Reviews from

Wind in the Caribbean

Gusty winds on Mexicos Caribbean Beach

36 total reviews 
Comment from JADEHOOPOE


Great shot, even though the hurricane is taking it's toll on beautiful places like this, the sky is still bright blue. Really like the angle you captured this at. Like the waves coming in at the bottom making this picture look both calming and angry.

 Comment Written 22-Sep-2008


reply by the author on 22-Sep-2008
    Thank yo so much for your insightful review. We are very thankful. The hurricane spared the Yucatan this time but our hearts go out to all the people who was hurt.
Comment from shiloh106


This is a great story telling photo. It really shows how strong the winds were coming through. The lighting is great and you have captured the palms perfectly to show the strength of the gusts. I also really like the little wave breaking in the front corner :)

 Comment Written 22-Sep-2008


reply by the author on 22-Sep-2008
    Thank you so much for your great review. The 'little wave' just rolled back. The photo was meant to have more of it. [You see the wet sand] but All other photos were ruined by splashing water and salt on my lens.
Comment from Gira


beautiful scenery captured with your camera.it has good clearity and nice cool colours,with windy atmosphere visible clearly by the movement of leaves.the slanted stem attracts my eyes.

 Comment Written 22-Sep-2008


reply by the author on 22-Sep-2008
    Thank you so much for you generous review and friendly comments.
Comment from Stormswept


I like the contradiction that this picture offeres. On the one hand it exudes the kind of warmth you would expect in this environment withe the deep colours enhanced by the sun yet the clearly windswept trees tell a different story of a change on its way. great job

 Comment Written 22-Sep-2008


reply by the author on 22-Sep-2008
    Thank you so much for your insightful review.
Comment from xennia


This was quite a storm, it looks scary the way those palms stand. Excellent capture, great job with color management, excellent composition and wonderful natural lighting captured.

 Comment Written 22-Sep-2008


reply by the author on 22-Sep-2008
    Thank you so very much for your kind review. Actually we were very lucky since we only got the outer wind bands an some storm surge.That about 35mph in the photo, that was the most we had. We are very thankful that we were spared this time.
Comment from Photophile


Hello Cleo,

I do not consider this photo as great as some of the others in your portfolio. It has nice colours, dramatic wind, sand blowing and a nice pattern of clouds in the sky. The colours are great - your great strength I think. I also like the diagonals converging to some point to the right outside of the photo.

Most of your photos have strong, simple composition, but in my view, this is not one of those photos. There is some sea, but not really enough. Than there are palms, that are the focus of the photo, but not quite and than there are many other palms and clouds and a bush that all fight for viewer's attention. I think the photo needs to be simplified. In addition, the horizon falls close to the center, creating a somewhat static feeling, not consistent with the dynamism of the rest of the photo.

After the fact corrections are often only partially successful, but I would try to trim all the water from the bottom and trim some from left. That would increase the impact of the 2 palms and the wind and focus the rest of the attention on the beautiful sky.

Just a thought. Pavel

 Comment Written 22-Sep-2008


reply by the author on 22-Sep-2008
    Thanks Pavel,
    You are absolutely right. This picture is a compromise with myself. You did see exactly the flaws. I would have liked more water or more sky. I had these pictures but the all got ruined by water drops or salt on the lens [I was standing in the water, the place was a half hour later land under] I may shouldn't take pictures under these circumstances but I can't help it. That is were the action is and I want to report a situation.
    I already tryed to correct this. Since I cant add anything I tryed to crop the water and the 'bush' but it flattened the situation. It started to look like a nice beach photo with some little wind.
    I will try to think more next time and try to hold the camera more in position that my pictures come out not as the wind do it but as I wish it..
    Thank you for your very helpful review. -Heidi [cleo]
reply by Photophile on 22-Sep-2008
    Thanks Heidi. Pavel
reply by the author on 22-Sep-2008
    :)
Comment from A-one


Impact 5
Creativity 5
Color 5
Content 5
Technique 5
Composition 5
Additional Comments: Beautiful capture of wind. Very dynamic and illustrative. Good composition textures and color. Well done.
Suggestions: none.

 Comment Written 22-Sep-2008


reply by the author on 22-Sep-2008
    Thank you so much for your generous review and your friendly comments.
reply by A-one on 22-Sep-2008
    you are always welcome!
    Shar-on
reply by the author on 22-Sep-2008
    Thanks :)
Comment from pASavelo


Really like the colors and the look of the heavy wind starting. I can really see the weather in this picture and it really tells a story of the beginning of a storm coming

 Comment Written 22-Sep-2008


reply by the author on 22-Sep-2008
    Thank you very much for your thoughtful review.
Comment from SCTaft


Composition: Very magnetic image here. This isn't your common every day snapshot. The clouds, the blowing trees and I can even see (at least I think I do) some sand blowing in the middle of the image. Good job.

Color Usage: Typical for a tree/beach landscape shot.

Subject Matter: Good choice and timely.

Attractive value: If this image were hanging in a gallery, I probably wouldn't stop to ponder very much longer than the average piece.

This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.

