@Bill Brown, it seems to me that you have a great deal of experience in digital editing and especially that you don't mince words when you have to judge another's photo. You say what you think even when your judgement might appear unsolicited, or a little picky.
Your avatar in this forum, with that Texan hat, is already a bit awe-inspiring to me, as is your tone in the comments, but I like them both (somehow), they are a different note in the composition of the forum.
Now, I'm not a professional photographer, absolutely not, I take photos with a compact camera*, without too much thinking before the shot, but I do enjoy editing.
I would love it if you could comment on some of my photos. Can you do that? Please don't hold back, don't censor yourself, just be honest. If I reply back offended you can always tell me I asked for it.
These are my photos:
https://realphotographersforum.com/...ontent]=thread&c[users]=Gianluca+Drago&o=date
And, welcome to the Realphotographers forum!
* Panasonic Lumix lx100 Mark II
Gianluca, Remember you asked. First I will respond to your opening comments. I actually deleted my original critique before posting it. I took a look at some of the other forum members critiques. I saw that they were being open with their words so I went at it again. I don't claim to have any great insight into what makes an image memorable but I have been at this photography game for a few years. I've probably retouched well above 30,000 photos professionally with a great number being silver gelatin. With my Winsor & Newton Series 7 red sable brush in hand and my Spotone dyes on my palette I find a peaceful internal calm as I move across a print with methodical precision.
Having been blessed to retouch for gifted professional photographers over the decades I have seen many beautiful images. Each of these photographers have kindly given me their thoughts, insights and direction about what they are looking for in an image. As a retoucher for many photographers I've had to listen closely to their instructions as they have directed me in the finer points of what they are looking for. Each photographer has their own set of things they are persnickety about so I've always had to file this information in my mental database to be recalled as needed. This retouching info and experience plays a distinct role in my own personal work.
My first professional gig was for a photographer named
Bank Langmore. The year was 1977 and I was employed at one of the top Pro labs in the U.S. that was located in Dallas, Texas. The lab was Meisel Photochrome and our clients were from all over the world. One of those photographers was Bank Langmore. He had recently completed his personal photo project of documenting the American range riding cowboy of the 1970's. As I encountered his work coming through the finishing department I was overwhelmed with what I saw. One day my boss came to me and asked if I would be interested in working after hours to help Bank produce a custom handmade book of original prints from this project. Without hesitation I said yes. As we worked together on the book we found a kinship in our desire to achieve the always elusive perfection. This custom hand tooled leather bound 18" x18" book would eventually travel to museums around the U.S. and this project would eventually lead me to a full-time job with Bank as his print finisher.
I was one of only a few people who ever worked longterm for Bank. Most thought he required too much perfection on a daily basis but I was someone who desired to help him attain whatever goal he was wanting to achieve. I helped produce numerous exhibits that pushed me to my limits but I learned a lot about what I could do if I put my mind to it. I consider Bank to be the person who helped me find my place in the world and the foundational work ethic he laid down inside me is what I've built my whole career on. Probably sounds a little over the top but I'm actually holding back in my praise for this man. To think I worked at his side and was his photo assistant for a time is really beyond anything I could have ever imagined for myself.
Hang with me. I am going somewhere with all this. In 1980 I was working for Bank. I had finished the Witte Museum project and he had relocated his studio from Dallas to San Antonio, Texas. I worked in San Antonio all week, slept in the upstairs studio apartment, then drove back to Dallas on the weekends and stayed at my parents. I loved his collection of cowboy hats that he had at the studio and I was always wearing one. They were a little big but I didn't care. When I put on one of his hats I felt as if I had superpowers. I had the keys to his GMC Jimmy with custom camper that he had used on his cowboy project. Driving that truck around Alamo Heights in the evenings made me feel special. I digress, sorry, it's just those are some special memories.
Anyway, one Friday as Bank was writing my paycheck he looked at me across his desk and said " I know you've had your eyes on a hat you want to buy. I'm putting an extra $100 in your check. Go get that hat". That hat and I have been on so many photo adventures now after these past 44 years. It's one of my most prized possessions. I have done numerous self portraits over the years and my avatar is one of those photos. I documented a stairwell in a commercial office building over eight years and that image was shot during that time. It's my hat tip to Bank. Sorry, but I like to give context to my stories. Bank shot this photo of me with my new hat strapped on the back boot of my motorcycle.
So, you enjoy editing? What's wrong with you? You crazy or something? We should get along just fine.
This critiquing thing is new for me. Outside my working realm I mean. I'll give it a go and if there's something specific you want my input on I'll do my best to address it.
Since you like to edit I'll give you a little bit of my background. I do the bulk of my digital RAW editing/processing on CP 1 Pro. The files from my main client are shot with the Fuji GFX 100 / 100 II. I process in CP 1 then finish up in PS. I produce files and prints ranging from small yearbook digital files to 40x60 prints. I print on an Epson P-8000 44" wide format machine and on a Stylus Pro 4800 for personal work. My editing style is a blend of my years as a film based retoucher and now my 18 years digitally. Because I had retouched for 30 years before going digital I had a very distinct methodology that I wanted to bring to PS. My main client was shooting with a Hasselblad and a Phase One P-30 digital back attached. This was 2006 and that back cost him something like $18,000. The files from that rig were astounding when you think about what was around at that time. They look fantastic now. Having NO computer experience meant I was swimming in the deep end from the get go. I immersed myself in everything I could get my hands on to read about how to do this PS thing. I didn't have to learn how to retouch but I did have to learn how to adapt my skill to a Wacom tablet and a computer screen. To make a long story short I did it.
I don't care if you don't classify yourself as a photographer. Titles can be meaningless. What matters is what's in your heart. Do you want to learn something? That's what matters most. It was Banks belief in me and my desire to learn that pushed me to new heights at the ripe old age of 22 and now at the age of 69.
And thanks to you and everyone else for making me feel welcome here on Realphotographers forum!
It's getting late but I'll go ahead and take a look.
At my age that is not uncommon. So here's to you for this background history which I find utterly interesting. Correct me if I'm wrong about the welcoming, but a good thing can never be repeated too often. Speaking about hats, I have a fetish for hats, especially after my first hat which I received in Fraser Valley B.C. from my beloved aunt in 1967. At the age of 18, I was flabbergasted and many years later, I still have that stetson.
. It is true that on a couple of occasions they have helped me to shade the glass in order to photograph something that was beyond the glass.
