Shuttlecock Stuck in Racquet
by clickodak

Comment:
Hello from the Critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge.

Is that what you call a power shot? Initially intriguing the way you have embedded the shuttlecock into the strings the way you have, that's not going anywhere in a hurry! Yes, I do like your composition but the nature of the subject is such that although its centred it doesn't really feel like it, there is a predominance of the shuttlecock towards the near left because of the composition. A properly centred composition that would have shown the shuttlecock to be more centred would have been far less appealing than your composition.

Thanks for your entry Marcel.

To Fly Away
by sfalice

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club

An interesting image that meets the challenge well

I agree with you, this feels like a free study its a very loose theme, your image fulfils the brief with the birds leaping into flight and freedom leaving us all grounded and envious, again I agree, wouldn't it be nice just once...

I like these frame filling shots of birds in various stages of flight they are always so dynamic and therefore appealing and your timing has caught them in the act of 'leaping' into flight. Initially, I thought the image had been over-sharpened but I am assuming the effect is due to a filter that you have used? If this is a seascape then the horizon needs levelling but not if it is a landscape, however, in view of its ambiguity I would have levelled it anyway.

Sorry you didn't get any comments I hope this makes up for it. Thanks for another interesting entry Alice

To Fly Away
by sfalice

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club

An interesting image that meets the challenge well

I agree with you, this feels like a free study its a very loose theme, your image fulfils the brief with the birds leaping into flight and freedom leaving us all grounded and envious, again I agree, wouldn't it be nice just once...

I like these frame filling shots of birds in various stages of flight they are always so dynamic and therefore appealing and your timing has caught them in the act of 'leaping' into flight. Initially, I thought the image had been over-sharpened but I am assuming the effect is due to a filter that you have used? If this is a seascape then the horizon needs levelling but not if it is a landscape, however, in view of its ambiguity I would have levelled it anyway.

Sorry you didn't get any comments I hope this makes up for it. Thanks for another interesting entry Alice

Rose
by Drake

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club

An interesting image that meets the challenge well

What a lovely decayed flower head you have chosen to use and the vivid overexposed background really makes it stand out. I'm not sure I would regard the choice of subject as mundane especially with such beautiful hues as it has. So, feeling tired is your intended mood and I can see the relationship as can most of your voters with the general theme being one from melancholy through to death with similar expressions in between so in that respect I would say you achieved your goal, well done. For me the delicacy of the structure comes through strongest so I would probably have said 'fragile'.

Thanks for an interesting entry Drake

Rock salt
by snaffles

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club

An interesting image that meets the challenge well

You certainly met the challenge well in terms of your choice of subject but you forgot to state what mood you had in mind in your notes but I think your many commenters have probably done that for you? Your creativity stood you in good stead here to produce something much more interesting than would normally be associated with the original subject. I would have been interested in your exif data to understand more fully how you set it up but anyway the end result is interesting though I think it feels rather crowded, I think it may have been more convincing with fewer grains. I like the mono presentation and dark background.

Thanks for an interesting entry Susan

Message edited by author 2016-03-11 07:51:21.

Neptune formation
by clara99

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge well

A great idea Clara, the resulting colours and shapes have produced an original and colourful abstract and therefore fulfilled the challenge brief well. The bright vivid colours work well against the darker water background, I like the shape to the upper right with the blue nose it reminds me of Venetian carnival mask looking down.

The only constructive remark I would like to make is that there is some softness top and bottom due to the way the camera was probably held, ie., at an angle to the surface, by holding the camera accurately horizontal to the surface this would have been avoided. I wouldn't say that the softness detracts in any detrimental way so this just meant to be constructive help.

Its great to see your involvement at such a young age and the creativity you have shown here promises very well for the future, I look forward to seeing more from you, thanks for your entry Clara

Celebration!
by sfalice

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge well

You're right Alice, some of the very best abstracts come from water reflections and you have found an excellent one here, well done there is certainly plenty of colour and the bird is well abstracted. I must confess to be a sucker for reflections, I love the reed shapes and the birds head they are beautifully distorted. Perhaps the only thing I would alter is the composition to have more space in front rather than behind but perhaps this was unavoidable for you at the time?

It's disappointing for you that it wasn't better received but thanks for your entry Alice.

Attentive Owl
by Drake

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that contributes well to the free study challenge

The eyes have it! That's where the immediate impact of your excellent shot stems from. There is lovely colour and detail throughout your shot, against the mainly soft focus background which whilst not to your best advantage reveals that it has been shot in its natural surroundings. I like the lighting around the head in particular and whilst its not rim lighting it is nearly equally as effective, the top and side of the head are very nicely illuminated.

A lovely entry that has been well received, well done Drake

Wild Female Meadowlark
by sfalice

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that contributes well to the free study challenge

The vivid colouring and detail are the elements that give your image additional impact. You made very best use of the golden opportunity that presented itself to you by careful selection of the technical details, a choice of aperture to get sufficient depth of field to capture all of the bird, including its beak, whilst isolating it from the background and retaining sufficient soft focus detail. This is a very accomplished study that deserved a higher score and comments, I hope this makes up for it. Well done Alice.

w i s p s • o f • d r e a m s
by Ja-9

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that contributes well to the free study challenge

I knew it was yours Janine before I even saw your name! As you know, I like these motion abstracts, many of your included. I love the subtle shades and the blend into more uniform and lighter base, it all feels very vibrant. Unfortunately this is not always going to work for the masses! I am disappointed for you that the score was so low and the lack of comments but perhaps it was just too abstract for them to appreciate? You'll always have one who appreciates them here Janine, thanks for your entry.