Steve Walker

There’s a nice little bench right there as well as some steps down to the water that make sitting easy. I’ll bet there is little foot traffic this time of year.

On top of all that has been said, You chose to break the rule of thirds to marvelous effect! Well done!

Thanks, Frank. It is shaded up there. Some of the leaves near that height are blown out, showing the difficulty in getting the exposure for whites difficult. On a few images, I have used the adjustment brush to lighten the thin stream and should have here.

Thanks, folks. There is even a bench just out of the frame and you can sit for as long as you like.

I sort of like mum in the slightly oof supporting role, keeping an eye on things. Diagonal rule of thirds placement is nice too. Colors are pleasing and not oversaturated. A slight vignetting might hold the eye but could easily be heavy handed. I have nothing to suggest.

I have rid the image of the traffic cones, added light to the person and boat, darkened the waters around a bit and changed the crop. I considered returning this to color– kayaks are colorful and contrast is easier in color than b&w in at least some circumstances. I think this may be a reasonable compromise between the setting and his facial…[Read more]

Not my image but I appreciate the detailed critique here. Good advice for all.

I might have tried (hope I would have) a portrait orientation since most of the background adds little to the image. That might emphasize the height (pointing and reaching up, as trees do) rather than the expanse– not the real subject. The couple of steps to your…[Read more]

Here’s an uncropped image of the same area. I do like that background here but I thought it sort of competed with the racer.

I would like to remove the cones from view and had moderate success with that in some other images, but not this one. My skills using LR aren’t that good and my photoshop (which, for some reason, seems to have better tools) is even worse.

I cropped this closely so that the intensity in the face would show up. I have dozens of image of kayakers at…[Read more]

Thank y’all (it’s a Southern thing so don’t be distressed). Midtone contrast is difficult for me, especially with the fairly bright conditions on the splashing water. I have sometimes used a radial filter on the faces and bodies to add light there without adversely affecting the rest of the frame. Dodging hardly ever works for me. I am just too…[Read more]

I suppose you could hide and downplay the background by introducing a vignette or by using using an adjustment brush in Lightroom to create some blur. What stands out to me is a somewhat posed (as you described it) street photograph that shows a mix of traditional and non-. It’s the paradox of traditional dress and the shoes that make this a…[Read more]

Yes, they are. Beyond that, not much going on, so I am not sure there is a point where I can offer anything by way of CC. It evokes little by way of emotion or curiosity for me.

I like the sweep of this, from the stark tree on the left that stands out nicely, to the cluster on the right. For me, there is more empty foreground than I might like and the lines seem to be a diagonal that takes my eyes behind the bush rather than to the distant hills. Consider a crop to 1:3 or even 1:5 dimensions, all from the foreground. The…[Read more]

Not sure what you were hoping for. This is a sweeping landscape, typical of high vantage points in the Smokey’s and Blue Ridge. For some reason, I can’t enlarge the image. The time of day is a bit early so you have a lot of dark. You might not have had a more colorful sky and better light on the ridges. The highlights in the hollers is nice. I…[Read more]

Add to the landscape guidelines and recommendations: always watch your back.

Thanks all. Best of all, perhaps, is that the view is right outside our room’s window at the Inn.