My Favorites
Here are my fav's of the bunch. They were are excellent photos. It was hard to choose a top 10. I don't know how to do that thumbnail thing, so numbers will have to do.
1. #6Prime Swirly
2. #9 Luscious
3. #13 Testarossa 4. # 30I Believe 5. #44 Pansy's Pose
6. #54 Take your pick
7. #70 Primarily Water
8. #4 Peach Hibiscus
9. #18 Drink the colors responsibly
10. #39 Colors interpreted
Thank You Velvet for adding me in to your Top Ten....Glad you liked it. WOW I'm in someone's top 10....Very Coolio.
So many wonderful entries:
Some of my favorites in no particular order:
Prime Swirly (JAG) Cups (Ellarue) Maui Scents (Inetken) Testarossa (Thomas McKee) The Last Drop (Pemmet) I Believe (Velvet Ride) Splash (Ifocus) Color Interpreted (CJ99si) Blue Runner (Travis) Oldest Ice (furiousfart)
GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!
You're only as good as your next photo....
One day, I started writing, not knowing that I had chained myself for life to a noble but merciless master. When God hands you a gift, he also hands you a whip; and the whip is intended solely for self-flagellation...I'm here alone in my dark madness, all by myself with my deck of cards --- and, of course, the whip God gave me." Truman Capote
41 - jeffmeyers - Consider the lilies - "He's having a go at the flowers now!" (sorry, bad Monty Python The Life of Brian reference)... This is an excellent flower entry. Red and yellow right up front with green stems and blue (evening sky?) leaking through in the background. The lighting on the flower is nice, though I might have softened the source a tiny bit (it is a tad harsh) but on the other hand there is nice sharp texture in the petals as a result of the hard light. We definitely got a flower sub-theme in this contest but for bold colors in primary hues this one is technically executed beautifully and really takes the theme very litterally (well, the plural of the theme). Excellent! One of my favorites.
42 - The Curious Camel - The Journey... - Compositionally a very nice landscape. A composite I'm guessing? (not that it really matters, just curious). A little weak on or mixed on the theme, lots of grey, the sky and clouds are kind of pastel? The double line a primary? So theme wise it doesn't connect closely for me, but a very nice shot otherwise. The texture in the clouds has been brought out beautifully, obvious compositional lines lead the eye in. Nicely done.
43 - Rustydiva - Free Spirit - I like this image quite a bit. Perhaps a bit of stretch on the theme, but the hair is definitely got a pastel to it, perhaps a pastel brown, but I could see a peachish hue. Only compositional objection is the near cropping of the left eye, I think I want it either completely in the photo or not there at all. The white strip of hair looks good on a third, but it'd still be strong on a 4th or 5th so you might just pan to the right or crop more of the left edge. Zooming out or in another option. Anyway, fairly clever off the beaten path entry for this theme.
44- tlee - Pansy's Pose - Definite pastel here. The water droplets definitely add something. Much stronger "flower" entries in this round, but no reason to be disappointed about this image, well done over all.
45 - barrotj - Reflected Pastel - Neat concept! I find the white edge on the left and no edge on the right a bit distracting (maybe it is just me). I think trimming off the edge on the right would give it a bit more balance (and probably the white edge on the bottom as well). I'm unsure about the tree in the lower left, but I think it adds something. If there was any option to it you might have added a bit more tree. Clever!
46 - shatch - Search and Resue - Whoa! Another powerhouse composite by Shatch. I always love seeing what you come up with! As usual technically very well executed. I think my comments will devolve into personal taste. A bit of a loose connection to the theme, but still definite blue all around. Personally I think the light rays from the helicopter lights are a bit much. Slick as usual!
47 - webnana - grape tomatoes - A first entry for you? If so, welcome aboard. Good concept here, I might have worked it a bit differently though. From the EXIF I see you were at 28mm and f/8.0. I think we'd want to focus a bit more tightly on the red tomatoes and the contrasting vines. The white fence in the back is a bit of a distraction. So I'd recommend stepping back and using a longer focal length to cut down the background, use a larger (e.g. smaller number, like 4 or 2.8) aperature to narrow the depth of field and crop more tightly on the tomatoes. Hope to see more entries!
48 - bc5964 - No title - Another first entry? Again, welcome. The band of green here is nicely picked out by the field lights, I think it is a stronger composition at night than it would have been by day. Maybe a bit tighter crop, or a higher perspective to get a wider band of green. Keep 'em coming!
49 - MarcusG - Orange Bliss - Another first time entry. Welcome aboard. Well, you picked a hell of a contest to enter a flower in - we seem to be overwhelmed! Some might fuss that "orange" isn't quite primary or pastel, but whatever, it is a bold color. In this case it seems a bit too little is in focus for me. I might have preferred to have the petal arc coming in from the left to be in focus. When making color the point more than form you do have to be careful what you choose to be sharp (if anything) and I'm not 100% sure of the choice here or what I'd do about it. Might try shooting from another angle as well. Regardless, a nice first entry! Hope too see more!
