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B:)liana
{K:30945} 7/18/2005
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Thank you dear Roger for your reply! And probably, as I am a very sensible and emotional person, I did not understand quite well your comment to Paul, after I have read all Paul`s explaination, about sharpeness and B^W and how he did this photograph, I just felt that I have to say a word!
I appologize for some inconvenience, but I felt that this photograph was perfect and could not be improved so I just said what I felt at the moment.
Thank you for your understanding!
And yes Macro is a hard category in Photography.
I like your journalistic photography!
Thank you again and I am sorry for the misunderstanding!
All my best,
B:l:ana
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Roger Williams
{K:86139} 7/17/2005
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Well, B:)jliana, that must be the longest comment I ever got... thank you for taking the time and trouble! I am sorry you think that Paul's photo needed defending from me, and that I was criticizing it. If you read my comment again, more carefully, you will see that I liked it a lot. It was only because I love Paul's work, and particularly this photograph, that I tried to think how it could be improved. I think your comment about my monitor or video card needing adjustment is inappropriate. Perhaps you misunderstood the point of my comments about the black blacks and the white whites? I was saying that they were PERFECT, and COULD NOT BE BETTERED. I guess that English is not your native language, so perhaps there was a problem there.
As for my very modest talents, you are quite right that my photographic style is journalistic. But while I am proud to stand in the journalistic tradition, I am also anxious to improve because I am fully aware of my quite modest talents. I keep trying, though, and have found Usefilm to be a very helpful and encouraging environment. I may even have improved over the last two years. At least the range of my suject matter has widened.
Your criticism of my "Almost Macro" seems a little strange, "Pale" and "unsharp" do not seem appropriate words. Perhaps your monitor needs adjustment, or your video card (grin). The fact is, I have only started taking macro photographs in the last month or so, so it is all very new to me and I am still learning the basics... Until very recently, as befits a journalistic photographer, my preferred tool was a rangefinder camera, and these are no good for macros.
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B:)liana
{K:30945} 7/17/2005
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I have to say daer Roger, after having read your comment on Paul`s photograph, cause it is on the front page, I have to say, that you are quite wrong about Paul`s Photo, and that your monitor is somehow not very well calibrated or your Video Card is not so good, cause Paul`s photograph is SUPERB and so UNIQUE!!
And your flowers here seems so pale and unsharp on my monitor!
Thank you,
I love to see more of your experimentation with mob=photo=device :)
And looking through your Portofolio, I have to say, and maybe I am wrong, that your Photographs are very and only DOCUMENTARY records to me and Paul`s Photographs are so Artistic, or I like them more, them fullfill me with admiration and passion for B&W photographs, and Paul is so good to me and my feelings and emotions. Only for me. and your photographs are interesting to me!
Thank you, I didnot want in any case to hurt you or to decrease the value you feel towards your photographs, but I think that your photographs can be betterly done, that you can improve more if you want, or maybe you cannot!
I know, me neither I am not a good photographer, not yet, I am trying hard to be it. and I personally think that I have improved, but still missing something.
So this is all and only My TRUTH, you can denide it if you like or you can agree with it and probably that has no importance, but somehow for me it has!
Oh, sorry, I just had that feeling and I wanted to share it with you, cause you words regarding Paul`s photograph, just touch me this way!
Biliana
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Roger Williams
{K:86139} 7/5/2005
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Thanks, Craig. It's actually just taken at the closest possible distance on my standard (58mm) lens. I bought a SH macro lens the other day, but the aperture proved sticky, so it's off for a CLA. I'll try again when I get it back...
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Craig Hanson
{K:7836} 7/5/2005
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If it looks like a macro, smells like a macro and walks like a macro, then it must be a macro! Congratulations Roger! I never thought I would see one from you and such a nice one at that!
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Ron Harrington
{K:766} 6/29/2005
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This looks very nice! Not a small bug but very good detail......
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Ann Van Breemen
{K:13399} 6/28/2005
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Nice Macro, Roger. Excellent detail. Cheers, Ann.
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Roger Williams
{K:86139} 6/26/2005
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Thank you, Sam. I agree it's a good lens, but these manual M42 Russian lenses go for a song nowadays. Best US$35 I ever spent!
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Pat Fruen
{K:12076} 6/26/2005
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Beautiful clarity and detail. Nice grain structure as well.
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Sam Andre
{K:12484} 6/26/2005
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You hardly need macro's with sucha beautiful result using a normal lens. But you use a very good lens, that makes a difference.
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Ellen Smith
{K:14418} 6/25/2005
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Lily how did you clean up the noise on this shot? I've fiddled with different shots and am not having much success.
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Linda Imagefree
{K:72276} 6/19/2005
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Roger, first of all Congratulations on the front page and the award...very nice...and I really like what you did here, the diagonal composition is perfect, the dof wonderful, showing great detail in the flower and the raindrops..personally I love the oof focus backgrounds but I don't find this one distracting at all. I like what Ellen, Margaret and Lily did, but you noticed that they all left your beautiful flowers untouched, because you did it right Roger, the rest just takes time and practice...it's not easy, I struggle all the time, and don't always get it perfect but one day I will and so will you...Macro's are difficult because as I'm sure you see there are a lot of things to balance, getting the right dof, and throwing the background oof, dealing with wind, which I do all the time, because we have strong tradewinds, and it's rare when they're not blowing, so getting the right dof, and shutter speed to get in enough light at those perfect times of day are difficult..you did very well, and I'm glad to see that you got an award...I really like the way Lily got rid of the noise and would like to know how she did that. I have PS CS2, and it does have noise reduction, but her's seemed to be very clear...I very much hope to see more of this kind of thing from you Roger, it's quite lovely....way to go...congrats again....:):)Linda
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abhilash babu
{K:3} 6/19/2005
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nice shoot
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Roger Williams
{K:86139} 6/19/2005
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Thanks, Lily, for smoothing it out. The grain probably comes from using 400 ISO film and leaving the scan to the shop. I'll see if I can do better myself...
