Show Appreciation For Your Fellow Member

Simon
Absolutely superb image!! Light & shadow! Light & shadow! And details in the shadows too, and a mauve carpet of bluebells! And bright sunlight that is somehow not "blinding"

I think you have captured the essence of why people are drawn to go into forests in the first place! Who wouldn't want to have a romantic picnic here!!

There is absolutely nothing that should be changed by this image -- a total beauty!!

Alan -- thank you for bringing Simon's work to the group's attention!

Here a superb image from Steve Taylor, one of our members

It totally simple and really beautiful -- Lovely.weather for Ducks



Just black and every shade of gray! A great abstract and a great "illustration" shot making a very direct commentary concerning its title

Fabulously done

Lisa Knechtle



Lisa uses light and opposite colors in a fantastic way.
It was hard to choose the best one, as there are so many.
I choose now this one with white on black, a fantastic macro of the white flower against the black background.

Members. Please afford time to review the work of your fellow artists and offer feedback on a piece of your choosing, and the style of the artist themselves.

By continuous commitment to analyze and comment we can all grow as artists.

Alan uses light and depth in a way I find stunning! I do not know myself how to do this kind of fantastic art.
There are many stunning images, but I choose this one this time. It is an image that is powerful, beautiful, inspiring and very intriguing.

LFC.

Johanna

Thank-you for bringing more of Alan's work to our notice!!! I am familiar with all the pieces he has put up for critique, but this is very different from those images -- and an incredibly dramatic work!! It has drama in both foreground and background, and incredibly they don't conflict with each other, as sometimes happens when you try to put too much into one shot!

Alan -- where did you find this most amazing rock -- it's got trees growing out of it like antlers!! A great find, beautifully rendered!! I have only one very very minor point to make -- if you could lighten the darker water in the bottom foreground a bit, I think it would both add balance to the sky above the rock and at the same time even create more focus on that rock, making it "pop" as they say!, (again a very very minor point, because this is a fabulous image I would hang in my living room without hesitation exactly as it is)

Thanks Johanna/Ken.... now I'm blushing.....

This is a place I have shot a number of times over the past year at Rock Point near my home in Burlington VT. The rock lies at the base of a thrust fault, below a set of cliffs.

In this instance my goal was to smooth the water and try to get cloud movement in the sky. I actually stacked 9-stop & 2-stop ND filters to increase exposure time and shot wider knowing I'd have to crop & sacrifice the vignetted corners.

Thanks for the comment on the foreground water, I'll have to try playing with the exposure.

I'd like to highlight the work of member Michael Hills. Michel's work is diverse and contains wonderful examples in each of his collections. Michael's abstract nature images really catch my eye, the following being my favorite;



I find this mage intriguing. Although abstract in nature it provides just enough detail to allow the viewer to guess the subject, yet also causes questions to be asked.
The color is not over-saturated and I find the image as a whole soothing and relaxing. Great image Michael!

Michael Hills... yes... I checked out his gallery and there are some gorgeous images. LFC bird images and this one, which I find stunnign:

I would like to recognize the work of a new member Eva Lechner and welcome her to the group. Lisa's work can only be described as outstanding - she has a keen eye for a good composition and takes nature images to a new artistic level

The following is just a typical example of Eva's work;


I find this image so soft and gentle, yet with amazing sharpness considering the limited depth of field and energetic subject. Lighting and color palette is perfect for the subject

Eve

A truly fabulous image -- bee & flower totally sharp, background soft and undefined, but the foreground grasses somehow walking the fine line between sharp and blurry, seemingly created by a tiny bit of "motion" -- yet there is the bee and flower totally sharp without any blurring at all -- incredible technique!!! Incredible effect!! Bravo!!

I would like to re-present the work of our founding member, who at the moment has too much on her plate to be active here -- lets hope that is temporary and she can return as an active member.

