You're still in Diapers? LOL. I couldn't show all of it in that photo, but they were even scarier to look at. Here's the view this little guy got. They were a lot less frightening while they were at the band rotunda and surrounded by masses of people, but I wouldn't like to meet them between the streetlights on their way home

Demons

Hi Snapshot, thanks for looking and commenting. Looks as though he may keep thinking about it for a while.
Barry

Hi Walt, thanks for looking, and commenting. I really like his expression too, no matter how much the artist tried to show him that he was in fact friendly, the boy kept this expression, really unsure.
Barry

We have a festival of lights each year at Christmas in our big park, Pukekura Park, where lights are spread throughout the flora and displayed at night. Quite a spectacle, tourist attraction, and photographers paradise.
Two street performers dressed as demons and paraded around the crowds, and this little guy wasn't too sure what these were. All unnatural light, but the ambient rather than my own set up.

Are you real?

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Hi Alissa,
wow, these are really good, thanks for posting. Funny for me, but I love the colour two best.
Barry

Thanks sailorsmom for looking and commenting, I appreciate that.

Hi Alissa,
I feel the need to elaborate because the work on the eye is OK, for focus etc, but it was the eyebrow above the eye that distracted me, and when I wandered a little more around the photo, only from a photographers point of view, I see too many inconsistencies in the focal range that I would immediately suspect the processing, or editing as you call it. I find it difficult to say it as well as wedding guy, but he is correct in his assessment, and I hope you notice it more when you have it printed, but you will notice parts of his shirt, face, and hair, drift in and out of focus to a point of distraction, rather than admiration. In a smaller photo this may not be so obvious, and like I say the photo itself is great, love it, but I would recommend a little more overlooking at the photo when you do process what you prefer to see.
Personally, I find so many more defects in my own photos once I have them printed and sitting up for me to view at the whole picture.
I am pleased you see the focus is great all over, so it must be the processing, forget what I said about a smaller aperture or focal range.
IMHO only,
Barry

Hi Geoff, thanks for looking, and commenting. It was good practise at panning, and there were quite a few photos taken that didn't look like these ones. Some looked better on the small screen of the camera, but the blur doesn't seem so significant until you get them on the computer and have a good look.

Pleased to meet your shaggy dog. Beautiful photograph :thumbup:

Things were going pretty slow when I was whitebaiting last years season, but always have my camera close to cater for any dull moments.
These little birds are very fast, and unless you pay particular attention, you would hardly even notice they were there. Luckily for me it was a very hot sunny morning, allowing me to catch some speed shots.

Banking Swallow

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Swallow on the rocks

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Hi Alissa Beth, I always enjoy looking at your work, you obviously have a great repore with this young guy, and have him or portray him in a dreamy state, and looking willing to participate and collaborate. nice posing anyway. It looks to me as tough you have a very narrow depth of field, and would suggest just closing it up a little to give a better focus on both the eyes in the first two, with this depth of field you may prefer the focus more on the leading eye, but I dont think it would hurt to cover a broader focal range and get both. Only a point to consider in the future, but your choice.
The only other nitpick I have and couldn't resist saying is the post that he has his foot on in the latter photos. In the colour version it may not be so prominent if you were to colour it more like the background flora, and it looks as though the blurring is done in post, and I'm not sure if it needs so much. Sorry to say but I don't see this as a B&W because of this.
Hope I didn't come across too negative, these are only my views.
I am envious that you have such willing subjects to practise on, keep up the great work.

Well done wayne, she looks as though she likes that treatment, so you will have a willing model for years to come, and I have to agree with Simon, the result is fabulous.
Did you use any lighting other than the encumbant with these?

Hi JoesephSF,
From some of the professional critiques that have been viewed on here before I can see a lot of the value to what they have written when I look at your images.
Firstly I would suggest you post one photo only, and with an open mind let the critiques come in. You don't have to take it all on board because it may not be how you wanted to portray your image, but there are some basics to consider to achieve the best results, and unless you are an unnaturally gifted photographer, you may want to only take on a few items to consider rather than be bombarded with so many that you may miss more than most, and why.
For a portrait, I would think you wouldn't need to show so much more of the person than the face, and a base or bust to give it support. Frame it with the hair, and progress from there to different poses and looks.
Shoot a little more than you need, and practise cropping to see what you prefer to see.
I like the second of your images the best, but would crop like I said to the head and shoulders.
The hand coming back up to her left bosom sort of ruins it, but there would be a lot less to critique, and I think it would be better place to start from.
There doesn't seem to be much more in that photo that adds any value to the image.
The last of your images seems a little better to me to look at for a portrait, but the light, and therefore my attention, seems to highlight her neck and bust, whereas she has presented herself so well that you could have highlighted her lovely face and look, and shown her radiance by shifting the light onto her face.
The direction that the light is coming from could then be the focus of this critique, and progress into further evaluations
Probably not the critique you were after, and I am not a professional, but I find this type of photography fascinating, and thought I might offer some simple things. Good luck in your endeavours, I hope you keep posting so we can follow your progress.
Barry

Good crop, good treatment, good portrait. I really like this one shine, well done. :thumbup:

Hi Richard,
As a character study this shows me a man, good in front of the camera, so maybe comfortable with you, who has lived through a few decades, witness to a few changes in attitude and opinion, slightly rebellious with his 'goatee', but well maintained as are his clothes, stiff straight collar, but no tie, slightly flamboyant with that hat, clean shaven shows self care and pride, vest, shows age, poker face seems to suggest he could smile with the right sense of humour. To get all this you have done well indeed, even if my assessment is wrong.
Photographically this is all about that face, there are no distractions, good composition, and not masterful, but good lighting, looks like single light, but I find it better from a distance, seems a little soft. I would have liked to see those eyes a lot more in focus, because to me that is where more story is. I'm not sure whether he has strong lens' in his glasses, or it is in the processing, but they seem to distort the left side of his face, giving that black half moon. However, good work, I like it. Keep up the good work.
Barry