Curious Bug
by joebok

Comment:
The blurred background is a very interesting and a good way to highlight the insect - with the exception of the very bright white spot on the bottom left edge.

The insect is a very small part of the image and is fairly centered - not really as effective as it could be. Great coilors.

Graveyard
by emorgan49

Comment:
This is an exceptional image with loads of impact. Composition is very nice - with the excption that I'd like to see the flag less centered. The flat lighting is exactly right. You should finish way high!

A Rooster's Stare
by kim100878

Comment:
Wow! This really sings - perfect focus - crisp as can be. Colors are vibrant and are enhanced by the background colors. My only complaint is that it's cropped a bit too close as I'd like to see more of the red top notch (or whatever it is called.)

Solitudes
by zeuszen

Comment:
A true work of art. The only thing that doesn't work for me is the jogger. It does provide some scale, but that scale makes the bird seem gigantic. I love the black background that makes the bird relly pop and the muted brown in the foreground. There is a train to a town called "Ribbonsville" you should hear it approaching.

All Heaven Declares!
by aaronb532

Comment:
My oh my - what a classic! The placement of the barn is perfect - without it the dead centered mountain would be problematic. The soft colors are remarkable as is the sky's pallette. The ONLY thing I would do with this is remove the border.

You should be in the close vicinity to a town called "Ribbonsville."

Brilliance
by timj351

Comment:
You've created a very magical image that has a lot of impact. The dark shape of the tree limbs at the top are especially nice against the yellow leaves. The only negative comment - true or not - is that it looks a bit "unreal" due to post processing. (If that's not so - sorry for the comment. But no points deducted for that anyway.) You should finish way up there.

Touched by the Evening Light
by librodo

Comment:
Perfect lighting and the great pose help make this a very mysterious image. The sepia is nice but it also makes the white border very obvious. (My feeling is that if you notice the border, it's a bit distracting.)

I expect this to finish in the top group.

A new day and few rays of hope
by superdave_909

Comment:
Superb image. The muted colors give it a very relaxing feel. Definitely in the top few - and that's hard in a challnge with so many great entries.

Psst, wanna buy a hat?
by MrAkamai

Comment:
Hi Greg - This post is the result of your request for an in depth critique.

I am a member of the critique club but was NOT assigned this image.

I do have an AA degree in photography and judge photo competitions outside of DPC regularly.

I gave this image a 4 during the extraordinary challenge - which just happens to be the "most popular" score. For me the idea was great but the image itself is very diffuicult to read.

Since you asked for specific points to consider:

a) Lighting: the area of most contrast is on the man's chest and right shoulder - making the eye go there. But when you get there - there's nothing, so you need to explore more. It's better if the highest contrast area is where you want the viewer to "land." It is also very uncomforable for some if the face is difficult to see as this one is.

b) Pose: Both arms and hands are in unusual positions. The right arm is difficult to read as it is shot nearlt "head on." The left ARM looks like it may be in a position of giving you the finger - but of course it's not. The left fingers are chopped off - not a good compositioanl technique.

c) The window frame behind the man's head is a bit detracting.

d) I just asked my wife (a very talented artist) to look at the image. She thought at first glance - that it was a woman's body - because the head was in shadow and the chest area just appeared "womanly."

e) The hat on the right is a bit soft.

I think the biggest "problem" is that you were there, you heard the music and the image brings back those memories. It's much like an ocean scene that when you take it you see the scene, but you also feel the wind on your face and smell the smells so unique to the area.

Film (digital or otherwise) just can not capture smells or sounds just yet.

Another thing we must DPCers must keep in mind is that voters often press the score button very quickly and don't take time to study and appreciate each image. So - the image must be a quick read for higher scores.

Finally, remember the challenge was "Extraordinary" - so many viewers were wanting to be really wowed by somthing exceptional.

But - do NOT let this bother you - we all have peaks and valleys (and I am certainly in the valley category at the moment myself.) Keep shooting, keep submitting, and most importantly - keep having FUN!

-Tom-

Traffic
by banmorn

Comment:
Interesting pattern with super colors.