November_2000

January 13, 2009 ·

Michael Reichmann

Critique Submissions‚ November, 2000

This page contains submissions made during November, 2000 from photographers who wished to have their photographs reviewed by the publisher of this site,Michael Reichmann.For additional details see theCritique / Contestpage.

The November winner of a complimentary 1-year subscription to theLuminous Landscape Video JournalwasThilo Folesky.

Thilo Folesky

Thilo Folesky
Berlin, Germany

Taken on Hiddensee-Island in Germany with a Noblex 150 FE. 

Michael’s Critique

This is a beautifully composed image. The silhouette works perfectly and the sun has just kissed the horizon, creating the expectant drama of a new day. Positioning the lighthouse under the tree puts these two compositional elements in harmony with the sun.

I have recently purchased aNoblex 150 UX, and seeing this wonderful photographs makes me excited about the possibilities that this camera opens for my work. Nicely done.

You can add your own comments on Thilo’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Lou Cohen

Lou Cohen
LOUCOH @ AOL.COM 
Holtsville, Long Island, New York

Of course, this is the Grand Canyon. Equipment was a Nikon N80 with a 90mm lens mounted. Exposure was 1/4 second @ f8, and the light was just magical.

Michael’s Critique

Lou’s right. The light was magical. That softness is not something that I’ve seen at the Grand Canyon. My first response though was that the horizon isn’t level, but in fact it is, as seen by the outcropping that the tree is on. The north rim of the canyon slopes away at this spot and just makes it look as if it’s tilted. A very lovely photograph. Well executed.

You can add your own comments on Lou’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Dennis McKenzie

Dennis McKenzie  
Wasilla, Alaska  
djmckenzie@webtv.net
  

Nikon F4s, 24-120mm Nikon lens, Provia F 100 slide film pushed to 200 iso. handheld resting on outboard engine (turned off)  

Surprise Glacier, Harriman Fjord, Prince William Sound, Alaska.  Situation: After a long but enjoyable 6hr exploration photo  hunt by dingy in Harriman Fjord. We were getting tired and cold and starting to head back to our sailboat some 4miles away when the light became just right. The light is strange in Alaska in the summer time (July) because it sun never really sets. I just goes around in a circle. So sometimes it hard to get that magic light moment. but not this time.

Michael’s Critique

The light is fascinating in Dennis’ photograph. I like the monochromatic blue tonalities and the contrasting surfaces and textures. The composition is a little busy, but really interesting.

You can add your own comments on Dennis’ photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Keith Nolan

Keith Nolan
Dublin, Ireland
keith@pancom.ie 
www.pancom.ie

This picture was taken in June this year in Connemara in the west of Ireland. It is part of a DVD project I am working on called ‘UISCE’ (ishka) which is the gaelic for water. This was shot on the Fuji SI.

Michael’s Critique

The S-curve of the river gives this photograph a flow while the jagged log provides a counterpoint. I’m left feeling though that I wish it were taken from a higher vantage point so that I could see further up the river, allowing it to form a more substantial part of the composition.

You can add your own comments on Keith’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Ian Russell

Ian Russell
Amman, Jordan
russell@nets.com

This photo of the Twelve Apostles, Victoria, Australia, was taken during a summer storm. The wind blows straight from Antarctica. This scene is much photographed in many different weather conditions, but the misty light on the day greatly appealed to me

Technical Details:
Film – Ilford SPX
Camera: Pentax MX
Lens: Pentax 75-150mm at about 120mm
Red filter

Michael’s Critique

Ian’s photograph, taken in Australia, is very reminiscent of the sea stacks of the California coast which I’ve enjoyed photographing many times. The soft light and the monochrome treatment work very well. Nothing to criticize, much to admire.

You can add your own comments on Ian’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Stuart Posner

Stuart Posner, Paradise Valley, Arizona. 
sposner@home.com

Venice…..late afternoon……F5, f2.8 at 28mm, hand-held, Velvia.

Michael’s Critique

While the rules for this section call for landscape, nature and wildlife photographs only I’m going to break them for this photograph because it appeals to me. I have a trip to Venice coming up next year and though I’ve been to Italy many times, never to this lovely city.

