Aside from some unfortunate gorilla-taunting ?, it was a great month in the Plus critiques gallery. Hudson and I chose some stellar work that deserved a shoutout, as well as some other work that was close, but could use a little bit of help. (The key word of the month, according to Hudson, was ‘wider.’) The video, which showcases about 20 photos, can be viewed by clicking on the thumbnail above.
Here’s a look at a few of the photos we talked about in the video:
This shot of an antique auto, taken at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance car show, is seductive and gorgeous. Filling the frame with only a small part of the auto, Keith let the lines and shadows sing, creating satiny triangles that keep your eye wandering. The red brake light adds a perfect bit of color and form, and the white wheel, faintly shown in the lower left corner, provides an anchor that we think would be missing without it. This is a wonderful photo, nicely composed and processed.
This is such a simple photo, and like Keith’s image above, it is well-framed, with a minimal – and bright – color palette and great lines. From the stillness of the water, to the three distinct tonal colors in the water, to the perfectly captured rope falling between the boats, Jack did a phenomenal job.
Willaby Creek Falls, by Al Aikens
This photo by Al is a classic waterfall shot, with beautiful framing, the right shutter speed (a quarter of a second), and deft processing. Every time we think we’ve seen the last great waterfall photo, someone in the Plus community shows us another. Nice work, Al!
Milwaukee Art Museum, by Catherine
Catherine’s nicely toned black-and-white photo is full of great lines. There are a lot of things going on in this photo, with the repetition of the reflections and the shapes, but there is a harmoniousness to it that works well. We’d like to see it a bit wider, largely to get that last truss on the right into the frame, but it’s a fascinating image.
Camel Overlook, by Deborah Lander
Hudson remarked immediately that this photo made him “want to be there,” and I concur. Deborah’s photo is a lovely travel shot, with great exposure and a smart composition (the framing of the doorway with the glove is brilliant). This is another one that we would both like to see a bit wider, to help get that poor camel’s feet into the frame, and to give even more scope to the majesty of this early morning on Mount Sinai. Lovely work, Deborah.
Falcon 9 Pre-Dawn, by Edward McDonnell
A smartly planned photo, Edward’s capture of the Falcon 9 launch at Cape Canaveral is one of the most beautiful night shots we’ve seen in a while. The everyday nature of the location, with the houses in a row (and sharply focused), sets up the shot and gives it a solid sense of place. The arc of the spacecraft couldn’t be any more perfect, and the color of the sky is delightful. Both Hudson and I would crop in a bit from the right: the star of the streetlight is a bit distracting, and doesn’t really contribute to the overall power of the image. That’s a small point, though; you nailed this one, Edward.
David produced this sunset shot of a gathering of sandhill cranes. The silhouettes are great, captured perfectly, and the exposure is spot on, with just enough definition in the hills to add to layering of the different strata in the overall photo. What really makes it, though, is the bottom of the photo, with cranes standing on the shore. It adds a level of whimsy to the scene that really elevates the final work. Great job, David.
That’s it for this month; thanks to everyone who submitted a photo (even you, Rick!). Check out the video above to see all of the 20 photos we chose in this round of critiques. We’ll see you in March: critiques open on Tuesday, March 3.
