do not enter
by theonemule

Comment by photoslik1967:
the lines and texture give this photo a unique look and feel met challenge

do not enter
by theonemule

Comment by posthumous:
I didn't think soft focus would work for black & white, but you proved me wrong.

do not enter
by theonemule

Comment by talj:
IMHO this is an example of the use of depth of field not soft focus

do not enter
by theonemule

Comment by charmayne:
while i like this type of image it probably isn't a subject best suited to soft focus. The foreground is OOF with the background in focus

A is for April
by theonemule

Comment by yanko:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

This fits the challenge however I feel it doesn't do more than that. The cropping is too tight and the image could be sharper. Also the image has too little contrast and for a black/white image that's pretty much the kiss of death in these challenges. If you have access to a program like Photoshop or a free version like GIMP, I would make a histogram adjustment (levels or curves) to make the blacks blacker and whites whiter. A levels "auto" adjustment would accomplish that.

However, improving this photograph with editing wouldn't have gotten you a much higher score as the photo itself feels too much like a snapshot to begin with. While those can sometimes producing great candids and keepsakes they are generally not scored highly in the challenges so keep that in mind. To improve in the challenges you need something that says wow to the voter and probably the best way to do that is with lighting and color along with post processing. So if you are interested in any studio work or editing in general I would frequent the forums as there are lots of good info there to get you started.

lunar eclipse by streetlight
by theonemule

Comment by obsidian:
Challenge: SHADOWS III
Description: Creatively capture a shadow
Advanced Edit
lunar eclipse
Fit: Clearly meets the challenge 1

Aesthetics: Well composed, aesthetically pleasing 2

Technical: Technically OK 1
Could have done with some better relief on the lamp post
Wow: Real impact 2
I like this shot but could do with more tonal variation
Total Score = 6

A is for April
by theonemule

Comment by vikas:
I like the idea behind the shot ..although the shot is not executed so well .. image is soft, composition is a little off.. nice attempt though!

lunar eclipse by streetlight
by theonemule

Comment by pacpinto:
Simple, in fact, too simple... without the title it would be almost unexplainable, IMHO. Sorry, not a winner.

Lake Pontchartrain July 2005
by theonemule

Comment by ChrisW123:
Looks grainy. These kinds of shot at dusk with ocean and dark sky need NeatImage in most cases. I would have tweaked the color balance to add a little green also.

Sunrise on the way to School
by theonemule

Comment by Falc:
Nice try, the road is in too deep a shadow and therefore bcomes a secondary element to the sunrise.