This type of travel photograph is tough to do well, because we’ve all seen similar images so many times. Stuart has done a fine job but there’s a bit too much in the shot, which makes it overly busy. 

You can add your own comments on Stuart’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

George Pence

George Pence george@pence.com
The picture was taken from the shore of Lake Taggert in Whispering Pines, North Carolina.  The camera was an Olympus C2000 Z with the lens set to 6.6mm and F2, the shutter speed was 1/60th of a second.   

Michael’s Critique

Great sky and reflection. It’s hard to find any fault with this image and it offers much to admire.

You can add your own comments on George’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Don Dixon

Don Dixon
Wausau, WI 
donauw@dwave.net

Taken October 18th, this year, in Cades Cove, Smoky Mountain National Park on a foggy morning. Nikon D1, 28-70mm F2.8 Nikkor (at 28mm) – 1/60 – F5.6

Michael’s Critique

Cades Coveis a very special place as anyone who has visitedGreat Smoky National Parkknows. I was there 3 times during September and October and found it to be a landscape photographer’s delight.

Don’s photograph is a strong image which shows some of the location’s charm. 

You can add your own comments on Don’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

David L. Cassidy

David L. Cassidy 
Fountain Valley, California  
dlcassidy14@yahoo.com

Lake Tahoe is famous for the clarity of its air and water. On a hazy (not smoggy) evening, this was the view from the Nevada side looking toward the South shore, shortly after sunset.  Kodachrome slide was scanned with HP PhotoSmart S20.

Michael’s Critique

David’s photograph is a highly evocative image. It’s almost perfect, but it is marred somewhat by the tree in the top left being cut off at the top. A bit more elevation to the framing and we also would have seen more of the sky.

It’s easy in the heat of the moment, when a great shot like this presents itself, to miss the small details. Slow down, take a deep breath and look through the viewfinder, imagining that you’re looking at a framed print on the wall. It’s a technique that works well.

You can add your own comments on David’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Ken Cravillion

Ken Cravillion
kenc@execpc.com

Taken with a Canon 1V and 28-135mm on a Gitzo G1325 tripod with Provia F in Great Smoky National Park.

Michael’s Critique

Great Smokyis dear to my heart right now because I was fortunate enough to shoot there several times in the past couple of months. 

Ken’s photograph nicely captures the beauty of the Park’s valleys and the haziness of the air which gives the Park its name.

You can add your own comments on Ken’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Josh Levy

Josh Levy
Chapel Hill, NC, USA
jlevy3@nc.rr.com

Paris Sunrise

Technical: Canon Eos-650 using EF-50mm mkII at f/1.8

Description: Paris, 1992, one of the bridges over the Seine, on my first trip to europe. Walking to the hotel after a night on the ferry and train, I was lucky to catch at least some of the early morning light.

Michael’s Critique

Paris is like a drug. Once you’re hooked, it never lets go. Josh’s photograph captures some of the ambiance of Paris and I like it a great deal. But, I wish that he done a bit of cropping. The blob on the left of the frame adds nothing to the image, and in fact detracts. 

This is a good place for me to jump on my soapbox. Just becauseErnst Leitz (or whomever)decided some 70 years ago that the 35mm frame would be of certain proportions doesn’t mean that one needs to make prints that slavishly follow those proportions. Be ruthless in cropping. It’s the essence of photography.

You can add your own comments on Josh’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Günter Haika

Günter Haika 
Vienna/Austria 

Hasselblad 903SWC, Biogon 4.5/38, no filters. Ektachrome Pro 100 EPP. Approx 15s at f 8. Scanned on an Imacon Flextight Photo scanner. 

Taken from Clingman’s Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains N.P., Oct 21st, 2000. I meant to be on Clingman’s Dome just before sunrise. Having flown in just the day before from Europe, I somehow got the time of sunrise wrong and arrived there about an hour early. The first light of dawn brightened the fog and gave a strange glow to the dead trees. As soon as my light meter gave me a somewhat useful reading, I started to shoot. This, the shot that came out most pleasing, was overexposed about one half stop, with an additional 50% overexposure for color compensation.  

