Soar High
by DigiFotoBuddy

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

An appealing nature study that meets the challenge well.

The sky and clouds is an appealing image in its own right but the inclusion of the bird adds the strong focal point and interest. Given the nature of the challenge I like that the bird is relatively small in relation to the rest of the frame though challenge-wise I could easily live with it being even smaller.

There are a couple of things I have to add about it that I think would have helped it, the first is the composition, although it is not accurately central I feel it is too near the centre, I think for this challenge I would have composed it nearer to the bottom right, flying into the negative space to emphasise the vastness of that negative space more readily. The other is over-sharpening, the bird has a perfect halo all round it that makes it look like a cutout that has been pasted onto the image, for me it detracts in a major way.

Thanks for your submission, Sid

Red Rose
by clickodak

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A flawed entry that meets the challenge well.

An interesting challenge and I like your composition with the rose occupying a minimal space leaving plenty of negative space. Like your commenter I feel because of the minimal space used for the rose it should not have been slightly cropped in the way that it has, we should be able to see all of the petals.

The biggest failing is what I assume to be sensor dust, if it is not then your background is soiled but there are several specks immediately above and to the right of the flower. The plain white background itself doesn't add anything to the overall image in the same way that say using the sky would have done. My preference would have been to compose this from below with the plain blue sky filling the rest of the frame or against a plain green grassy expanse, they would just look more natural and therefore more appealing.

Thanks for your submission, Sid

playing dress up
by jgirl57

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A lovely take on the challenge that meets it well.

This is a lovely moment captured in a very natural sort of way which gives a real sense of the girls pleasure and fun that she is experiencing. Given the nature of the challenge I do think it would have been better to have a bit sharper focus on the shoes themselves but given the lovely image as a whole I think you were probably given a little leeway by the voters.

I think the background could have been improved but this feels a bit like one of those grab shots where capturing the moment and the expression has to take precedence, so well done with your capture ΓΆ€“ its magic.

I really like your write up and her amusing conclusion to modelling, methinks modellings loss paediatrics gain, I hope she enjoys her new chosen career path! Thanks for your lovely submission, Sid

MtStRainier_DriftingSilhouettes
by paulwestmoreland1

Comment:
I seem to have had your image allocated to me again for critique??? Hope you found my comments helpful?

Ugly puddle
by otto22

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A beautiful natural scene that meets the challenge well.

A very colourful shot that has some glorious hues in both the landscape and the skyscape, an excellent capture. I'm intrigued by your sky given the five separate exposures, everything seems to register perfectly giving no hint at all that there are 5 exposures that make up the image, however you have done it, well done.

I like your composition with the jutting rock breaking up the uniform perimeter of the water as it does. I find the colours quite amazing but I know that your image is accurately representative of the amazing landscapes that are only to be found in this gorgeous corner of the world.

Like your commenters, I am baffled that this did not score higher than it did, there is no way it cannot be easily recognised as the golden hour. I can only think that those low voters have never seen Iceland for themselves and therefore find its colours beyond belief. Anyway, thank you for another excellent contribution, Sid

Gold Over Gotham
by Pretzel

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

Great silhouettes and sky that meets the challenge full on.

Your cityscape has a lot of interesting silhouetted shapes which against the clear but golden sky works very well. I like your starburst sun from the tiny aperture you have used it forms a good strong focal point that is very beneficial to the image.

The softness that one of your commenters has picked up on is probably due to that very small aperture I usually tend to avoid using the smallest aperture for this very reason. Well done for correcting your dirty sensor, something I failed to spot with a recent entry of mine until it was too late, I got justifiably penalised for it, I'm glad you picked up on it as you did.

Thanks for your submission, Sid

Cloud Light
by clickodak

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

An interesting cloudscape that meets the challenge

It's often difficult to accurately record the stunning beauty of nature as we see it, the camera's metering being geared to produce an average result for an average scene but what you have here is beyond the camera's ability to accurately record being outside the dynamic range that it has.

What lets the image down most of all for me is the massive burnt out area in the middle where the sun was at its brightest and also your processing. In your attempts to rescue the shot you have gone too far with the processing and you now have an unnatural abruptness between the transition areas where there should be a softer natural blending from one colour to another. These sort of shots usually work best in more natural surroundings so here we are left with near silhouettes that in themselves do not form interesting enough shapes so we really need to see more of the detail itself.

Sorry Marcel, it doesn't work for me this time but a potentially good attempt, thanks for submitting, Sid

breezes
by Ja-9

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A lovely nature shot that tries to meet the challenge in a different and interesting way.

Given the specifics of the challenge brief that the shot should be taken during the golden hour of dusk or dawn I'm not sure that your image exhibits the qualities of light that are to be expected at those times. Don't get me wrong, I do like the shot and the way it portrays a golden feel through the lovely colour of the crop. I also like the golden bokeh and the shapes that the crop is being blown into slanting across the frame as it does.

What I don't like is the overexposure, in particular on the crucial area of the topmost head which is probably the most important of all of the heads. One or two of the bokeh circles are also burnt out which detracts in an important part of the image. The top of the image is horribly burnt out too which detracts from the overall result somewhat. It is this area that signifies to me that it was not taken during the softer and more amenable light of the golden hour and therefore fails to meet the challenge directly, the light is just too harsh.

I do like your interpretation, thanks for the submission, Sid

Converse shoes meeting
by clickodak

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

Congratulations on a great interpretation that fully meets the challenge.

Well done for coming up with such a very effective idea to create such an excellent image that has been justifiably rewarded with unanimous appreciation here. The key around which the image centres is the white toed circle binding the shoes and the image as a whole together. The other equally strong element of your image is the square crop excluding the empty detail from the shoes this makes it work very well indeed. I also like the child's colourful shoes at two o'clock, they also add to the overall effect.

I'm really pleased for you that the image has done so well with so many warm accolades from an appreciative audience, very well done Marcel, Sid

drunken landscape trying to sing
by posthumous

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

An interesting image, the product of an enquiring mind

Although your images are often very different from each other I am starting to recognise your uniqueness which separates them from so much other work on DPC. You are not afraid to experiment and whats more you are not afraid to share them which enables us all to benefit from some interesting experimental imagery. This is another interesting example where we are treated to some recognisably near focused aspects together with some wildly out of focus elements in a reversal of what would be expected from a less experimental approach.

I don't regard this as anywhere near your best work but nevertheless it is no less interesting for the end result in helping us look at a scene in a very different way and at least one other person appreciates it too! Thanks Don, Sid