On The Edge of The Party
by Lydia

Comment:
Really awesome shot. The angle is perfect.

It's too hot !!!!
by clickodak

Comment:
Greetings from the ministry of the critique club.

I really enjoy this image. It was one of my highest rated images. I have a strong preference towards strong graphic qualities in my own photography - and this picture is the epitome of a graphic image. I really enjoy the strong basic shapes in this image, with the clean, strong lighting. It's a familiar image to us now-a-days, particularly because its reminiscent of an emoji.

Photography is all about light, and I think this image supports that. The lighting from above matches the lighting that is most common on human faces, so we get a familiar shadow on the emoji's eye sockets from the brow and nose that really brings out the link and stimulates the brain.

The biggest gripe I have with this entry isn't the photo at all - its in the title. I love the image - hate the title. I don't see the link, and to me, a good title on DPC should have a strong link with the image. Sure, that particular expression on a human could mean "its too hot", but it could also mean many other things. There's nothing in this image that links me to 'hot'. Maybe I'm just missing it. To me, some sort of reference to a pillory or maybe a hermit would be a better fit. That might bring some added dimension or comprehension to the image that would help bring some depth and emotional backing/linking.

Editing-wise, I have no complaints or criticism. It doesn't appear overworked - the B&W works fine here.

Overall, I think its a simplified, well-conceived, strong graphic image with a good clear subject. I think it was just missing that link to the human emotion (that, if you note, the top shots in this challenge seemed to have a little more of).

Hopefully you found some grain of insight here. Cheers.

The old Indian
by HalldorIngi

Comment:
In retrospect, I think I maybe should have bumped this one up a bit more. It really works well in a larger screen where you can get trapped a little more in the image. Nice capture! I can't imagine the effort required to get to this location.

The Witnesses
by Bear_Music

Comment:
I wonder if you could have hidden that background sign behind one of the viewers.

Paranoid onlooker
by MShuja

Comment:
Hm, upon viewing this on my larger monitor today, it does look oversharpened or something. Something went a little wrong with the editing, but otherwise a very cool capture. On my small cell phone screen it looked great. I still like the flow of the image overall.

Winter's Medusa
by snaffles

Comment:
Well well... greetings from the critique club.

Personally, I rated this fairly high but I think I understand why a lot of people didn't get it. When the face popped out to me, it made me smile because it took a minute for me to see it. I liked the surprise. However, on this particular shot, I think the larger DPC image size works against you. As I move away from my screen, the face in the clouds becomes more and more clear - when it gets to the relative size of a DSLR screen, it becomes very clear. For most people looking at this, the face probably didn't pop enough.

In addition, I don't think the trees add much here. If anything, they could be more of a detractor because it muddies the subject. At first, we - the viewer - think: what am I looking for here? At first glance, it just looks like a bad picture of clouds through some bare trees. But at the same time - maybe a little of that is what makes art - art.

Your title becomes the key here. At least its's the nudge in the right direction that our subconscious needs without spelling it out.

Given the image you were working with, I think you edited it about as good as you could. If you brought out the whites of the clouds more, it might not look as realistic, and might bring out the image noise too much. My only other thought editing-wise is that your white balance might be a bit too red. I'd like to see the white cooled down a bit more. Images of the sky tend to look more natural with a bluer hue.

Overall, its a good pareidolia, but not a great image by itself.

Hope you found a touch of insight here. Cheers.

The Flood
by Silaenoz

Comment:
Amazing shot. The church vs the rising tide.

Paranoid onlooker
by MShuja

Comment:
Beautiful imagery. A poem.

wake up, wake up now..
by herfotoman

Comment:
An ancient cave drawing. The aliens are attacking. Pretty cool find.

The Serve
by Cuttooth

Comment:
Great find for this challenge. Not sure if this image would stand alone or not, but it made me smile.