choices. Could have used a bit more pop in the tower maybe.
More later ....
#2 - Llywellyn - Honey Do
This one totally had a Cathy Bates/Misery feel for me...kinda creepy! The blown out window was distracting and the image overall a little too magenta, otherwise, wonderfully creative and nice use of filters.
#3 - JAG - Guardian of the Flame
Very interesting use of filters. This made my first pass easily, but with so little detail in the flower, I kept wishing for more detail in the wasp. Neat concept though and I think the merged images worked well.
#4 - Rockporters - Head On
Beautiful colors here. With the far wings so sharp, I wished that clarity had extended to the wings in the foreground too. The brightness in the rock is also a little distracting, so you might consider toning that down, or perhaps adding a vignette.
#5 - Pat664422 - Subtle Colors
Disqualified - EXIF date July 13, 2008
#6 - photosby Dan - Residential Reflection
Gorgeous sky and reflection. I love that you kept some detail in the shoreline too. I guess my main issue here was a lack of real focal point. It could have been the sun, but it's too white and not quite enough starburst for me to really enjoy looking at it. A smaller aperture could have helped, or play with the sun color some in PS could have been fun too.
#7 - pipilio - Magnolia
I love magnolias. The creamy tones in this image are very nice. I think your choice of filter came across almost as noise, though, and the bright petal in the bottom left of the image was quite distracting. Darkening that area and rotating the image slightly clockwise (so the flower center is straight) would likely make this image stronger for me.
#8 - mycaptures - Beautifully Shy
Incredible eyes and I love the pp choices. Had her hands not been in front of her mouth I probably wouldn't have instantly kicked into mommy mode... "take your hands out of your mouth, dear!" Adorable girl though, and made my first pass.
#9 - Bendr - Thirsty?
This is an interesting shot and I particularly like the contrast in textures between the rough wall and the smooth fountains. The warm tones are pleasing also, but other than the repetition factor, I'm not really finding much to keep my interest here.
#10 - pyroPrints - Invisible Light Captured
Great subject and fantastic detail and tonal range. The building completely looks like it's leaning to the right though, and I couldn't get past that. The bright white splotches in the bottom right corner were also quite distracting, so you may want to tone that area down too.
#11 - ellarue - Decrepit
I love this image. It was in my top ten until I realized it had a border and was forced to DQ it. Please, everyone, read the rules regarding watermarks, branding and borders very carefully.
#12 - davev - Self portrait
I think your choice of filters works here, except I had seen the color version in the mini-challenge and totally loved the sunset colors in the glasses. I missed that here.
#14 - douglas - The Naked Sniper
I'm not quite sure how to take this one. If it's supposed to be "thriller-esque", then it's not dark enough. I could see it as almost humorous, as he's naked save the obligatory ball cap, except I don't find guns funny in any shape or form.
#15 - raptorcaptor - Bittern to Bits!
I have a feeling that the original here is quite stunning and probably needed no filter. As it is, the horizontal banding and loss of feet put me off. Very cool bird though!
#17 - Nikolai - Filter Math
Very creative! My main thought was, that if I didn't know what the theme was, I would have no clue what she was holding. And, of course, I thought she looked a little chilly. The pose is elegant though, and I figure it would have scored much higher for me if I'd been male.
#18 - dadwtwins -
Disqualified for watermark.
This is a great way to demonstrate the use of ND filters. The fact that the flipping guy was headless troubled me slightly, but I love the intense expression on the other guy's face.
#19 - VisualXpressions - Rodeo Clownin'
I think your choice of filters here was great for what you were going for. It's difficult for me to get past the busyness of the image though, and the "clowns scare me" thoughts!
#21 - Travis - Haven
I loved what you were going for here, but the light beam just wasn't believable for me. Awesome mood in the clouds here though.
#22 - samsplace - Lillies
I'm not quite sure what the filters used did for this image. While the flowers themselves are gorgeous, this shot seems to have been taken in harsh sunlight and the fence is quite distracting.
#23 - VelvtRide - Wade in the Water
To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking at. A video ipod that you put in the bathtub? I understand that you're working with a song title, but beyond that, I'm not really understanding it.
#25 - jrnylst - Night Lights
I think the filter used here works well. I especially like the colors in the sky. I keep wishing for a bit of foreground, but other than that, it has a nice neon style.
#26 - Antonio Correia - Cross
It looks like you had fun with the filters on this one! The treatment gave some really interesting results, but I'm not finding a real focal point.
#27 - gembobs - Postcard from Murano
I agree that your filter treatment here definitely added to this image. On the whole, the image has a little too much gray in it for me, so you may want to play with colors some. Good work though!
