Siem Reap 2008 (manda)

[Manda]

#8 The ubiquitous tuk tuk.

​

 

[night86mare]

Your obedient servant ...

The pp on the photos is quick and dirty and I think every one's comments are accurate, there is some thing not quite there on most of them. I always go through a phase of playing with them and then later coming back to perfect it. The Bali man smoking #19 is a good example.

This is my fav portrait at the mo, but again, I'm not completely convinced with my first efforts.

I have quite a few from this scene from all memebers of the family. It was a lucky find as I popped to the loo only to come across this family in the Angkor Wat grounds. I waded through the drainage water just to interact with the family and lived to tell the tale. I'm lucky I didn't pick up a few leeches or worse.

#7

​

i like this a lot, but i wish you had left the entire basket in, although i think it would be hard. somehow right now it's a wee (very wee) bit awkward at the bottom, like someone has chopped it off suddenly.

 

[Manda]

#9

​

 

[zoossh]

#9

​

i think you have acquired an unique taste to the point that i'm not sure if i would sound intrusive and offensive. i think your experiment with textures and colors are fun, and portraits and still lifes form a strong part of your presentation, especially your portraits, they show a good connection between the photographer and the subject, something i haven't really established in many of mine.

the only thing is sometimes the texture and color handling can exert significant effect on the skin, something that is quick to be picked up and easily challenged than any other subject or objects. i find the handling above makes the skin a little waxy, pale and dirty looking, and the tummy thus look rigid and guarded, which overall effect gives me a morbid feeling. it forms a stark contrast to the colorful shuttlecock (i went to read up and it is also called a kinja but i doubt anyone used that word), so i not sure if that is the desired effect. i'm might prefer a more lifelike skin hue but i may be wrong and the contrast may not stand out as good as the above, though that is still my consideration

 

[Manda]

Thanks for such a considered response and please don't worry about being offensive. I know it's more a philosophical discussion rather than an attempt to challenge.

Certainly food for thought and I always go back and reconsider after your (or nightmare's) reflections. You've both said the textures aren't working.

Now where is my dictionary, kinja ...

 

[Manda]

#10

​

 

[limkopi]

#9

​

Somehow I like the colour treatment & contrast in this picture... I think the picture tells a story. The pale hue of the skin + dirty-looking hands & jeans reflects the state of poverty & poor living conditions of 3rd world developing nations... While the juxtapositioning of the colourful "kinja" in the pale (grabbing) hands seems to tell me simple toys as such (probably the only toy they could afford) brings forth joy & colours to their poverty-stricken lives...

& I begin to wonder what could be the facial expression of the person in the picture... Was he gazing down at his precious toy? Or was he looking somewhere faraway in a penny of his thoughts? Hmmm... :think:

 

[U-nik]

Nice colours :thumbsup:

 

[Manda]

#11

I can't tell you how wet it was - I was covered from head to toe in a pink plastic rain mac with damp misting up my camera LCD panel.

​

 

[Manda]

#12

Merged 5 exposures too take advantage of the full tonal range. After looking at other ppls photos I now appreciate how lucky I was visiting Kbal Spean during the wet season.

​

 

[Estherfu]

#12

Merged 5 exposures too take advantage of the full tonal range. After looking at other ppls photos I now appreciate how lucky I was visiting Kbal Spean during the wet season.

​

You are an inspiration...:lovegrin:
Enjoyed your photos and your web.:thumbsup:

 

[giantcanopy]

#12

Merged 5 exposures too take advantage of the full tonal range. After looking at other ppls photos I now appreciate how lucky I was visiting Kbal Spean during the wet season.

​

You took this shot from the other bank of the river ?

The season I went was even wetter, I could not get the full carvings of what you got the last time.

Ryan

 

[azmiali72]

Nice series manda, really enjoy it lot:thumbsup:

 

[Manda]

#13

What a sweetie, she was playing with her friends by the Angkor Wat walls.

Thanks for all your positive feed back.
​

 

[Manda]

#14

Another rainy day and the last day of the holidays.

​

 

[Manda]

#15

Decided to go back to my old workflow after being reminded by Zooosh and nightmare to refrain from overprocessing!

I never normally use f1.4 either, so I quite like this one.

Crabs in the Old Market area.

1. set black and white points (luminosity mask: control alt ~ all at the same time>mask icon)
2. curves for contrast (luminosity blend mode so I don't create colour shifts)
3. curves for colour (using a tutorial within CS).

4. CYMK curves to set shadows (black channel> K curve> drag to create shadows). This is a neat trick as it creates the appearance of sharpness.

5. LAB curves to colour pop.

6. destaurate using a grey scale image over the image set at 10% opacity.

7. Sharpen in lightness channel (start with 40 & 5 and adjust to taste).
​

 

[Manda]

#16

I was getting frustrated at this point as I wasn't able to recreate the wonderful images by GC.

I'd knocked my lens onto manual focus so all my shots are slightly soft.

5 exposures merged in PS>auto HDR and then hand blended.

I never nailed the image, which is the perfect opportunity to return with some ND filter.

​

 

[Manda]

#17

I was very careful not to over process the eyes - is there a rule of thumb to ensure the white values of the eye are in proportion to the face? I tried to use the same values as the teeth to keep a balance. Any tips from the pros?

​

 

[Manda]

#18

Another chance encounter.

​