Study Group 25
Eric Schweitzer

January

Title - Monhegan Island, Maine

Photographer's Comments -

This photo represents my impression of the Maine coast, using boats is part of the culture, kids enjoy the water and sand, and catching lobsters is a way of life. The image was shot with my Canon Rebel Tsi with a 17 – 85mm lens set at 20mm. Exposure was set at 1/125 at f9.0, and ISO 200. I imported into Lightroom 3.6 where I adjusted white balance, tone, added clarity, sharpened and reduced noise. I applied the les profile and adjusted the luminance for the greens and reds to make them pop a little more. I exported to Photoshop CS5 where I removed some wires and extraneous branches, sized, and saved as a jpg.

COMMENTS:

Maurees Kramer	Good capture of all the boats, sharp thru and thru, great colors of the different boats good detail, the image does relate the story of a boating community, I like the muted background.
Ed Gervais
Nick Palmieri	Okay Eric I am fighting this one. I want to love it, I think it tells a great story and I have been there and you certainly have all the components. My nits are as follows...I am thinking its a bit cluttered, while the toys in the boat add to the story, it is my opinion that they are distracting. I also think the lobster traps area bit too much in the shadows, enough that it took me a bit before I realized what they were..especially the ones in front.
Ruth Holt
Audrey Waitkus	My first impression was "too busy" - but when I read your story, I can see just why it works. I think you were right to take out the wires, because it is now a timeless scene of life on the coast of Maine. I would have also taken out the tiny strip of cloud in the upper left which I find distracting.
Nancy Seferian	You're right--this photo has all those elements which make up that culture in Maine. I hope they got it all cleaned up and stowed away before it snowed. Your framing using the diagonal line of the boats coming towards the right bottom corner and the diagonal grass behind the boats gives the composition a nice balance, and the bright colors of the boats add interest.

Eric Schweitzer

Biography I retired at the end of 2004 from the Department of Energy where I managed environmental studies for the nation’s nuclear weapons program. I set several intertwined goals to pursue in my retirement. First, to become proficient in photography using a digital camera and Photoshop, and to digitize some of the several thousand slides I have taken over the years. Second, to develop a web site where I can present some of my pictures, and third to travel to as many new places both in the US and abroad as time and health permit. My travel in the US is guided by visiting scenic places with a sub goal of visiting all 391 parks, monuments, etc. managed by the National Park Service. So far I have acquired a point and shoot camera, Nikon Coolpix 4500, and a DSLR, Canon Rebel XT, photo scanner, photo printer, Photoshop CS3 and Lightroom. I have established a web site which you can view at www.eschweitzer.net. I try to make 3-4 trips a year each of 2 to 4 weeks long. My photographic interest is primarily in travel and landscapes, and developing a digital library of family photos to go in a family history.