#28 - Jwill - Golden Voyage
Ok, putting honey on your lens is simply INSANE. The effect is fascinating though. Very creative, but please, don't risk ruining your equipment for this!
#30 - tamplum - DragonFly Adventures
Very nice colors here. I love seeing detail in insect shots, so I think the filter used is making me wish for that.
#31 - shatch - Evening Harvest
Once again, extremely creative. I studied this one for quite a while trying to decide what wasn't working for me, as there was so much that I did like. I finally settled on the color/quality of the strobe light. A colored gel on it may have helped for consistency purposes, as I'm just finding the brightness and color temp not meshing with the rest of the image. I actually went so far as to play in PS with it for a few minutes. Let me know if you'd like to see what I did, as it might help to explain my thoughts further.
#33 - nelsonstuff - The View Through Glacier Glasses
I really liked this one and it definitely made my first cut. In the end though, the shaded side of the mountain appeared muddy. I'm thinking some selective contrast in that area may help bring the detail in as a stronger focal point.
#34 - pyry - This is my better side
I like this take on the theme a lot. However, seeing images do double duty with the mini-challenge makes it lose impact for me. Technically though, it's very well done, with the exception of the bright shirt sleeve which detracts from the true focal point.
#35 - cmorganphotography - Dali's Muse
Disqualified due to watermark
I'm not sure if this originally had the watermark on it originally, but as I verified entries, there it was, smack across the middle. If you add a watermark to the image in your gallery that you linked, this image changes also. Bummer, eh? Especially since this was one of my original favorites. I'd love to see an original on it too.
#37 - Povertybarn - GuyTunes
I think your choice of filter worked perfectly here and the mood is extremely nice. The image looks like it might need straightening though. I also think cropping the top third of the image may bring stronger emphasis on the subject and less on the other distractions.
#38 - imax - Radioactive Creepy Crawler
Ewww! I'm not really sure what the filter did to add to this image, but it looks like you had fun. I think the background should have been dropped to black though to help the images blend.
#39 - WomanWithACamera -
This one is a nice quiet image, although the banding in the bottom right corner is a bit distracting. The original had so much detail though, and I was saddened to see it lose that in the transformation.
#41 - eoren1 - Polarizing Wave
I really liked this a lot. I was hoping for a hint of sharpness in the crest of the wave and felt a little disappointed in not finding it. The sweeping lines are extremely appealing however, and this just missed my top ten by a hair.
#42 - pemmett - Stalking
DQ'ed and no image showing
#43 - mmroden - Inheritance
Very nice soft image and I like the repeating use of circles here. The interior image is very reminiscent of Lartigue's work. The diffuse glow works nicely, but you may want to pull back a bit on the face of the watch to retain some detail.
#44 - puzzledpaul - Just chillin'
So, I'm looking at this image and thinking, "Why the filter? What's the filter? Shooting through a blade of grass? Is there a filter called grass? I dunno." But, as I've said before, I totally appreciate detail in bug shots, and while the monochromatic feel of this is very nice, the fogginess distracts me.
I'll post the rest ASAP...
I appreciate you each for inclusion in your favorites. It did not make the judging cut, however, so I don't have to go through that anxiety this round.
Congrats to ALL of the entrants this round. There was plenty of good work there to choose from, and I did not envy the judges having to choose 10 each from the bunch.
Jwill- "Golden Voyage" was my pick of the litter, but also did not make the final cut. I thought it was ingenious and beautiful.
jko- "wholeheartedness" Got my vote. I like the colors
Jeff
-Need help with Dgrin?; Wedding Photography Resources
-My Website - Blog - Tips for Senior Portraiture
:giggle I have curtains, I swear! Thank you for the feedback. Looks like the "tangerine filter" worked only for me.
Wow, I didn't even take this with a creepy bent in mind (for once)!
One of these days the popular vote will translate into me making the finals vote.
My Images | My Lessons Learned and Other Adventures
#11 Decrepit (ellarue) - This was in my top ten as well until I noticed it had a border ... broke my heart cause it is a quite pleasing image.
#12 Self Potrait (davev) - well composed, I like the tight framing and head placement. The diffuse glow works very well in this. Just didn't have enough oomph to break into my top ten, but it ws knockin' on the door real hard
#14 Naked Sniper (douglas) - Didn't quite get this one. Like the effect and I'm a guy so guns are cool, just seemed to have a muddled story that I couldn't wrap my mind around.
#15 Bittern to Bits (raptorcaptor) - The detail in the bittern is excellent, and good colors in the overall photo. The 2 FG grasses (or whatever) were a major detraction though, and the head position was not enough in profile for my personal taste. But a full frontal where I could see both eyes might have looked good.
