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Key West Sunset and Sunrise:Images

rameshpkumar

New member
All taken with Canon 5d:
sunset:
60778316.IMG_0984SunsetSailBoat.jpg

60759878.IMG_0644SunsetSilhouette.jpg

60759960.IMG_0933BeachGoersShip.jpg


sunrise:
60759929.IMG_0662KeyWestSunrise.jpg


Rest of the photos can be seen here:
http://www.pbase.com/rameshpkumar/florida

Appreciate any constructive criticism to improve my photograhy.
 
Hi Ramesh, and welcome to OPF!

We're still early in the process of determing how we would like this forum to run, but please have a look at the Discussion or Critique thread at the top of this forum. I just went ahead and made it sticky.

As I discuss in the last current post on that thread, I think it would be of most value to all who participate to really try and "focus" on one particular image per thread. Further, if the person starting the thread can be as specific as they can in terms of what they're looking for, those who respond can be of greater help. Otherwise discussion will be somewhat general and not as helpful.

I am currently out of town, and the monitor quality on the computer I'm using isn't that great, so I can't provide useful feedback on any of the images right now. But perhaps you can pick one image that you'd like to discuss, identify it in a reply, and try to define for yourself, and us, what aspect of the image you'd like to have comments on. That could be choice of subject matter, composition, exposure in the field, post-processing, preparation for printing, or basically anything else where you would like input.

That could be done on a new thread, if you'd like, or just a fresh post here. And as I said up front, we're still in the process of identifying guidelines for posting, but to me, anyway, the guidelines suggested here should increase the quality and value of this forum.

Thanks for posting!
 

Alain Briot

pro member
This is really intended as a discussion between photographers, at least in my view. My take if you just post photographs, without questions, is you want us to enjoy them, which I do. Thank you. THat is certainly a viable option, and we can leave it at that. If you expect more from us, then you need to give us a lead about what it is that you are working on, specifically, and which challenges you are facing. We can then see if we have had similar challenges. Again, this is a discussion, not a class.

ALain
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Alain Briot said:
This is really intended as a discussion between photographers, at least in my view. My take if you just post photographs, without questions, is you want us to enjoy them, which I do. Thank you. THat is certainly a viable option, and we can leave it at that. If you expect more from us, then you need to give us a lead about what it is that you are working on, specifically, and which challenges you are facing. We can then see if we have had similar challenges. Again, this is a discussion, not a class.

ALain


It is no comment on your art, Ramesh. I would emphasize Alain's comment that we need to know your intent, ideas, concepts and "specifically, ... which challenges you are facing" Only then can a useful exchange be initiated.

This part of OPF is strictly for sharing thoughts and images leading to a print. It is for excellence. Building, surgeries and sculptures are done by experts, one at a time, with devotion of all their talent, skills, training and judgement.

So, the rule is Just one image at a time, unless it is part of several completey related images that must be displayed side by side for the composition.

It takes seconds to post. It can take 30 minutes or more to evaluate, digest and return a useful reaction!

We're serious about your art and everyone's efforts.

Please repost one image in a new thread, with enough specifics, to restart on your Key West.

Again, wecome to OPF!

Asher
 
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Stan Jirman

New member
Asher, you own this bulletin board, so you make the rules, but I don't think that limiting posts to one image at a time, and forcing people to split images into several threads is a good thing. The rules on the FM forum are just the opposite, and I think they work better. I find that Ramesh's photos belong together, regardless what one thinks of their artistic merit etc., and that if he had to post them in 4 different threads it would be (1) much harder for pepople to see them as a unit, and (2) would add to clutter in the threads.

Just look at it this way: Imagine someone who for whatever reasons doesn't like the posted pictures, and wants to skip the post. If it's in one post, it's easy to do. Otherwise, the person has to find out the hard way if all of Ramesh's posts today are of the same theme and ought to be skipped. The opposite is also true - say I love the first image, and then I need to go diggin' for all the other images as well.

It may be easy to say that one picture may be enough, but sometimes you have a photo essay of sorts, especially in this Travel themed board, and simply can't post only one picture.

Just my two pennies, of course.
 

