Jim Davis, Reed Bunting: An excellent bird picture, harmonious colours, representative of the species´ habitat. Quite a feat to get that kind of quiet background in a sea of reeds.
Johnny Mason, Stage Door: Very good sense of the concentration and fear before going on stage. A bit disturbed by the solid black of her hair and sweater, but I suppose it was a difficult shot exposure-wise. I think someone commented on the gray area in front of her nose; it does disturb me too. But these are details; the picture itself is lovely.
Trevor Cunningham, Terran Tissue: Good, subdued colour, interesting lines and texture. Very abstract; without a verbal explanation I think few people would have any idea what was depicted. This in itself is no fault, of course, but it places greater demands on the composition to grab and hold the attention of the viewer. Somehow this one doesn´t grab me. I tried rotating it 90 degrees left, and preferred it that way, but then of course I´m no longer reviewing the image as presented.
Emily Ferguson, Dry Snow: Now this is weather I know (chills your marrow)! It is quite common in the mountains, but occasionally we get it anywhere in Sweden. In this image, there is a strange effect of looking at some kind of arcadian landscape frozen over (I can even "see" two large trees just below the sun). An illusion, obviously, but it surely adds interest to the picture.
Amy West, Poker: A still life with a twist... The dead black background is efficient, but I´d have moved the stack of white chips somewhat to the right, away from the deck of cards, I thimk it would feel better balanced.
C J R Strevens, Train to London: Another example of that "beautiful drabness" I feel is peculiar to England. Must be the air (or the beer...), but it is in fact one of my impressions from all ny visits there. Very good composition.
WRGill, Pt Lobos: Some photography how-to-books advise you to "frame your subject"; this is simply TOO much frame, I feel. As I remember, one is´t even allowed to leave the path in most of the Reserve, so I can understand the problem. The breakers and foam are totally washed-out, which ruins much of the effect. Possibly you should have turned that gradient filter the other way... ;-)
Achal Paschine, Afterglow: Absolute serenity, wonderful! The symmetry of the reflection is well offset by those "reefs" or "skerries" in the water, and the faint clouds in the upper right. Also, the white line separating the far shore from its reflection helps a lot.
Per Öfverbeck http://foto.ofverbeck.se
