Favorite Photos

macondo (20449) [2020-02-05 2:12] [+]
Hi Steve.
Superb photo, the child dwarfed by the very solid looking (daubed, rendered?) walls and massive rock. The very colourful scene looks very peaceful. Also interesting to me because I recently bought a kilogram of Harar coffee beans - I've had them once before - which are very hard to get in Australia and apparently increasingly difficult to grow in the Harar district. Here's some information from the coffee dealer I get them from:
https://www.mycuppa.com.au/ethiopia-harrar-east
They usually sell out pretty quickly as only small quantities are available. I've also had Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee, also very nice.
Anyway, excellent photo, superbly framed.
Regards,
Andrew

macondo (20449) [2020-01-19 4:55]
Hi Steve.
Yes, marvellous chia.... that thing that Klaudio mentioned. Also, the gentle light on the fellow's right side, darkness enveloping the space behind him. The timber frame adds interest too, with it's flowing pattern of lines echoing those in his garb. I wonder what that book is...
Regards,
Andrew

macondo (20449) [2019-02-02 19:58]
Hello Silvio.
A very pleasing picture. It seems very simple, but the shapes and shadows, and the various textures, of the building and the wall, and the perfect position of the seat, really make this one a success.
Regards,
Andrew

macondo (20449) [2019-02-02 19:56]
Hello Bev.
Long time no see. Belated happy new year to you.
You could have cropped her out and done a bit of fiddling, but I think you made the right decision; we can share her viewpoint and wonder what she's making of the tallish fellow approaching. I love the arches and the strong, straight shadow line, plus the sunny scene beyond. It's a shot with two scenes in it! I think you must have done some judicious photoshopping on this one, with its evident contrastiness, but it's worked very well.
Regards,
Andrew

macondo (20449) [2019-02-02 19:51]
Very creative idea Kari, and well executed. The title made me curious, and then I had to look twice at the photo! Very well framed and captures the detail sharply. Well done.
Regards,
Andrew

macondo (20449) [2019-02-02 19:49]
Hi Daniel.
Nice interior shot, with very good colour rendition. Great idea to include the three ladies so we can share their viewpoint. They add 'life' to the scene. Nicely done.
Regards,
Andrew

macondo (20449) [2019-02-02 19:47]
What about Mississippi John Hurt? First blues record I ever bought, kind of folksy, country blues. Well, you can't see all the graves in one trip, I suppose, and I wouldn't have a clue where he's buried. Interesting list you drew up from what must be a huge range of them in that part of the country. You did a good job with the photo, achieving just the right amount of blurriness in the background.
Regards,
Andrew

macondo (20449) [2019-02-02 19:41]
Hi Dale.
A beautiful shot in superb winter sunlight. No doubt it was cold, but the colour tones give it a warmth. So many shapes and textures in this one. I like the mist-shrouded trees behind, and also the nearer ones framing the view nicely.
Regards,
Andrew

macondo (20449) [2019-02-02 19:38]
Hello Duc.
A very well taken photo - sharp, well lit, and superbly timed. I like the look on the girl's face, and the giraffe looks very pleased with himself too. Well done.
Regards,
Andrew

macondo (20449) [2019-02-02 19:34]
Greetings Costantino
A very well composed winter shot, which relies on the beaten path and the two walkers approaching the camera. I like the very gentle colour tones, with the brown shades adding some warmth to the scene.
Regards,
Andrew

macondo (20449) [2019-02-02 19:30]
Hello Ann.
Seeing your return from an even longer break than mine encouraged me to join in again.
I liked the note explaining how you came across the scene depicted here. The warm but subdued tones are very appealing and the large nets and their supports make an intriguing pattern against the sky. You composed and/or cropped it very judiciously. It was well worth looking at the full size version.
Regards,
Andrew

macondo (20449) [2018-12-30 16:44]
One of their best recordings, Benny, Feats Don't Fail Me Now. Old Folks' Boogie on that one? I'll be doing it soon. No, I think it was Tripe Face Boogie; also appropriate. For the photo, you've made an interesting almost-symmetrical scene of the box-like architectural shapes and contrasting curvy ones of the sculptures and tree. Not many people around, even in mid-summer.
Regards,
Andrew

macondo (20449) [2018-12-20 1:57]
Hello Jean Claude.
Lovely - my type of photo. Excellent viewpoint, good control of bright highlights, timely arrival of silhouetted figure who is well placed, and nicely done b/w finish. I like the way the eye is drawn down to the rooftops and the distant hazy horizon. Very nicely done.
Regards,
Andrew

macondo (20449) [2018-12-20 1:51] [+]
Hi Benny.
I haven't been active on TE for quite a while as a photographer/critiquer, but it's a good thing I had a scroll through the photos today, because I finally learnt why it's called a 'Nudie Suit'. I recognised it immediately I saw the thumbnail - having been a GP fan for over 45 years. I've always been too lazy to find out where the name came from, and now I know. You've quoted one of Gram's best songs there. Sad that he lived such a short and, in his last couple of years, dissolute life. I know he's often credited with the invention of 'Country Rock', but I think that 'honour' goes to Gene Clark eg.'Tried So Hard', 1966: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfu-3iGQIZA Great version recorded later by Burritos without Gram. Anyway, thanks for the opportunity to reminisce, Benny. You wouldn't have posted this and the informative note if you weren't a devotee.
Regards,
Andrew

macondo (20449) [2018-01-31 5:44]
Hi Stephen.
Very well framed photo with strong perspective effect and great depth. Excellent b/w rendition, which lends a certain ageless quality to the scene. Very well done.
Regards,
Andrew

macondo (20449) [2018-01-31 5:41]
Hello Gert.
A fine way to end your series, with a picture of teeming masses snaking through the transit network on their way to or from work.I'm struck by their orderliness and neat appearance. So many people in the frame, but only a couple of faces to be seen - their struggle against the moving mass must have been difficult. The disappearance of the bridge lends a note of poignancy to your note. The colour's a little faded and flat, as it should be after 44 years!
Regards,
Andrew

macondo (20449) [2018-01-31 5:33]
Hi Claude.
A pretty good effort at holding the camera steady for 4 seconds, although there's a little blurring apparent in the trees. The slow exposure gives rich colour tones to the morning sky, and the viewpoint provides a pleasing angle.
Regards,
Andrew

macondo (20449) [2018-01-31 5:26]
Hi Paul.
Terrific photo, marvellous explanatory note. The inequality strikes one immediately from the view you have chosen for the main pic. But your note raises questions about how the work is organised so that all these garments and bedding items are returned to the right owners. I imagine the same amazing skills which are used to deliver lunches. It's all beyond our comprehension, I think. The WS shots add to the main one and lead me to wonder how long stuff lasts if it's being regularly beaten on a large stone!
Regards,
Andrew

macondo (20449) [2018-01-31 0:15]
Hi Abmdsudi.
You're right about that very soft touch of contre-jour, which just gives a little lift to this photo, glancing as if does off the marvellous colours of the women's clothes. The woman's face is a picture of what I might call 'serene stoicism' as she goes about her day. The three figures make a nice small tableau.
Regards,
Andrew

macondo (20449) [2018-01-31 0:11]
Hello Silvio.
A splendid photo. Great interplay of Winter light and shadow, but without losing detail - we can still see the trees in the shadow. You found yourself an excellent viewpoint for this picture of this little collection of houses with their church.
Regards,
Andrew