nothingman
by bspurgeon

Comment:
Toenail of a sort...

Ja-9
by Ja-9

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club:

Hi Janine,

I'll start by putting a couple of things out on the table for you. I'm not a big fan of shooting flowers and not an expert in any sense about what to look for, but I do enjoy looking at strong images of flowers. Take my comments with a grain of salt or a drop of honey.

I did vote in this challenge and gave this image a six. I don't know your style well enough to have expected a flower in this challenge, but I do know I'm enjoying your recent entries a lot. Especially the variety of subject matter and processing approaches. Very eclectic!

This photo is fascinating. As some of the commenters have noted it is soft with details that fit the subject so well. The single pink color palette with gradients created by petal edge lines and shadows is quite calming. The arcing lines themselves are varied and interesting - while defining a graceful diagonal path through the image. I only wonder where to land and tend to rest at the darkest section in the upper left third of the image. That said, I will say I like it a lot.

Finally, FWIW, I have to make a comparison to your Pastels entry, Pretty in Pink, which I personally think is a stronger image, although it didn't score as well. Just more fodder for the I am the Walrus score thread :-)

Bee
by OK-Photography

Comment:
OK - It's me again, from the DPC Critique Club:

I don't think I've seen a macro like this before. Really very engaging shot. The Canon lens you used is really a great lens and you've put it to good use here. The background and foreground colors meet the challenge for pastels, but the main subject might be stretch. The shallow DOF works to help isolate the honey gathering as the subject, not the bee as a whole. Compositionally, the subject placement along the right 3rd (vertical) is a strong placement choice. You might consider cropping a bit off the bottom to put the subject closer to the intersection of the vertical and horizontal thirds lines. If there's any room left on the left side, you might also consider adding a bit more breathing room to the left of the wing. Macro work is challenging with the often limited DOF, as you have here. You really got the focal plane in a good spot... although I'd be curious what a wider DOF through smaller aperture or focus stacking might do. As it stands the bee blends into the background at the rear.

I really like this photo and these suggestions are meant to encourage other options than the ones you've chosen and not as criticism of the choices you made. Nicely done!

20130216_170201 800
by Yo_Spiff

Comment:
Shadows & ambiguity. Nice.

The view
by hajeka

Comment:
I'm enjoying being part of the DPL First ten! side challenge. Yours is photo #9 in my random voting stream for the Rule of Thirds VI challenge.

Yep, the subjects are at the right place to satisfy the rule. While I'm curious about what's got their attention out of frame on the left, I'm distracted by the mass of white featureless sky.

Under The Oaks
by crik

Comment:
I'm enjoying being part of the DPL First ten! side challenge. Yours is photo #7 in my random voting stream for the Rule of Thirds VI challenge.

Nicely framed by the natural elements. For me, there's tension between the relative small size of the subject(s) and the massive tree framing the scene. Frankly, the tree wins for my attention, despite the human subject's placement using the rule of thirds.

.....at the heart of things......
by Luciemac

Comment:
I'm enjoying being part of the DPL First ten! side challenge. Yours is photo #6 in my random voting stream for the Rule of Thirds VI challenge.

So, I'm wondering if the main bubble/subject is the first to leave, or last to arrive? Can't get more Rule of Third-y than this. Good lighting, focus, exposure (perhaps too bright on the lower right?) and a consistent effective color palette.

I am the sun
by RyanW

Comment:
I'm enjoying being part of the DPL First ten! side challenge. Yours is photo #2 in my random voting stream for the Rule of Thirds VI challenge.

Obviously following the rule here, which works to bring my attention to the center circle. Unfortunately, the focus and exposure at that spot aren't as good as other parts of the image.

dragonfly
by flaherma

Comment:
I'm enjoying being part of the DPL First ten! side challenge. Yours is photo #1 in my random voting stream for the Rule of Thirds VI challenge.

Follows the rule as far as I can see. Eyes are tack sharp, and shallow DOF works to isolate part of the subject. Nice bokeh and colors. Wish the abdomen and thorax were better in focus, but hard to do in macro without focus-stacking.

swallow and perch
by skewsme

Comment:
I'm enjoying being part of the DPL First ten! side challenge. Yours is photo #10 in my random voting stream for the Rule of Thirds VI challenge.

Very interesting shot, with a sense of abstraction and concrete at the same time. The patterns on the wall immediately caught my attention in a good way. The emphasis of the bright white areas brings attention to the right side and specifically the boulder. Then... the bird appears from out of the background and its placement by the rule of thirds locks it in as the primary subject. Fascinating eye movement getting from the reveal to the bird. Cool.