This is a job for... Indestructable-Mylar-Baloon
by justamistere

Comment:
Great job all around the photo captures my attention and retains it. Which usually would be a good thing except that "Superman blowup". :P Really I wish you would of used a prop that along with the theme of the photo and the processing. I'm not going to knock you for having a bad prop (at least it shows you put something in the room) But I would love to see this photo retaken with the same editing with a corresponding prop. I believe it would be great. 7

The invincible
by Simpa

Comment:
From the Critique Club

Hi- OK I'm going to keep it real here and straight to the point. I think you had a good Idea even though statues don't seem to go over well here. If your subject would of been in proper focus and minimal noise along with better border placement you would of pulled it off.

When taking this kind of shot the focus is going to have to be spot on and your going to have to eliminate most or all noise making a clean shot. I like the lighting and the warmth. I believe a border was need on this photograph but yours is off set (not even) and I think its placement would of been better around the edges of your photograph.

Overall a good shot that could of been benefited with a lower ISO and more post processing. Keep up the good work and wish you well in future challenges.

I hope you find this critique helpful and if you have any questions feel free to contact me.

regards,
SDW

Make All My Dreams Come True
by librodo

Comment:
From the Critique Club

First off congratulations on your top 5 finish. A great shot!

What can I say that has not already been said. This is a great portrait. A very photogenic model and almost perfect processing. The DOF is great along with your focus. If I had to pick on one or two things it would be the background. It's texture almost overwhelms the texture of her garment. And the rose IMO is to sharp and it almost is a distraction from the models face. However the model won out :).

Overall a great photograph properly set up from the pose to the lighting. I think you almost nailed it with just those two slight distractions. Keep up the good work and I hope you find this critique helpful. If you have any questions about this critique feel free to contact me.

regards,
SDW

"I'm Looking Through You"
by veocon

Comment:
From the Critique Club

Hi- A pretty good portrait but there are a few things that should of been removed and a few thing that should of been added to make your shot work better IMO.
For example the first thing I noticed when I opened up your image was that you are hand holding the camera not using a tripod. That's ok but should not jump out at the viewer. If you would of cropped the right side I believe that would of help this issue but a tripod would of been the best giving you more range in your setup.
In a portrait photograph where the face is shown I believe the eyes are the key to success. Both people in your photograph have there eyes very dark not giving us a connection with them like it would of been if we were able to see the eyes. I would have suggested the eyes being brighter so we could see what direction they were looking.
The female has a very pleasant smile and very photogenic so more detail and contrast would of been great. I also believe a tighter crop may have helped.
You did a good job converting to B&W and the Dof is good.

Overall I think this shot would of been worth taking again with a tripod. Using the same B&W conversion but with a little more contrast. Do away with anything that does not enhance the shot and draw our attention to the elements that make the shot. Good photograph and I hope you find this critique helpful. If you have any questions concerning this critique feel free to contact me.

regards,
SDW

Goodbye
by JLThomas

Comment:
From the Critique Club

Ok keeping it real here. I like what you attempted to accomplish. A very interesting set up and honestly feel it could of worked well if executed properly. There is something I am learning finally after two years here at DPChallenge and I think it applies to photography in general. If any portion of your photograph does not enhance the shot take it out or do everything legal to lessen it's appearance. That should of been done with the wrinkles in your backdrop (white) and on the floor especially. I'm looking at the subject, which by the way has nice textures on the seat, but my eyes are pulled down to the wrinkles on the floor just below the chair. Then when my eyes focus on that my peripheral vision brings my eyes up to the reflection's on the white backdrop on the side. See how elements that are distracting should of been remove or lessen there appearances in the photograph.

My take on your picture is that it's about a person here one second and gone the next. I hope I'm right on that. What you could of done is increase the appearance of the subject matter. In your photograph it is overpowered by the distractions. Well all except for the chair. The shirt should, IMO, been bolder not letting us see though it. and the shoes should of been brightened up to get more detail.

These are some of the thing I feel you could of done to make this photograph better. You are showing that you have the ability to be very creative and effective in your setup physically now it comes down to technically and I believe your are on the right track and we will be seeing higher scores from you.