Michael’s Critique

Serendipity (arriving early), preparedness (the right equipment), timing and talent all contributed to make this a compelling and well visualized image. It needs to be said that in a small size like this such a detailed photograph loses impact. I’m certain that as a large print its impact would be considerable. 

You can add your own comments on Günter’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Paulo Bizarro

Paul Bizarro

This shot was taken on a dune field near the coast. I have used an Eos 1n, 24 T/S lens with a red filter, and Kodak High-speed infrared film rated at 400 ISO. Exposure was 1/125 sec. at f/11. I was attracted by the loneliness of this small plant, which for me is exaggerated by the sombre skies. 

Michael’s Critique

Once again Paulo graces us with his unique vision. Soft contrast compliments what would otherwise be a harsh image. Lovely in it’s own unique way.

You can add your own commenhotograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Bruce Scorsone  

Bruce Scorsone  
Saginaw MI USA
bscorsone@aol.com.  

Photo taken at a Sante Fe Workshop, led by photographer Linde Waidhofer. Shot a few miles East of Sante Fe. Workshop was supposed to have been a Fall color event. However the color was nonexistant in the west that year, due to dry conditions. Used Fuji  Velvia @ 40 ISO, Nikon 8008S body, 80-300mm zoom at 80MM. Have to lineup this type of shot carefully to make sure edges parallel to frame. 1997

Michael’s Critique

The colour of this image is fascinating. These contrasting colours create a terrific tension that compliments the textures of the wall and door. I find the cropping a bit too tight, though without knowing what was outside the boundaries it’s hard to know what I might have done differently.

You can add your own comments on Bruce’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Ed Leys 

Ed Leys 
Milpitas, California 
eleys@meer.net

A horse, an oak, another springtime in Livermore, California… technical data: Nikon FA, Nikon 28-85mm zoom, Provia 100F, other data unrecorded. 

Michael’s Critique

A classic image, nicely done. Feels a bit flat though and I find the background somewhat confusing.

You can add your own comments on Ed’s p

Nathan Kern

Nathan Kern
Metairie,LA
nkinno@hotmail.com
Used Nikon CP 990 in auto mode and worked on image in Photoshop

Michael’s Critique

I’ve been amazed recently at the strength of submissions made with digital point-and-shoots. I’m not talking about image quality per-se, but that folks are taking strong, interesting images with this new generation of cameras.

Needless to say I find Nathan’s submission to be a compelling image, well executed.

You can add your own comments on Nathan’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Richard Williamson 

Richard Williamson 
San Leandro, CA 
richwill@richwill.com
 

A "Kirk’s Red Colobus" monkey taken on Zanzibar. Kirk’s Red Colobus monkeys are a rare breed of ‘thumb less’ primate. I think this picture perfectly catches the monkey’s distinctive white facial hair and large eyes. The shallow depth-of-field and flash lighting gives the composition a strong three dimensional look.  

Nikon 950 with built-in flash

Michael’s Critique

Good wildlife photography is tough. This otherwise appealing photograph is marred by the unsightly branch beside the monkey’s face. Wildlife photography is governed by the same rules of photography as any other branch (pardon the pun). This means clean compositions.

You can add your own comments on Richard’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Henry Richardson 

Henry Richardson 
Austin, Texas U.S.A. 
hrich@bigfoot.com

Minolta 9xi with Minolta 70-210mm f4 lens

This photo was made at Glacier National Park in Montana in September, 1999. It was raining and I had a hard time holding an umbrella in one hand while at the same time trying to change lenses, set up the tripod, and keep the camera and camera bag reasonably dry. Probably made for a humorous sight. 🙂

Michael’s Critique

This photograph seems to consist of two disparate sections, the upper and lower halves. It’s interesting, but I’m afraid that overall I find it confusing to look at and without a center of interest.

