It was but a fleeting moment
by thrumyiis

Comment:
I usually hate stuff like this. Not this one. Still don't love it, but I gave it an 8.

#2
by Rmac

Comment:
Great contrast. Just a bit too dark on the right for me. 7

Eternal Selfie
by GeorgesBogaert

Comment:
Dammit, get you verticals straight!! I love this, but my OCD is kicking in!! 8

Partially Obscured
by markwiley

Comment:
Love this image. For lots of reasons. Can't give it a 10 because I find stuff I could pick on, but dammit, it makes me smile.

getting the shot
by KMcC

Comment:
Critic Club Comment:

I really like this capture - it's a wonderful candid shot, though it makes me really wonder what it is she's going for with that shot. And while I really like the moment captured, I'm not as crazy about the processing. The crop seems like it's set too high. I'd much prefer at least as much room above the swan as below, and perhaps more - crop up and in from the bottom right until the gaps match and I think it works just fine. The rest of the processing is just heavy handed for me - and I get that this can be a style thing, it's just not mine. Noise reduction seems heavy handed and many of your textures, from the shirt to the skin and hair and bricks, are nonexistent - it's painterly smooth, and while that could be exactly what you were going for I'm not a fan. At ISO 500 I can't imagine there was that much noise to begin with, so that you chose to apply it twice is very curious to me. The vignetting, in particular, is not only overdone but likely unnecessary for the shot, and the fact that it runs through the swan's head is a huge no-no in my book. The only purpose it serves, in my mind, is removing some of the potential distraction you have on the right - something the crop mentioned above would have solved. As I look at this, I'm thinking this would have played wonderfully as a more hi-keyed black and white.

Again, I'm happy to say that my complaints about the processing may be purely stylistic, so please take it with a grain of salt if all you find yourself saying is, "But that's what I was going for". However, the crop (too much room at the bottom) and the vignette across the swan's head are the two things that I would point to as the real issues with the otherwise wonderful capture, and I'd want to see them fixed even if nothing else was changed. It is truly well seen and something that appeals to this "bird nerd" who has witnessed his fair share of odd points of view taken by other photographers.

A candid plant that becomes a bonsai
by clickodak

Comment:
Critique Club Comment:

Ah, Marcel, we meet again.

Mr. Rene is a nice subject for a candid shot, but I'm not all that happy with the image here, and neither were many of the voters.

Let me first address the selective color. I am not a fan of it, but I believe it might have worked here had you limited it to only the plant and clippings in front of him. The rest of the green, particularly the stuff on the shelves, is very distracting and given the choice I believe you would have been better off with just straight black and white. I suspect you just desaturated every color channel but green, right? Not the best way to do selective color.

As for the image, again, while the subject seems interesting the capture is just OK. I really would have preferred the person be in focus as well as the plant, or just the person. The plant is interesting, but even its use in the title doesn't convince me you can have a "plant candid". Had you moved a little to the left and zoomed/cropped in on just his hands and the plant that would have worked as well, but it still plays as less of a "candid" shot. Lots of background distractions take away from the subject.

Again, I think there was definitely a good candid photo to be had here, but from this vantage point I don't see anything. A different angle and more attention to the person in the shot might have done much better, particularly if you dropped the selective color.

James A. Garfield Memorial Detail
by photokop

Comment:
Critique Club:

Ah, once again I get to expand on a comment I left during the challenge. For the record, I was one of your 7's.

I really love the detail in the statue. The "artificial light" you mention definitely gives the statue a wonderful, mild sepia glow. I know there are a lot of people here who repeat the "sick to death of HDR" mantra, and while I too am tired of overstructured skies and landscapes I do believe it has its place and it works here - though I'd need to see the originals to understand why you chose to use it and then leave the very distinct shadows. I suspect the HDR structuring kept folks from giving you higher marks and perhaps even just throwing a 1, 2 or 3 at it.

As I said originally, if I find one real fault with this it's the lit area to the left of the statue. The coupling of more saturated color and brightness just distracts from the real subject of the photo. It's like a flashing neon sign outside a hotel window beckoning you to pay attention to it instead of falling asleep. Had you desaturated and darkened that area I believe you would have seen 9's and possibly a 10 or two instead of capping out at 8.

Never give up...
by Judi

Comment:
Perhaps a little too aggressive an image for an infant's room? Nice edit though.

Moosy wallpaper
by hajeka

Comment:
Perfect for an infant's room in terms of content and contrast. Maybe just a tad too "trippy" for some, but not for me. ;)

E M I L I E
by RamblinR

Comment:
Nicely done for a child's room. I'd love to see a little more definition between the animal and the background along the left edge.