Showoff
by aliqui

Comment by snaffles:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Dang I wish you'd had a bigger lens up when you saw the dolphin(?)...it could have been an amazing shot. But with only 50mm to play with I am afraid that the beastie got lost in all the waves. Not sure what could have caused that line, probably just light shifting around a bit. Composition is only OK in my opinion, with the horizon perilously close to level and beastie close to centre. Still a respectable finish for a FS entry.

Feel free to PM me with any questions,

Susan

Showoff
by aliqui

Comment by colorcarnival:
Love the mood. The dolphin having a good time alone makes me stare in awe.

Showoff
by aliqui

Comment by kiwinick:
good isa well done

vote 5

Battery Point Lighthouse
by aliqui

Comment by sidpixel:
Greetings from the Critique club

An appealing landscape that contributes well to the open challenge

I don't think I would like to be in those waters they look rather dangerous and definitely in need of the lighthouse. I like your composition it is well constructed, the placement of the lighthouse with its distinctive red roofs is perfect and the trees really add to that part of the scene but what really makes this are the foreground rocks with the motion of the breaking waves, its lovely. The low clouds are acting as a diffuser for the light overall and also adding a sense of foreboding fitting for the scene.

Apologies for the long delay for this critique, Sid

Niagara's Horseshoe Falls
by aliqui

Comment by sidpixel:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A popular scene that adds a good contribution to the open challenge.

I am amazed at how much critical feedback you have received here, I assume you have asked for these contributions. Anyway, they make some interesting observations but one in particular is, I feel, unduly brutal. I will try and give you my independent honest opinion regardless of your other commenters.

My initial reaction is that I don't see a great deal wrong with this per se. Given the lens you have used you have a more restricted view than a wider angle lens would have given you and so you are a little more limited in your options. I get a feel of the power of the water and can imagine the sound and the damp from the mist. That has to be the most important element of such an image and for me, it succeeds, so well done. Perhaps tilting the camera down a little to include more water instead of sky is a possibility?

I like the detail in the building and again given your viewpoint and lens you either include it exactly as you have, or you crop it out, in which case you would also crop the top of the cliff edge over which the water is roaring, definitely not desirable, so well done again. For me the building adds interest, it looks as though it may well be a hydro power station?

The colours and detail are good throughout, there are no blown highlights which would have been easy with this sort of exposure. The autumnal colours tell us the season, the colour and detail of the water is excellent. I wonder if your denoise was necessary given your low ISO? I like the generally muted colours as opposed to HDR overkill that is so often seen here.

Its unfortunate it didn't score higher, I gave it a 7 at the time and would still give it the same score. Apologies for the late critique, but as they say, better late than never, Sid

Sweet Gum Seed Pod - Liquidambar Styraciflua
by aliqui

Comment by sidpixel:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

An interesting image that meets the challenge well.

What an interesting plant you have here, I like it. The colours are very appealing especially against the lovely colour of the leaf.

Your lighting technique has worked well to give a generally uniform and even result though there are one or two brighter spots they are still well detailed. I am not so keen on the OOF areas in the foreground, I see you are either at or close to the limit with your aperture at f20. Given that I would have preferred for the focus point to have been moved closer so that they were in focus, this may well have made the background even softer but I think that would have been acceptable and preferable.

Apologies for the delayed critique, as they say, better late than never, Sid

Sweet Gum Seed Pod - Liquidambar Styraciflua
by aliqui

Comment by MadMan2k:
Excellent detail. A very alien looking seed pod there.

Sweet Gum Seed Pod - Liquidambar Styraciflua
by aliqui

Comment by eniko:
Beautiful colors, shapes and depth. In my top 5

Sweet Gum Seed Pod - Liquidambar Styraciflua
by aliqui

Comment by mariuca:
a gaggle of gossipy pods?

Niagara's Horseshoe Falls
by aliqui

Comment by MargaretNet:

Originally posted by ubique: (and many others) would resent my feedback

Yes, I mostly resent it. It goes against the friendly competitive spirit of DPC and hurts the most enthusiastic photographers unnecessarily. I see your feedback as a BIG ego trip.