Leen, your photos are gorgeous. Congratulations on having an exhibit. Anne
Thank you Ann, today was a great success: 2 visitors.
;-(
Geeze Leen, I wanted to come but had to wash my hair 😉 Really though, if you were closer we’d be in business together. That’s all I have to say. Oh, and you know how much i love your work. You are da man !
Leen, it is a holiday weekend in Canada . . . come on over here ! Your photographs are so inspiring . . . the exhibit would be packed with people. 🙂
Only two days left of the wonderful tulip festival left . .. . <
http://www.tulipfestival.ca/en/index.php>
Jodi, will you marry me? 😉
Beth, it read:
"It was on Parliament Hill that Canada first began its love affair with the tulip. It was here, in 1945, that Canada planted some of the 100,000 tulip bulbs given by Holland as a thank you for providing safe haven for members of the Dutch Royal Family and the role of Canadian Veterans during the Second World War".
About a month ago tulips were in full bloom here. I could see tulips for miles and miles and this isn’t even the best part of the country to see tulips. AFAIK Wendy has been to the tulip fields in the Netherlands this year.
Nevertheless, one day I will come over to Canada as it seems to be one of the best places to visit. I know Canadians are pretty much like the Dutch and many former Dutch people are living in Canada nowadays.
Let’s have a pow wow in Canada, much easier to travel to than the USA, we might make Grant love his hateful digi, ask Jodi to reveal her tricks, pamper Ray after his surgery and I could make everyones portrait for free.
😉
Leen
Hahaha sounds like fun Leen 😉
Yes, we have had some lovely days over the last few weeks to be taking photos of the tulips.
beth
Don’t look that good to me. Lots of out of focus — so called soft focus I guess and most are too dark and could be sharper.
Ron
Let’s have a pow wow in Canada, much easier to travel to than the USA, we might make Grant love his hateful digi, ask Jodi to reveal her tricks, pamper Ray after his surgery and I could make everyones portrait for free. 😉
Leen
Hahaha! Sounds like fun! 🙂
Btw, everytime I visit your site, I’m mesmerized by the opening pictures… I lack the words to say how perfect they are! Congratulations, these are just perfection!
Ray
Ron
Please post a link to a site with your photos on it.
Grant
Ya Ron, let’s see what ya have !
Ron, not everyone has to like my images. Some people do, some don’t. Just a matter of taste.
But out of focus or too dark? Probably you might have to check your monitor calibration?
Leen
Leen, Jodi, grant,
I believe Ron was making a joke in his above comment, he probably just forgot to add the smiley. 🙂
Robert
Leen,
The photographs are so good .. number 1 is still my favourite but it was hard to choose just one 🙂
It took me ages to find them … then I realized that I my browser (Camino) stops pop ups 🙂 so I changed to another one and was able to see them.
Just wish we had been able to come and see them for real … maybe one day we will.
When we came to Holland in April the Tulips were amazing we have a smaller version of the Bulb fields in Lincolnshire but no where near the scale we saw in Holland. Keukenhof(?) Park was even more amazing with beds of tulips displaying many different varieties. I took loads of photographs AND one or two were quite good (but no where near Leen’s standard 🙂 ).
Its well worth a visit
Wendy
Wendy, I know Keukenhof is worth visiting; it is a kind of window display of the bulb growers. Probably I will have to do a photoshoot over there for one of the catering companies. The production bulb fields are really impressive to people who have never seen this before. They are stretching for miles like large colourful patchwork blankets covering the landscape like the "patches" menu in Photoshop.
Even the impressionistic painter Monet was impressed too and made some lovely -and nowadays extremely expensive- paintings.
Referring to another thread in this forum: it is pretty close to the city of Delft, famous because the girl with the pearl earring and Robert Schraven once lived there.
If anyone plans to visit our small, but extremely beautiful country, please take more than just only a few days and ask me for other places to visit than the standard touristic items. There is so much to be discovered and -without traffic jams- within three hours driving.
It is very nice of you to stand up for my images; it makes us feel like a large family, but like I said, nobody has to like it. If some people do, this is wonderful because that’s why I can prov9de for my family, but if others don’t, probably they are another photographers customer. And we all have to make a preferably decent living.
Leen
Robert
I am very interested in seeing all the work of all the people that frequent this forum. Ron seems to take his photography very seriously that is why I asked, no other reason!
Grant
Grant,
I understand now. If Ron meant his comments as a joke than that is now solved, however if he didn’t you were correct to ask Ron to supply some images as these must be of a superb quality and would qualify him to be artist of the month.
Robert
First, this is not about my photos or web site and second, my monitor is calibrated as it should be. This is my opinion and whether you agree or not is OK. I just happen to have an opinion that does not go along with "the group".
Ron
Ron
Always good to have opinions! Still I would like to see your images. Send me a URL to my email if you like.
