In this week of “photo critique” I received more wonderful images. Let’s see them.

Portrait by FurSid

Original Image

Technical Aspects

Technically, this portrait is almost perfect. If I look carefully at the details in full view, I might say that the upper right eye is too dark and looses details. Exposure looks fine, kind of at the limit in the mustache area because of the strong contrast, which, otherwise, is good for the details and pops out the man’s expression. The main focus point is well placed on the eyes of the subject. Composition is very good.

Visual Aesthetics

The expression captured gives a very deep feeling and the sepia toning adds alot to it. Congratulations for such a pleasant portrait!

Spring time in the Mountains by Tudor

Technical Aspects

The image is well focused, with a proper DOF. However, the post processing resulted into some burned areas. Better pay attention at that. Composition is great: not just the right positioning of the flower, but also the slight radial feeling given by the grass adds to it.

Visual Aesthetics

Unlike classical spring interpretation, your’s is full of mystery. I sense that the flowers from the dark side of the picture are still “frozen” in the remains of the winter, while the other flower, the one that rises into the light, is the symbol of the spring yet to come. The vignetting looks good on this picture.

Do you want your photo to receive a critique at photoaxe.com? Send your image at laurentia.fr[at]gmail.com and next week your photo will be commented here.

“The beauty and attractiveness of Himalaya emanate not only from the beauty of the mountains but also from what surrounds it. Nepal is a country of hospitable people with picturesque villages, with an amazing diversity of cultures and traditions and also a great variety of flora and fauna.”

You can view some of the best photographs from the expo here.
Also, if you are interested, Mihai Moiceanu invites you to a new series of workshops.

The theoretic notions of photocomposition and the processing and analysis of the photographs on the computer will be combined with the photo tours around Magura-Bran area. Under Mihai Moiceanu’s guidance you will carry out landscape photographs, but also peasants or sheperds portraits, photographs of rural architecture (houses, hodai, sheepfolds) or photographs that capture rural activities (ploughing, mowing etc).

More details here.

Original Image

Original Image

Original Image

Original Image

Original Image

Original Image

Original Image

The analog technique

I called the technique that does not use a computer “the analog technique” because It is performed on the picture as It Is taken, in the analog world so to speak. This being the case, it allows the technique to be used for both digital and film cameras.
The three pictures below, Figures 1-3 are crude examples of a homemade soft focus filter. Commercial soft focus filters (such as the Cokin A-091 and A-092 filters) are available and their prices range from the very cheap to the very expensive. Whilst they are perfect if they are set to produce the exact effect you want, they are often static, meaning that their properties cannot be changed.
But let’s continue with this basic: homemade Soft focus filter:
A piece of cling film, which whilst not having the mast fantastic optical properties, will do for our purposes, was stretched across a Card frame and then a small amount of washing up liquid was smeared onto the center. The first example, fig 1, was taken without the homemade filter in front of the lens. The second shot, fig 2, was taken by smearing the washing up liquid in a circular motion. While the last photo, fig 3, was taken by smearing the liquid in straight lines across the cling film.
As you can see the effects are quite different.



Please note that when using the filter I am only creating the blurred Image. To create the composite Image manually, you would simply leave a small hole in the middle of the cling film, without any liquid on it. By varying the size or the hole, the balance between soft and hard Images can be controlled and therefore the overall effect can be adjusted. This balance is rather tricky to perfect and even more so when using house hold Items but a wide range of effects as possible.
How did the washing up liquid affect the Image entering the camera? The answer is that the filter “diffused” the light in different directions, much as a light diffuser for lighting equipment does. The liquid that was added on the cling film changed its optical properties making it react slightly differently to the incoming light. The digram below, fig 4, shows how this occurs.