Lest we forget what a fabulous artist she is, let me present 3 of her works here --- I invite you all to look at her portfolio in detail!

I'm drawn to Alan Brown's work. He is an excellent story teller and I love the play of contrasts in his work and his use of negative space.

Thanks for the praise Johanna. I also highly respect you. In particular, I'm impressed with how you can create such an intimate feeling with your macro flower work. The viewer is drawn into the beauty you saw so entirely.

Diane Diederich has a portfolio full of stunning contrasts. She really knows how to use shadow to her advantage.

Thank you,Alan for welcoming me and for the appreciation!

Here's a member who I admire,Boghrat Sadeghan,outstanding artworks!

Have a look at one of the most amazing naturalist photographers I've seen anywhere, including Nat Geo, and who happens to be one of our members -- Sue Harper

This is from her Mallard Ducks portfolio -- but you should check out all her work -- it's phenomenal !!

Hi Alan, just noticed the appreciation thread. Thank you for slapping my image up there lol.

I would like to draw members to the work of Ken Lerner, recognition which is way past due.

Ken lives an abstract world, an art form that may fall out of the comfort zone of many (including myself) and one that relies on a unique and creative mindset. I have come to develop a greater appreciate of this genre through Ken's submissions to the critique process.

What I really find striking about Ken is that his work is fearless and creative, which is reflected aptly in his participation in the critique discussions. Ken marches to the beat of his own drum - never afraid to push images to their limits to create unique effects, and never afraid to offer highly positive OR negative opinions on critiques of others.

My admiration of Ken's creative eye was enhanced after reading his comments on how his image 'Geometric 10b' came about (see critique discussion on this image) - this is a photograph that was not merely observed and 'taken'; a concept was created within Ken's mind then worked and reworked until the desired result was achieved.

I always admire Ken's insights on artwork and although we may not always agree his comments are always valued and considered.

Although perhaps not my absolute favorite image of Ken's I choose to highlight the following as it is easier for my simple/logical mind to evaluate;


This image is clearly identifiable as one of Ken's - the use of strong colors, pushed to the edge of posterization. although I suspect that not primary in Ken's mind the placement of building edges on the vertical thirds and repetitive vertical and horizontal/angled shapes works for me.

Ken's work demands attention - I would encourage all to visit his site and spend time seeing (not just looking) what goes into each piece in order to gain a full appreciation.

Thank you Alan for your kind words

I'm curious what other members will make of my work

About Ken's work

We live in the age of billions photographers and millions of PhotoShop users. I guess that most of fine art photographers want to be relevant and different at a same time. That is hard to acheive.

Ken IS different and I appreciate it very much.

Ken's work is usually very colorful, and, in many cases, it looks like some kind of painting, which is great. We could guess which painters or painting styles had an influence on Ken's vision. For example, in one of discussions here Ken mentioned Toulouse-Lautrec.

The open generic question is what is important for a viewer appreciation. Is it enough just to give a viewer an option to see your work or is it better to guide a viewer with your vision, circumstance or alike information.

Here is an example. Many of us appreciate Kandinsky artwork. But how many of us have read Kandinsky writings, especially ones, where he explained his color theory? I have one of Kandinsky writings and I have to admit that my appreciation and "understanding" of his pictures was changed after I read his article. However that is only my personal experience and I'm not sure that it is statistically relevant ...

Still, from my perspective, Ken could benefit if he would educate a viewer more than he does now. At least it should not harm :-)

Yuri

Yes, you are probably right -- educating the viewer is probably a good thing rather than assuming that they will just "get it" totally from just a first viewing, and I will try to do that in some future woks

I produce a lot of work which is of course very time consuming, and perhaps a slight bit of laziness creeps in in not then wanting to take the time to explain it. -- but perhaps at least a brief pointer via title choice or short sentence would still be very valuable!!

Thank you for pointing this out!!

I would like to draw members attention to the work of Yuri Tomashevi!