50 - Jaro - Sweeter Than Honey - Normally baby photos are the bain of photo contests (way too many), but you picked the right contest for this entry - we're low on babies and overstocked on flowers at the moment. All kidding aside, this is a nice execution of "pastel". The background really brings out the skin tones nicely and the blue-grey eye contrasts well. The tight crop composition is compelling. Very well done!
My Favorites
Here are my picks, in no special order:
1. Testarossa - love the red on red, very classy looking
2. 385 Main Street - Someone suggested cropping out the right window. i like the symmetry myself, but I'd also like to see the left window cropped, leaving the door, cactus and right window as 3 vertical lines offset (more or less) by the address plate with 3 numbers. Nice shot!
3. I Believe - I saw the pre-contest thread and I like the final version.
4. Soft Pink Sunrise - makes me want to sit and look at this view forever!
5. Strong Light of Influence - Probably my favorite of all!
6. And This Should Be Green - I love the look and the title--but I wonder if a brighter green would have worked better? Very clever idea, I think.
Lots of great images and a really challenging contest. I even liked my own idea, although the execution was pretty dismal. :help So much to learn....and what a great place to pick up tips and help. Thanks, SM and DG!
"But ask the animals, and they will teach you." (Job 12:7)
51 - cheech4487 - love on the side - Another flower, and this is one of the strong entries. Very little to crticize, nice composition and technical execution. There are two others I think I like better, but it is so hard, a number of strong flower entries. Good job.
52 - Tentacion - Fierce - My is that some red up there. A colorful subject and a nice "portrait" as it were. The fluffed up plummage is nice too. I can't think of much to change, perhaps the lighting - has a bit of that "on camera flash" look to it and is a tad harsh.
53 - jeffreaux2 - The Honeymooners - A very nice shot, the reflection in the wet sand is excellent and the lighting is very nice. I have trouble connecting it too this theme so I can't offer much help there. Otherwise it is a great image, the happy couple should be real happy to have it!
54 - sunita - Take your pick - This is definitely one of my favorite images. It is such a simple concept and beautifully executed. The only thing I might *try*, and no telling if it'd actually be better, but perhaps a tighter off center crop. The current image is perhaps too symmetric. Anyway, great idea and a lovely image. Excellent!
55 - SciurusNiger - Fading Glories - You know what, by this point you'd think I'd be at the "Oh God, not another flower!" point - and to a certain extent I definitely am - but this one is somehow different to me. It really captures a delicate pastel theme perfectly. Definitely one of my top flower choices, maybe even one of my overall top choices. I have no ideas for improvement. Well done!
56 - sherstone - Bunny - We haven't had many whimsical entries so far, so this is a bit of a breath of fresh air. The pastel background and ears work nicely, the cropping just below the eyes seems just right to me. Definitely gave me a chuckle, can't think of what to improve. For whatever reason I don't think it makes my top list, but techincally it is very well done - the lighting is quite good.
57 - explorish - Follow the leader - Neat photo. Obviously it being a live sporting event your composition choices were limited and changing fast and I think you did a good job seeing the image and grabbing it before it got away. A rather loose connection to the theme. A little motion blur on the helmet and background is a bit cluttered - but as I said the background was a bit out of your control. Nice sports shot, though I think not a great fit for the theme.
58 - samsplace - In service... - Is metal a pastel? I guess it is in a way. To me I think a closer shot of the bust would be a stronger composition. I don't see the surronding elements here adding to much, but a close up of the bust or even details of a few features might work better. You could even "add" color or tone by sidelighting with a colored bounce card...
59 - Awais Yaqub - You! "stop" right there - I'm always excited to see what you come up with. In this case I actually find the traffic light a bit distracting. I'm really drawn to the colors and patterns on the building and would have loved to see more architechural detail there! Neat subject.
60 - eoren1 - Blue gate - I'm usually not a fan of partial color/B&W photos, but I think it works well here. I can't think of anything to change really and I think it fits the theme quite well. Good job!
21 - cmorganphotography - No Going Back - As a photo this is very nice, it communicates an emotion quite well and technically is well executed. I tend to put a fair bit of weight into the stated theme and I can't really find the connection here short of the toning of the photo. Of course the contest are wide open in how one interprets the theme, which is a great thing, but either I'm missing something or this photo deviates a bit too far for me to make the connection. As a photo in an of itself, however, it is very well done!
22 - scas - Sun Flower - So the theme this round was FLOWERS or primaries or pastels? Sorry... So many flower photos, and so many of them actually very good. The toning of this photo is very interesting. It's very high-key exposure gives it all a very pastel look that I think works out quite well. Sadly, there are just so many flower entries. Still, regardless of what others entered, you should be proud of this - original processing that worked out well.
