Events at Seaside
by posthumous

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

An action shot that may meet the challenge.

Without spending more time than I have exploring JJBeguin's images I have to admit that I am not familiar enough with his work to be able to judge your entry in the context of his work/the challenge brief, hence, I assume it meets the challenge. However, I do have the benefit of JJBeguin's comment who seems to approve so that's good enough for me!

As an image in its own right regardless of the challenge brief I do like the diagonal running through the image and I like that is mono and although it is intentionally high contrast there is still good detail throughout. What I am not so keen on is the focus which appears to be soft throughout which may be deliberate to meet the challenge brief? It would have more impact if the bird was flying towards us as opposed to away but again it may be deliberate? The overall composition is good.

I'm sorry your image doesn't appear to have been so well appreciated as you would have liked, perhaps that is an indication of how well, or otherwise, it fulfils the challenge brief? Anyway, thanks for your submission, Sid

Hot Lunch
by MAK

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A candid shot that appears to meet the challenge.

Without spending more time than I have exploring JJBeguin's images I have to admit that I am not familiar enough with his work to be able to judge your entry in the context of his work/the challenge brief, hence, I assume it meets the challenge. However, I do have the benefit of all your commenters who obviously approve and seem to agree that it is in his style.

For myself, I am here to give you my honest opinion, and as an image in its own right I am not very attracted to it. You describe it as a snap which is how it feels to me, a grab shot that could be improved upon. I'm not really sure I want to see someone eating their takeaway in public and two people in the soft background that are obviously an intentional part of the composition but for me they do not add to the story whatever that may be.

I'm sorry I can't appreciate your image as much as everyone else appears to but I am obviously in the minority and glad that others here appreciate it in the way you intended, well done, Sid.

This Cowboy's Hat
by pearlseyes

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A very pleasing image that meets the challenge well.

There are varying degrees of flare dependant upon the angle of the lens in relation to the light source, your flare is subtle but definitely there, I'm all for subtlety. I particularly like the rim lighting on your patient son, quietly counting down the shots, before he goes and get some more indians, good for him!

Your focus and DOF works well. It can be difficult to control the exposure shooting contre-jour as you are here, you have controlled it well. The tones are lovely throughout. His position is a little too central, I feel it would have improved the shot if he had been placed a little further over to the left, diagonally opposite the light source and flare.

I hope you have followed SandyP's words of wisdom and hung it on your wall? Thank you for your lovely submission, Sid

"You Name It"
by jayzundel

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A straightforward landscape image that meets the challenge.

Thank goodness for your tree! Given the featureless landscape and the flat lighting without your tree it would have been difficult to inject an element of interest into it. I like your placing of the tree and the stretched landscape, though perhaps you had an opportunity to create something a bit different by creating a true panoramic broken up by a single solitary tree thus creating a real sense of the isolation of this one tree against the wide open landscape?

I'm looking at the balance of tree, sky, landscape and wishing that the tree was on the left where the higher clouds would have accommodated it as though they were wind blown over it settling to a lower level as they do on the right, it may have looked more harmonious.

So, title time, how about;
defiance

Thank you for your submission, Sid

Liquid Explosion
by pearlseyes

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

An interesting image that meets the challenge well.

This is a very dynamic image that you can feel evolving in front of you, it is easy to imagine how the shapes will transform into new shapes. One of your commenters has mentioned a lava lamp, he's right, it is very reminiscent of them, they're always quite fascinating and mesmerising which is why this image works so well.

The exposure is very good you have chosen well in positioning the tank where you did it gives a lovely soft even light that illuminates in a nice high key sort of way. The colours are all very appealing and work well together. The more I look at it the more I'm starting to wish that the droplets on the left of the image weren't there, they're not a big problem but I just find the uniformity of the rest of the image more appealing.

I assume from your comment about the aperture you wish you had used a smaller aperture? I know what you mean it would probably have been nice to have more sharply defined edges to the shapes but then again the way this softly blends into the light background is also appealing, I think it works ok.