Alain Briot

pro member
I think we may want to limit to 3 photos per post, 400 pixels wide. There has to be a limit. The most important thing though is that posters need to get involved regarding what help they are looking for. And the simplest way to do that is ask yourself, if you are posting, what challenges you are facing, what area of photography you are working on, and what you want us to comment on. Are you working on light, composition, printing, exposure, creating a portfolio, finding keepers, developing a personal style, choosing lenses, selling your work, becoming an artist ? My series of essays on Photography and Aesthetics, published on Luminous Landscape and also available on my site on CD, is a good place to start studying these concepts if they are not familiar to you. For me to try to repeat those here would be redundant.

As you can see there is no way I can tell which of the areas I just mentioned you need help with unless you tell me. And, no, I can't help you with all these areas at once! You have to make a choice.

ALain
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Stan Jirman said:
Asher, you own this bulletin board, so you make the rules, but I don't think that limiting posts to one image at a time, and forcing people to split images into several threads is a good thing. The rules on the FM forum are just the opposite, and I think they work better. I find that Ramesh's photos belong together, regardless what one thinks of their artistic merit etc., and that if he had to post them in 4 different threads it would be (1) much harder for pepople to see them as a unit, and (2) would add to clutter in the threads.

Just look at it this way: Imagine someone who for whatever reasons doesn't like the posted pictures, and wants to skip the post. If it's in one post, it's easy to do. Otherwise, the person has to find out the hard way if all of Ramesh's posts today are of the same theme and ought to be skipped. The opposite is also true - say I love the first image, and then I need to go diggin' for all the other images as well.

It may be easy to say that one picture may be enough, but sometimes you have a photo essay of sorts, especially in this Travel themed board, and simply can't post only one picture.

Just my two pennies, of course.

Stan you make a number of good points.

There are balancing interests.

1. to discourage a stream of "me too" pictures that may be enjoyable, but offer nothing more.

2. to focus energies on all the subtleties that can make a good image great!

Anyway, here, we have 4 pictures with each having entirely different challenges to preparation and printing. We have several almost duotones and then one full color and a final with limited color and dark but detailed water.

Each would be processed and printed differently, I would think.

Perhaps there is a different issue at stake. This is the lack of decison in what is to be printed.

The request was for "critique". As Alain pointed out, this is not a class. (Alain, BTW if a fine teacher and his seminars and the "Summit" are really worth attending.)

There will be discussion out of the image being posted, the reaction to it and how people might solve issues which the photgrapher faces. Thus for example, one might say, "my difficulty is that I want to use an Epson 9600 but I'm finding the shadows are not appearing well. I processed the image with .......could anyone suggest how I handle this without making the girls face go blotchy in Adobe RAW", "I can't seem to get a 3 D look of the trees against the distant hills, although they seemed that way when I took the picture." What do you think of the different treatment of reflections in the lake. I'm trying to show.... but I'm wondering if this is distracting to my theme and drawing attention away from.........

This kind of discussion is utterly image specific. A series of pictures would be perfectly fine if they are grouped together for showing as one creation.

The sunrise/sunset pictures are not really linked, at least to my limited POV in such a way.

We are, as you can see struggling ourselves with how to best deal with this.

I think we might have a set structure to state why the image is being shown. Obviously if someone just was exhibited in the Tate Gallery in London and wants to show that image to us, we'd all be delighted. But we are still getting used to this house and havn't worked out where everything goes.

I think a single image posted with a link to further images in this series would be easiest to deal with.

I don't know what all the best answers are. So I'll see what other ideas emerge for showing groups of image.

Certainly, for fun, there is the Layback Cafe.

This matter will be carefuly examined and reexamined. But for now, in this particular single section, one image at at time is the rule.

Thanks,

Asher
 

rameshpkumar

New member
My apologies

First of all my apologies for not following forum rules.
My intent was to show some sunrise and sunset pictures and to get any quick improvement ideas. It wasn't a snap shot of my cat on the couch with the question: is my 5d focusing correctly?

I understand that it takes only a minute to post 4 photos, but it could take 30 minutes to provide criticism. I am not expecting all the people who click on the link to provide any replies at all. So if you do not have the time, that is fine, no one is forcing you to offer criticism. If you have any quick comments, you could do so: for example you could say that horizon is dead center, color has no pop, a different crop could lead to a better composition etc etc. And that is what I expect and not a comprehensive study of my photos (I am not that important and I have not done anything significant in the photography world). If I am a pro I would not have asked in a forum how good my work is or asking for comments on my work.

As someone else had mentioned, it may NOT be a good idea to restrict each post to one photo. At the same time we do not expect a large number of photos/thread too.