23 - dlplumer - 385 Main Street - This is one of my favorite entires this time around. I like it quite a bit. One thing I'd seriously consider though is cropping out the window on the right. The composition is a bit symmetric as is and the mini-blinds are just ugly. I think the tighter crop would make it a stronger photo.
24 - The Hobbyist - God's Paintbox - The color seems a little weak here for a sunset. Not sure if too much exposure or perhaps shooting a bit too early, but the color is too subtle for this theme I think. Of course we never can control when great sunset colors occur... The clouds are very attractive.
25 - KurtPreston - magination - A little too psychedelic a composite for my tastes, not quite sure how all the elemets fit together to match the theme besides the use of color in the background.
26 - ic4u - Red attracts - The feeder as the light source is pretty neat in this photo. I kind of like the way the wings are extended almost as if the bird is going to give the feeder a big hug. A nice first entry, hope too see more of you.
27 - NikonandVstroms - Repose - The lighting is nice, a very simple introduction of the theme colors into a portrait. I'd almost like to have the cameras position be a bit to the left, would get a little more of the face in the photo and remove some of the white pillow which is a tad of a distraction. Nicely done.
28 - Halite - Sail On, Sailor - Wow, color contrast! I like the blue toning to the whole background to accentuate the orange suit. In some sense it looks a little bit too much like something I'd see in a Gill annual report... I'd like a bit more action or story to the shot... Maybe with some scuba gear on and just having stood out of the water with water droplets pouring off. Well, regardless of my silly idea, that's definitely contrasting primaries. Strong showing!
29 - CAPTURED2H - Too Bee Or Not - Sad this was disqualified for size, it is one of the more neato flower shots. Yellow, green, blue and red all together. Very slick shot...
30 - VelvtRide - I Believe - Nice shot, surprised now that I think about it that we didn't have more flag entires. The US flag is a bit mundane as far as color goes and rather complicated in structure. I'd have thought we might see some other countries' flags, many are perfect case studies of graphic design! Anyway, a great capture of the old stars and stripes if perhaps a bit on the cliche side. The lighting is quite good.
Not quite half way through!
Ken
Ken thank you. Peter sent me a pm to resize but I did not get it in time .Thank you for the kind comment .Next time I will read more better
Another great round with far too many photos qualified to make the top picks. It was difficult to narrow down to 10 but here are the ones that stood out to me. Of course if I look again, I will end up changing my mind for the umpteenth time. Great job y'all!
6. And This Should Be Green - I love the look and the title--but I wonder if a brighter green would have worked better? Very clever idea, I think.
Thanks for the feedback and the pick
I did think about the shades of green, but there already were brightly colored leaves in the mix and turning up the sat would have blown those out, I think. And going all the way to candy green across the board would have looked wierd as well.
What I really could have tried would be a maple, well fed aspens are a tad dark, but that came down to light availability, lot of clouds lately...
Thanks to everyone who included my image in your top picks. I enjoyed watching this round and seeing the different approaches. It's always such an inspiration to see the variety here.
Page 6....
\52 - Tentacion - Fierce - My is that some red up there. A colorful subject and a nice "portrait" as it were. The fluffed up plummage is nice too. I can't think of much to change, perhaps the lighting - has a bit of that "on camera flash" look to it and is a tad harsh.
Ken
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my entry. This is a red macaw and these are his actual colors... The exposure used was a
-4.6ev
You're only as good as your next photo....
One day, I started writing, not knowing that I had chained myself for life to a noble but merciless master. When God hands you a gift, he also hands you a whip; and the whip is intended solely for self-flagellation...I'm here alone in my dark madness, all by myself with my deck of cards --- and, of course, the whip God gave me." Truman Capote
21 - cmorganphotography - No Going Back - As a photo this is very nice, it communicates an emotion quite well and technically is well executed. I tend to put a fair bit of weight into the stated theme and I can't really find the connection here short of the toning of the photo. Of course the contest are wide open in how one interprets the theme, which is a great thing, but either I'm missing something or this photo deviates a bit too far for me to make the connection. As a photo in an of itself, however, it is very well done!
22 - scas - Sun Flower - So the theme this round was FLOWERS or primaries or pastels? Sorry... So many flower photos, and so many of them actually very good. The toning of this photo is very interesting. It's very high-key exposure gives it all a very pastel look that I think works out quite well. Sadly, there are just so many flower entries. Still, regardless of what others entered, you should be proud of this - original processing that worked out well.
23 - dlplumer - 385 Main Street - This is one of my favorite entires this time around. I like it quite a bit. One thing I'd seriously consider though is cropping out the window on the right. The composition is a bit symmetric as is and the mini-blinds are just ugly. I think the tighter crop would make it a stronger photo.
