at first, i didn't see the picture in picture effect here. that makes the shot so much more interesting, i think. nice capture!

it's so contrasted, like a book out of a childs novel out in the cold. I liked the whitby self-portrait as it was a succesful experimentation and I wouldn't mind seeing the effect again.

I think you shouldn't put too much weight in our comments Sam. Go with what your heart tells you. If you like the photo then go for it. After all this is your imagery site, but this is only my humble opinion on the matter.

Nice crisp photo. I like the subject matter. Its a very apt warning. Spontanious ledge leaping into the falls is on the climb, i believe, so we should all pay attention to the warning signs. After all it is very dangerous to try jumping over one leg at a time. You might slip on the ice and hurt yourself. Its much better to get a running start and leap with both legs. (just kidding... i hope no one really would do something so foolish.)

This was a very amuzing photo. Thanks

Ah, litigious humanity......always having to be warned against something that's rather obvious! Please, please try to refrain from jumping over the Falls.

I love the swoopy ice spirals on this one.

I didn't comment on it, but I loved the abstract painting you showed us yesterday, Sam - the horses' legs also reminded me of the (I think) Duchamp painting of the scurrying dog.

to each his own, sam.

back to the current pic, aside from the obvious great contrast, and the play with shapes, i like the fact that signboard captured the real grill design in the "danger sign".

I love this one. And the whitby self-portrait one was one of my favorites. I emailed the link to my mom who used to do her fair share of photography. She liked that one too. Yours is my first photoblog to check every day. Keep 'em coming. Ü

I like today's photo, very simple, yet keeps the eye captured for a while. The sign really sticks out. You had to have done some post modification on this pic. :)

As for the last two photos people have liked or disliked. I liked the self portrait simply because of it's simplicity, you see yourself moving through the frame, but the rest of the frame is constant. It's almost like you are a ghost.

For the police shot, the whole picture seems blurry to me. It's a nice mix of colour so I can see how some people like it, but colour alone doesn't do it for me.

Keep up the excellent work. I look forward to tomorrow's picture every day.

This again is very cool. I am seeing cinnamon buns. Seriously, I like this, Sam. I also agree with your commentary just below this pic; yesterday's foto was among my favorites. It still blows me away that anyone would go on this site or anyone else's and say things like "this is your worst work." It seems pretty cowardly to me to do so. I am positive that these same people, who have little to no quality photography work of their own, would not walk up to someone on the street and say, "hey, I hate your hair; this is your worst hair day ever." So as I look at these kinds of people who comment from the safety of being behind a computer monitor, I must say that .... well no, I won't go there. Let's just say... consider the source. Regardless of anyone's churlish opinions, your ratings throughout the web, worldwide, speak for themselves.

Hahaha! Great picture.

Sam I also was interested by the diverse opinions to yesterdays post, (one of the great things about this site is you post ALL opinions) and to read that some loved it and some hated it just goes to prove that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but this isnt a beauty contest, it is a site devoted to art and nothing else, and in art anything goes, if you dont like it, dont look at it , if you do , then thats what it's all about, I dont expect to think ALL posts should be AMAZING, but only to be allowed to be privelleged enough to share in someone elses view that is being posted for free.....todays is very cool, don't study the negativity Sam, its all good, as is life, some just havent realized that yet, .....forgive me I wax poetic.... or is it pathetic... todays is good , like it a lot .... D

If this is the railing by the water in NF, the sign is redundant. Makes for humour in the subject. The texture of the iced water vapour is beautifully rendered. The wrought iron railing has the same motif as the one here on my paris balcony. Old !

First off I think this is a great shot. Secondly I'm amazed that so many people reacted negatively to your previous post. I somtimes think people have a very limited definition of what good photography is. I know so much of this boils down to tastes, but I'm still sort of taken aback when people can't at least appreciate a shot for what it is even if it's not their cup of tea.

I recently put a shot up that I quite liked but I received the ultimate in negative responsess, i.e. none at all :P

I actually liked yesterday's photo (you said people hated it) but it made me feel a bit like being in a drugged fall. The colors were lovely.

Yeah thats true... But the Whitby's one really was awsome!

The hallmark of great art is the ability to cause a strong response, either positive or negetive, in the beholder. It is much better to hear someone say "That is the worst piece of garbage I've ever seen." than to have them forget they ever saw it. At least you know you have reached them.

