Pyramid Power
by jfaulkner

Comment by EL-ROI:
It's really too bad the trees were in the way!

Pyramid Power
by jfaulkner

Comment by Dave Gordon:
Nice rendition of the building; I think the trees actually diminish the sense of shape.

Pyramid Power
by jfaulkner

Comment by f-32:
Nice symmetry! Good entry!

Pyramid Power
by jfaulkner

Comment by Natator:
Wow, Egypt!!!!!!! Theyhave obviously imported some non native trees there, silly people. Nice shot, very effective indeed, meets the challenge perfectly.

Altered Image
by jfaulkner

Comment by vtruan:
Critique Club review:

Hi Jeff,

First, I think a shot of Mother Mary is quite sacred and the flowers and candle represent the site as being usage by believers for prayer/meditation. So, the photo meets the challenge quite well.

The photo is excellent in colors, dof and contrasts. The shading of the white marble is also perfect.

After looking at the photo, I see no way to improve it. The cropping is very good. I have no problem with the roof and it is somewhat nice because it gives a dimension of being in a garden by a church.

Keep up the great work.

Van

Modern Chess Openings
by jfaulkner

Comment by Thorsgodhi:
Neat lighting.

Modern Chess Openings
by jfaulkner

Comment by Catherine:
I love this photograph. It's abstract and, indeed, very "modern" in appeal. I love the level of sharp and contrast you chose. Beautiful. -9

Where did I put that bottle?
by jfaulkner

Comment by ronners:
[Critique Club]

The decision to fill the frame with cloud was a good one, and leaving a small amount of detail (birds etc.) in the foreground works well.

I do sense that this shot has a blue cast to it - probably due to the time of day. As a result, the clouds are toned and the sky doesn't have as much punch as it may have had when you looked at it. It would have been a good idea to either use a polariser, or simply a UV filter to block that haze. In post-processing you could try adjusting the levels to bring out more whiteness from the clouds - that may potentially make this shot even better.

As far as exposure is concerned, a deeper DOF would have been good. I'm guessing that you took this in program mode. The foreground does have interest, and could be sharper, and the land on the horizon is quite hazy and indistinct.

What lens focal length did you use here? I think that this one is a good candidate for a wide angle lens. What you could have done, and indeed can try in future, is to take the shot from a lower angle using a wider angle lens and smaller aperture. This would give more drama, and keep more the shot in focus. I'd also suggest going closer to the water's edge - that's the most dynamic part of the whole scene so you should try to make more of it. If shooting near breakwater, it's usually better to take the picture when the waves are receding as they have more interesting shapes and patterns at this point.

All in all, you have a good starting point here and this subject has a lot of potential - especially if you have an opportunity to go back and try out a few of these suggestions.

Message edited by author 2003-11-16 21:51:09.

Altered Image
by jfaulkner

Comment by Neuferland:
This shot is close to perfect on second looks. only two things are keeping me from giving it a 9 or 10, the roof on the upper right and the wall on the left, a slightly different stance so you could have cropped differently perhaps? The light is close to perfect, maybe just a tad brighter but the colors and the clarity is fantastice. Had a 7 but am going to an 8

Modern Chess Openings
by jfaulkner

Comment by Azrifel:
I like it how you lightened this and toned it. Makes it look like a match of chess in an artic icehole with freezing themperature. The blue tint and reflections grab me, the way those frozen opponents just stand there like icy pillars adds to the cold feeling.
Nice work.