Yuri does a lot of work that I would call intellectual -- where there is a hidden meaning, or where there is a concept he wishes to communicate,,and while I like quite about of this (especially Red & Black) -- he also does some work that needs no title, has no hidden meaning, but is just beautiful -- and I want to present one of those works here -- "festival of lights" -- to me this work isonthe level of Gustav Klimpt whose forrest paintings this reminds me of -- it's exquisite!! Judge for yourself

Thank you Ken for your kind words.

I would like to re -introduce our group to a recently silent member, Sue Harper -- I introduced her before, but her work is stupendous and it should be seen (and of course it is. -- she has a lot of views) -- but our members probably still don't know what a great photog lurks in our midst

And BTW. -- a message to Alan Brown

Alan you say you don't understand abstract work, but I think you do innately without knowing it, because you make some of it, and fabulous it is-- in fact you are often both an abstract artist and a minimalist -- as witness the photo of yours Lisa Knechtel resented to us a coupe of weeks ago --

Windswept Leaf -- a really great abstract and a great minimalist work as well

Please members, look at this again

Thanks Ken, but here's the thing. I would consider myself more of a minimalist - I do try and isolate subjects and stay clear of distractions.
Although some of my work may fall into the abstract category I don't have the eye and creativity of yourself and others who push images way beyond what was seen in-camera.

I have to say that both your & Yuri's work has pushed me to a new appreciation (via this group) and I am learning for each image you submit.

Alan

Well here's the thing there really are two kinds of abstracts -- those that take an object in view, seek out its essence and present only that which defines the object in the most fundamental terms (these images I call abstraction through reduction) and these images often border on or overlap minimalist works -- and clearly you have the vision and eye for this type of abstract. Your above shown Windswept Leaf is a perfect example -- we don't see the whole leaf or any details except those essential to define it as a leaf -- in particular it's curlicue edges and we don't see very much of the snow except it's even whiteness everywhere and the fact that it's a "soft solid" which other things will make tracks in -- and the white line on white showing the path of the leaf stem tip is sheer brilliance. It really makes a very very good shot (the abstracted leaf itself) into a really great shot by not only defining the essence of leafiness in shape but also in weight (wind can and will blow it) and time -- it was there before it was here!!

And then there are the kind of abstracts I make so many of (in addition to some of the above ones too) -- a presentation of some form, lines, or colors to suggest something that was not in front of the camera (or artist's direct viewpoint, if it is a painting) but rather in the artists mind. In other words, as a photographer often I see something and when I look at it it reminds me of something else -- and it's the "something else" I'm trying to show or get the viewer to feel - sometimes what I'm trying to show isn't an object, but a set of colors or lines that invoke much more vague feelings, that talk to the imagination, unconscious, subconscious, and dreamer in all of us. And it is these types of abstraction that you initially said you don't understand -- but I think you are coming to understand - its like a new language -- very very confusing at first, then lo and behold you recognize a few word, then you start to realize you just understood a whole sentence. Then you might even try saying a few words yourself. If you keep doing it,you will learn the language -- perhaps not to the expert level, but still enough to speak it!!

Thanks for that clarification Ken - and so eloquently presented!

I'd like to resent the work of an, up to now, silent member of our group, Vladi Konovalov

Perhaps featuring some of his really fine work will help him get over what I suppose to be his shyness, and he will post a pix for critique, or give a critique of another's submitted works.

In any case his work deserves to be seen by our members and here are two of them --

Since no one else seems to be presenting other member's work in this thread, I'm going to do it again

Let me introduce everyone to one of our (so far silent) members, Olha Rohulya who happens to be a great landscape photographer. I'm going to present several works -- the first because it is an example of the really vast vistas she often incorporates in her landscapes, and because she chose to make very very recognizable object in her landscape very small and unobtrusive instead of clobbering us with its inclusion either in the foreground or in close up, and by understatement makes us look at this object in context with its surroundings rather than just itself alone - this restraint makes this image truly remarkable in my eyes ....