24 - The Hobbyist - God's Paintbox - The color seems a little weak here for a sunset. Not sure if too much exposure or perhaps shooting a bit too early, but the color is too subtle for this theme I think. Of course we never can control when great sunset colors occur... The clouds are very attractive.
25 - KurtPreston - magination - A little too psychedelic a composite for my tastes, not quite sure how all the elemets fit together to match the theme besides the use of color in the background.
26 - ic4u - Red attracts - The feeder as the light source is pretty neat in this photo. I kind of like the way the wings are extended almost as if the bird is going to give the feeder a big hug. A nice first entry, hope too see more of you.
27 - NikonandVstroms - Repose - The lighting is nice, a very simple introduction of the theme colors into a portrait. I'd almost like to have the cameras position be a bit to the left, would get a little more of the face in the photo and remove some of the white pillow which is a tad of a distraction. Nicely done.
28 - Halite - Sail On, Sailor - Wow, color contrast! I like the blue toning to the whole background to accentuate the orange suit. In some sense it looks a little bit too much like something I'd see in a Gill annual report... I'd like a bit more action or story to the shot... Maybe with some scuba gear on and just having stood out of the water with water droplets pouring off. Well, regardless of my silly idea, that's definitely contrasting primaries. Strong showing!
29 - CAPTURED2H - Too Bee Or Not - Sad this was disqualified for size, it is one of the more neato flower shots. Yellow, green, blue and red all together. Very slick shot...
30 - VelvtRide - I Believe - Nice shot, surprised now that I think about it that we didn't have more flag entires. The US flag is a bit mundane as far as color goes and rather complicated in structure. I'd have thought we might see some other countries' flags, many are perfect case studies of graphic design! Anyway, a great capture of the old stars and stripes if perhaps a bit on the cliche side. The lighting is quite good.
Not quite half way through!
Ken
Thanks for the kind words Ken, I'm anxious to give it another try!
Karin
Karin
"Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you've never been hurt and live like it's heaven on Earth." — Mark Twain
16 - douglas - Color Balance - Very slick looking! I like the concept and the execution is very well done. I'd be curious to see the setup, was it multiple shots, so on and so forth, but that's just my technical curiosity. I'm torn as to whether I like this as landscape or portrait better - a hard call. Anyway, neat concept and well done, I like it.
Ken
Thanks alot for your input Ken. It was done with a single shot, and a big crop.Minimal processing was done. I started with 3 wine glasses filled with jello, 2 tipped in fridge while jello setup. I was struggling with lighting and scrapped the idea for awhile but kept the jello glasses in fridge while i sought out other ideas for challenge. When i decided to give the glasses another try the time in the fridge the jello had partially evaperated but still left a light coat at the original hieght which the jello was filled. This upset me at first but i tried it anyway and it ended up giving me 2 tones which i kinda liked. Anyhow, the glasses are stacked and balanced no strings or wires but the red glass was bottom glass before i rotated and cropped photo. The glasses are stacked on top of a diffusion panel which is directly on top of light source (softbox). The difusion panel also rolls up the wall and provides background. I should have built a frame above my softbox so i could of kept the softbox out of photo and not so harsh of light on stem and foot of bottom glass, but running out of time i just cropped alot.
Here is original rotated and sized only.
56 - sherstone - Bunny - We haven't had many whimsical entries so far, so this is a bit of a breath of fresh air. The pastel background and ears work nicely, the cropping just below the eyes seems just right to me. Definitely gave me a chuckle, can't think of what to improve. For whatever reason I don't think it makes my top list, but technically it is very well done - the lighting is quite good.
Thanks Ken for taking the big commitment and commenting on all of the entries, I'm sure you will find it beneficial even though it takes an enormous amount of time.
Thanks for your kind comments too.
The key is having fun! and I had a ton of it creating this one.
61 - 1pocket - A buoy's best friend - I like the idea here of a naturally monochrome scene with the primary highlights. Overall I think the composition works well, but for a themed contest entry it might be a tad cluttered. The dog and fish market sign compete with the central element, the colored bouys. I think I'd want to see more of the frame taken up with the central element - the buoys. The window in the back through the door distracts a bit - it is one of those elements I personally never see when I set up a photo and then when I'm looking at it on the computer it pops up. It might help the composition if you cloned it to black in photoshop so the whole doorway was deep shadow. Alternatively when taking the shot you could move the camera to the left so the window was out of the door frame and you'd see the bouys a bit more from the side - of course that might obscure the dog too much though. Anyway, I like it as a photo overall, nicely done.
62 - peterst6906 - The Wide Blue - This is one of my favorites. It is a very well executed blue on blue with yellow pastel highlights. For such a static subject it is a bit of a dynamic composition - the dock line leads the eye in and the sweeping curve of the bow kind of anchors the eye, but the higher contrast tower keeps dragging the eye up into the sky and then dropping it back to the bow. Well, I'm not going to over analyze. I think it is spot on to the theme and I like the composition of simple elements a lot. I don't know what to improve, ranks very high with me. Excellent!
