Abandoned
by clickodak

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An interesting image that meets the challenge

I can see why this appealed to you, well observed Marcel. I like the concept and observation but the blue of that sky is just too dominant. I don̢۪t think you needed to include all of the building in fact by cropping out the top half of the image the message that the scene is past its best comes through much stronger, I̢۪m looking at this scrolled up to a level just below the gantry entering from the left and it works much better for me. Try it, see what you think?

By the Old Canal
by riot

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge

You̢۪re definitely tugging at my heart strings with scene Eugene, having spent 15 years living on a narrow boat I wondered why I didn̢۪t recognise this property but the Llangollen was one of the few canals I couldn̢۪t get the boat up. Anyway, enough of me, you̢۪re right there is only one composition possible because it works so well though I think I would have cropped the right between the chimneys in favour of more of the left, the natural part of the scene. As it is the house and the white rendering are very dominant and given the challenge brief you would have been able to display more foliage which may also have increased your score and voter participation. Thanks for your welcome reminder of many pleasant years past.

Autumn Leaf Path
by clickodak

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An interesting image that contributes well to the challenge.

Well done Marcel this is a good first attempt at HDR. Yes, I do like the composition, I like the foreground space and colours and the dominant tree on the left that forms a very effective frame with its branches linking to the rest of the image and the off-centre path leading us into the rest of the image. I like that you have managed to bring out the vibrant colours in the tree canopy. If you could have had a distant person or animal at the end of the path that would have completed the image but it still remains a very good image well done Marcel

Winter's Calling
by Ja-9

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An interesting image that contributes well to the challenge.

Firstly, congratulations Janine on your high score and ribbon, well deserved. This is a lovely tranquil landscape made all the more effective through those lovely reflections. The large DOF and focus point have rendered everything nicely focused just what is needed for this sort of image. The composition is good, in fact there̢۪s nothing really to fault with it, well done.

Castell Dinas Brân
by riot

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An interesting image that contributes well to the challenge.

Firstly, congratulations Eugene on your high score and placing, well deserved. Thank you also for your detailed narrative which shows the amount of thought and effort that went into making this image I̢۪m pleased it was all well worth while for you. This is certainly the sort of image that benefits from the HDR processing, though I have seen so many poorly processed HDR̢۪s it is always a welcome relief to see a subtle and natural looking example such as you have here. I have a tip I would like to pass on to you for those slower shutter speeds without a tripod, what I use is a piece of string about 4 foot long attached to the bottom of the camera, place your foot on the end on the ground and pull up taught against it, I regularly use this for full 1 second exposures. I'm surprised you didn't get more comments but I hope this helps.

Crystal Mill
by Ja-9

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An interesting image that contributes well to the challenge.

Wow! What a location to put a building! Your composition is excellent with the building and waterfall nicely prominent against the backdrop of that lovely landscape and interesting sky it all works together very well. The exposures are good with some interesting light falling on the trees to liven it all up. I like it and feel it ought to have scored higher but thanks anyway for an interesting shot Janine.

The morning calm
by clickodak

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

A documentary style shot that contributes to the challenge.

This shot is all about the reflections from the wonderfully still water that forms a blank canvas. Whilst its pleasing to see the boat off-centre I don̢۪t think the blank water space is really helping create any strong visual impact. In this instance I think I would have gone for the boat on the opposite side of the frame with the jetty leading in from the left and filling that space with more interest. Ideally what would have worked best would have been to have found an isolated boat tied to a buoy with the blank water surrounding it so that it not ony floated literally but metaphorically too. In terms of the mono processing you have some good tones on the boat but the water needs brightening up.

Web
by SEG

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that contributes well to the challenge.

This is a great shot Louis, I can imagine the challenge you had with your new lens but you certainly rose to the challenge well. Your composition is good with the spider offset, the focus is good with sharp details where it matters and the DOF has isolated not only the spider but the web too from its plain coloured background The spider itself is interesting too with its amazing colour variation, well spotted and executed.

Let it snow....Let it snow!!!!
by Ja-9

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An interesting image that meets the challenge.

A lovely interesting fence that fits the challenge brief well, made all the more interesting with the heavy snow on and around it. I know I tend to harp on about overexposure but here we have the opposite problem, the snow is underexposed and grey looking it needs more exposure to brighten it all up and make it stand out and increase its impact upon the viewer. It is a fine line between getting the exposure exactly where you want it but I know you can do a better job Janine.

Farm Wire Fence
by clickodak

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An interesting image that meets the challenge.

A most appropriate setting for the challenge brief and made more interesting with the inclusion of the OOF horse in the background. In terms of composition, the horse is very central and the road in the foreground adds nothing I think it would have been better to have the fence dominate without the distraction and lack of imapct the road makes on the end result. The natural fence post on the left is far more attractive than the man made ones so I think a closer shot with just that post and part of the fence with the horse in a better position isolated from the trees would have improved. I do like your mono conversion but the sky is rather bland. I know you could have done better Marcel with a slower more methodical and creative approach.