Mid Flow
by Manic

Comment:
On of my top 11 (yes 11) in this challenge. This captures wonderfully the interplay between moving water and light. I also really like the shapes in an abstract sense - I think the composition is very strong on that level. The lack of colour allows me to really concentrate on the light and forms here. Wonderful!

Strung Out
by MR_P

Comment:
I absolutely love how the stillness of the guitar body is offset by the motion of the strings! The pattern you have captured from that motion is incredible! Viewpoint is excellent and makes a very strong composition. Black background is just right and echoes the dark shadows within the lower half of the frame. One of my top 3 entries in this challenge.

The Forest Spectacle
by Joey Lawrence

Comment:
Absolutely wonderful framing! The texture and shapes are beautiful and the shallow depth of field reduces the background to an almost abstract series of vertical shapes. Certainly in my top 10 in this challenge.

Alone in a Crowd
by sgauria

Comment:
I adore this image - it's beautiful and that diamond shaped pattern in the background creates a strangely enclosed feel even though we're looking at an open area of flowers. It's beautiful and one of my very favourite entries in this challenge! Thank you!

rosebud
by JC_Homola

Comment:
Absolutely magical! The lighting on the central bud is just beautiful and defines the edges to just the right extent. The background is what lifts the shot to another plane though - the depth of the blue, the vivid green of the foliage below and the blurred stems and flowers of the rest of the plant all combine in just the right abstract shapes with just the right textures to ilicit a WOW! One of my favourite entries!

Nice Legs, Great Bouquet
by eggv

Comment:
Much too dark in my opinion. I can understand the idea of darkness for the background to add a little enigma but think the foreground would definitely benefit from some light.

The Spice(s) Of Life
by TommyMoe21

Comment:
Ooooh - have you visited the website listed under my profile?
I lov the colours of the spices and it's interesting how the size of powder grains/ seeds/ leaves creates different patterns when they are out of focus.

Screen Shot Gerbera 2
by banmorn

Comment:
I've looked at either this or a very similar image recently in someone's portfolio. I don't know if that was yours or not?

Snip & Press
by Bear_Music

Comment:
Critique Club

Initial thoughts
Composition lacks coherence, background conflicts with main content.

Composition/ Content
The content itself seems a strange choice. I like the idea of showing the garlic press and the garlic together but can't quite fathom where the scissors come in. Together they seem a little too random and unconnected.
Compositionally, the layout doesn't feel balanced. There's no flow in terms of natural eye movement around the image; my focus is stuck on the reflection on the garlic press; the lower right area of the frame feels oddly empty even though that corner is no different to the other corners. I think that's all down to the rather random layout.
Whilst I often find it works to crop part of the contents out of the frame it doesn't seem to work here ΓΆ€“ perhaps because it's only happening to one item and only at one edge of the image.
Coming back to content, I think it's important not only to find subject matter that fits the challenge theme but also to present it in such a way that it's aesthetically appealing or intellectually interesting.

Background
The wooden chopping board that you have used as your background seems at odds with the main content not only in colour but also in texture and in the shapes it provides. I find the strong parallel lines too overpowering for the contents placed on top of them.

Camera Work - Technical
Lighting and focus look OK but there is a patch of the garlic bulb that seems blown out.

Fits The Challenge
Yes.

My Opinion On The Photo
Too much concentration on meeting the challenge and not as much on producing an image that's appealing in it's own right.

EDIT: Corrected typo!

Message edited by author 2005-01-10 13:12:35.

Kookaburra
by C-Fox

Comment:
I voted this a 6. I think it's a nice image and the background does contribute to the image. It's nice that we can see some shape and colour in there. The lighting seems very cold - I wonder if using a different white balance or perhaps some post processing could make this look a little warmer in colour tones? Seems just a touch dark too.