63 - pyry - And this should be green - Very clever idea. I am really not a fan of selective color work in photoshop but this is a perfect use of it. Only thing I *might* change, but I'm not sure, is to perhaps have a few more leaves already green - most of them are hidden behind the arms. That said - I'm not sure it'd be a good change, the composition sort of works with the viewer anticipating all those dang leaves getting painted - so perhaps less is more. Great idea, very well done!
64 - richtersl - God's Canvas - This is a very nice sunset scene and does a good job of evoking pastel. Composition wise I'm not sure what I'd alter, perhaps a tad less tree on the right but really it is good as is. Might alter the exposure a little, the forground could survive being a bit darker but there appears to be an arc of blown out cloud in the sky which looks a bit unnatural. Well, minor quibbles, nice entry!
65 - Jet Jaguar - Junkyard Flower - First time? Welcome! A nice entry, but we are certainly overwhelmed with flowers this round and this is a good one but there are stronger. Personally (as I mentioned above) I'm not a super big fan of selective color tricks, but given their ubiquity in the wedding business it obviously does connect with a lot of people. That said, you have executed it well and should be happy with the result. I notice that the flower is already separated in focus from the background, which is good. You might accetuate this more with a wider aperature or in this case since you've already masked the flower you could selectively blur a bit more in photoshop. Nicely done, look forward to seeing more!
66 - hawkeye978 - Lossestrife in the Swamp - A very pretty landscape, and a bit different from all the flower closeups. I like it quite a bit, not sure what I'd change if anything. I have no idea if the scene would allow it, but perhaps a slight move to the left or right, it seems the closest tree is dead center in the frame - sort of creating a wedge of trees pointed at the veiwer that is perfectly centered. Might look better on a third. But that is pretty minor nitpicking, a really nice shot. Good job!
67 - AnaSimona - Frozen Tips - Welcome to the contests - This is a very good first entry, hope to see more! I think there are stronger pastel flower entries, but this is very good on its own. Really its only flaw is it might be lacking just a bit in the color department, but besides that I think the very tight cropping and narrow focus give it a pleasant dreamy feel. Well done!
68 - Travis - Blue Runner - Very well executed action shot. Textboox motion blur and diagonal composition. Can't think of anything to change!
69 - pyroPrints - Vibrant & Pale - Well, given all the flower entries I think this one falls a bit short, there really isn't anything but the muted green here. If I'm seeming harsh it is because I've seen so many of pyroPrints truely awesome entries in the past and given the calibur of those photos to me this one is treading water. Waiting to be blown away by you in the next round .
70 - kwalsh - Primarily Water - Well this is my entry, I had a bunch of other ideas that didn't pan out and did this at the last minute. Even though to me being an engineer type primary strictly means RGB, I now wonder if swapping the green dye for yellow wouldn't have been more appealing to the eye... Anyway, I'll let someone else critique mine (pretty please?)
Comments
Here are my fav's of the bunch. They were are excellent photos. It was hard to choose a top 10. I don't know how to do that thumbnail thing, so numbers will have to do.
1. #6 Prime Swirly
2. #9 Luscious
3. #13 Testarossa
4. # 30 I Believe
5. #44 Pansy's Pose
6. #54 Take your pick
7. #70 Primarily Water
8. #4 Peach Hibiscus
9. #18 Drink the colors responsibly
10. #39 Colors interpreted
Everyone did a fantastic job!
http://annasphotos.smugmug.com
Oooo...does this mean I'm off the hook for this round?
well, he likes too dance...but no he is not a dancer, just my roomate.
milesmckeephotography.wordpress.com
So many wonderful entries:
Some of my favorites in no particular order:
Prime Swirly (JAG)
Cups (Ellarue)
Maui Scents (Inetken)
Testarossa (Thomas McKee)
The Last Drop (Pemmet)
I Believe (Velvet Ride)
Splash (Ifocus)
Color Interpreted (CJ99si)
Blue Runner (Travis)
Oldest Ice (furiousfart)
GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!
Of course not!
And the effort you've been putting into making these challenges really HAPPEN goes beyond "heavy lifting."