Keep up the good work and I hope you find this critique helpful. If you have any questions about my critique feel free to contact me. I wish you the best in your future challenges.

regards,
SDW

Free as a Bird
by STEINR

Comment:
From the Critique Club

First off I can't help but feel you may have entered this in the wrong challenge as a lot other commenter's have suggested. If so it is a shame because you have a great picture here that with a little more post processing would of made a great challenge entry. Even with your score be proud of your photo because it is very good.

Composition and lighting is nice and the dof is great. The bird is slightly soft focus but could of been enhanced in editing. The subject looks very good against the broken background. There is not much more to add that others have not brought to your attention. I find in this case not meeting the challenge really brought your score lower than it should of been.

Overall a very good photograph with a little more processing could of made it great. Also entering it in another challenge would of helped. I wish you the best in future challenges and I hope you find this critique helpful. If you have any questions feel free to contact me.
regards,
SDW

Beauty by Candlelight...
by hitmanrr

Comment:
From the Critique Club

Very nice pose and composition along with good warm tone. I think you did good with the set up and processing. Even though the soft focus is good I think the eyes would of been better if they were in focus because they make the picture. Your model is speaking volumes with her eyes making me want to know what she is looking at and thinking.

Being that this was an advanced editing challenge I feel you could of used a few more tool available to enhance your photograph. Such as selective sharpening and more.

Overall I think your photograph is very good with a little more tweaking could of been great. It does show that you are a very capable photographer showing your ability to compose the photograph is such a good light.

Keep up the good work and take advantage of advanced editing when able to bring out the wow factors in your photograph. I know it scored in the mid 5's but your photograph has the elements to be a 6+ photograph.

I also feel you did a great job meeting the challenge and the title is good. I hope you find the critique helpful. If you have any questions feel free to contact me.

Thanks,
SDW

Curves
by commendatori

Comment:
From the Critique Club

A very nice low key image. The lighting is very good along with the focus. Your subject works well in the center of the photograph and shadows of the models body contours enhances the appeal. Very visual friendly.

If I had one spot of the image that I wish the lighting would give more detail would be the arms. Compared to the legs and lower back the light on the arms are very thin and minimal. Other than that a technically sound photograph done in a tasteful manor.

Good job!

I hope you find this critique helpful.
Thanks,
SDW

Free As A Bird
by skasuba

Comment:
From the Critique Club

Your picture is ok but lacks the power needed to retain the attention of the viewer. First I would like to say your lighting is good. There are a few things I would have to recommend changing about your photograph. First your subject is to centered and the power of the water behind him pulls my eyes to the waves because they are visually more exciting. I would of cropped in such a way to make the subject off center and I would of cropped off about 20% of the top of the photograph. The old saying if it does nothing to improve the photograph, take it out.

As far as taking the picture I believe a bird in flight would of worked better given the title of your photograph. Or maybe this shot with a lower point of view. If you look in the eyes of the bird they are really soft, almost out of focus.

Overall a good photograph but the subject in its position and light not powerful enough to pull out a high score. When taking a photograph make sure your subject is more powerful than the environment around him, IMO. Keep up the good work. This may have not been your best work or best score but you have room for improvement and I believe you will. Keep at it because your shot was good. It just need those things that take a picture over the top.

I just looked at your profile and see this is your first entry. Please don't take my critique as a bad thing look at it as something to build on. I remember my first challenge, I destroyed it. I think I scored 4.8 or so. It was so small you could of called it a postage stamp. I had lens glare and the colors was washed. I was down about my score until a kind member PMed me and gave me a good critique. That member did me the best favor being honest. I know I'm not near the photographer that some are here but I can tell you what I see and how I feel about your photograph and hope you take it as constructive. If you do your score will do nothing but improve.

Thanks for letting me be your first Critique. I hope to see you in many more challenges.

I hope you find this critique helpful.
SDW

Persian Pedistal at Dusk
by chalice

Comment:
I like the tone of your photograph and the lighting is good. Your crop of the room is to tight, IMO, not giving me the sense of an empty room. It's like I could look to the left or right and see a sofa or chair. The Corner of the room (vertical line) is stronger to me than the subject. I find my eyes homing in on the line.

I don't know if you were able to, but I feel the statue would of been better placed in the corner covering up the most of the corner line and then doing some burn to take down the highlights on the line above the statue. And maybe a little more sharpness on the statue would of helped.

With all that said I feel your photograph is good and with a few adjustments could of been better. I feel you did meet the challenge even though the crop is tight. Keep up the good work and I wish you well in the challenge. 5