Final Florets
by bspurgeon

Comment:
I like the way you framed the dandelion head at the extreme lower edge of the photo. The seeds which look like spears with parachutes attached are made very apparent by using the dark and light areas in the background.

I too like the clarity and the extreme shallow depth of field in the background. I actually think the dark area is a positive and not a negative.

I use a focusing rail with many of my images, but you need to realize that when you start using a rail depending on the model, it will add a lot more weight to your overall camera setup and you will need a heavier duty tripod and head to go with it.

by aznym

Comment:
I know how difficult this shot must have been especially with a G9, but the ant to me is running out of your image. I would have rather seen it placed to the far left, so that it appears to be running into your image instead of out of it. That said I still like the feeling of motion, your color and lighting here. Ants are extremely difficult to shoot because they are always in motion. Interesting shot!

Webb
by trevytrev

Comment:
I'm a fan of dewy spiderwebs and yours is no exception. I enjoy your shallow depth of field from left to right and your interesting sepia toned background. There is a beautiful pattern that is set off by the water drops too. The clearest drops form a sort of lens on the world behind the web and show what can't be seen by the shallow depth of field you've caught here. Overall a very beautiful image!

Duck F/3.3
by caba

Comment:
You broke the rule of thirds when you placed the mallard dead center which gives the photo a bulls-eye effect. Think of your frame in the camera and then pretend that there is a grid broken down into 3 boxes on top, 3 in the center and 3 on the bottom. Now place the subject of your photo in any of the three boxes, but not in the center box.

You might want to move in for a tighter shot on the mallard and then maybe light it different because the mallard appears very flat because the light looks flat. When shooting outdoor photos, try to shoot early in the morning or late in the afternoon, to get a more dramatic lighting effect. There needs to be more light on the head of the duck, so that it draws the eye of the viewer. I would have zoomed in and cropped out the foreground railing because it effectively cuts off the bottom of your picture. In fact you could have made a more appealing picture had you cropped all the way around the duck, because all of the added background doesn't add to your photo.

Try using cardboard or sheets of paper to crop the image on your monitor and see what look good to you using this method. I use this method a lot and it really helps me properly crop my photos.

It also appears that your camera was slightly tipped when you shot this photo, since the horizon is not horizontal.

Ponder

Message edited by author 2005-03-20 15:15:37.

Blue Ice Superstructure
by poeticphoto

Comment:
Poeticphoto,

You do very nice work in frost. Your work has a southwestern look to it even though you shoot in Vermont. I like the quad images, since they create images within images and your photos really are interesting to look at too.

Ponder

Lily Pond II
by AutumnCat

Comment:
Autumcat,

This would have been a superb shot of the water lily had the lily been in focus. Looks like the camera focused slightly behind the flower, which happens a lot with digital cameras that autofocus. I do like the placement of the lily in the frame too.

Ponder