A few of my favs in no order:
#28 - Halite - Sail On, Sailor - great contrasting colors
#42 - CuriousCamel - The Journey - dramatic sky, great composition with the lines
#50 - Jaro - Sweeter Than Honey - intense crop and piercing gaze, nice colors and cute title
#9 - Llywellyn - Luscious - contrasting colors, neat execution
#11 - ellarue - Cups - awesome still life, creative arrangement
...and others, which I will fail to mention.
milesmckeephotography.wordpress.com
*
http://member.onemodelplace.com/member.cfm?P_ID=214042
41 - jeffmeyers - Consider the lilies - "He's having a go at the flowers now!" (sorry, bad Monty Python The Life of Brian reference)... This is an excellent flower entry. Red and yellow right up front with green stems and blue (evening sky?) leaking through in the background. The lighting on the flower is nice, though I might have softened the source a tiny bit (it is a tad harsh) but on the other hand there is nice sharp texture in the petals as a result of the hard light. We definitely got a flower sub-theme in this contest but for bold colors in primary hues this one is technically executed beautifully and really takes the theme very litterally (well, the plural of the theme). Excellent! One of my favorites.
42 - The Curious Camel - The Journey... - Compositionally a very nice landscape. A composite I'm guessing? (not that it really matters, just curious). A little weak on or mixed on the theme, lots of grey, the sky and clouds are kind of pastel? The double line a primary? So theme wise it doesn't connect closely for me, but a very nice shot otherwise. The texture in the clouds has been brought out beautifully, obvious compositional lines lead the eye in. Nicely done.
43 - Rustydiva - Free Spirit - I like this image quite a bit. Perhaps a bit of stretch on the theme, but the hair is definitely got a pastel to it, perhaps a pastel brown, but I could see a peachish hue. Only compositional objection is the near cropping of the left eye, I think I want it either completely in the photo or not there at all. The white strip of hair looks good on a third, but it'd still be strong on a 4th or 5th so you might just pan to the right or crop more of the left edge. Zooming out or in another option. Anyway, fairly clever off the beaten path entry for this theme.
44- tlee - Pansy's Pose - Definite pastel here. The water droplets definitely add something. Much stronger "flower" entries in this round, but no reason to be disappointed about this image, well done over all.
45 - barrotj - Reflected Pastel - Neat concept! I find the white edge on the left and no edge on the right a bit distracting (maybe it is just me). I think trimming off the edge on the right would give it a bit more balance (and probably the white edge on the bottom as well). I'm unsure about the tree in the lower left, but I think it adds something. If there was any option to it you might have added a bit more tree. Clever!
46 - shatch - Search and Resue - Whoa! Another powerhouse composite by Shatch. I always love seeing what you come up with! As usual technically very well executed. I think my comments will devolve into personal taste. A bit of a loose connection to the theme, but still definite blue all around. Personally I think the light rays from the helicopter lights are a bit much. Slick as usual!
47 - webnana - grape tomatoes - A first entry for you? If so, welcome aboard. Good concept here, I might have worked it a bit differently though. From the EXIF I see you were at 28mm and f/8.0. I think we'd want to focus a bit more tightly on the red tomatoes and the contrasting vines. The white fence in the back is a bit of a distraction. So I'd recommend stepping back and using a longer focal length to cut down the background, use a larger (e.g. smaller number, like 4 or 2.8) aperature to narrow the depth of field and crop more tightly on the tomatoes. Hope to see more entries!
48 - bc5964 - No title - Another first entry? Again, welcome. The band of green here is nicely picked out by the field lights, I think it is a stronger composition at night than it would have been by day. Maybe a bit tighter crop, or a higher perspective to get a wider band of green. Keep 'em coming!
49 - MarcusG - Orange Bliss - Another first time entry. Welcome aboard. Well, you picked a hell of a contest to enter a flower in - we seem to be overwhelmed! Some might fuss that "orange" isn't quite primary or pastel, but whatever, it is a bold color. In this case it seems a bit too little is in focus for me. I might have preferred to have the petal arc coming in from the left to be in focus. When making color the point more than form you do have to be careful what you choose to be sharp (if anything) and I'm not 100% sure of the choice here or what I'd do about it. Might try shooting from another angle as well. Regardless, a nice first entry! Hope too see more!
50 - Jaro - Sweeter Than Honey - Normally baby photos are the bain of photo contests (way too many), but you picked the right contest for this entry - we're low on babies and overstocked on flowers at the moment. All kidding aside, this is a nice execution of "pastel". The background really brings out the skin tones nicely and the blue-grey eye contrasts well. The tight crop composition is compelling. Very well done!
thirty some odd to go...
Ken
Here are my picks, in no special order:
1. Testarossa - love the red on red, very classy looking
2. 385 Main Street - Someone suggested cropping out the right window. i like the symmetry myself, but I'd also like to see the left window cropped, leaving the door, cactus and right window as 3 vertical lines offset (more or less) by the address plate with 3 numbers. Nice shot!
3. I Believe - I saw the pre-contest thread and I like the final version.
4. Soft Pink Sunrise - makes me want to sit and look at this view forever!
5. Strong Light of Influence - Probably my favorite of all!
6. And This Should Be Green - I love the look and the title--but I wonder if a brighter green would have worked better? Very clever idea, I think.
