California Poppy #4
by bspurgeon

Comment:
First Impressions: This image is more abstract than other images I commented on making it more difficult for me to comment. My first reaction is - what am looking at? It is a flower but I would not guess it is a Californian poppy. The flower is the most dominant element in the image but it is not in focus so the focal point is achieved by the light shades of the petals. The background is dominated by a diagonal dark line, not sure if it is a stalk or a part of another plant. The background has some blurred leaves and many lines that look like light rays. The effect is very 3 dimensional. This way the background has depth.
Technique: out of focus macro, not sure how that is done?
Suggestions: none

Overall an intriguing 3 dimensional photo in abstract style that I am trying to understand

Trees, Strensall Common 2
by SaraR

Comment:
First Impressions: as compared with the previous photo this one has a tighter crop (in camera) and this makes it much less busy; more movement caused a lot of detail to disappear leaving it with a more focused impression; the vertical texture has almost brush-like feel; the lighter part has still enough presence not to be washed out; great balance
Technique: more vertical movement on slow shutter, different PP
Suggestions: I like it as is.

Overall a beautiful photo in the style of the in-camera photo impressionism (I coined a new term :)

Trees, Strensall Common
by SaraR

Comment:
First Impressions: dreamy, serene, beautiful scene; I like the forest, the colors and the textures (I love birches)
Technique: vertical movement on slow shutter, little PP
Suggestions: not sure how to emphasize light - add some luminance? But it looks good as is.

Overall great photo and spot on the style of photo impressionism I am trying to learn :)

Lighthouse Beach, Midwinter
by Bear_Music

Comment:
First Impressions: for some reason sadness (maybe because there is some blue) and being lost
Technique: I assume a normally taken photo with a dramatic PP in NIK? There is also some kind of special border used.
Suggestions: not sure

Overall it looks more like an expression rather than an impression of reality to me. Probably due to the dramatic texture effect.

Remembering Summer
by NeVeRyn

Comment:
First Impressions: I noticed diagonal lines at first, the colors are very muted
Technique: I assume taken with shallow DOF against side light
Suggestions: I probably would play around with color saturation and crops

Overall I am not sure what style it represents. Maybe we should come up with our own categories? :)

Scenic Overlook
by bohemka

Comment:
That was yours! WOW!! CONGRATS!!

River Bend
by GeneralE

Comment:
First impressions: calm, relaxing, blur makes it look soft
Technique: I assume no special impressionistic PP as the blur was from the original shot
Suggestions: rectangular vignette with more blur around the edges; was it shot through a window? There are patches of mysterious fog in places.

Overall an example of a non-intentional blur that created a nice photo in a style of an impressionistic painting.

IMG_5927-moorings
by Bear_Music

Comment:
First impressions: calm, relaxing, smooooth
Technique: I assume PP with a lot of smoothing? (I don't use Topaz so I don't know how it was achieved; in Lightroom I would go negative on Clarity but that's probably too simplistic?)
Suggestions: I would try a tighter crop losing the boats and the large house on the right (there is nothing wrong with a square photo! :)

Overall I thought it was a good example of a photo in a style of an impressionistic painting.

(How am I doing with this commenting business?? Is this OK?)

wanderlust
by bspurgeon

Comment:
I haven't yet discovered DPC when this challenge was on. I am interested in techniques, petroleum jelly is now on my list of techniques to learn.

I like the dynamism of the blur contrasted with the stillness of the forest in focus. The tilt adds to the dynamism of the image.

Rockport MA
by Denise

Comment:
Beautiful colors and textures.