#16 Still Waters (fashiznitsandgrins) - Another great photo knockin' at the door of a house with a limited occupancy (ie, *just* outside my top ten). The toning works very well with the IR filter, and the composition is beautiful.
#18 No title (dadwtwins) - This also would have been pushing hard to get inside my top ten. Excelllent lighting, and wonderful composition and subject.
#19 Rodeo Clownin' (VisualXpressions) - Absolutely great expression and smile on that clown! That shirt overpowers the face though.
Still more to come later ...
Thanks!
— Kevin
My Site, My Book
Yes, it's an iPod in the water. Was trying my hand at creativity
The filter I enjoy goofing around with most is Liquify. What better way to use liquify than in water?
I really need to work on my creativity skills.
Not Gonna Happen at least IMHO
Velvtride, thanks for including me in your picks. Another should a could a would a round. I think I'll just stick with gut instinct now, it seems to work better for me. As for this round, another bunch of stunners unfortunately only one can win. As for my favorite
#55 - SciurusNiger - State of the Nation
And Shatch
And Pyroprints
See you next round, Naked Women should be fun........
Joe
#21 haven (travis) - I very much liked what you were going for, comp is quite nice. Just too contrasty though (which is odd, I love dramatic contrast) to be truly effective.
#22 Lillies (samsplace) - Nice lillies, I like the warming and the exposure is quite well done ... that fence had to go though
#23 Wade in the Water (VelvetRide) - I love the colors, the comp, those swirly soap bubbles. Not much to criticize here. Just not strong enough to make it to the top ten, although it was in my agonize over cutting it list
#24 Orange Colored Glasses (CuriousCamel) - Just a lovely sunrise Gail. I found myself wanting to see much more definition in the clouds and sky. But that orange color is quite nice!
#25 Night Lights (jrnlyst) - One of the few neon filter photos I like
#26 Cross (Antonio Correia) - The filter effect worked very well with the brick supports, but the overall photo was just too busy.
#27 Postcard from Murano (gembobs) - This came very close to making my top ten ... loving the painterly effect and the canal scene is well composed.
#28 Golden Voyage (jwill) - You certainly won the prize for most creative filter! I like the overall composition, color and the feeling I get of a flight of discovery. A strong entry.
#30 Dragonfly Adventures (tamplum) - Nice light on the dragonfly, but I didn't really care for the squarish aspect ratio or the lack of detail in the dragonfly. The sandstone works very well with those colors.
Chugging out more feedback in a bit ...
These are no particular order and missing a couple honorable mentions.
I would say my faves are
richtersl - vintage
SciurusNiger - State of The Nation - yikes
shatch - evening harvest - keep surprising me with your images and the tilt adds to the anticipation of the coming swipe
regarding honorable mentions:
davev - self portrait (extra points for fitting two contest on the same forum at the same time)
fashiznitsngrins - Still Waters - I LoVe This shot and even though I'm not an official judge, it tore me up for a while. The bridge listing to the pictures right bothered me. A little straighten tool and
I'll try and come back to comment on others later.
dak.smugmug.com
Thanks Kurt for the critique. Its helps me to know things to look for the next time. I had tried a version with the bottom edge cropped further out to keep him off the edge...but then the petal he was one became too distracting. What I really wanted to do was make him on a pop out of the frame...but frames were not allowed...so oh...thanks again for taking the time to give a critique.
Thank you for at least considering me in your first pass. I didn't want the flower to over power the hornet. The hornet has as much detail as the images would allow. Next one I am going to do better!:D
Very cool color combos and definitely made my first pass. I couldn't get past the unrealistic grass color however. Just a little too dayglo for me.
#46 - MrsCue - Bullied no more
Image not showing. As I remember, a gorgeous portrait, but I don't remember enough to comment on use of filters.
#47 - silvercolor - Pretty as a painting
Disqualified for watermark
I think this had really lovely possibilities. I would probably play with the curves some to get the blacks a bit deeper and also play with crops so it's not quite so centered.
#48 - sunita - Paper in pen and ink
Really nice tones here and a great effect with the filter choices. Not really enough going on to hold my interest, however.
#49 - Tentacion - Two Hearts That Beat As One
This is definitely a unique portrait. I'm not finding your filter choices flattering, however. It reminds me of veins, making them appear ill.
#50 - thegreenegg - boogie man under my bed
I do like the light in this quite a lot and feel that the filter compliments it nicely. I'm not seeing enough of the bed to really pull the image together without the title though.
#51 - Michael Atkins - Sibling Rivalry
Phenomenal shot. Unfortunately I felt that the filter used ruined it.
#52 - jeffreaux2 - Just Married
I really like the tilt and comp of this image. I think the conversion and blur filter worked well also. There was just too much softness in the faces to make it work 100% for me.