It is also a good idea to be a bit flexible and that would certainly justify the name "open photography forums"

Thanks
Ramesh
 

Marian Howell

New member
i appreciate the "one image at a time" concept. just the act of choosing which photo to post engages the thought process, and touches upon the issues involved in the creative process of taking and processing the photo. as a responder, i would have to critique 4 photos, and then the next person would respond one by one, and on and on. the discussion would wander all over the place without having a good tussle along the way! in the end, you get a string of responses rather like the string of photos posted. i see that happen repeatedly in other boards where the multiple image posts are allowed. if our goal here is to stimulate creative discussion and strive seriously for excellence in our art, then focussed discussions are a viable means to that end. forums by definition are places for discussions, and we all can learn through discussion and dialogue. if you are really intestested in "constructive criticism to improve my photograhy" why not take the time to tell us why you chose these particular images, what your goal was in shooting them, or what you like about them. that gives the responders a starting point. i believe you get back what you invest. by taking those few extra minutes in detailing the original post, the quality of the responses will be much better and, more importantly, much more interesting and thought-provoking to you.
let's make this board special!

marian
 
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Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi Ramesh,

I'm glad you reappeared. This is a new forum so we are all finding out how to use this new home. You are not the only one, by any means.

It so happens that we are indeed framing policies on how and where pictures will be posted.

Certainly in the "Photography as Art" forum, one picture at a time is reasonable, since that's how a print is made.

Here, it may be a different story and I will need to get other points of view from the moderators. I take seriously all imput then we can have the best policy.

To your work. It was a pleasure to go through your website. I have favorites: 0493 with the fence and the tree in blossom, 0493, 530 the red tulips: one is a bit torn by nature and look like a character one might meet, 0531, well composed, I like the assymetery,

The ships in the fog are wonderful: have a great sense of time about them. Waitng for the mist to clear, or perhaps it will stay that way for ever. jogging on a foggy day and then of course the hanging pots in the market.

So you have a great amount of interesting work.

One thing I can see is that, perhaps, some of your pictures, such as the ones you posted of sunrise and sunset, could benefit from an extra border to define a "white matt", as you have in your website with Sunset Silhouette
http://www.world-of-photos.com/

I'm wondering whether, in addition, a further charcoal frame around that, would define space around you pictures here so that they can be more easily viewed. I think my viewing experience was better in your own website! Strange, since art galleries almost always have white walls!

Something we might think about in posting images in general.

Now to these three images.

This is the landscape forum.

So let's imagine you have indeed chosen the very first picture. Let's imagine just for now, we all want to look at one image at a time, (of course knowing you have so much more).

I'd like to know what you have in mind for this passing ship and how it got to its current look. What does it mean to you and what would you like to convey? What is your intention about range of tones. Have you already reduced them?

We always should try and learn, if possible, about the author's intentions; that is where your voice comes in to guide us! Otherwise, comments might be less about the work of art and more informed, I'm afraid, from the baggage that we, the observers carry.

I don't like the word "critique". We, instead share and exchange ideas, experiences and points of view. My mind is open.

Asher
 
Hello Ramesh,

First, forgive my late reply. I have been out of town, and had no internet access for the last few days.

rameshpkumar said:
First of all my apologies for not following forum rules.
My intent was to show some sunrise and sunset pictures and to get any quick improvement ideas. It wasn't a snap shot of my cat on the couch with the question: is my 5d focusing correctly?

Second, absolutely no need to apologize, as we obviously are still working through how we want to structure things here. I guess your post just happened to come along at the right time to stimulate discussion on this topic. I certainly hope that nothing in my post, nor in other posts, would discourage you in any way, as we value all participants, regardless of their prior level of experience. We're just trying to figure out how to be the most effective in providing help.

As someone else had mentioned, it may NOT be a good idea to restrict each post to one photo. At the same time we do not expect a large number of photos/thread too.

It is also a good idea to be a bit flexible and that would certainly justify the name "open photography forums"

As the other posts in this thread indicate, there is more than one way to approach this, each valid in its own way. And I tried to word my initial post to maintain as much flexibility as possible. We definitely do not want to be "rigid" here. As stated before, we're just trying to define how we can maximize this forum's effectiveness for everybody involved.

And now that I have a decent monitor, and internet connection, I was able to look through the entire set of Florida images that you linked to, and I must say that I greatly enjoyed looking through them. A nice variety of subjects and approaches. "Majest of the Seas" particularly caught my eye, as did many of the black and white 'street' images. Thanks for the link!
 
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