Spin Cycle
by Phocal

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An interesting image that contributes well to the free study challenge

You know Ronnie, I really feel for you, once more you produce an excellent nature study which has an unjustifiably low score and worse still not even one comment! I could probably say more but I wont, anyway, I for one appreciate your efforts.

Over here the bittern is one of our shyest most difficult birds to even see let alone capture like this, we usually only get to hear their booming call. I can easily imagine how much time, patience and energy has gone into getting this result, your timing and technical approach is commendable. I can only assume that the softness of the bird has been misunderstood but I like the motion blur of his head together with the sharp dynamics of the prey and its droplets, for me it puts the emphasis on the poor prey. I like it Ronnie and look forward to more of your excellent images, well done.

Myths, Legends and Fables - The Ten Suns
by gintay

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An interesting image that meets the challenge

Thank goodness for Hou Yi! A very striking image with an animated character of bright vibrant colours, it is not easily ignored! Ican imagine it tells the fable to those already familiar with it and with your explanation to those not familiar with such as I. I think I understand why you have chosen to include the structure but I rather wish the sun was on its own. But overall Gin Tay your image has impact, well done.

The know it all toddler
by RulerZigzag

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge well.

Your young model does convey a certain air of confidence that may be interpreted as ‘know it all’, I might have preferred something like ‘an air of confidence’. Anyway, you have a lovely portrait. I think the eyes are in focus but there does seem to be a strange mix of sharpness and softness that does feel a little unnatural in a way that is hard to accurately define. But, I don’t think that’s such a bad thing it does fit in with the tender years of your youngster so is not really detrimental to the end result. A good score for a good image, well done Anton.

Old and Sturdy
by gintay

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge well.

Old and sturdy is equally applicable to whats left of the chair and the man in particular which is what your title is referring to. He exudes character with his wonderful smile, smoking his fag wile absorbed in his work. I like your mono processing, a lovely range of tones and detail throughout. Your composition is appropriate, off-centre leaving room for the chair he is working on. A great image Gin Tay, deserving of the score and placement, well done

Saturated City centre
by docjonny

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge

I like your low viewpoint and use of motion blur from the long exposure. The placement of your main person is good with lots of added interest from all the other people too. I agree and disagree with one of your commenters, I agree that a little less exposure would help the saturation of the colours but I disagree about the composition. I like the lack of symmetry but more important if you had done as suggested you would have lost that love golden arch and inner wall, that is such a powerful element in the image it needs to stay. You could perhaps have altered the composition by moving it further to the right. All in all good creative vision well done Jonathon.

FYI, I Bite
by Phocal

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge

I would agree with your commenter you certainly have these alligators well sussed. Obviously everything is over-saturated but is that purple really the natural hue this may help explain why it didn’t score higher it leaves it looking somewhat unnatural. Your composition is good with the ‘gator emerging from the right with looking space to the left it works well.

Extreme Wind and Waves
by Drake

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge

I get to comment on it twice!! Everything from previous still applies and whilst I wouldn̢۪t recommend this sort of post processing it is necessary for the challenge and to an extent it does actually enhance it. The sharpening is particularly effective on the seas. What does let it down is the halo around the lighthouse it is rather too obvious and intrusive. Well done for the high score and placement.

Invasion
by gintay

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge

A very appropriate choice for the challenge it is certainly very colourful. Your composition is good too, the red dinosaur is particularly dominant but not too overpowering leaving room for the blue dinosaur too. What I think lets it down is your selections for the saturation, it is obvious in the paler portions of the sky in the more intricate areas that were not included in your original selection. Overall a good and appropriate image for the challenge, well done.

Cherry Blossom
by kaiyang

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge

Welcome to DPC Yao. I like your thinking behind the image but I don̢۪t think it quite works as well as you would have hoped. The main thing that lets it down for this specific challenge is that there is far more soft focus than sharp focus. This would not have mattered if you had really concentrated on the sharper aspects by over saturating and over sharpening them they would have really stood out strongly against the rest of the image. Alternatively perhaps a closer crop of the sharp flower may have worked better?

Bird watcher
by booboo_goon

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge well

Congratulations Luana, a great result for a great image. I love what you have done here it works so well. It just goes to prove how powerful the simple concept can be. The plain colours and your placement is perfect. I think a judicious crop of the right edge would improve it, leaving it to just the two colours and removing the odd half a bricked windows and gutter pipe, this would make it an even stronger image. Well done Luana