With the first filtered example, the Image is softened in all directions. Take a closer look at the door handles and notice the glow surrounding them. As the diffusing liquid was smeared in a circular fashion, the light was bent in all directions.
In the second filtered Image, the diffusing liquid was smeared only in one direction, horizontally. This had the effect of bending light in the vertical direction, but largely unaffecting light in the horizontal direction. Again, look at the door handles to see the effect.
By varying things Ike tile liquid used, the amount used, smear directions and central hole diameter, you can create a wide range of filters to suit your needs. It is worth trying out this technique if only to satisfy your own curiosity. It takes only half an hour to create the filter and start taking some shots with it.

In this week of “photo critique” I received more wonderful images. Let’s see them.

Sky reflection by Guillaume Lagace

Technical Aspects

There is a good sharpness that fits the transparency of the calm water. The blue color looks very natural. Some details over the rocks are visible and the contrast is good. About the composition, the image is well equilibrated with the lines formed by the rocks and the cloud reflexion.

Visual Aesthetics

It’s nice that you captured both sky reflection + see-through water on the same picture, but here’s a tip that will always work: try using a wide lens to catch more objects in the picture (like some mountain, forest, house, bout), otherwise the picture seems like an empty scene that doesn’t tell much.

Doug Dsmil

Technical Aspects

The lighting used for this shot comes from both back and front of the model. The back one is not necessary but it gives a special radiant mood that draws attention. The shape of the female model is nicely visible under the scarf, and, also regarding the scarf, it adds to the composition. The skin has a nice tone and it looks like it has been softly retouched. The technical skills used for this shot are definitely at high level.

Visual Aesthetics

I like the curve line formed by the scarf, I like the colors and the vibrant mood created by the back light. There is one thought I have in mind about this picture: instead of the few hair that is strongly visible because of the back light, I would have asked the model to show all the hair. This would have also filled out the frame more.

Do you want your photo to receive a critique at photoaxe.com? Send your image at laurentia.fr[at]gmail.com and next week your photo will be commented here.

Looking back through Earth Shots’ first 500 photos, you can’t fail but be amazed by the sheer variety and quality of images we have featured – we have all the brilliant photographers to thank for that! We would also like to thank our loyal commenters who have helped transform Earth Shots from a plain website into a thriving community.

Curios to see the most impressive 500 pictures of nature from all over the world? Here’s a panel with these pictures. (from http://www.earthshots.org/500/)

Clcik here to watch the tutorial

Tools used by Mark in this video:
* RAW conversion software,(Pixmantec’s Rawshooter Essentials 2006)
* High Dynamic Range imaging software (DynamicPhoto HDR)
* Photoshop CS3
Also, the pictures were made with Canon 350D Digital SLR with Canon EFS 17-85mm f4-5.6 IS USM lens + sky filter (mainly for protection) + hood to cut down stray light. Look at the pictures.
Mark’s work is also exhibited at Masa Fine Art Galllery, Royal William Yard.
Thank you Mark for this brilliant tutorial and magnificent photos!

Mark about the world in he’s photography:
“The back streets and the docks, this is where people have lived and worked through Plymouth’s history. Once these have been razed and redeveloped, part of the our heritage will be gone.
The pretty places and views will be recorded, but to many people this is the real Plymouth, and deserves to be remembered. My aim is to show things as people may not see them, to give a different viewpoint. I like secret spaces, lost spaces, which are in the middle of communities but which people just pass by and don’t really notice.”

* Landscape/Scenic
• Tropical forests
• Temperate forests
• Boreal forests
• Rivers, streams and waterfalls
• Flowers and plants
• Beaches
• Wetlands
• Coral reefs
* Conservation in action
Children and/or adults conserving natural resources, including water, flora and fauna.
* Wildlife on coffee, cocoa and fruit farms or forests
• Insects
• Birds
• Reptiles & Amphibians
• Mammals
• Fish
* Sustainable tourism in Latin America
• Hiking, bird watching, mountain biking and other land-based nature activities
• Surfing, scuba, kayaking, snorkeling and other coastal or marine activities
• Other eco-tourism-related subjects
* Flora and fauna (macro)