finding home
by posthumous

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A very intriguing abstract that suggests hidden meaning

I have to agree with your commenter Neat, your image and title suggests being lost in a blizzard and finding the sanctuary of a shelter which would be a most welcome feeling to anyone in such distressing circumstances. So, although it is abstract and difficult to define exactly what we are looking at that is what gives it the mystery and meaning that makes it work.

I am normally very hot on blown highlights but in the context of your image that is what gives me the suggested meaning I am getting from it, so therefore, it is essential here. I like the toning, its working well too. I am quite a fan of deliberate OOF, it is very useful to give an alternative presentation to the normal pin sharp that we all seem to desire so much. It is the fringing of the fine lines that is so intriguing and works well with the OOFness (try finding that on google!).

I like that you have the courage of your convictions with your photography, you know your images are unlikely to be appreciated by enough people for them to score highly but you have your own distinctive vision and you are not afraid to share it with others, thank you, Sid.

Soaring Bald Eagle
by Drake

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

An appealing wildlife study.

I am naturally attracted to wildlife studies particularly action shots so towards that end the subject is appealing. It is a very competent shot with good focus but the lack of sharpness one of your commenters talk about may be due to cropping? Its a good exposure with plenty of detail throughout the birds plumage. I like the diagonal that the bird is placed on it adds a dynamic to the image.

Having identified what works for me I also need to give my honest opinion what doesn't work so well for me, the dominant blue of the sky overpowers the bird it would benefit from some desat. The bird is too large and too central, I would prefer to see him smaller and probably towards the lower right flying in to some empty space. The shutter speed is too high it feels far too static there is no sense of motion that you would get from a slower shutter speed with a little blur in the wingtips. I could easily imagine this hanging in a museum against a blue ceiling it would look very similar.

I would have expected your image to have scored better than it did but thanks for your submission and good luck for your future entries, Sid

Soaring
by TommyMoe21

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

Congratulations on your ribbon for an excellent wildlife shot.

I like your subject matter very much indeed, I'm keen on wildlife, particularly action shots. You have captured some great detail in the face and the feathers, I particularly like the dirt and translucency in the tail feathers.

I am here to give you my honest opinion and having identified what I do like I also need to point out what I am less keen on. I find the vivid blue background of the sky too saturated and would prefer it to be more subdued, at the moment it is competing too strongly with the bird itself. Although I like the wing shape he appears to be hanging motionless as though on a string, I really prefer to see some motion blur in the wingtips through a slower shutter speed. The composition is very central and frame filling I would have preferred a smaller bird with space for him to fly into. It appears to me to be over-sharpened, there are distinct halos all around the edges of the whole bird.

Your image has been very well received here, an excellent result for you, well done, Sid

Timid
by romil

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A very competent portrait.

You have really nailed the essence of the person here with those engaging eyes, they really do appear to be the windows into his soul. Your chosen DOF is spot on to capture all those lovely characteristics that make him the individual he is.

I love your mono processing you have brought out all the lovely tones and spared us from any distracting colour. I'm glad you have acknowledged tvsometime's very useful comment that I also agree wholeheartedly with, it would make an already strong image even stronger.

This really is an excellent portrait, that has been well received, but the only issue I have as a result of seeing your own description is the title, perhaps given the nature of his occupation something like 'small but deadly' would have been more appropriate?

Thank you for a great submission, Sid

Blessing or Curse
by Dr.Confuser

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A pleasing study of a controversial energy source.

As your title suggests they are loved and loathed in equal measure but that is not really what I want to discuss here, your image itself is of far more interest than the subject.

This image is a good illustration of the importance of light, good lighting is the essential ingredient for photography, its what separates the lacklustre image from the wow image. As a direct result of good lighting this is a wow image! I love the way the light is emphasising the rough nature of the terrain, this will only happen like this when the sun is at the right angle. That same light is really picking out the whites of the turbines making them really stand out. The background is darker and duller as a result of the light and atmospherics which again forms a contrasting backdrop to the whole image.

The composition is good with a good balance between the foreground, subject and background. The turbines themselves are on a pleasing diagonal which is always a strength compositionally. Personally speaking, I can't see anything that I would have done differently, you've captured the scene perfectly.

