me likey, you got a touch of a graphic artist in you. This would make an excellent cover for a brochure on Venice. Kudos, Jack

this is too cute :-)

welcome aboard Bear, dig deep into those boxes of your pics and show us everything you can. From what i've seen so far, you've many exciting photos to share. BTW, are you a real sargeant? :-)

Damn,Colm this is such a drag: I was just about to post my best pic: a portrait of the Queen sprawled naked on the floor and eating mashed potatoes and a generous side of mouse droppings using her vibrator as a spoon :-)

Splint, you naughty bugger, don't you ever let your wife wear clothes? ;-) LOL, a neat filter effect, it really transforms the image into a completely different portrait. I don't agree w/others on the grey background though. IMHO it is soft and neutral enough to add a feel of pastel.

Welcome to the 950 club, you'll love your new camera (and don't let people with 990's tell you otherwise ;-) )

Colm, Fine ARt Photography, that's exactly what i missed. This place is so chockfull of imagery that it's easy to get disoriented sometimes. Good point. (hitting my head on the desk) Although not the biggest fan of Man Ray's works myself, I do appreciate his incredible originality and pioneering spirit. He really did have new and exciting things to offer to the world of photography, as well as to add oil to the fiery debates about the validity of photography as an art form. I'm glad we have a diverse audience with many differing opinions. In arguments the truth will be born. BTW, my hat's off to anyone who can pick up a cheesy webcam and churn out something that makes other people say 'WOW'. But enough ranting, see you in the next bout...

It's art for sure, and good art at that, but I'm having real hard time thinking of any photography-related critique here. Perhaps, it is more of a 2-D gallery work, even though a photo was involved in the process. Don't get me wrong, Syyd, I've been an admirer ever since I joined Renderosity, but even your photographs look like paintings most of the time. A different, more creative realm, when you not only need an 'eye', but also an imagination that is out of this world. My applause...

One more thing: when you post your images you may want to convert them to JPEG format, instead of posting BMP, it will dramatically reduce file size, thus speeding up page download.

I think positioning your daughter in the middle was just the right choice in this case. Converging lines of the pathway lead the viewer right to the main subject, making her the center of attention. That is not to say that you shouldn't experiment with different angles. In the end the right composition is the one YOU think looks good. Nice job catching that ball in mid-air too. My suggestion would be to crouch next time to get down to your subject's level which usually makes for a more personal picture. Also use your flash in harsh sunlight to get rid of those shadows on the face, and make it more evenly illuminated. Finally, I would crop out the somewhat distracting background at the top of the picture. Hope it's not too much critique, because overall this image is very lovely :-)

Sometimes you find the prettiest things in the most trivial places, like your own backyard. The blurry plant in the front is a bit distracting, other than that, i like it.

I think constructive criticism should be acceptable at this place with or without the author's permission. I do not breach anyone's copyright by using, or 'altering' their image, I simply try to illustrate a point and give some pointers. I am here to improve my own photography, as well as share what I already know about a good picture with others. Surely you won't try to ban free speech. There are plenty more rude ways of doing that than diplomatically showing the person what you think could improve their picture. And let' face it: for all the gems we find here on a daily basis, there is still a lot of stuff that needs more work. Photography is a craft and it can only be improved with practice, study and advice from others. It applies to all, no matter beginner, hobbyist or pro. There, I'm out of breath :-)

Man, your generosity almost makes my eyes water. Humanity is forever in your debt, you wonderful soul you.. hehehe, nice composite.

Much appreciated

If you use Photoshop (although most graphic editors will do), that's very easy: Adjust image levels to your liking, boost up contrast, add a bit of color saturation, and just a touch of unsharp masking. If you want the details on how to use those functions, let me know, and i'll walk you through it. Keep on shooting ;-)