Michael Foran

Just like Sony to come up with a great idea but then waste it with their proprietary selfishness. A camera that can run apps is a great idea (probably not theirs but whatever). It would open up a world of possibilities with the ability to add features to a good camera without having to hope and wait for firmware updates. But they waste it by not releasing an API so third parties can develop for it. Come on Sony! Put it out there and watch a community of developers rally around your platform. You would have features that no other camera would have. Keep it closed, and keep putting out crap like 'God Rays,' and all you are doing is alienating your base.

I am sure others have mentioned this already but I don't see the point of the photos in the upper right. Isn't that kind of like showing how good a new TV would look on an old TV? I have no way of knowing if any defects I am looking at are the result of the camera being tested, faults in the prints, or the camera that took the original photos. Real world objects would be much more useful. Maybe some fake flowers or steel wool (dark and detailed). Maybe something shiny and textured so we can see if the camera has chromatic aberration problems with highlights and catchlights.

Hear, hear. And I hope people understand the "constructive" part of this comment. It's not inappropriate to crit the photo, but if you are going to tear it down, do it for solid reasons. Look at the photo. Look at the photo settings. Make a constructive critique. I don't like forums where every comment is "great shot!" but I also dislike the shallow insults that pass for criticism around here. And "hey, it's the internet" isn't an excuse.

You must be new here.

brliv, can you elaborate? Why not?

I am fairly new to Lightroom, but I was really surprised at how sloppy the LR update procedure was. I've been using Adobe's entire suite of software professionally for years, and for some time the update process has been painless and easy via Adobe's AIR update application. By contrast, when I hit the "Update" button I was prompted with, I was sent to a generic Lightroom page on Adobe's site. There was no 'update' option on the entire page and in the end I manually had to select the Demo download, typed in my Adobe username and pass, and manually ran the installer. My thought was "what year is this?" Adobe should be embarrassed.

In this, as in any other template "print on demand" service, you can always create your own designs using whatever software you like, and then export a flattened image to be printed full page. Not optimal, but it works.

For years I was an exclusive ACR user (having Photoshop already) and shared your sentiment. But I was convinced to give it another try this year and realized the program has many significant advantages over plain ACR. I will not go back.

Nice use of HDR to improve what might have been a fairly mundane image otherwise.

Sorry, but not the most interesting sunset I have ever seen. I am sure it has sentimental value but as an image it's not that interesting.

Nice work. The style of image has been done before so it's important for it to work on technical merits. It does.

I love it. Very cheeky look at a disciplined gathering. Totally agree with the comment- the image would have been average were it not for the one guard turning around. It gives the image the visual anchor it needs. Love it.

It's an interesting image in the school of Ansel Adams. It reminds me of a series of shot of his that he pointed his camera over a bluff to record a bird's eye view of water lapping against the shore. I can't remember the name of the series. It was interesting but didn't really have the lasting impact of his better works.

This image certainly benefits from your description. I think you could have told it better with a stronger composition. Many of the details you describe aren't apparent in the image. Had you not left the comment I would not have known. Part of that is my ignorance, but other details could have helped.

This is an interesting photo. The composition is good. It's fun to get this close to something that is sort of dangerous. Technically well executed. It doesn't have a lasting impact, but it works for what it is.

I love the subject. The lone chimney with the house long having completely disappeared invites an interesting story. I am curious what happened here.

I think you could have been more adventurous with the composition. The chimney is dead center in the frame, which stops the eye before it can explore the environment. It is either too big or too small. I think you should have either shot wider, emphasizing how alone the chimney feels in an environment the wilderness has reclaimed, or gone tighter, to show how the chimney has fought off the exposure while everything around it has decayed. As it is it just sits there, telling neither story.

I also don't think it needed the HDR technique. It detracts instead of enhances.

Very interesting. I really like the visual impact of the Flamingo metting it's reflection as it drank.

I think this image would have benefited from a tighter crop from the bottom and left, removing the leg and reflection on the right which oddly frames the image, and wouldn't give the reflection equal weight to the live subject. Also punch up the contrast and saturation a bit.

I like the idea here. The composition could have been a touch wider to really bring it home. And I think it would benefit from a bit more love in developing to punch up the contrast and really separate the bird from the background.

Not a very interesting composition.

This is a nice set for an interesting picture. I like how you have let the sun poke through the trees just so. It creates a nice atmosphere. But I feel as if the actual subject of the image didn't arrive. I also wonder if the image would be so arresting if the heavy vignetting were removed.