You can add your own comments on Henry’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Rick Popham

Rick Popham Torrington, CT  (USA) EMail:rickio@esslink.com  Film:          Fuji Velvia Exposure:   Unrecorded, but long — 8 – 16 seconds Camera:      Nikon F3  Lens:          Nikkor 50 -135 f3.5, with extension tube   I frequently visit Mt. Greylock in NW Massachusetts.  On one October visit I took a short hike out to the March Cataract, a waterfall on the west side of the mountain.  Reaching the waterfall, I found a large party of college students climbing all over it.  As I sat waiting for them to leave I noticed this bright maple leaf on a rock in the stream.

Michael’s Critique

I’m knocked out by this photograph. Composition, colour, contrast. It simply works.

You can add your own comments on Rick’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Johnny Liseth

This picture was taken in late December 1999. The chapel is located in Western Norway on little island in the North sea. The light is beautiful in the wintertime, because the sun barely rises above the mountains, so even in the middle of the day it feels like sunset. The sun is up only about 2 -3 hours.

The picture was taken with a Pentax Super Program with a 70-210/4 Pentax A lens, Fuji 100 Super HQ

Michael’s Critique

I want to like this photograph but there are too many things wrong with it. Firstly, the horizon line is off. Grrr. Secondly, the out-of-focus branch in the upper right-hand corner is inexcusable. Thirdly, though it’s a high contrast situation, something should have been done to avoid the blown-out highlights and inky shadows. Pity.

You can add your own comments on Johnny’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Peter Johngren

Peter Johngren Hartwick, NY 13348pjohngren@stny.rr.com  Taken May 1999 on a rafting trip down the Colorado, through the Grand Canyon.  Great trip, with Grand Canyon Expeditions.   Camera – Nikon FM-2T Lens Nikkor 28-70 at approx 28mm, f5.6 for about 3 hours (moon out for last 1/2 hour) Film – Kodak Elite Chrome 100 Scanned with a Polaroid SprintScan 4000  

Michael’s Critique

I have a soft-spot for this photograph because I took the same trip down the Colorado this past spring and also did some star trail photographs. You can see a couple of them themhere. Peter’s shot is very nicely done.

What you need to do these are very dark skies, no moon, no clouds, no artificial lights, a sturdy tripod and a locking cable release. 

You can add your own comments on Peter’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Jeff Alu

Jeff Alu Irvine, CAanimalu@animalu.com  This was taken using a Kodak DC-280 Digital Camera and processed in Photoshop.  The location is Pinnacles National Natural Landmark, near Trona CA. I did some burning on the shadows, but the white areas really are very white in reality, and it can make for a surreal view.  There have been quite a few sci-fi movies filmed at this location. 

Michael’s Critique

Spooky. Almost looks infrared. I find this type of harsh, high-contrast landscape both appealing and repellant at the same time. Not sure what to make of this one. Love to shoot the location though.

You can add your own comments onJeff’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Jeff Grant

Jeff Grant

The attached was taken as the mist cleared on the Hawkesbury River north of Sydney. It was taken with an EOS3, 28-135 EOS on Provia 100F. It was tripod mounted but being on the deck of my boat always presents a challenge.

Michael’s Critique

Symmetrical lake reflections always have appeal. The fog adds a nice extra element but overall the image fails to excite. In part it’s the coolness of the overly cyan colouration. Look at the trees‚ you can see that the green has been almost overwhelmed by the cyan cast. Colour corrected and cropped severely to a wider format presentation would help.

You can add your own comments onJeff’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Danny Burk

Danny Burk
South Bend, Indiana

This is a view of Wooster Lake, Potato Creek State Park, Indiana. I shot it one evening in July 2000 using my Ebony SV45U2, Schneider 210mm lens on Velvia (rated at ISO 40), 1 second at f/22. This overhanging tree is a favorite location of mine to which I’ve returned many times, and has given me a lot of beautiful and varied images from season to season.

Michael’s Critique

This photograph has all of the right elements‚ form, texture, mood, colour. Yet, for some reason it leaves me unsatisfied. Visualize it cropped to a vertical so that the bare branch in the upper right is removed. Quite a difference, don’t you think?

You can add your own comments onDanny’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

George Kmetz

George Kmetz
Blackcatzeke@juno.com
Huntington,Ct.