Thank you for an interesting submission, Sid

p e a r l s
by Ja-9

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

Congratulations on your result, well deserved, meets the challenge well.

A gorgeous image, it captures the delicacy of the plant very well, it is also very effective in its simplicity, the drops, of course, are essential for the challenge but cliched as they maybe they are still an appealing addition.

I like the composition and repetition in the soft focus background. The exposure suits the subject well. You have received some good critique amongst your comments most of which I agree with. I wish you hadn't included the outtake because I am torn between the two, I like the symmetry of the outtake but I prefer the near mono of your entry but they are both excellent images.

Although I am familiar with focus stacking I have never used it myself. The DOF must have been very shallow if this is the result of 6 images but it is very well executed and perfect for the subject.

Thanks for another lovely entry, your images are a pleasure to critique, Sid

• f l u i d •
by Ja-9

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

An interesting image that meets the challenge

Please don't be so hard on yourself! You certainly weren't alone in misunderstanding the idea of the challenge.

I like your image it has intriguing qualities about it that encourage you to question what, how and why. I like the subtle pastel colours and abstract nature, unfortunately, I am confused and distracted by the curious wispy black marks, especially in conjunction with the title you have so generously provided, I just cannot tie it together. I assume it is an added texture? I feel the image would have had a lot more impact without it.

Given the soft nature and the long shutter speed I assume there was deliberate camera movement during the exposure? It has produced a very appealing effect (without the overlay!)

So, what am I gonna do for a title? Being so abstract it poses a problem, I think the best I can do is;
ephemeral flames
Thank you for submitting an appealing and interesting image, Sid

You Name It!
by codfish709

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A competent image that meets the challenge

What a fun challenge this was, free reign for anything you want without having to rack your brains for a title which has generated tremendous response from the viewers, win, win! A fun image that is generally well executed with an appealing simplicity, however that same simplicity is a little marred by the bar at the 10 o'clock position that is catching the light in a distracting sort of way. The other problem for me is the staple, I just don't understand it, I can't see any logical reason for it.

I think a square crop would have suited it better it would have removed the space above that makes no contribution to the image as a whole. Your lighting is illuminating the ball nicely but spilling over to give an unevenly lit background.

Ok, so time for a title?
Let me be your squeeze
Well done for submitting a good and original concept, Sid.

You Name It........
by clickodak

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A well executed image that meets the challenge.

A fun challenge that gives you complete free reign without even having to think of a title. Wouldn̢۪t it be nice if all challenges generated this amount of response from the viewers! Haven't you generated a lot of responses and despite that your own suggestion wasn't used.

I very much like the fact that you probably had to use +EC to get that snow looking the way it should do – white! Well done. Too often the whites of snow come out a horrible murky grey through too little thought and effort. I like the focal point of the foreground stump of a tree, I rather wish the orange sign wasn't there in such lovely natural surroundings. I like the way the snow trails lead us into the forest.

So, I reckon you want a tile from me? What about
eeny, meeny, miny, moâ€Â¦
Sid

"You Name It"
by Drake

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A reasonable image that meets the challenge.

What a fun challenge this was, a very relaxed, easy to fulfil theme. So, thank you for introducing me to this process, something I have never seen before, does one tree really fill all those buckets?

In terms of the image itself your chosen wide open aperture has nicely softened background detail down so that we can concentrate on the tree itself. I find the lighting harsh and very contrasty I think it would have been better for you to have shot it in better light. The crop is a little inaccurate, with part of another bucket appearing right on the edge of the frame, and therefore distracting. Also your position includes a soft focus background shape clinging to the bucket, it would have been better to hide this behind the bucket.

You've received lots of novel suggestions for a title so in keeping with the rest of your commenters I really cannot let the side down can I, how about;
'birds air raid shelters'.
Well done, Sid