loot (10019) [2009-11-24 13:14]
Hi Niek

Great tree…(chuckle). No seriously, it has a lovely shape for such a "silhouette"
shot. You made good use of the grasses in the foreground to provide some bit
of leading or additional interest. Clearly you though about and planned the image
before releasing the shutter. I like the gradually changing colour of the sky. From
azure to a deep midnight blue. This actually ensured that the empty sky did not
appear drab or uninteresting. The 1/3 rule for composition was neatly applied both
horizontally and vertically (even though this may not necessarily be a decree cast
in concrete).

Well done and TFS.
Regards
Loot

SunToucher (10147) [2009-11-24 11:12]
Hi Nick,
A very lovely photo with an almost innocent expression on the bird. I really love the texture and color of the background it suits the colors of the bird perfectly. The catchlight on the eye brings the bird alive and its details are superb. The clean composition is a pleasure to look at and gives no distraction away from the Siskin. If I need to be crititical, it is that I see a little bit of noise on the belly of the bird. Something I would not have expected to see.
TFS,
Niek

SunToucher (10147) [2009-11-24 10:47]
Hi Silvio,
Looks like we had something similar in mind today. I like the large negative space left and above the tree. The gradient night sky with its last bit of color at the bottom is wonderful. The small moon is adding a lot to the photo. There are a few odd spots in the sky that you can better blemish away.
TFS,
Niek

SunToucher (10147) [2009-11-24 10:45]
Hi Sion,
Nice capture of this lovely red panda. You could him at a really curious moment. It looks like you had to brighten the panda a lot. I can imagine that with such a bright BG it was difficult to exposure correctly. Your PP work did good.
TFS,
Niek

SunToucher (10147) [2009-11-24 10:43]
Hi Pablo,
I love the change of seasons and how in some parts of the world green transforms into these most wonderful warm colors. I've seen it in many photos from Scotland and now from this wonderful photo from Norway. In your photo they became especially beautiful by the clear blue sky.
TFS,
Niek

SunToucher (10147) [2009-11-24 10:32] - [workshop] [compare]
Hi Oana,
I like the vertical composition and the diagonal line of the stream running trhough it. The clarity of the photo is really nice and I like it that there are hardly no shaded areas. I do feel that your POV is a bit too high. I think that if you went lower, still pointing down the FG become more powerful in the photo. Also, you might want to sharpen the photo since it looks a bit soft. The latter I've done for you in a WS.
TFS,
Niek

SunToucher (10147) [2009-11-24 10:20]
Hoi Gert,
Hier moet ik wel zeggen dat is twee keer super scherp. Een keer qua foto en natuurlijk een keer voor de stekels.
Dit is een erg mooi natuurlijk stilleven, met prachtige heldere kleuren en perfecte belichting. Je scherpte diepte is mooi, maar ik denk dat als je een nog iets kleiner diafragma had gekozen je alle stekels perfect scherp had gehad. Maar, da's dan wel een erg klein iets en zeker niet iets om echt over te vallen.
Groeten,
Niek

SunToucher (10147) [2009-11-24 10:17]
Hi Catherine,
I love your low POV, it gives a wonderful perspective to the two gulls. And, you captured them very beautifully. I like that one is keeping its mounth while the other is claming all attention. The sharpness on both of them is great, and brought out tons of details. I like that they are both in the shadow while the flying ones are lit by the sun. Those flying gulls are also kept nicely soft with just the right aperture.
TFS,
Niek

SunToucher (10147) [2009-11-24 10:13]
Hi Foozi,
Hey, not a tropical flower? Just kidding, it's great to see you travel and capture flowers from a different continent and still produce this artlike feel to it. The diagonal line from the twig is perfect and I love the soft texture of the BG. Maybe you could add just a little more sharpness to the blossom so that they really jump out of the composition.
TFS,
Niek

SunToucher (10147) [2009-11-24 10:08]
Hi Larry,
A great quality photo with a wonderful clarity from front to back. I love it that you kept some grasses in the front and rendered them to thi soft blurry stage. The details on the flowers are magnificent and it has such a real feel to it. This is top notch when it comes to spot on exposure.
TFS,
Niek