Fall time near the New York and Connecticut border. Equipment: Contax RTSII, Zeiss 28-85mm (taken@85mm,exposure not recorded), Velvia, Polarizing Filter, Tripod

Michael’s Critique

The dark saturated fall colours are appealing but the image itself doesn’t covey much more than strong colour. While I work 90% of the time in colour, and often have images that areaboutcolour, I try to be very conscious of issues of composition when shooting a subject in which colour is the predominant theme.

You can add your own comments on

Calvin C. Jones

Calvin C. Jones 5802 Hannora Ln. Fairfax Station, VA 22039-1428 – USACCJones@Stat-Eval.com– Internet email   Technical data:   Taken with Nikon F-5 with Nikkor 28-70 f2.8 AFS w/o lens hood Singh-Ray 3-stop hard graduated neutral density filter in Cokin-P holder to open up foreground Used Ektachrome 100VS with an exposure of 30 sec at f16, using Gitzo 1228 tripod and 1376 ball head. Exposure made several minutes after sunset, in the Marin Headlands, within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, near San Francisco, CA.   Submitted image scanned with Nikon LS-2000 to 2700 dpi, 25Mb file, resized using Photoshop 6.0.

Michael’s Critique

I don’t know about you, but I can find nothing but admiration for this image. Photography is mostly about light and the luminescence of this photograph is spectacular. An excellent composition and perfect technical execution.

You can add your own comments on George’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Ralf Berzinski

Ralf Berzinski
Los Angeles, USA
Ralfs_Berzinskis@exigengroup.com

Camera: Yashica T5, Ceiss lens
Film: Fuji 200 negative film
Image digitized using Nikon Coolscan III

Image was taken at the Red Sea in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia during a sand storm. At that moment I realized why this sea is called Red. I enjoy the soft colors of this image and its dreamy, hypnotizing mood.

Michael’s Critique

This is a soft and pensive image. In fact a bit too much so, to the point that there’s more mood than substance. I guess that there’s just not enough content for me to be all that interested in it. 

You can add your own comments on Ralf’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Michael Poster

Michael Poster
Montrose, PA
mposter@woodweb.com

Taken in Maine at Thuya Gardens on Mt. Desert Island in Summer of 1999. Nikon N70, Provia 100F, 28-70mm 3.5 D

Michael’s Critique

We’re seeing a number of submissions that are not strictly landscapes‚ at least the way I define them. Having said that, this example doesn’t move me at all. There’s interesting texture but without a personal context the subject itself simply isn’t all that interesting. 

You can add your own comments on Michael’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Chris VenHaus

Chris VenHaus
Waukesha WI
drmr@execpc.com

Taken in Death Valley this last February with my Canon A2E and a 28-105mm Canon lens and deep red filter. Kodak Technical Pan film used.

Michael’s Critique

Chris’ photograph is very striking. For me it perfectly captures the "feel" of the dunes area in Death Valley. Everything sweeps ones eye to the right of the frame, where the foreground and background curves of the dunes capture and hold our attention. A lovely composition well executed.

You can add your own comments on Chris’ photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Jim Erhardt

Jim Erhardt

Canon 1n, 50/1.8 (Mk l version) with Canon 25mm extension tube, Bogen 3221 tripod, Kodak Elitechrome 100, mirror lockup with 2-second timer, f/11 in AV mode, shutter speed unrecorded. The perspective is straight down.

Michael’s Critique

There’s a special skill needed to carry off this type of photography well and Jim has it. Technically perfect and an excellent composition. Nicely done Jim.

You can add your own comments on Jim’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Gary D.Tonhouse

Gary D.Tonhouse
Ankeny, Iowa USA
garyt@reflectiveimages.com

Nikon F4s, Nikor 500mm F4 Tripod: Gitzo 320 with Bogen BallHead. Film: TMax 100

This image was captured at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, Iowa. I was conducting a photo workshop for the Des Moines Art Center an I was explaining to the participants about isolating an simplifying your image with a telephoto lens. Quality of light, simplifying an a little luck add up to an outstanding image. One item I like to explain to individuals, is that you do not have to travel great distances to capture special images. Sometimes they can be right in your backyard.

