Hi Edie. I really like your photo. Everything has been said about it, so I won't comment as a photographer. I'll comment as a ham radio operator. This guy is "Shooting a line." The idea is that the man needs to get his antenna wire up and over a tall tree, higher is better. Soooo, you shoot a weight tied to a fishing line over a tree. In my world we would use a "Wrist Rocket", sling shot with a fishing reel mounted on the sling shot handle. Your guy is trying to cast his weight up there. Anyway, once he gets the line over the tree, he will tie a stronger cord to the end of his line and reel in his fishing line, thus getting the stronger cord over the tree. The next step is to tie his antenna wire to the end of the heavy cord and pull the cord back over the tree and "success." Now he has one end of the wire over a tree; now repeat the process, on another tree, so he has both ends of his antenna over trees. So as you can see, a ham radio operator has to be just as "Strange and obsessed" as a photographer, to get good results. I hope I've painted a picture clearly enough so you now know the rest of the story.

TNX AGN, Minnie.

AzPicLady, thanks for opinions. When I look at this image on download, it looks yuk to me. It looks much better as a 16x20 on the wall than it does on a computer screen. Everything I work on is PP'd for printing. So far, I'm too lazy to degrade color by reducing anything to sRGB so it will look better on a screen. Do know, for sure, if by converting to sRGB, reducing print size to about 8x10 and reducing dpi to around 100 and eliminating print sharpening, would improve to appearance of a photo on a computer screen? I hope you know, because I don't have any idea. Thanks in advance to you, or anyone else, who can answer my question.

Thank you Sandra. I'll check luminosity masking out. If Kloskowski covered it in his layers book, my forgetter has erased it. TNX AGN for the comments.

Thanks Billy. I've got to try your suggestion. I did not use any universal applications in S E. I used lots of control points. In spite of all that, the sky was my weak link. I agree with you. I will try it your way, multiple layers. Thanks.

Thanks Dave. I agree about the sky. It didn't look like I really wanted it to. I'm very pleased with the barn when printed out. TNX AGN!

TNX Minnie. In the far distance I made some power lines go away and the one spotted probably is where I made a plastic fencing go away. I'll check for the haloing effect. I didn't see it, probably because I wasn't looking for it. TNX AGN! Oh, a by the way; as a fellow Oly shooter, I really like my EM-1 with the tiny prime lenses. I did notice something the other day though; I was looking at the weights and size of Oly's Pro zooms, and guess what, for all practical purposes they are the same weight as Sony's for my a7r. My final decision, at this time is that I'll shoot the Oly with primes, but when I'm going zooms I'll carry the A7r. For the same weight, it's hard not to love a full frame. The slow autofocus & loud shutter of the a7r bother me, but that won't be a problem when I get the new a7r II. TNX AGN Minnie.

This image was taken with my a7r through a Sony 70-200 G lens. Shot at 129mm f11 @ 1/200 sec with iso 200.
I welcome all C&C, but I'm most seeking my use of NIK Silver Efex. I processed this image in Silver Efex without using any preset. I'm trying to learn how to really use the program effectively. This may, or may not look good on a screen. I sharpened it for printing on my 3880 printer. It made a rather dramatic 16 x 20. Now folks, have at it. And thanks in advance. Lynn

A hurting corn crib

(Download)

I really like this photo. The sharpness of the sand and grass, using the trees as a frame and the really nice finishing of the sky. Any suggestion I might make would be just nit-picking. Your photo just invites me to be there. A very pleasant presentation to my eyes.

Minnie. Your image just oozes quality and beauty to me; really nice composition, sharpness, nice treatment of subtle colors, it's a nice complete package. Your, "little people" are, for me, a nice asset. I can go a few blocks in any direction and see 500, flat acres of corn or beans in any direction; so having people in the photo gives me a wonderful appreciation of the vastness of your subject.

I really like this image Graham. Yes, the composition is fine, the exposure and sharpness are right one. The thing I really appreciate is the fact that this image tells a complete story about the man, his work, his life. A very meaningful photo. Well done.

This has everything, background, composition, lighting, lines, just everything. NOT! Ya done good-It'll probably sell like crazy. It'll make you famous.

My only comments are that I like the words and I love the photo. I wouldn't change a thing. "Ya done good!"

Everyone else has covered thing quite well. The only thing that bothers me is that the top of the image is not really sharp. It looks like the camera was not level with the table top. The bottom is tack sharp and the top of the camera was tilted up a tad. Maybe you wanted it that way. In my case, I've done this many times when I was trying to shoot hand held.

Graham. I really like this one. The rich blacks really set up the subject. I think the composition is very good just the way it is. The blade guard is no distraction to me; as a matter of fact, I find, if my eye tries to escape to the right, the guard points me right back to the man's brain. He's really concentrating. His state of concentration puts the impact of the photo at a very high level. And the focus is perfect. Very well done.