G.
Leen: Once again, congratulations on a superb collection of photos. I viewed them when you first mentioned your award, but I enjoyed going back to them again.
I think you would find many opportunities for photography here in Canada if (WHEN!) you come. And sometimes a traveller brings a unique eye he/she sees things that the person living there misses. One big difference between here and Europe is the vastness of the country. Yes, we have beautiful seascapes and mountains and prairies and … but there’s a fair bit of travelling to see it all!
I have only been to the Netherlands a couple of times, and I enjoyed it immensely. One of those ‘off-the-beaten-track’ areas that I thought was interesting was the Loonse en Drunense Duinen, because I never imagined such a place in Holland. We had trouble pronouncing it of course, and ended up referring to it as ‘The Loony Dunes’ :).
The pastoral scenery in the countryside was exquisite and, being a real sucker for history, I found the older parts of cities such as Gouda absolutely fascinating.
As for ‘too dark’ etc.: A photographer friend of mine consistently tells me that all my on-line pics are too dark and lack shadow detail. And I consistently reply, "Not on MY monitor!" I have never calibrated, but, by some stroke of good fortune, what I see on screen and what I get when I send files to a lab are very close.
Ron it’s one thing to not like a photo or group of photos but when you criticize one from a technical standpoint it seems fair to share your credentials for which that critique is based with the group. This is a forum that we all use to learn from each other and by your comments one would assume that you must be very skilled photographer and we could benefit from seeing your body of work.
—
Have A Nice Day, 🙂
James Hutchinson
http://www.pbase.com/myeyesview http://www.myeyesviewstudio.com/ wrote in message
First, this is not about my photos or web site and second, my monitor
is calibrated as it should be. This is my opinion and whether you agree or not is OK. I just happen to have an opinion that does not go along with "the group".
Ron
When I look at the photographs on Leen’s web site I see art. There are great photographs and then there is art. Leen has a gift that melds those two things into one. When I look at Leen’s photo-art it invokes an emotion in me. It would be interesting to see if it was what the artist was trying to convey, but for now I am content that he shares his gift with the rest of us.
My background? Art minor in college. Several years as a sign painter. Now am a professional quilter teaching on line classes. Learning to use Elements and learning to take better photos of my quilts is how I came to find (and now frequent) this forum.
Patti
It seems Ron doesnot like my images and he is entitled to do so. It is a pity he didnot have a good look, as all the images are pinsharp, he doesnot appreciate soft focus when appropriate and "too dark" is just only a matter of taste.
I like it, many members of this forum do like it and internationally, my peers seem to appreciate it as well.
Nevertheless Ron is entitled to his opinion; some people prefer wine, others prefer beer.
I don’t mind anyone disliking my images at all, as long as there are sufficient people that do like my work enough to provide me and my family a decent living. Until now I’m not in a position to complain.
My work isn’t art; it is purely based on craftmanship. My talents are a little too limited to lift the quality of my images to the level some of my colleagues are sometimes able to produce, but due to working hard in trying to improve my skills, I am able to produce almost constantly at an average high level.
Leen
Leen,
I disagree with one statement you made. I DO believe your work IS art. (As I am sure most of the other work done by the people on this site is.) The judgment of art is really pretty simple, if you created it for the pleasure of doing so, or to draw attention to a point that you feel deeply about that comes from WITHIN you, then it is art. One does not have to be published, or have their work sell to be considered an artist, they simply have to CREATE it. If you put your heart into your work, as I am sure you do, then it IS ART my friend.
I do agree with your point however that others do not have to like it. I personally do not care if anyone, other than myself, enjoys my work or not. I do not create it for others to like or dislike, I create it for my own pleasure. If others like it, and decide to purchase it, GREAT!! But they are not required to do so, and I do not like them any less if they dont. (Ok..maybe a little less.<LAUGH>)
However..I do not believe in critiquing the art work of others. Because I am NOT an art critic. I have not been trained in that field, so my opinion would be just that. My own personal feelings. Of course I have opinions of the work I look at. Some of it I like, some I do not. But that is only a personal Opinion. How YOU see your own work comes from within yourself, and that is what makes it SPECIAL, and UNIQUE, as well as making it ART.
Keep up the good work Leen, and pay no attention to what others say of your work. I am sure your skin is much to thick by now to care anyway. I know mine is.<laugh>
Gary~*
Hi Gary,
I have to care what others think of my work, because it provides me a living. I still don’t know what art is, but maybe you are right. I don’t really care, as long producing my images brings joy to my life and someone elses. I try to convey a message about my belief in beauty, love and friendship, despite what is happening in todays real world.
I am not an art critic too, but I have been trained to do photo critiques, without having my personal taste influence my final judgement. Generally people seem to appreciate my "verdicts". Nevertheless it is still extremely difficult to judge my own images as there usually is some personal emotion attached to each image.