It's a shame your image didn't score higher but I suppose there may be those who felt strongly enough against the subject that it affected their better judgement anyway, thanks for a great submission, Sid

Turkish Tea for the Fisherman
by dwyllie

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A very atmospheric image that has appeal

The light is what makes this image, the way it is highlighting the steam from the tea against the darker background makes it very atmospheric. The deep rich red of the tea makes it pop out from the rest of the image clearly identifying it as the focal point. I have to disagree with your commenter, it looks sharp where it matters most, the shallow DOF may have left the rim in soft focus but that doesn't matter at all.

It is nicely composed with the tea on the third with an interesting foreground of the rod and rest. Perhaps the only thing that mars it is the brightness of the OOF background, I think some dodging to subdue it would be of great benefit overall. The image works because it conveys a peaceful feeling of the patient wait for the catch savouring your surroundings with a nice cuppa.

Its a shame it didn't score better but thanks anyway, Sid

diving for pearls
by posthumous

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A confusing image that probably meets the challenge in a challenging way

I'm not entirely convinced that what I am looking at is in fact liquid, it is an interesting interpretation but not entirely successful given the low score but your commenters are certainly impressed by it. Given your title I assume what we are meant to believe we are looking at is a diver diving through water to the seabed in search of pearls? What I think I am actually looking at is a dog running across the ground?

I do like the abstract nature of your image and I like the motion blur and I like that it is not an obvious straightforward shot of water in a bowl or similar, it makes you question what you are looking at which has to be a good thing, it is stimulating.

Thanks for your submission, Sid

Garlic and Peach
by RedIrish

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

An appealing image that meets the challenge.

A still life that has very appealing characteristics of texture both of the subject and the table on which they have been placed. The summertime element of the challenge is implied through their apparent freshness having been recently picked for the table. I'm afraid I'm an ignoramus when it comes to food related ingredients but if it wasn't for the red element of the garlic I would have mistaken the soft focus item in the background as a red onion but given your title it obviously is not.

The composition is good and the DOF is good too you have everything you need in sufficiently sharp focus. The lighting is nice and even with good detail throughout, no harsh shadows and highlights. The water droplets that seem to be obligatory for all plant related shots are very small and insignificant and do not really add to the overall effect, to be honest I find their use very cliched and overdone.

As some of your commenters have noted a very unusual combination that may well challenge the taste buds but a very competent and pleasing entry, thank you, Sid.

Duck Truck MTL
by clickodak

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A competent image that only partially meets the challenge

Your image is technically sound with sufficient DOF and no camera shake and you have thought about including sufficient detail to identify the truck and its speciality of duck and the human element of a lady purchasing food, so to that end it has everything needed. What it does not do is to convey in me a feeling that this is specifically summer food, I could of course be wrong but duck is eaten all year round and it could just as easily be seen there in the middle of winter. I think for the challenge there needs to be more of an emphasis on that which identifies it as being summer related.

From your shooting position you have cropped it as much as you can but I think a shallower DOF would have isolated the distracting background detail more and you have plenty of scope for that with your fast lens. I have to say that there is not really much to make the viewer linger here for very long it might have been better if we saw the dish she is waiting for but in terms of the challenge it doesn't quite make the mark.

Thanks for your submission, Sid

Playing Tavla
by dwyllie

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

An interesting image that meets the challenge.

I like that you have included some human interaction with the game which, like your commenters, I have previously understood to be backgammon. I like that his hand appears from the corner the way it does, however, the actual interaction of his middle finger on the bottom counter I find a little disturbing but I'm not really sure why. I suppose it may be because if he is going to move a piece surely it would be the top one.

I like that you have put the board on an angle which I prefer to a straight on shot, the only problem is the wide open aperture and shallow DOF focusses parts of the board that don't really add to the end result but you can't have it both ways can you. If this was hand held you've got good steady hands! I would have used a higher ISO, probably 800 or 1600 but I don't see any evidence of camera shake here, where its sharp it is sharp so well done.

Thank you for a pleasing image that has been well received here, Sid