Also, you can't have good work without bad. Otherwise how would you be able to tell the difference?

Ahh well, everyone has an opinion. It's a good idea that if you don't like something, try not to sound like an idiot. Don't say "it's bad", because others will like it. Say "I don't like it". There, you don't even have to give a reason to backup your claim.

I like your Whitby photos, and yesterday's photo, while not my favourite, wasnt exactly 'bad'. It reminded me of impressionist paintings for some reason.

This one is a tad uninteresting to me. And for some reason I got the image of frozen tank threads, but I think the fact that one of my projects involves a toy tank might have something to do with that one...

I like the idea of this one, the juxtaposition of the clean, crisp sign and the "natural," ragged edges of the ice, along with the fact that the icy rail probably makes it more dangerous. But it just doesn't do it for me. I almost think I'd like it better if it were just the picture of the rail without the sign - sure, there wouldn't be a real focal point, but that's way more interesting and beautiful to me.

How I identify a "good" photo: In the first milliseconds that I look at it, before I comprehend what it is, I get a little jolt in my gut. Something about the naked image, detached from What It Is, logic, or intellectual thought, gooses me on a emotional level. This one does it.

gorgeous photo - oh, and i liked yesterdays photo, i thought it was clever. i wouldn't say your best, but it was good. i really like this one though. i like ice. ice is fun. ;)

great picture..
about your comment about yesterday's photo...i think that it's all about what you wanted the photo to be like in your head.
like, if i take a photo, and it turned out exactly how i pictured it in my head...i'm going to think it's perfect. But maybe to others, they won't see what i see..
haha does that even make sense?

p.s great work, sam

In reposnse to yesterday's picture. It's interesting to see the amount of people who lack the most basic sense of an imagination and require every picture to be sharp, clear, in focus for it to be "good".
This picture today is good but yesterday's blurry Lomo was far more a piece of Art.

very sharp for 1/6 sec!

I loved loved the Whitby self-portrait and this pic is cool too...I check for your next new photo everyday, so I hope you keep 'em comin'. you have great talent.

I was at this location last year in September (before the snow) and was focusing on what would have been a great shot -- some one actually standing on the ledge above the sign to snap a photo. As i framed the shot someone else stepped in front and blocked my view until the person got back off the rail. Seeing this sign with the ice on the rail makes the "danger' all the more apparent.

I like this shot, particularly the ice in the pattern. As far as the content itself, I always think it's a sad testament to humanity's general stupidity that it's actually necessary to post signs like this. Having been to Niagara Falls, I have to say it's unbelievable that anyone would think "Wow, I think I'm going to climb over the side and go frolic for a bit" but of course it does happen. :)

Very cool capture of an image, with the Danger sign railing being exactly the same as its posted on....I would have expected the sign artist to at least have out his sign within the sign...c'mon !!

As for the two posts you have mentioned, Sam, I think they were great abstract photos, taken with a creative thought in mind. The Lomo blurred photo may have been a bit toooo blurry, but still indeed a great image of light trails...and the Whitby self portrait was a "DYNAMITE" photo. Was an eerie image, and perfectly thought for the setting.

The same debate we had several months back regarding comments may come back, but hopefully not. If ppl want photos of birds and buildings, wrong photoblog then.....but if ppl want someone who can be creative and go 'outside' the stock photography, stay, and show him some respect, and tell him why you don't like his image capture.

Sam, I think some people just don't get how hard it is to post the "Worlds Greatest Photo" every single day. This photo is great, along with the two photos you mentioned in the comments, especially the Whitby self portrait. I come here everyday to get a glimpse of Toronto from the eyes of Sam. So that is what I intend to see! Good job.

Think of the opinions expressed as coming from your regular tribe of visitors. They expect a certain type of shot from you and and a different type of shot from chromasia; their expectations may even lead to rejection of one site. The two shots you cited are more like "chromasia," which is different from you. You may have liked them for their novelty, they may have liked them because they didn't want to see it. Deniro doing comedy is still a bit of a shock.

another weather induced photo. hmmm. I always think twice before coming, but come back anyway.
thank you for sharing.

i liked yesterday's and withby's photos. but this one is awesome, i love it. i think the contrast between the sign and the ice is great. and also i can believe that place is that cold, i'm amazed... there's ice inbetween iron swirls. here the coldest day of the year is like 27ºC

I made some shots of this subject when was at Niagara falls recently :)
Yes, very impressive subject. I didn't emphasized DANGER sign nevertheless. The iced hence is interesting itself.
Thank you Sam, anyway, you proved this is interesting not to me only :)

If someone wants to look at:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/netske/25202.html#cutid1
The only sorrow is I used a poor camera :)

The ice looks so fake. =O interesting shot.