Leen
Leen,
Of course they are Art and WOW such terrific art, your work has a quality that comes through and you produce photographs that have a very special appeal … would that I could produce anything anywhere near as good … I keep on trying 🙂
Wendy
I would like to thank you all for your terrific support. But please don’t blame Ron for having a different opinion.
You are all so nice to me; it feels stepping into like a hot bath when I click my mouse to enter this forum. It is good to have friends, even when you know you will never meet the majority of them.
(BTW, I am trying to find a date to meet Robert S.- I’m looking forward to meeting him face to face.)
Leen
Leen,
meeting face to face is quite an expression as I am ugly as hell. 🙂
Robert
Robert, let’s meet on a farm. We might make some extra money acting as scarecrows. 😉
Leen
When I look at the photographs on Leen’s web site I see art. There are great photographs and then there is art. Leen has a gift that melds those two things into one. When I look at Leen’s photo-art it invokes an emotion in me.
Patti, ditto for me! I look at Leen’s picture and I immediately feel calm, serenity, tranquility of mind and body. I just can’t tell what element(s) of scenery does it, but I just know it does.
Ray
Patti and Ray,
So nice to hear from you about the mood in my images.
In my opinion, if someone tries to produce images that rank above the average snapshot, one can learn a lot about the makers personality. This peace and love for people came into my images after making the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, the supposed burial place of the apostel St. James. This trip made me more a philosopher and made me realise how bad things sometimes might look, there is always a bright side as well. My images seem to reflect this attitude and my love towards mankind.
(Hey, there is a spider walking across my monitor screen. 😉 I hope it will catch a lot of mosquitos.)
When I have covered a wedding, people often tell me it was the most relaxed part of the day. And in my opinion being photographed should be fun. Unfortunately due to the lack of craftmanship of many so called photographers most people consider going to the photographer like going to the dentist.
Leen
Unfortunately due to the lack of craftmanship of many so called photographers most people consider going to the photographer like going to the dentist.
This is sooooo true! Very few of my friends likes to be photographed. At first, I thought it was me… But then, I learned they do this with everyone showing up with a camera (a relief for me.. Haha!)
The only ones I was able to "salvage" were really surprised by the results, and they liked it so much that now, they say that if I photograph them, it’s ok… only if it’s me 🙂
Ray
Leen
Doreen has just headed off to see the dentist for a root canal and I suspect she would rather be sitting for you.
Grant
So would I ! I think Leen could make me look like a Godess !
OK First of all… GROUP HUG!!!!!!!
Now everyone all better….
Jodi.. you’re alreay a GODESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (As are all the Ladies in this Forum I might add ;))
Leen.. if you come to Canada bring lots of Memory Cards… we’re a BIG COUNTRY and the photo opportunities are very much endless…
To all in this region (S/W Ontario) Woodstock (and no the famous concert was not played here).. is having its own Tulip Festival, Yellow and Purple is the Theme….
David
Leen, there are some beautiful images there- congratulations on the award! I really liked the one with the lady and the dog- the dog has such a cheecky expression and I like how you’re mirrored the composition.
Leen,
I can only echo the thoughts of all. Terrific stuff!
Dick
we made Jodi Bluuuuuulsh
we made Jodi Bluuuuuulsh
we made Jodi Bluuuuuulsh
Wonderful photos, Leen.
To each their own opinion, but it’s a shame when someone takes a cheap shot because he hasn’t been around enough to know that soft focus is an artistic technique in no way related to out-of-focus.
I suspect that if the gentleman was attending a Monet exhibition, he’d be complaining because the pictures don’t look real.
Stu
I once felt that Monet was an impressionist until I saw his garden and now I think he is a photo-realist.
Grant
Stu, Grant,
LMFRCAO !! what a day
Stu
On my last note ran a spell check and you name was flagged. It gave Stud as an alternative for Stu … now the truth is out. 😉
g.
Just as long as it didn’t suggest Stupid!
…. or, as I’m certain my wife would have suggested, Stubborn
Thank you all for your nice words. Now it is hard to stay modest and modesty seems to be amuch acclaimed virtue.
Grant, you visited Monet’s garden in Giverny? I saw it in 1991, cycling on my way to Spain. It was closed at the time, but I did recognise it as soon as I saw the house. On leaving the village the road sign confirmed my guess: Giverny. The ride along the river with backlit, still almost bare, poplars on my way to the bridge over the river Seine was marvellous, despite the extremely cold spring air.
Monet and Van Gogh are in my opinion the most gifted impressionist painters that were able to record both colour, shape and the heat of the day.
Whoever invented in Photoshop the "impressionist brush" should be obliged to make the pilgrimage to Giverny. Probably he/she would resign. 😉
Leen