And the following three images to demonstrate her talent in producing landscapes that are astounding as landscapes but also great abstract works as well.

I recently received a comment on my work from Bill Posner,,and as a result took a look at some of his work. Bill does both "pure" photography and digital painting and sometimes a combination of the two which I really welcome, as an artist should be free to use whatever medium(s) he wishes, in any way he chooses without any criticism of his methods (I think it's fine to criticize the finished work itself, but NOT the methods used to make it. -- if I could have made the Mona Lisa with fingerpaint and melted crayons, would it have made it any lesser of a work??)

Here are two of Bill's works from his "Birds" gallery -- one is pure photography, one is a combination of photography with digital techniques -- they are both stunning! Have a look at other of Bill's work too!!

And here's the work of Morgan Bailey! Another great photographer in our midst!!

I want to comment specifically on things that Morgan does extremely well!

In Thunder Creek Mist he depicts fog in a very different way than most-- it's just a thin line in the pix, not an all enveloping presence, serving here to separate the woods from its reflection, making a great contrast as well between pastel finely wrought detailed composition and stark bold shape of the fog bisecting the fine lines of the landscape! A brilliant use of fog and so totally different from Alan Brown's great fog and mist pix where he uses the fog for its ability to shroud everything except what he wants us to see




And here in "Amsterdam Swan" he captures an incredible contrasty glowing light that is reminiscent of Vermeer (though to my knowledge Vermeer never painted landscapes or the sea - unfortunately for all the rest of us!) is it something about Northern European light that is so special? (perhaps it is, just as they talk about the special light in the south of France. And if it is special, congratulations to Morgan for capturing it and presenting it to us -- I have never seen it in any other "northern European" landscapes before! Superbly done work of museum quality!

I would like to recognize the work of Sanjay Kumar. Although Sanjay's portfolio is small it is full of vibrant images that brighten even the dullest day.

My particular favorite follows.

This is a wonderfully created image with Sanjay clearly aware of the compositional elements (position of horizon & boat, framing etc). Sanjay has also managed a wonderful sunrise glow - not overpowering as some but positioned to draw attention to the boat and occupants;



Well done Sanjay!

Thanks Alan for your kind words. I hope to grow my portfolio soon :). I have not been participating regularly, hopefully will contribute to the group more often.

Sanjay

A comment on the absolutely wonderful pix of yours Alan presented to us -- Sunrise!

Let me start by saying that in general I hate the color orange (though of course accept it as part of sunrise/sunsets) -- but your pix is totally flooded with it! It's everywhere! And I love it!

And you combine orange with green -- which I my mind one should never do --- but it's fantastic here. This image works immediately upon seeing and totally and absolutely nothing should be done to change it. The huge expanse of orange works extremely well to highlight by contrast the tiny silhouette of the canoe, so that our eye focuses on it and locks on it, and the fact tht it is tiny doesn't matter at all. In fact it's an element of the pix and it's statement -- that tiny canoe among the vast expanse of water.

Looking forward to seeing other of your works, and hope you will participate in the critiquing thread soon!

Is anyone will to comment on the style and portfolio of a fellow member and select an appealing example of their work for review? We have a lot of great member artists who would appreciate the recognition!

I would like to recognize the work of Matthias Hauser. Matthias has a collection of wonderful landscapes from around Europe and Iceland, the following artwork is a stand-our image for me.




Matthias has combined all key elements to create a wonderful composition, The road creates a strong leading line taking the viewer from the foreground to that wonderful church on the upper third. Once the eye is focused on the main subject it is enticed further to investigate the mountains beyond - slightly soft to lessen the pull on the eye.

Contrast and tonal range are spot on, with the dark sky holding the viewer within the frame.

I would encourage others to view the work of Matthias and appreciate his compositional technique.