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Tiger Lily
{K:10966} 6/19/2005
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Congrats Roger on a beautiful, vibrant macro, and Ellen for an excellent critique.
Darkening the background just a little is a good idea but I also think you have a noisy/grainy background. Here's another fix, kept your iris petals exactly as they were.
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Zeev Scharf
{K:25603} 6/19/2005
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Excellent macro shot Roger,a winner in every aspect
7+++++++++
Best regards
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Jose Ignacio (Nacho) Garcia Barcia
{K:96391} 6/19/2005
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magnificent. great detail.
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Gabriella Carta
{K:22879} 6/18/2005
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wonderful shot, good.
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Galal El Missary
{K:84569} 6/18/2005
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very Beautiful Roger , very nice colors and Background , regards .
Galal
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Ellen Smith
{K:14418} 6/18/2005
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Roger, Margaret seems to have a nice compromise here. I also like the iris left as you have them and just darkening the background.
I would have liked to have seen the other shots you had. I'm sorry you pulled your shots, I've also had some complete flops. A person seems to create a niche for them selves depending on what they shoot, flowers, trains, landscapes, PS masters....Then when you try to do something different they don't recognize you. You just have to plug away until a new crowd of folks find you.
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Roberto Arcari Farinetti
{K:209486} 6/18/2005
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fantastic and congrats for the featuired coment
I like it!
so well done
roby
7
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Gaja Snover
{K:4462} 6/18/2005
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nice details in the petals, and the water drops look so crips. Nicely framed too.
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alberto baez duarte
{K:8175} 6/18/2005
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I like it very much exactly as it is....both colors..flower and background....really something to keep..I myself will try to take macro which I have never tried.
congratulations....
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Margaret Sturgess
{K:49403} 6/18/2005
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Roger congrats on front page - lovely iris and I like the water droplets. I agree with Ekken the background slightly detracts from the beautiful iris, I think it is because it is quite light, I had a quick fiddle, selecting the background and darkened it in levels - see if you like - leaving the iris untouched [No need to be 'green with envy now :)]
Margaret
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Roger Williams
{K:86139} 6/18/2005
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Thanks, Mary. I'm encouraged. I just went back in and deleted the other two that went with this one, I was so disappointed in them and the reaction to them... Guess I'll soldier on!
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Mary Brown
{K:71879} 6/18/2005
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It's lovely, Roger. The colours of the blossoms and background compliment each other so well. I like them as they are--there is something gentle about them. Great details of the blossoms and water droplets. Your choice of composition is very appealing. Very pretty.
Mary
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Roger Williams
{K:86139} 6/17/2005
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Chris, I didn't have to splash out, as I had a Nikon enlarging lens that makes one of the finest macro lenses there is. My problem is shallow depth of field, sensitivity to movement in my hands and in the image, and a dark viewfinder. The lens itself is F/5.6, which is a bit dark anyway, and my camera uses stopped down metering. Almost useless until I am a lot more skilled! This half-way house idea is helping me get into the right mood, though, I believe.
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Chris Spracklen
{K:32552} 6/17/2005
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Excellent colours and detail, Roger, but I'm finding that if you want a true macro shot you have to splash out on a true marco lens ~ and my pocket, (or my wife!), isn't ready for that yet!!!
Best regards, Chris
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Ellen Smith
{K:14418} 6/17/2005
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I was pretty sure the strong purple wasn't going to be something you would like, it was a bit strong for me too.
Thanks for letting me play with your picture Roger it was a learning experience for me.
Ellen
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Roger Williams
{K:86139} 6/17/2005
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I see what you mean. I quite like what you did to the background greens but have some problems with the much higher degree of saturation of the purples, which is not at all how they looked. But thank you for taking the time and trouble, I really appreciate it.
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Ellen Smith
{K:14418} 6/17/2005
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I gave it a stab. I adjusted the levels added a photo filter to make the background more green and then selected the iris and adjusted the levels again to deepen the purple. I do prefer darker images so this may be way over the top.
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Roger Williams
{K:86139} 6/17/2005
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Thanks Ellen. Can you try to be more precise about it is that bugs you with the colours in the background? I have PS with some very nifty plug-ins, and I checked/corrected white balance (not automatic on film cameras!). I also slightly desaturated the colours overall. I can do a selective desaturation concentrating on the greens, taking them down still further, but I personally don't have a problem with them as they are now... I wonder if there will be any more comments?
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Ellen Smith
{K:14418} 6/16/2005
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Roger I love the Iris but the background color is playing havoc with me. It might be the color or the contrast I can't put my finger on it. It will be interesting to see what others say. Do you use PS at all? Maybe a run through levels could help boost the contrast.
It seems Grasshopper you have learned to appreciate the things you have near to you and not go running of the cliff in pursuit unattainable beauty.
Did I take my meds today? LOL
Keep shooting Roger,
Ellen
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Colin Cartwright
{K:15699} 6/16/2005
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What a superb macro!
Detailing is very fine, and I like the little splashes of yellow in all that iris purple.
a certain 7
Colin
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