The steps to her apartment
by Pompouspete

Comment:
Hello from the Critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge well

What a lovely portrait of a lovely girl in a lovely dress sitting on lovely steps! All the colours work really well together, apart from the brown supports for the steps, given the lovely blend of the major elements together I may have been tempted to recolour them to something closer to the steps but its a minor point really. She is a very attractive lady and looks delightful the way she is dressed she has a lovely smile and those ruby red lips are so enticing.

Your focus is where it should be on her face and the DOF has everything that needs to be sharp nicely covered with softness helping her to stand out from the background. The steps above her are leading to the unknown that intrigues us and keeps us interested but still focused on her.

It all works well and was respectfully received by your voters, well done, Sid

Battery Point Lighthouse
by aliqui

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique club

An appealing landscape that contributes well to the open challenge

I don't think I would like to be in those waters they look rather dangerous and definitely in need of the lighthouse. I like your composition it is well constructed, the placement of the lighthouse with its distinctive red roofs is perfect and the trees really add to that part of the scene but what really makes this are the foreground rocks with the motion of the breaking waves, its lovely. The low clouds are acting as a diffuser for the light overall and also adding a sense of foreboding fitting for the scene.

Apologies for the long delay for this critique, Sid

Laundry Days
by clickodak

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique club

An intriguing image that meets the challenge well

A very clever idea Marcel and well executed, the placement of your hand really throws and intrigues the viewer, I'm still trying to work out exactly how you did it!I'm assuming it is a low line that you were able to hold during the remotely controlled exposure? Anyway, its very much a quirky, smiley image which will have increased its appeal here, I like the bright colours of the undies, seems a shame to hide them under your clothes! The DOF is good, though the exposure does have some blown highlights the important parts of the image are well exposed. The satellite dish is a bit distracting, perhaps it might have been better taken from a lower level shooting up with a predominantly sky background.

Well done again Marcel, another front page entry, you're definitely on a roll! Keep 'em coming, Sid

Sunset Lake
by ericpi

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique club

An appealing image that contributes well to the open challenge

Your calm landscape taken during the golden hour has an instant appeal, the water reflections are the real strength of the image. I am not a huge fan of HDR but your use of it is reasonably subtle and enhancing. I am not keen on the composition it is too central and makes the image feel very ordinary and much less appealing. I find the twigs on the upper right detrimental to the overall result. I would suggest some serious cropping would go a long way towards rectifying this; crop to the level of the single tall tree on the right. The bulk of the overpoweringly blue sky will be removed, it will move the distant shoreline to the upper third at the same time removing all the detrimental stuff on the right and place the emphasis much more on the water reflections which is where it undoubtedly should be.

Apologies for the delayed critique, I hope it helps, Sid

my princess
by posthumous

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique club

An appealing image that does not meet the challenge.

Ah the gorgeous Sophie, I recognised her straight away! Much as I love her and I know you obviously do too I am struggling to see how she conveys a feeling of family to a complete stranger. Yes, she is a very important family member to you but she could be a stray dog wandering alone on a beach, there is nothing in the way you have photographed her that makes me feel she belongs to anyone.

She is too central in the image for me, I would much prefer to see her higher in the frame so that I can see all of her shadow. I would prefer to see more detail of her in the shadows it is blocked out. I do love the low angled sunlight it is bringing some lovely detail in the sands surrounding her. I think a lower level image where we can see her eyes and the detail in her lovely face with this lovely beach around her was an opportunity lost.

Thanks for your submission, Sid

Wear of the Sea
by seebrown

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique club

An appealing image that is deemed to meet the challenge

Congratulations on your ribbon and welcome back! What a great result to come back with, a lovely boat surrounded by rough seas. If I am to be honest with my critique as I always try to be I have to say that I am quite surprised at the high placing. In terms of the challenge I find the boat's pristine condition fails to convey a feeling of wear and tear at all. The masking for the selective desat, which I fail to see the need for, seems very casually done with clear discrepancies in the seas around the boat. The crescent shape intrigued me, at first I thought it was attached to the rigging, until I found the surfer at the other end of it. I feel the object emerging from the water on the right would be better removed it is quite distracting.

On a more positive note I do like the breaking surf around the boat. I hope I don't come over too negative but I am trying to be honest and constructive, although it does have its merits the image just doesn't work for me in the context of the challenge.

Welcome back and continued success with your future entries, Sid

Evening Ride
by Melethia

Comment:
Gorgeous!

Spark Shooter
by TommyMoe21

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club

An interesting image that meets the challenge

'Steel wool in a whisk on a chain', hmm, look like fun! I like that you have a dynamic moving subject although its not an obvious or strong diagonal the fact is he is holding the light source at an angle so it is more an implied diagonal. The individual light trails are very effective and appealing, they fill the space very well, I particularly like the way those that are hitting the ground have been recorded. There is obvious blow out of the highlights of the light source itself but obviously there is nothing you can do about this.

Your exposure is good with detail throughout. I'm intrigued and confused by your comments about the post processing, I don't know what you mean by 'stroked'?

An interesting and creative take on the challenge brief, well done, Sid

In Coming
by Ja-9

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club

An appealing image that meets the challenge well

A great natural study that keeps you captivated looking at all the birds. The diagonal of the lines is strong and dynamic and binds the image well but the piece de resistance is the bird about to land, sheer magic. The placement is perfect near the hotspot, the action blur is perfect too. I also like the other 'anomalies' the birds on the top wire one facing and the other looking the wrong way. The bottom wire with just two birds right on the lower edge, the alternation of full and near empty lines, its all so very appealing.

The mono presentation works well. I don't think there's anything I would change about it its all working well for me, beautiful, well done Janine.

Thanks for your submission, Sid

Stairs illusion
by clickodak

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club

An appealing image that meets the challenge well.

A great example of simplicity working at its best, I love that you have had the creative vision to see the potential to invert the image and present it in this intriguing and appealing way, its adds much more interest to the image. The subtle lighting and tones are perfect for the subject with those gorgeous reflections of the treads, the golden tint of the rail supports, the lighter lower half against the darker upper half of the tank, its all working so well together.

There are no problems at all with your composition here Marcel, the diagonal is the binding and dynamic force that holds it all together, the portrait orientation is the right choice with the treads support going perfectly from corner to corner. The image shows that you have taken the time and care to get it right and its paid off hugely.

Your ribbon and new PB are both very well deserved and the satisfying thing is this all your own work, all entirely down to yourself alone without any pre-entry collaboration, very well done Marcel. Next goals, 7+ and a blue? Congratulations, Sid.