Lots of great images and a really challenging contest. I even liked my own idea, although the execution was pretty dismal. :help So much to learn....and what a great place to pick up tips and help. Thanks, SM and DG!
Lauren Blackwell
www.redleashphoto.com
51 - cheech4487 - love on the side - Another flower, and this is one of the strong entries. Very little to crticize, nice composition and technical execution. There are two others I think I like better, but it is so hard, a number of strong flower entries. Good job.
52 - Tentacion - Fierce - My is that some red up there. A colorful subject and a nice "portrait" as it were. The fluffed up plummage is nice too. I can't think of much to change, perhaps the lighting - has a bit of that "on camera flash" look to it and is a tad harsh.
53 - jeffreaux2 - The Honeymooners - A very nice shot, the reflection in the wet sand is excellent and the lighting is very nice. I have trouble connecting it too this theme so I can't offer much help there. Otherwise it is a great image, the happy couple should be real happy to have it!
54 - sunita - Take your pick - This is definitely one of my favorite images. It is such a simple concept and beautifully executed. The only thing I might *try*, and no telling if it'd actually be better, but perhaps a tighter off center crop. The current image is perhaps too symmetric. Anyway, great idea and a lovely image. Excellent!
55 - SciurusNiger - Fading Glories - You know what, by this point you'd think I'd be at the "Oh God, not another flower!" point - and to a certain extent I definitely am - but this one is somehow different to me. It really captures a delicate pastel theme perfectly. Definitely one of my top flower choices, maybe even one of my overall top choices. I have no ideas for improvement. Well done!
56 - sherstone - Bunny - We haven't had many whimsical entries so far, so this is a bit of a breath of fresh air. The pastel background and ears work nicely, the cropping just below the eyes seems just right to me. Definitely gave me a chuckle, can't think of what to improve. For whatever reason I don't think it makes my top list, but techincally it is very well done - the lighting is quite good.
57 - explorish - Follow the leader - Neat photo. Obviously it being a live sporting event your composition choices were limited and changing fast and I think you did a good job seeing the image and grabbing it before it got away. A rather loose connection to the theme. A little motion blur on the helmet and background is a bit cluttered - but as I said the background was a bit out of your control. Nice sports shot, though I think not a great fit for the theme.
58 - samsplace - In service... - Is metal a pastel? I guess it is in a way. To me I think a closer shot of the bust would be a stronger composition. I don't see the surronding elements here adding to much, but a close up of the bust or even details of a few features might work better. You could even "add" color or tone by sidelighting with a colored bounce card...
59 - Awais Yaqub - You! "stop" right there - I'm always excited to see what you come up with. In this case I actually find the traffic light a bit distracting. I'm really drawn to the colors and patterns on the building and would have loved to see more architechural detail there! Neat subject.
60 - eoren1 - Blue gate - I'm usually not a fan of partial color/B&W photos, but I think it works well here. I can't think of anything to change really and I think it fits the theme quite well. Good job!
Whew... I'm getting there...
Ken
Redleash - you don't know how close I came to putting in the other one! Thank goodness for feedback!
photographing mommy to Rayne (5) and Quinlan (baby boy) and wife to Dave.:photo
Thanks very much for the pick, Peter
http://pyryekholm.kuvat.fi/
My Images | My Lessons Learned and Other Adventures
Thanks for the feedback and the pick
I did think about the shades of green, but there already were brightly colored leaves in the mix and turning up the sat would have blown those out, I think. And going all the way to candy green across the board would have looked wierd as well.
What I really could have tried would be a maple, well fed aspens are a tad dark, but that came down to light availability, lot of clouds lately...
http://pyryekholm.kuvat.fi/
I hear ya
Thanks for the pick
http://pyryekholm.kuvat.fi/
Oh, and here's my own non-entry:
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my entry. This is a red macaw and these are his actual colors... The exposure used was a
-4.6ev
Karin
"Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you've never been hurt and live like it's heaven on Earth." — Mark Twain
douglas
This is seriously excellent
http://danielplumer.com/
Facebook Fan Page
Thanks alot for your input Ken. It was done with a single shot, and a big crop.Minimal processing was done. I started with 3 wine glasses filled with jello, 2 tipped in fridge while jello setup. I was struggling with lighting and scrapped the idea for awhile but kept the jello glasses in fridge while i sought out other ideas for challenge. When i decided to give the glasses another try the time in the fridge the jello had partially evaperated but still left a light coat at the original hieght which the jello was filled. This upset me at first but i tried it anyway and it ended up giving me 2 tones which i kinda liked. Anyhow, the glasses are stacked and balanced no strings or wires but the red glass was bottom glass before i rotated and cropped photo. The glasses are stacked on top of a diffusion panel which is directly on top of light source (softbox). The difusion panel also rolls up the wall and provides background. I should have built a frame above my softbox so i could of kept the softbox out of photo and not so harsh of light on stem and foot of bottom glass, but running out of time i just cropped alot.
