|
|
|
Susie OConnor
{K:34798} 6/21/2006
|
Hi Andre!
Nice details in the white here. It does look like an old b/w photo. Nice lighting and composition too. I like it.
Susie
|
|
|
|
|
Toshi
{K:12024} 6/21/2006
|
Hi Andre,
The contrast here works really well to create a nice overall mood to the photo. Personally, I feel there is a little too much empty space to the right and bottom and as the white flower is the main focus, it feels a bit heavy to the left. Perhaps a portrait-style crop would work to keep the main flower in focus. Just my .02 cents.
|
|
|
|
Dave Stacey
{K:121207} 6/21/2006
|
Hi, Andre! I like your b/w treatment of this one! Our first peony just bloomed yesterday, I'd better get out and get a shot! I agree with Toshi's cropping recommendation, except I think I'd just take some off the bottom.
Dave.
|
|
|
|
|
Jeanette Hägglund
{K:59974} 6/21/2006
|
Beautiful
Jeanette
|
|
|
|
|
Andre Denis
{K:56175} 6/21/2006
|
Hi Susie,
I don't think the composition is going to be to everyones taste, due to being so far out of balance. I do really like the way the B&W came out in the flower petals. The subtle shadows and details look really nice to me with that soft look.
Andre
|
|
|
|
|
Andre Denis
{K:56175} 6/21/2006
|
Hi Toshi,
I agree with you for the most part. I do think that cropping about one eighth away from the right side would balance the image much more conventionally. I don't think it is so much an empty space issue as a huge contrast issue.
I did want it to be a little off balance, but I admit, I may have over done it :) Time will tell.
Sometimes it takes a while to get to know an image :)
Andre
Andre
|
|
|
|
|
Andre Denis
{K:56175} 6/21/2006
|
Hi Dave,
You better get out there and get some quickly... It seems they don't last very long.
It is so hard to take a picture of a Peony that doesn't look like it belongs in your Great Grandmother's living room :)
Andre
|
|
|
|
|
Andre Denis
{K:56175} 6/21/2006
|
Thanks Jeanette,
I was trying to capture the last few hours of the beauty of the bloom.
Andre
|
|
|
|
|
Marcus Armani
{K:35777} 6/21/2006
|
wow this is really pretty Andre, I like the nice lighting and tones against the dark background very pleasing to the eye! not much to critique here. oh I am not a big fan of boarders :) excellent .....
|
|
|
|
|
Bob Brins
{K:3884} 6/21/2006
|
It's a very nice image. The translucence of the fadding flower petals is nicely captured. I like that the composition is offset. Not having the original file or a print to examine, I can't tell how much detail is in the right hand side. The leaf extenting to the margin looks nice. None the less, if I was fortunate enough to have this to work on, I'ld try bringing in the right hand margin. Perhaps a square format would work.
Very nice work, beautiful spirit...
Bob
|
|
|
|
|
Kathy Hillard
{K:25721} 6/22/2006
|
I like the b&w tones a lot! I've read the other comments, and I don't necessarily agree about the balance issue. I don't mind the composition at all. Since this is in CC I decided to play with it just a bit and flipped it horizontally and vertically. It seems to change the weight of it somewhat. What do you think? (I don't necessarily think this is better, just another option :))
Kathy
|
|
|
|
|
|
Andre Denis
{K:56175} 6/22/2006
|
Thanks Marcus,
I'll try to go easier on the border next time :)
I'll reduce mine, if you add a small one to one of yours :)
Andre
|
|
|
|
|
Marcus Armani
{K:35777} 6/22/2006
|
Once you see one of my boarders you will change your mind LOL, Take the best photo you have ever seen in your life, I can ruin it!! Actually the real reason i dont use boarders is that my photos are typically processed for print as I send many to editors who as you know dont use boarders, before posting, and its easier to just downsize it and post here. If I do give it a try I will dedicate it to you, or should I say Blame LOL...
|
|
|
|
|
Andre Denis
{K:56175} 6/22/2006
|
Hi Bob,
Thanks for dropping by for a visit and for taking the time to critique.
I have a couple of others that I was preparing from this little shoot. They are slightly different in the cropping. I may also post a desaturated colour version for comparison.
I like your comment "beautiful spirit"
Andre
|
|
|
|
|
Andre Denis
{K:56175} 6/22/2006
|
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for siding with me on the balance issue :)
I can see it both ways though. I'm sure a lot of people would see the image as more comfortable if I cropped some from the right side.
Well, I think your version is okay except for one teeny weeny little detail....The vase is now upside down. So you have just spilled water all over my keyboard :)
Andre
|
|
|
|
|
Andre Denis
{K:56175} 6/22/2006
|
Hi Marcus,
Some people can really get crazy with borders and fancy frames. I try not to overdo it too much.
You can only give me credit if it looks good :)
Andre
|
|
|
|
|
Marcus Armani
{K:35777} 6/22/2006
|
Well I have to say that yours all look really nice. well done and not overdone they complement the photo without overpowering it as I see way too much, a nice subtile boarder is pleasing to the eye. some of the super crazy overpowering boarders I see make me forget there is a photo within. I know you have seen these LOL...
|
|
|
|
|
stingRay part 2 .
