A Penny For Your Thoughts
by BooZon

Comment:
Composition and exposure are good, but lighting appears flat. Without a compelling expression on the subject, dramatic lighting is almost a necessity to create interest. Either one or both would probably boost your score dramatically. BTW- I think I have the same watch. ;-)

Great Grandpa,Chuck and his story book.
by camelotnorth

Comment:
Good color and exposure. The raised eyebrows provide a nice expression. The background is really odd-looking. Looks like you've smudged a background plant in Photoshop, but the result looks like black plastic trash bags. Maybe a dark shirt would have tied the two together? Cropping the elbow off the right side for a vertical format looks better to me, and keeps the subject from facing out of the frame as much. Overall, still an above-average attempt.

Safari Sam
by Jacko

Comment:
OK, so now it's a race for second place. Fabulous, as usual. The only thing I can think of involves your camera settings... make sure the camera's date is set to 1892, so we mortals have a chance. 10

Dreamer
by Nazgul

Comment:
Technically a good photo, but emotionally underwhelming (my main criticism). The expression seems to be more of a blank stare than daydreaming. The color is good, and I like how the background matches the eyes. The light appears to be coming from an odd direction (underneath the face)- I think it might work better higher up and more to one side.

Fun in the sun
by Chefboz

Comment:
It does meet the challenge, and exposure/focus are fine, so I would have given the shot a 5 or 6 on that basis. The biggest issues are that the subject matter is rather dull (to me, anyway), and the desaturation doesn't really serve much purpose for this type of shot. The subject stands out with composition alone, so it's not really the sort of "red dress in a crowd" situation that would justify the technique (in retrospect, my own entry falls into this category). If entered in any other challenge, people would be asking why you desaturated. Also, the focus seems a little soft (maybe from resizing), and the subject's feet are white- either a PS error or a drawback of using Achilles' Tanning Salon. ;-)

BTW- I lived in the Greenville area until I was 13, so I might have actually used this pool.

Message edited by author 2004-06-21 22:21:44.

Coin Toss: Heads or Tails
by soccerdad

Comment:
I also think this should have scored better. The concept and execution are very good. The DOF seems off one way or the other- either shallower DOF to simulate motion blur on the top coins or deeper DOF to get them in focus. You might crop a bit off the bottom, too. With those minor changes, I'd have given this an 8.

Sharing Wisdom
by soccerdad

Comment:
A clever idea with mundane objects. Good focus and color. A shallower DOF would really help rivet your attention on the central figure. I'd like to see the figures facing each other more (maybe from the left side) to play up the 'sharing' aspect.

Stems
by soccerdad

Comment:
The concept is excellent, but the blurry vase likely killed your score... it's a major distraction. I'm surprised your shutter speed was so long- was this shot in the evening? I'll bet if you had placed the camera on the ground and shot with a smaller aperture using the self-timer, you would have scored around 6.

Leader of the Band
by soccerdad

Comment:
Very nice portrait. I never saw an instrument like that before (looks like a giant, aboriginal pool cue). The use of multiple light sources is clearly evident, though not a primary aspect of the image (to me, at least). Once again, you obviously know your stuff when it comes to exposure and color. The highlights and shoulder don't bother me at all, and I like the radiant streaks in the background. I would have scored this about a 7 (technically outstanding, but the subject doesn't excite me personally).

On My Honor...
by soccerdad

Comment:
The disconnect between the hand and "floating" medal is strange to me, and the only real problem I see with this shot. In retrospect, you probably DO need the medal, if only to keep the "breeze-through voters" from thinking that you are just showing a literal three with the fingers. Perhaps if you showed a scout uniform in the background or simply held the medal with your thumb, the two elements would tie together better. I still think exposure and color were perfect, and agree with scrum8 that the BSA might find a good use for this photo. ;-)