Here is original rotated and sized only.
douglas
Thanks Ken for taking the big commitment and commenting on all of the entries, I'm sure you will find it beneficial even though it takes an enormous amount of time.
Thanks for your kind comments too.
The key is having fun! and I had a ton of it creating this one.
Sean
Jello! Brilliant! Thanks so much for the run down of your setup.
Ken
Oh wow, this is definitely my favorite pastel (non-)entry. Very nice!
Ken
61 - 1pocket - A buoy's best friend - I like the idea here of a naturally monochrome scene with the primary highlights. Overall I think the composition works well, but for a themed contest entry it might be a tad cluttered. The dog and fish market sign compete with the central element, the colored bouys. I think I'd want to see more of the frame taken up with the central element - the buoys. The window in the back through the door distracts a bit - it is one of those elements I personally never see when I set up a photo and then when I'm looking at it on the computer it pops up. It might help the composition if you cloned it to black in photoshop so the whole doorway was deep shadow. Alternatively when taking the shot you could move the camera to the left so the window was out of the door frame and you'd see the bouys a bit more from the side - of course that might obscure the dog too much though. Anyway, I like it as a photo overall, nicely done.
62 - peterst6906 - The Wide Blue - This is one of my favorites. It is a very well executed blue on blue with yellow pastel highlights. For such a static subject it is a bit of a dynamic composition - the dock line leads the eye in and the sweeping curve of the bow kind of anchors the eye, but the higher contrast tower keeps dragging the eye up into the sky and then dropping it back to the bow. Well, I'm not going to over analyze. I think it is spot on to the theme and I like the composition of simple elements a lot. I don't know what to improve, ranks very high with me. Excellent!
63 - pyry - And this should be green - Very clever idea. I am really not a fan of selective color work in photoshop but this is a perfect use of it. Only thing I *might* change, but I'm not sure, is to perhaps have a few more leaves already green - most of them are hidden behind the arms. That said - I'm not sure it'd be a good change, the composition sort of works with the viewer anticipating all those dang leaves getting painted - so perhaps less is more. Great idea, very well done!
64 - richtersl - God's Canvas - This is a very nice sunset scene and does a good job of evoking pastel. Composition wise I'm not sure what I'd alter, perhaps a tad less tree on the right but really it is good as is. Might alter the exposure a little, the forground could survive being a bit darker but there appears to be an arc of blown out cloud in the sky which looks a bit unnatural. Well, minor quibbles, nice entry!
65 - Jet Jaguar - Junkyard Flower - First time? Welcome! A nice entry, but we are certainly overwhelmed with flowers this round and this is a good one but there are stronger. Personally (as I mentioned above) I'm not a super big fan of selective color tricks, but given their ubiquity in the wedding business it obviously does connect with a lot of people. That said, you have executed it well and should be happy with the result. I notice that the flower is already separated in focus from the background, which is good. You might accetuate this more with a wider aperature or in this case since you've already masked the flower you could selectively blur a bit more in photoshop. Nicely done, look forward to seeing more!
66 - hawkeye978 - Lossestrife in the Swamp - A very pretty landscape, and a bit different from all the flower closeups. I like it quite a bit, not sure what I'd change if anything. I have no idea if the scene would allow it, but perhaps a slight move to the left or right, it seems the closest tree is dead center in the frame - sort of creating a wedge of trees pointed at the veiwer that is perfectly centered. Might look better on a third. But that is pretty minor nitpicking, a really nice shot. Good job!
67 - AnaSimona - Frozen Tips - Welcome to the contests - This is a very good first entry, hope to see more! I think there are stronger pastel flower entries, but this is very good on its own. Really its only flaw is it might be lacking just a bit in the color department, but besides that I think the very tight cropping and narrow focus give it a pleasant dreamy feel. Well done!
68 - Travis - Blue Runner - Very well executed action shot. Textboox motion blur and diagonal composition. Can't think of anything to change!
69 - pyroPrints - Vibrant & Pale - Well, given all the flower entries I think this one falls a bit short, there really isn't anything but the muted green here. If I'm seeming harsh it is because I've seen so many of pyroPrints truely awesome entries in the past and given the calibur of those photos to me this one is treading water. Waiting to be blown away by you in the next round
70 - kwalsh - Primarily Water - Well this is my entry, I had a bunch of other ideas that didn't pan out and did this at the last minute. Even though to me being an engineer type primary strictly means RGB, I now wonder if swapping the green dye for yellow wouldn't have been more appealing to the eye... Anyway, I'll let someone else critique mine (pretty please?)
I might even finish by the end of today!
Ken
Thanks for the feedback Ken! I know its a tough job going through all of the photos.
Also thanks to Pyry and Tentacion for including me in your picks.
My Images | My Lessons Learned and Other Adventures