{K:152261} 6/22/2006
|
I love it the way you took it Andre but that is coming from a person who has largely ignored the 'rule book' for over 40 years:) Mono tones are always the best choice in capturing a bloom that is starting to go over as is the case here. I think it looks beautiful. Great details a perfect dof and a wonderful title. By-the-way, what a brave man......1/15th, hand held....WOW. My very best wishes to you as always.....Ray
|
|
|
|
|
jacques brisebois
{K:59707} 6/22/2006
|
great job of B&W and tone of grey.
|
|
|
|
|
Andre Denis
{K:56175} 6/22/2006
|
Hi Marcus,
I've made the fancy border mistake a few times :) One I can remember was when I picked a bright yellow from the image for an outline. I thought it might look okay because it was the same colour as the car in the image. Unfortunately so many people were distracted by the bright yellow border that it got more comments than the actual image. :)
Andre
|
|
|
|
|
Andre Denis
{K:56175} 6/22/2006
|
Thanks Ray,
I agree. I also like to use B&W for flowers just slightly off their bloom. There is a certain elegance to them. My wife asked me why I was taking pictures of these old Peonys that she was nearly ready to throw out. I said, wait and see. I have another shot of this that I'm going to post in a slightly desaturated colour.
I took some outside in natural light (my next post) but this one was indoors about 10 feet from window light. That's why the slow shutter speed. It did come out a little bit soft, but I think that only adds to the appeal of this one. My camera seems to cooperate pretty well at slow shutter speeds, if I'm careful, and nothing is moving in the image.
BTW Great job on your last B&W post!
Andre
|
|
|
|
|
Andre Denis
{K:56175} 6/22/2006
|
Thanks Jacques,
This one came out very close to the kind of tones that I like to print in when using film.
Andre
|
|
|
|
|
Rina
{K:26896} 6/22/2006
|
Andre, great work on the conversion. The tones look wonderful. Personally, I don't mind the comp the way it is. I feel the leaves add much to this and it would be a shame to crop them out. Super work for a handheld too! Well done :)
Cheers
Rina.
|
|
|
|
|
Andre Denis
{K:56175} 6/23/2006
|
Thanks Rina,
I did take some others of this flower. Some outside and some inside. I just put one up with a similar composition, but with a little taken off the right side and in tighter. The main difference being that it is in a desaturated colour rather than B&W.
I think I prefer this one myself, but I like the other version too. I didn't crop the leaves out,
and the image is sharper due to the outside light conditions.
Andre
|
|
|
|
|
Radmila Gorjanovic
{K:3153} 6/24/2006
|
I really like B&W version.
Petals are perfect, but I like structure of leaves in BW more.
R...
|
|
|
|
|
Andre Denis
{K:56175} 6/27/2006
|
Thanks again Raquel,
I got lucky with the petals. They seem to look pretty good in B&W and the Colour version. I also like the look of B&W leaves coming out of a nice dark background. It kind of makes the image look a bit mysterious. When looking at old florals from 60 or 70 years ago quite a lot have this kind of look to them.
Andre
|
|
|
|
|
Fadel J
{K:13685} 6/27/2006
|
Very fine tones in this one Andre! I prefer this one much better than the color version if you don't mind :)
|
|
|
|
|
Andre Denis
{K:56175} 6/27/2006
|
I don't mind at all Fadel... You know my roots are in B&W. I think this kind of b&w tones will always be my favourite kind of image.
Andre
|
|
|
|
|
Thilo Bayer
{K:50301} 6/29/2006
|
Hi Andre,
maybe a bit soft, but nevertheless great to see this picture in BW.
Thilo
|
|
|
|
|
Kes
{K:18710} 6/30/2006
|
Hi Andre, my first thought was that this represented two planes of ~~ something. I suppose it's the light and dark sides. Good & evil and all that.
Great lighting and the slight blur makes the shot very interesting.
Kes
|
|
|
|
|
Andre Denis
{K:56175} 7/3/2006
|
Hi Thilo,
I agree with you on the softness. But, in this case, I think it has turned out to be part of the charm.
BTW Congrats to Germany on their World Cup perfomance so far. The next two will be hard very hard games, but wins for Germany are not out of the question.
Andre
|
|
|
|
|
Andre Denis
{K:56175} 7/3/2006
|
Thanks Kes,
I wasn't really thinking about anything too deep when I made this one up. But I'll buy your interpretation :) The slight softness (blur) is definitely because of the hand held, lower light, slow shutterspeed. As I said to Thilo, I kind of liked it like that.
Andre
|
|
|
|
|
Thilo Bayer
{K:50301} 7/3/2006
|
Thanks mate. I'm kind of suprised by myself with the performance up to now... Now rhat we've beaten Argentina, I think it's realistic to win this piece of plastic ;-)
Thilo
|
|