Michael’s Critique

This striking photograph has me absolutely captivated. The riveting stare of the tiger combined with the mystery of being hidden behind the out-of-focus trees is very powerful indeed.

A rule of thumb is that out-of-focus foregrounds are usually a no-no. But here it forces the eye to lock onto the main subject. As someone that is just discovering the joys of doing wildlife photography at the local zoo, rather than in the wild, I see this as an image to learn from. Bravo Gary. (My own recent zoo photography, a reason for this enthusiasm, can be seenhere).

You can add your own comments on Gary’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

 

Thomas W. Earle

Thomas W. Earle Pendleton, Oregon (USA)  twade@bmi.net
Fuji Velvia @ ASA 40 3 sec @ f/11 Pentax 67 165 mm   This cropped photo was taken from atop Cabbage Hill just east of Pendleton, OR, looking northwest.  From the valley floor (i.e, the Columbia Basin), one can see Pendleton, Hermiston, and several other cities.  In the distance are the majestic mountains of Adams and Rainier.

Michael’s Critique

The sky is colourful and dramatic, but I’m unmoved. The lights give a context, but not enough. The distant mountains are interesting but far too small.

You can add your own comments on Thomas’ photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Eric Taylor

Eric Taylor
Toronto, Canada
polky@interlog.com

Nikon F601, Sigma 17-35mm @17mm, Bogen tripod and ballhead, Kodak Royal Gold 100, Exposure unrecorded

The photo is of Yosemite Falls in the spring of 2000.  I was actually in the close vicinity of this spot to get the classic shot of half dome at sunset, when I noticed the neat cloud over the falls catching the last few rays before sunset.  Capturing with a 17mm focal length I felt gave a different perspective on a very *popular* subject matter.

Michael’s Critique

This image has all of the elements needed for a great photograph but it misses in the post processing. It’s a tough exposure, but there are a great many things that could be done to improve it.  The sky at the top of the frame needs to be lightened and the waterfall could be lightened and highlighted as well. I’d also like to see if more detail could be extracted from the rock face and as well a bit more definition in the trees.

Whether in the wet or the dry darkroom great photographs are made. Some photographers takeyearsuntil they are able to "interpret" a negative to their satisfaction. Eric needs to spend some time with this frame because it deserves it.

You can add your own comments on Eric’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Luciano La Noce

Luciano La Noce City    : Milano  (Italy) e-mail :lulanoce@tin.it  camera : Nikon F100 lens      : Nikon 80-200/2.8 AFS film       : Fuji Provia 100F scanner : Nikon LS 2000   location : Bormio valley (Alps, Italy) date      : November 2000

Michael’s Critique

There’s great potential here but it misses the mark. An early season snow coupled with strong cross lighting and leaves still on the trees makes for dramatic subject. The problem is that this was a very difficult subject to capture and reproduce due to the extreme contrast range. Also, from a compositional point of view I find the various forms created by the dark and light areas to be too random. There needs to be a great cohesion and path for the eye to follow.

You can add your own comments on Luciano’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Michael Barnett

Michael Barnett
Melbourne, Australia
mikebear@netspace.net.au

I took the picture somewhere in South Australia between Adelaide and Victor Harbour. Just a typical rural setting. All I recall was that I used a Nikon F90 and probably a 28-70 mm Nikkor lens.

Michael’s Critique

This is a sweet photograph. The colour, composition and framing work at the most basic level. We’ve all seen this scene a hundred times but Michael has captured it an archetypical manner.

You can add your own comments on Michael’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

David Graham

David Graham
graham@sccoast.net

Myrtle Beach SC: Canon EOS D30, 28.0 – 135 lens at ISO 100

Michael’s Critique

This is the first submission that we’ve received done with the newCanon D30. Maybe it’s my obvious bias, but the colour quality does seem obvious to me, even in a small JPG like this one.

While the photograph is simple and straightforward I like the feel of it. Very reminiscent of beach holidays that we’ve all taken. Not a great photograph, but an enjoyable one.