This image by Diane Diederich is stunning the way she edited it with all the white and silver. I like the way the model's blue eyes seem to stand out. The image is very imaginative and beautiful.

Pending further contributions - perhaps some of our newer members would like to view the work of other members and select work that really stands out. This is all subjective, so there is no right or wrong.

Love this image by Werner Padarin, first of all, the fog really makes this a beautiful piece of art, and the composition is superb. There are many wonderful images in his portfolio that are worth the view.

Let's keep this discussion going - it would be great to get input from a newer member. Fresh perspectives always help.

I found this image from Rosalie's portfolio and was attracted to many things about it. Firstly the colors are pleasing, the act of walking a pet is universal, and there is a contrast between the woman the dog and the surrounding landscape that to me is especially appealing in a very subtle way due to the painterly effect applied to the foliage while the woman and dog are more or less untouched.

I like this image and think the title is appropriate. I like the way the fog mutes the colors of the foliage and the way the waterway draws your eye in to the splash of color backdropped by the still green trees. The pales sky accentuates the colors that are there.


Good grief...I just read what I wrote and it sounds like a snobby art review. haha Beautiful work, Jim.

Very imaginative artwork by Ken Lerner. Really nice color selection and blending. What I like most about this is the fact that these lampposts were photographed in an historic district of New York City and rather than presenting them in a vintage or aged look they are much more contemporary IMHO. He has an entire series of these in his collections along with many more abstract and artistic works.

I'd like to present the work of an up til now quiet member of our group, Heidi Fickinger -- she has some fantastic images in her portfolio

Here's one I especially like -- surf explosion. Of course you have to be lucky in the first place to get a chance at a shot like this, but one of the skills of many great photogs is they are constantly out, in all kind of locations and conditions, vastly increasing their chances for such a shot -- so congratulations to Heidi just for managing to be there. But then she does wonders with the exploding water. She didn't shoot it at a super fast shutter speed to abolutly freeze the water, there still movement in that water,yet it is not just a blur either -- so that a tricky and delicate balance to achieve at a moments notice. (I suspect she may have only had exactly one chance for this shot!). Then she worked on the coloration to produce an absolutely superb finished image!! It's magnificent!!

I really really love this one by Ken. I love abstract and love to play with light and movement.

I would like to recognize the work of one of our newest members, Heiko Koehrer-Wagner. What stands out for me in Heiko's work is a strong sense of form. A number of images bear proof that the artist has a keen eye for shape and composition.

Following are two of my favorites, I recommend that you take time to view Heiko's collection and find your own;

From another new member Elizabeth Duggans image is nicely composed with a great point of view and for me it makes me think of the time period it was built and how it must have been in a more natural setting than today.

Hi Friends,
I was just perusing newer member Ethan Johnson's profile and was dumbfounded by the outstanding images of landscapes and wildlife from around USA, specifically his images of Denali in Alaska.
I am without a computer and my Android won't seem to let me copy any of his images to show here. But please do yourself a favor and go visit Ethan's amazing photographic wonderland. I hope you see this sir and offer us something new to behold!!
Seriously, folks, I seldom am in awe of such talent...Ethan Johnson deserves the limelight.
Thanks, Lori

I read the above message from Lori and visited Ethan Johnsons site and since Lori isn't able to post a link I'm posting one of his photos from Denali. Its a view not everyone gets to see even if you visit as weather can obscure the mountain for days and weeks at a time. I really like the expansive view of the pond.

Visited Rosalie Scanlons collections and found this gem!
To find scenes like this in nature you have to have a keen eye.
To photograph it as well as she has is another matter altogether.

Thanks for posting Jim - here's hoping Rosalie sees your recognition of her work

I really like Alan's artwork. He has an eye for minimalism and black and white work that I don't, but greatly appreciate.

Thanks Gales - I think you just nailed my two favorite genres. I truly appreciate your kind comments.

Any member willing to carry the torch on this one? Show appreciation for another member and receive some appreciation yourself!