#53 - Flyinggina - Encapsulated
This easily made my first pass. Very neat concept. I think maybe it's the dry brushy giving it a grainy effect though, which makes it feel a little less believable for me.
#54 - reach4urstar - Rays of Sunshine Over Kyoto
This is an interesting image. How cool that you got to visit Japan during the contest period. I don't think your choice of filters really compliments this scenery, however.
#56 - crockett - Northern Exposure
Lovely waterfall. The green is a little too neon for me, however, and detracts from the main focal point.
#58 - Idlewild -
This has a wonderful feel to it, but the blacks were so dark that its legs aren't really visible. I do love the soft, dreamy feel though.
#59 - RocketMan - Seeing Stars
Nice composition here, but the star bursts are a little too uniform.
#60 - Karrie McD - camel face
Image not showing. As I remember it, I had to work out what it was first, then read the title for confirmation...and then it gave me a chuckle. I hope it didn't spit on your lens!
#61 - rhommel - Photographer Friends
Great feel here and excellent use of filters to add to the image. You may want to consider cropping a little off the bottom though, as the white areas are drawing my eye away from the great triangular composition.
#62 - jeffmyers - Battened Down Boosters
I'm not 100% certain of what I'm looking at here (part of an aircraft?), and what filters were used and why.
#63 - jpl - Farmer's Market
Really nice and easily made my first pass. The filter use does add to the image, but I think all of the busy-ness at the top of the frame became distracting. Maybe a different crop would help there.
#64 - photobrando - Miksang
Image not showing. Don't remember it to be able to comment.
#65 - jziegler - Green Rose
While I find the filter used pleasing, there's just not enough bokeh to make the flowers really stand out against the background.
#66 - PackingMyBas - Evening Coalescence
Not really sure what I'm looking at. Reflection in a car tail light? Dunno.
#67 - Dee - Dried Red Sunflowers
I think you have a great subject here to work with. The bright upper corners are drawing my eye out of the frame and I think it could do with a curves adjustment to obtain a true black.
#68 - TheHouseCat - Misty Morning Sunrise
Disqualified due to watermark
A nice peaceful scene. I think I'd prefer a little more color in the sky though, and the horizon off-center.
#69 - TPBinKC - Auto reverse
Really nice comp and great use of the filter. Just not drawing me in quite as much as some of the other entries.
Thanks!
And, to be honest, I wouldn't have picked mine for the top 10 either, with all the other fantastic shots entered - you chose well.
#31 Evening Harvest (shatch) - Yet another one on the agonize over cutting it list. The composition is captivating, as is the lighting. Two things I didn't like, the vignette and the sky and far BG grass colors. It did give me a feeling of trying to bring the harvest in before night fell.
#33 The View Through Glacier Glasses (nelsonstuff) - excellent scene composition and I like the toning. The lighting just doesn't appeal to me here as the most interesting part is in shadow (although it has good detail) and my eyes get drawn away.
#34 This is my Better Side (pyry) - Very inventive shot for this challenge! The hand holding the filter glass is a little blurry and the lighting is not *quite* dramatic enough to really make this pop. Still, this was well executed.
#35 Dali's Muse (cmorganphotography) - Very intriguing, I kept flipping back to it and wondering why I didn't like it as much as the ones in the top ten. The comp is very good, the colors and effect really work. I finally narrowed it down to the light being slightly darker near the eyes where my own eyes want to rest, and the curly effects messed up her ears, which became subtly distracting.
#37 GuyTunes (povertybarn) - The light from the window in the BG was a major distraction for me. I think the composition really needed to focus more on the light and the guitar player to heighten interest. A much darker BG would have helped tremendously.
#38 Radioactive Kreepy Crawler (Imax) - Nice detail on the spider and the web. But that color just didn't do it for me. Maybe more of a glowing blue.
#39 No Title (WomanWithACamera) - I sorta liked the lighting but the composition and the subject didn't engage my interest enough. It may be just the flower choice, I felt like I wanted to see more petals spreading out rather than all bunched up like that.
More to come, same bat time, same bat channel ...
Thanks for the feedback Emily. That really does help me with the next round (at least tells me that one of my ideas probably won't work). The joys of not having a DSLR and the money for one not being in the budget. Makes me think harder to come up with something that I can make work technically within my limits.
http://jziegler.smugmug.com
Sorry. I always take my picture down as soon as the results are out. Would you like me to put it back up til the feedback is over?
I used the Kodak Airbrush filter.
Thank you for the feedback
It was a toughy!
Thank you, Kurt and Emily for your kind remarks.
And thank you VelvtRide, Travis, and Evoryware for including my pic in your favorites.
http://lrichters.smugmug.com
Thanks for the feedback Emily!
Winston