Just to be clear, those are my feelings regarding only how you may treat my images in my post. Just as valid as any other photographers opinion about their images which should also be respected.
Yes it says "rain." The soft focus, blurred movement, and limited colour palette create a subjective, impressionistic image. Rather than being an observer, the viewing experience is more like being a participant who also experiences rain in their eyes.
Pete, you have caught it beautifully.
I just edited to add this bit. The plastic sheeting. Quintessential Asian warm wet day material. I very much like the prominence it is given here. The very soul of a wet Asian day.
Sharp edges and popped colour are not the best approach for many photos.
These are pretty good!
Bird photography is definitely a genre of its own. Needing special equipment and the skills to use it and also needing the skills to get close enough and make well composed shots that look good and artistic. You are well under way here!
Number 3 is my favourite
Thanks, but they may be enhanced a bit. The colours were there and it was very visible but those photos don't get noticed against the digital wow we are used to seeing these days. ;-)
That is quite wonderful. A timeless capture that puts me in mind of the old classic captures by Steichen, Stieglitz, and my own favorite Clarence White. The blur does not detract but is an important component of the magic. The limited palette and limited use of contrast in only a few areas feel impressionistic to me. I'm a big fan of this one!
Oh I am so jealous of you capturing such a thing as this! Where I am there was a slight magenta tinge to the sky and some people had success making more of it with long exposure shots. But this! Better than any fireworks display, absolutely gorgeous. I don't know that any editing is needed, though the building parts seem ripe for either darkening or cropping so we're not distracted by gutters and such that don't quite fit the degree of magic involved here. So beautiful I can taste them. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you. The house was deliberate as I really took these for the family down south and it sort of allows them to see where it was in a way they can directly relate to, i.e. it was overhead rather than over there.
Thank you. The swamp is richly colored in spring and summer, and that is the only time we see the swamp creatures out and about. If you look closely you'll spot another alligator in the background on the right. There were about a half dozen there the day I took this one.
Thanks. Since the swamp was decimated in a storm several years ago, my once pristine compositions are now littered with the debris from the many trees that tumbled into the water back then. Cypress and tupelo don't rot easily so they'll be there a while. I'm trying to learn to love its new look.
The gator in front appears to me to have lost an eye. He is the biggest of the residents, usually the swamp is just a hangout for the young ones.
Thanks. I totally agree with you about Topaz and I don't use it much because of these quirks. I was hoping for a fix I didn't have to mitigate with layers and brushes but it appears that's not gonna be possible. I made a quick revision to the problem areas, attached below.
Thanks, I always hope these companies will find ways to mitigate within the ap, but for me, the best solution is usually what you suggested here, layers and masks. I'm attaching a quick revision with your suggestion below.
Thanks Chris. No, I'm used to these guys. We have them turn up in subdivisions, in people's garages, on golf courses. This summer one showed up on the kids' soccer field. A common occurrence I encounter at the swamp is out of state folks who pull up planning to hike the trail, and when I or someone else excitedly tells them "there's alligators sunning in there today!", they turn and bolt to their cars.