You can add your own comments on David’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

James H.G. Redekop

James H.G. Redekop
tzoq@residents.com 

This is one of the first photos I’ve taken with our new Canon EOS D30. It’s a shot of the hills of Mulmur Township in Dufferin   County, about 90 minutes north of Toronto on Airport Road. It   was taken on November 19th, with a light snow falling. My mother, an accomplished photographer, took me around the countryside so that we could photograph scenery, she with her Minolta body and Tamron lens and me with my new Canon D30 with the 28-135 USM IS lens, and this scene just presented itself to us as we drove towards the Mansfield ski hill.

James H.G. Redekop
tzoq@residents.com 

Michael’s Critique

My first temptation was to simply reject this photograph without posting it, as I do many submissions each month. I’m including it here because I’d like to use it to discuss why a shot such as this doesn’t usually make the cut.

There are three sections to the image; top, middle and bottom. The top and bottom are essentially featureless and provide neither information nor interesting content. The middle section has potential, but not much more. The barn in the foreground could have been interesting, but all we see is the roof.

I’m left wondering‚ what’s the point? and that’s why this photograph would normally not be accepted.

You can add your own comments on James’ photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Tomi Mamic

Tomi Mamic
SLOVENIJA
tomi.mamic@flamingo-i.si
www.flamingo-i.si

Camera Nikon Coolpix 950 , sep. 3. 2000 Zoomƒâ€”1,5 (58mm) Shuter 1/247 Aperture F8.6 , ISO Speed 80

Place: Bohinj (Lake), Slovenija. Made in bycicle trip.

Michael’s Critique

This is a pretty lake scene made somewhat unusual by the clouds being beneath the mountains. While the light is pleasant there’s no excitement in the composition. My eye wanders about and never settles anywhere. I’m not sure what the point of interest is, or even if there is one.

Good landscape photography demands that the photographer have something to say‚ some perspective on the scene. This photograph unfortunately doesn’t display this.

You can add your own comments on Tomi’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Ken Rush

Ken Rush Colorado Springs, CO 

This photo was taken in 1980 on Kodacrome 25 film using a Canon A1 and a 50mm lens.  It was probably shot at f16 and 1/30 sec. I had the image scanned by PhotoCraft in Boulder CO at 4000dpi.   The location is Rocky Mountain National Park, about two hours north west of Denver.  A friend and I were on a backpack trip and had just climbed a really tough ridge. Just as we crested the ridge this is what we saw on the other side.  It was fall of the year and the tundra was changing colors.  Elk were bugling all around us the whole trip.    Ken Rush Colorado Springs, CO Michael’s Critique

This is a beautiful location. But Ken has simply taken a snapshot. I can appreciate the desire to record this scene‚ it’s not an everyday sight. But while from the description it sounds like it’s tinged with fond memories for the photographer, for the uninvolved viewer it’s simply a pretty picture.

I’ll add the observation though that sometimes a scene like this can become a form of art if it’s taken with a large-format camera. Then, the print becomes an end unto itself, displaying tremendous detail and texture. A 35mm shot simply can’t capture the subtleties and nuances needed for this to be successful.

You can add your own comments on Ken’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

Rob Roy

Rob Roy
Lincoln, RI  02865
emailRoy@Home.com
  

Taken with Pentax Super Program, 28-135mm at 135mm, Kodachrome 64, exposure settings unrecorded . Shot at Roger Williams Zoo, Providence, RI.

Michael’s Critique

I’m very ambivalent about this photograph. While I’ve recently done somezoo photographymyself I’ve done it with the approach ofavoidingthe cages and fences. Not pretending that they’re not there, but focusing more on the animals rather than their environment.

Rob’s photograph flies in the face of that approach. It is a very penetrating and compelling image and the more I look at it the stronger it becomes. That’s the best measure of a photograph. 

You can add your own comments on Rob’s photograph on the Critique section of ourDiscussion Forum.

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Michael Reichmann is the founder of the Luminous Landscape. Michael passed away in May 2016. Since its inception in 1999 LuLa has become the world's largest site devoted to the art, craft, and technology of photography. Each month more than one million people from every country on the globe visit LuLa.

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