Hi everyone. I've spent the last few days wading through all the PF e-mails that have accumulated since I went off-list in February. So much has changed in my life; I've moved 775 miles south to my old hometown of Melbourne, Florida, the only place I've ever been where my creativity can run unleashed. I'm also now a "born-again bachelor," as I've delicately traipsed my way through the tedious, but fun-filled intricacies of modern-day divorce... Here's the part where I could insert the movie "Ramble: First Flood" ...but I won't. I'll just say this: It's great to be back. Here's my take on this week's Gallery (a little late, perhaps?) ---------- Jeff Spirer - Advisor Jeff: I really like the way you've fragmented the clock into (more or less) a quarter-circle, with the hand pointing up into the corner of the frame. Composition, to me, looks spot-on. The weathered character of the metal lends some interest to the positive space; the hand directing my eye into the empty white not so much competes with--maybe complements--this and keeps my eye moving throughout the image. Not sure what method was used to create this, but the blurriness of the image, if avoidable, is a little disturbing. Emily L. Ferguson - East Tower, Leonard P. Zakim bridge, Boston, MA Emily: Bravo on a visually arresting image! I love the composition here. The dark center of the silhouetted construction is almost symmetric to the bright center of the sky light. I'm also a sucker for a wide sky pallette, and to me this photo really works. D.L. Shipman - Great Egret (Camerodius albus) Dave: The bird's focus is intense; your focus is, too. The sharpness of the image, the tangibility factor, is commendable. I might have liked to see more of the bird's body, not instead of this particularly, but at least alongside it. I know composition in the field is fairly difficult, but you seem to have pulled this one off. Good job. Marilyn Dalrymple - Phoenix Rising Marilyn: The lack of clarity in this image threw me off at first, but the more I look at it, the more it conjures thoughts of that "somewhere between awake and asleep-and-dreaming" state that I love so much. Especially as much as cats are, as you put it, "apparitions." I keep coming back to this one... Greg Fraser - Edison Art Greg: Hmmm... preoccupation with power lines... Not sure what I think of this. It does seem to have a lot of "still" energy--static, if you will. The immense negative space, given a dominant position above the transformers and pole presents an awkward juxtaposition. The strong subject tucked into a corner and tethered by wires presents an interesting tension between solid and fluid. Bob Talbot - Golden Eagle Bob: This is a great mug shot! Composition couldn't be better, and I really like the separation between the eagle and the background. Lighting, exposure is excellent. Another great shot. Jim Snarski - Tall Leggy Blond Jim: While the exotic background may add to the establishment of "place," the contrasty lighting and Darwin work against being able to readily distinguish the giraffe from the rest of the landscape. I would suggest cropping the image fairly tightly, just as an experiment. As an alternative, you might even go so far as to blur the background a bit in PhotoShop. Again, just an experiment... jIMMY Harris - Colorado Camp Fire jIMMY: I'm really enchanted by the dreamlike quality of the image. The ethereal fire, the collision of amber and blue offer a surreality that seems somewhat incongruous with "just trying to - make coffee." Peeter Vissak - Firedom Peeter: Speaking of amber and blue, I like the way you have three fields (black, orange/red, blue), each in its own place. The silhouetted figure could be from this era, prehistory, or anywhere in between. The mysticism of the blaze, the impending dark, and the symmetrical anonymity of the lone figure make for an intriguing photograph. King/Arthur - Caesura King/Arthur, whoever you are! ;-)... My first thought upon viewing this image was "What's going on?" The weather looks dismal, the plastic sheeting uninviting. Warm-toned groceries are swallowed up by the cold blue day. The rosy-cheeked woman in the foreground looks cold Even the guy behind her appears to be ailing... Richard Cooper - RochesterNY9-02 Richard: This is an excellent evening shot. The ambient tungsten and sodium-vapor light is even across the cityscape, and is set apart from the cooler lights in the distant buildings. I think I might like the image a little more if there was a bit more blue in the sky; as it is, it needs more vibrance. Scott Thurmond - The Old Gatehouse Scott: I wonder what difference it would have made had this been photographed in a native B/W film format. The mottled lighting plays nicely with the masonry, and there's a very soft feel to the subjects of this image, despite their being made of oak and stone. I imagine you would have no trouble selling this image. ---------- Wow, I almost forgot what that was like! Craig D. Heinz Heinzfoto Melbourne, Florida USA
