3 people, 1 nature

[mtresillian]

Hi Everyone,
this forum seems really busy at the moment, however I would really appreciate your views and critique on the following photos.
Many thanks
Michael

[PlantedTao]

Great pictures...love the color!
The first picture is the strongest in my opinion due to the expressions of the children and the great smile of the mother. All the vibrant colors really make it a interesting shot and draw you in. The portrait type pictures don't really do anything for me, I'm not a big fan of this type of photo. I do like the older man picture over the little girl due to the setting he is in. This gives the photo more appeal.
The nature photo is good, not the most interesting setting but you perspective and composition have made the picture a lot stronger.

Great job on all four photos...Cheers.

[mtbbrian]

First off, Welcome to PR.com!
These are great photographs.
They are very colorful.
And shows this culture in an interesting way.
You are very lucky to have had the opportunity to see it.
Thanks for posting them here.
I look forward to seeing more!
Brian

[GB1]

The kids pictures are cute. The man standing in the doorway is well composed, I like how the door frame 'frames' him.

The nature shot I like a lot.. I wish that maybe it had a little more negative space at the top and bottom of the photo though, just seems a tad bit clipped off (but who knows, that might be better than the added neg. space? You never know unless you have the other photo to actually compare them). I love the misty effect here btw, and the way the foreground's sharp focus and darks contrasts with the background. Nice job - GB

[Overbeyond]

They are all fine but, for me, the 2nd one is head and shoulders above the others. He does not look
too posed, just relaxing in the sun outside his home. Perfectly framed by the entrance as well and the door is open just enough to give added interest inside. Great colours to boot.
Tom

[Arctirus]

I like the people shots, especially the third. The nature shot is good as well but I would have like to see the end of the middle trunk that gets cut off in the bottom of the frame.

[Steph_B]

I will go with Overbeyond on this: the second is (for me) the best of the 3 people pics. What makes the picture is the open doorway and the relaxed attitude of your subject. It's almost an invitation to come in. It also capture the viewer's interest and keep his/her eyes within the frame.

It is also well framed and composed. Simple works for me!

A little girl shot is nice but do not hold my attention for long.

The nature shot is nice, but the washout sky does not work well for me. I think that this shot would have benefited tremendously from the use of a split ND filter to give some shape to the sky, or at least, a tonality. The fact that the log is cut is also a turn-off.

In general, the shots are a bit soft. I wonder if this is due to the JPEG compression or the PS resizing of the image.

Just my 2 cents.

[mtresillian]

Thankyou everyone for your comments.
yes some do feel a bit soft yet the originals are quite sharp. This effect seems to happen with some photos and not others. Should i sharpen them after the resize?

Steph_B - The idea of a split ND filter would be interesting, however i was using a 14mm Sigma lens......is it possilbe to fit a split ND onto this type lens? Oh the image was cropped on the sides a little (not top and bottom though) to removve some offending nearby branches.

Michael

[jar_e]

Thankyou everyone for your comments.
yes some do feel a bit soft yet the originals are quite sharp. This effect seems to happen with some photos and not others. Should i sharpen them after the resize?

I'd recommend it. With such a small size, the bad effects of sharpness (pixelization, halos, etc.) won't be as easily noticed. Great shots though, love all your work,

Jared

[gahspidy]

Good shots, I like the kids posing the best. The colors and composition are nice, but their mom ( or woman) smiling at heir pose in the bg is what makes it for me. good work

[Steph_B]

Steph_B - The idea of a split ND filter would be interesting, however i was using a 14mm Sigma lens......is it possilbe to fit a split ND onto this type lens? Oh the image was cropped on the sides a little (not top and bottom though) to removve some offending nearby branches.
Michael

Maybe?! I suppose you can if you hand-hold the filter or tape it directly to the lens with gaffer tape. If the front glass is like a fisheye, then you probably won't be able to.

Are you shooting with the D70? I would expect a much stronger line distortion when using a 14mm on a 35mm film camera.

Cheers,

Steph.

[Flight]

I like the first shot, a suggestion might be to crop it tight becase that is a neat image those kids form.

I like the last shot too. I'm a big nature fan. good shot.

[stew]

I really like the nature post. It's the one that really grabs me. The atmosphere is great. The colors are subtle yet vibrant. Perspective is good - I am guessing you go down for this one. My only criticism is that the whole picture looks a little blue - literally. Is this shot with a D70?

Great job!

-Stew

[ARP]

Good job,

I like them all my favorite one the little girl with her natural look at you and her most beutiful (kinda sad) eyes....I also like the forest image kinda spooky in the fog (early morning?)

Keep up pal

AR

[mtresillian]

Thanks for the comments everyone.

Regarding the camera - I use a Nikon F60, was borrowing my Fiance's fathers 14mm lens. Shot on Fuji Superia 100 and scanned from prints.

Steph : Regarding the line distortion, I cropped a little from the left side which was more distorted and also had a tree trunk in the way, this might make the image look a little more upright. Otherwise I was quite low on the ground (about Midday, heavy winter fog, it was great) and played with the camera position to keep the horizontal level. Seems some of the trees on the right are bending more than normal. The colours were quite amazing in this little forest just near Versaille. Lovely golden green grass on the deep black soil scattered with patches of leaves and of course the barren trees and deep fog.



Thanks again for taking the time to comment everyone

Michael

[villenadecorte]

Michael these are all great, incredible shots. I love the angle inwhich you shot the man in the door way, and appreciate the faming around him.
The shot of the kids, naturally is my favorite.
Such bright vibrant colors, such vibrant children.
Congrats on Featured Photo as well!

Cheers,
Rebekah
VillenaDeCorte