SunToucher (10147) [2009-11-24 10:06] [+]
Hoi laurens,
Als het andere insecten eet dan is het mijn vriend. :) Ik heb vooral last van pissebedden en ben dus erg blij dat ik een paar geode dikke spinnen in huis heb lopen. Een erg bijzonder beest met de meest prachigtige poten. Hoe groot is zo'n beestje?
Je foto is erg goed qua scherpte en de warme kleur is erg prettig om naar te kijken. Ik vind het knap dat zo'n snel beest zo goed hebt weten te fotograferen.
Groeten,
Niek

SunToucher (10147) [2009-11-24 10:01]
Hi Markus,
What a very beautiful photo of this very special stone. I love the gradient look from gold to white and the wave like texture of the gold part. The different layers a clearly visible. I am wondering if you shot this facing down. It is hard to fully understand what I am looking at and how it is positioned in the bigger picture.
The quality of the photo is excellent with great clarity, colors and details.
TFS,
Niek

SunToucher (10147) [2009-11-24 8:44]
Hi Anne,
A beautiful art-like composition of this last touch of fall. The light makes the photo and makes it a beautiful photo. I love the contrast between the golden leaves and the very dark BG. The diagonal composition is perfect.
TFS,
Niek

SunToucher (10147) [2009-11-24 8:42]
Hi Ulla,
A clear sign of clean air. We don't see them that often in our country but that is not only caused by the polution. You relly captured a huge one and you captured it with great sharpness and a wonderful DOF. I like the tight framing and the green on green composition.
TFS,
Niek

SunToucher (10147) [2009-11-24 8:15]
Hi Paul,
I've missed this one. I really like the break in the clouds and how it gave just enough light to add that bit of extra to the scenery. The lump of oddly shaped rock in the FG with its golden glow is a real eye catcher and gives the photo a nice extra touch of color.
I hope you don't mind that the next is a bit more critical. I am sure you've contemplated to correct the lens distortion and that it would result in loss in composition. But, the current result is a bit too curved along the horizon. It really dips to the right. Next, I would add a bit more contrast in the upper part of the larger rock on the left. It has a slight haze to it. And last, there is one little dust spot in the sky on the right side.

TFS,
Niek

SunToucher (10147) [2009-11-24 8:08]
Hi Horia,
The small thumbnail certainly does no justice to the larger version. The small details you've captured in the clear front rocks are very beautiful. The late sunlight enhanced that part even more. I like it that you kept the distant in its natural haze since it gives it a very natural feeling. The slight sliver of river is a great touch and is pretty well placed in the composition. It must have been a great spot to stand and feel little.
TFS,
Niek

SunToucher (10147) [2009-11-24 8:05]
Hi Tony,
You keep producing these amazing moody photos. You certainly show us the beauty of Iceland. There are certainly many things I like about this photo. But I feel that the central placement of the horizon makes this photo less dynamic than some of your others. I guess I would have like to see more of the falls and less of the clear sky. Am I correct that this is an HDR? It's hard to tell because its all kept nicely natural.
TFS,
Niek

loot (10019) [2009-11-23 19:43]
Hi Zahoor

A lovely frontal capture of this beautiful Purple Sunbird. I like the way how the rock
delivers the bird in to the frame. Although you had to deal with some backlit scenario
you managed quite well to contain the light and still get good balance in the contrast.
It sure gave you a lovely pose with the open beak. Must have been singing a lovely
song for you. That BG is absolutely stunning.

Well done and TFS.
Regards
Loot

loot (10019) [2009-11-23 19:36]
Hi Silvio

Certainly a different POV than usual, but I find it quite refreshing to see a butterfly
shot at this angle. Good detail and lovely colours with a distant isolated BG yielding
an excellent enhancement of the subject.

Well done and TFS.
Regards
Loot

loot (10019) [2009-11-23 19:28]
Hi Victor

I just love a rear view shot of a bird, especially when it turned its head so one not
only see the detail of the tail and wing tips, but also get a good view of the head.
This beauty gave you a good looking.

The low slanted late afternoon (well actually early evening) light came in at a good
angle to lighten up the under parts of this Oystercatcher. The golden quality of the
light also provided a beautiful tinge to bird. The positioning of the rocks and the bird
resulted in a pleasant composition.

Well done and TFS.
Regards
Loot