My Debut!!! Yeah I Am New :)

[JaguarXJ7]

Hello Everyone, first off I would like to say what an awsome forum this is. I have been readiing for days and can't get over the sense of community; the passion for photography seems so obvious in every post I have read. An incredible support system from which I hope to fine tune this craft. I am not really new to photography, but am new to taking it serious. I have finally developed enough courage to post a couple of my images from a recent trip to Cuba for your honest, but gentle opinions and critiques. So here I go ...........

The Black & White is a conversion from a backlit colour image using an Alien Skin infrared filter in Photoshop CS2 (no cropping or other retouching). The flower is straight from the camera untouched in any way.

[thescottandrew]

love the photos, do you have anymore from this trip???

oh, you'll love it here

[JaguarXJ7]

love the photos, do you have anymore from this trip???

oh, you'll love it here

Thank You very much and yes I do. Here is a few more ................ all of these are straight from the camera (except for resizing)

Pool bar and surroundings at night.
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/3558/cubatrip0288ch9.jpg

A wonderfully lit palm tree on a slightly breezy night, the breeze accounts for the blurring.
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/6429/cubatrip0283bt7.jpg

I am going to work on this one in PS to remove the people on the right and the top of the horse carriage, mid left area.
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/4303/cubatrip0275mn3.jpg

I can't decide if I like the big palm branch at the top of this one, but it certainly fills what would have otherwise been a large area of black sky.
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/1095/cubatrip0254jy6.jpg

Thanks so much for your interest in my photos, I only hope you enjoyed them.

[ilovemycamera]

i like the pool shot, and i think if you cropped a little of the top of the branch you would like the shot 10x better!

[JaguarXJ7]

i like the pool shot, and i think if you cropped a little of the top of the branch you would like the shot 10x better!

You may be right, it is a whole lot of branch. Thanks

[bromm]

Great captures, welcome to the forum.Always nice to have another East coaster around.

[JaguarXJ7]

Thanks bromm, good to be here. Glad to hear you liked my pics.

[JaguarXJ7]

I can't learn if you don't post a comment or two. Thanks again to those that did.

[kato1]

I went to Cuba on honeymoon 2 years ago.
Stayed at Varedero.
These pics brought all the memories back.
Fab country and lovely people.... very friendly.