I've recently put up 3 new pics on my blog, (its slowly turning into a photoblog I think) check it out for me plz? (click name) (I'm no pro, and I've yet to take a shot I really really like but thats bound to come by this summer) Sam you've inspired me into digging deeper into photography :)

Thanks!

It's really important to keep doing what you're doing, no matter what feedback you have.
Visual art in particular is highly subjective. If you asked anyone to name their favourite artist, then made them comment on every single work that artist did, they would have differing opinions as to the best image. You're getting stuff out there day after day, and it's to your credit that there is variety in your material.
For every shot you do, if there's one person who thinks it's great, or it inspires them in some way, then you've done a positive thing which makes the world a better place. More than one, well it has a cascade effect & is very welcome.
To anyone who criticises without offering something better or a link to something better, well, use your brain, get some perspective & criticise something more life-and-death than someone offering images. It's a voluntary contribution/ free site, after all.
Criticism can be constructive & you'll use it as you choose, but in something like this, stick with what you love. "Good/bad" photos - irrelevant. What you're doing is ultimately good. You obv. invite criticism of all sorts by sharing your images & it's all valid, but criticism cuts deeper than any respect for most people - shame the critics don't recognise that. Keep going. i.f.

Not bad

makes you want to climb over :P

I have to say that the Whitby Self Portrait is one of my favorites and while Cops in Motion is not, I don't dislike it.

I think that I am a highly imaginative person and when I look at Cops in Motion, I see Centaurs. Quite symbolic, don't you think?

Sam, your artistic talent is rare and touching. And while you can't impress every person with every photo, you can impress someone with each. Ahhh, the beauty of art.

BTW, nice shot today. The colors are so crisp, it almost looks like the sign was added later...

Just wanted to say that I come every day and love nearly everything you have up here -- people who don't love each photo are probably a bit more vocal than those of us who just sit back and enjoy. Nothing wrong with criticism and questions, of course, just saying that there are probably a lot more "Keep up the great work!" posts that just don't get made because we feel like we're not adding much.

Keep up the great work!

In my crtical thinking class we call this "Monstrous Freedom". That is if you wanted to you could leap over the edge. Love the stark contrast, and the chill effect is so heavy I could almost see the cold air expelling out of my lungs, fogging up my screen. Good stuff

Awesome.

Striking. Then funny. Then filled with lots of great details.

The real reason the warning sign is there is that in winter sometimes the ice on the wall becomes rather high. Thus, short people and children have trouble seeing over the edge. Some people think its a good idea to climb up the wall to see the beauty of the falls. I am sure they are thinking they will take a lot of caution and be careful, but it is still terribly dangerous. Also children all year round are often allowed (out of stupidity and neglect by their parents) to climb the wall and see the falls. Furthermore there are just moronic adults and teenagers who want a better view amidst the crowds and try the samething. Lastly and most sadly, Niagara is one of the most popular spots for suicide. Every year the bodies collected down river of people who have leaped during the night is horrifying. I once watched a doumentary about the falls that interviewed one of the men responsable for collecting them.

Steady hands and 1/6 sec!!!!

i've got a photo of this sign from when i was 15 (1995). I was visiting a friend in oakville and i went with his family to Niagara Falls. We got a photo of me pretending to climb over the railings in the same way as that guy in the sign, with the sign in the picture. it's strange how photo's can evoke memories for different people in different ways.

ben

this looks almost fake... its very interesting though. im a huge fan of ddoi and i check it religiously. yesterday's photo was also cool. but i can see people's problem/disklike with it. the whitby self-portrait on the other hand is probibly one of the coolest photos i have ever seen. its awsome!

Take one from the helicopter ride there next time. I would love to see one. For now, I will just imagine those as currents from a bird's eye view.

Do not whiz on the electric fence.