Full Moon, Sunrise, Chatham Light
by Bear_Music

Comment:
Two suggestions: try to bump the exposure for the moon down a bit. Probably very difficult under the light you've got since any less would woefully underexpose the lighthouse. (but hey, work your RAW magic Robert!). Second, pop your 70-200 on and get a larger moon and a tighter comp with the lighthouse. The photo will increase in appeal as the angular size of the moon increases.

My kind of shot!

Dude!
by zardoz

Comment:
Exquisite shot! Congrats on your first challenge and first ribbon!

Falling apart
by hanneke

Comment:
Absolutely wonderful shot. A great concept executed to perfection. Congrats!!

Milk and Eggs
by coronamv

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club
by strangeghost

The first three parts of this critique are written based purely on examination of your photo. "Final thoughts" is written after reviewing your score, photographer's comments, and voter comments.

TECHNIQUE
Though you want to have shadows in this image for texture and relief, it seems to me you've under-lit the scene rather badly, losing all detail in the bowl and cup. This low key effect can work in some images but I think your white surface works against you. If the surface had been black, and the dark cup and bowl just blended in with the background, leaving only the cream and eggs as white, it may have worked better. As shot, it just feels like an inadequately lit scene. There's some odd texture in the negative space at top right and elsewhere as well.

COMPOSITION
I like the placement of the subjects, forming a nice diagonal arrangement. Good crop too.· BALANCE: Is the image aligned correctly or is it crooked? Your shallow depth of field leaves the cup of cream slightly defocused. I'm not sure this is a good thing since your title seems to give them both equal weight in the composition. It's a nice still life arrangement, very clean and simple, but the technicals leave it feeling deficient.

EMOTIONAL IMPACT
Had you supplied more detail for the eye to feast upon (textures in the eggs and bowl/cup, or alternatively, gone with the low key effect, I think the image would have been more impactful. As shot, I don't think it grabs at the imagination or draws the viewer in to its world.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Your commenters pretty much stayed with the lighting and liked the comp, as did I. I think your final score of 5.7 is about right for this shot, though I have to say I didn't participate in this challenge, nor did I do much voting, so I don't know how others interpreted the theme. I like your image, but think it could have been much stronger with a more thought out lighting strategy.

Set Free
by Techo

Comment:
Brilliantly done!

Through the Foliage
by L1

Comment:
Sweet. Very nice play of light an shadow. Awesome technical elements (lighting, focus, etc.). Well done!

New, Improved, Graduated RD (Rainbow Density) Filter
by GeneralE

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club
by strangeghost

The first three parts of this critique are written based purely on examination of your photo. "Final thoughts" is written after reviewing your score, photographer's comments, and voter comments.

TECHNIQUE
This is a very unique image, one where the usual technical benchmarks are hard to judge. Color saturation is certainly rich. Focus on the mono background is adequate.

COMPOSITION
Wow. What to say? It's a very interesting and different concept. I love the idea behind the image. I can see that the leaves behind the filter are green but the effect is very subtle. I believe the intent of the image is to show that this magical filter somehow imbues color to an otherwise drab BW image. If so, I'd have punched out the greens until they nearly popped out the top. But how to achieve this and preserve the colorful rainbow filter?? I imagine that this is what you struggled with in post processing as well. As shot, it takes some time to appreciate and I'm wondering how many DPC voters invested the time necessary to appreciate such an image.

EMOTIONAL IMPACT
The more I think about it, I wonder if you would have better served this concept by muting the filter colors and jacking up the tree-green?? I can't decide. I think it would have had more initial impact if this had been the way. As presented, the filter captures the eye quickly and the background trees seem almost an afterthought. The conceptual foundation of the image is wonderful, but the execution probably lacks that 'pop' that DPC voters seem to expect and demand.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Your commenters were mixed with most liking the concept and a few missing the point entirely. Given your final score of 4.9, I'm guessing most voters gave it a quick look, didn't see the point, voted low and moved on. Same sad story. This is a very strong concept and one that, shot a little differently, probably would have pushed six or higher.

Nuns On The Run
by Coley

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club
by strangeghost

The first three parts of this critique are written based purely on examination of your photo. "Final thoughts" is written after reviewing your score, photographer's comments, and voter comments.

TECHNIQUE
Good, clean looking image with great color saturation, contrast; good focus and sharpness, considering you're probably shooting from a moving vehicle, and perfect exposure. Technically excellent.

COMPOSITION
it's a little awkward the way you've cut off the back of the van, and a little of the open doorway, but I see the reasoning - trying to get the background scenery in for the blur, having the van appear to come out of the left and move through the photo. It has a very dynamic feel. The models are posed excellently, with an edge and attitude. I recognized this shot as your work immediately. Your girls - and your van - have appeared in some memorable DPC photos. Your composition is capped with a wonderful touch of humor in the title.

EMOTIONAL IMPACT
The intent is clearly humor, and it's humor you've managed to communicate. I'd love for the expressions to be a little clearer on the facts, harkening back to the unforgettable "good habits, bad habits" shot from an earlier challenge. I can just see enough to tell that the same expressions are present here, but without the big impact that comes from having their faces so prominently displayed. So you can tell that my response to your picture is colored somewhat by my memory of an earlier work of yours. How does it play with the average, uninitiated voter?? My guess is that this would be a middle-of-the-road shot, probably in the mid to high fives. Clever and well done, but without the punch of the unmistakable DPC "wow" factor.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Your comments were almost overwhelmingly favorable and only two outright recognitions of your previous work. Given the positive nature of the comments, I'm a little surprised at your 5.5 finish, though that's in the range that I predicted. Good work. This was an enjoyable image to critique!

Message edited by author 2006-07-05 23:48:05.

Sunset Indulgence
by Strikeslip

Comment:
Wow, this photo is a stunning achievement. Way to go Slippy!!

Hummingbird Profile
by Marjo

Comment:
Simply gorgeous.