 Comment Written 21-Sep-2008


reply by the author on 22-Sep-2008
    Thank so much for your for your throughout review.
    Yes you are right you see the sand blowing. Thats some 35 mph. You are also right that this isn't an everyday snapshot. I don't think that I do them even being a amateur. How would the definition for snapshot be? I always thought that when you have a point and shot for an vacation photo or family photo.
    Excuse if I offend you but somehow I have the feeling you pack a critic in a bundle of compliments. If so I don't need the compliments. I want to know clear what is wrong with a picture and how to cure it. Thats why I'm here.
    Excuse, but I'm not sure how you mean things. Maybe it's because English is only my third language. I really don't know for sure what you wan't to tell me with your line: "Color Usage; Typical for a tree/beach landscape." I think it is a critic and means boring. But jet I can't change these settings. It is as it is. I'm living here and this are our colors. Truth I could have entered the contest with another hurricane picture or one in the middle of the storm or big waves as the ones I posted before but I'm tired of them. With living in hurricane ally and Tropical Depressions lurking everywhere I wanted something of all day life. Yes that was an windband of Ike, Truth. But winds like this aren't unusual here.Thanks again for your honest review.
reply by SCTaft on 22-Sep-2008
    Cleo,

    A snapshot usually isn't composed unless the person behind the camera got lucky. It is almost like the could take a camera, put it in front of them close their eyes and take many photos. I could observe 2 things about your entry that made it stand apart from typical snapshots. 1. It was composed 2. It told a story.

    Color Usage I use this term more when I see manipulated images where the artist chooses and manipulates color to compose their work. In a photograph, just like you mentioned, you really can't change much and you are right. So I put typical, not that it is boring but it relates to how a camera would record the image. The colors in your image, especially the sky were somewhat saturated and rich, but still typical of what a camera would do.

    If the colors weren't very exciting in your image, I would have put the term desaturated. That would have meant boring and unskilled recording of the landscape. Hope that helps! Scott
reply by the author on 22-Sep-2008
    Dear Scot,
    Thanks so much. I do understand better now. Truth I use only English at home I sometimes have trouble in understanding the way of English thinking. The dictionary is usually of no help.
    You also made my day by clarifying the snapshot. I think i was to much in the German what is the same word but different in it's meaning. It's so good to reed that you saw the story. That is what I try more than anything else. To tell a story. Thanks again. It is so seldom that we get an honest critic and even more that it is clarified if we don't understand. Your critic and replay are very helpful. I would like to give you my contest vote for the reviewer contest but it had to wait. I have non left this month. Please take my apologies.
    Heidi [cleo]
reply by SCTaft on 22-Sep-2008
    No problem, thank you for the consideration.
reply by the author on 22-Sep-2008
    Thanks for the friendly Re. :)
Comment from ZenTrip


What was anchoring you to the ground when you took this, cleo. I can imagine you having the spirit to be out there braving the winds but the way those palms are blown over I don't know what you used for an anchor to keep from being blown away - unless you lashed your self to a palm tree.

Love this type of shot - not for the picture per se but for the dramatic impact of journalistic style carried over into a merge of artistic expression, and conveying a sense of traumatic drama.

Certainly a strong impact when viewing, especially with Ike's destructive forces still very much in our minds. This is an image we don't often see which make it even more impactful in imagery.

No problem picking out center of interest - and color harmony, despite it chaotic fury, is also dramatic and very true to helping see the devestation such winds can bring.

Reeks of story telling quality and it's much like the shots one watches on TV news and keeps the attention riveted to see if the reporter is going to be blown away.

Even so - I must admit that there is poetry in this with the shapes and wind-tossed images of the coconut palms and the fearsome quality of the cloud-swept sky.

Very revealing image!

 Comment Written 21-Sep-2008


reply by the author on 22-Sep-2008
    Thanks so much for your thoughtful review.
    I wasn't anchored. I was standing in the water. A hour later was land under on that place. But it wasn't that dramatic. That was only 35 mph. [That's nothing. It gets critical when the wind grows about 60/70mph] It looks some more dramatic with the wind blown Palm trees in the foreground but the were blown by many storms and hurricanes. I'm not sure if they are survivors of Emily and Wilma or if it was Dean what blow them how they are now. Many of our palms on the beach grow that way because the are always in the wind. [A camera can't lie but it could be an accessory to the untrue - Who sayd that?] I toke advantage of the circumstances. I think that's legal.

    The 'Hello Dolly' picture was more dangerous to take than this one. [Saltwater in a camera usually ruins it. That is why I get a camera when other wives get a diamond or so. I'm much more crazy then you think]
    I could have posted another storm picture more dangerous in view but I wanted something different.
    You are right. I'm more of an journalist then an artist. I always want to tell a story.
    Thanks again. I'm always enjoying your reviews.
reply by ZenTrip on 22-Sep-2008
    And now I find out you are legal? Thats okay. But I love the journalism part of you that comes through - even standing in water to shoot wind blowing coconut palms. Schssh! You really are a survivor. I could use other words but I'll refrain this time. Just keep reporting
reply by the author on 23-Sep-2008
    I can't restrain my gin and chuckles. I imagine the other words. Thanks for the Re. Heidi