Keyed down.
by RKT

Comment:
This is nice. I like the way the keyboard angles through the image.

I notice that there are two areas where the keys seem sharper, one at the very bottom and the other in the upper third of the image. Was this the result of have the sweet spot between these areas and then having the sweet spot slightly out of focus? I've read that the sweet spot is due to the plane of focus being curved rather than flat; that should make it possible to focus outside of the sweet spot and get this effect.

~~DanW

From the cradle to the grave
by Shanny403

Comment:
I loved this shot. The grittiness of it is perfect.

People in the field of life-span developmental psychology use these phrases:

Womb to Tomb

Sperm to Worm

almost spring
by salmiakki

Comment:
I also prefer the monochrome version overall, but I prefer the cropping of the color version. The new leaves are the clear focus of the image. In the monochrome version there is a dark triangle in the background that (to me) is strong enough to complete with it. In the color version, the triangle has been weakened by cropping off one of its edges. The remaining sides echo the shapes of the focal branch.

Both images are very nice.

Load
by RKT

Comment:
Yes, this is much more successful than my shot of one of my cats. I love it.

I'm also sending this to my sister. She has TWO vast cats! Our two are both Siamese and much smaller by comparison.

untitled
by bspurgeon

Comment:
This has a wonderful feel. You certainly favor compositions with a strong diagonal.

I'm not sure about the stalk above/left of the head of grain. It seems to be the sharpest thing in the image yet it is not the central focus of the image. Yet without it, the image seems to need something more.

~~DanW

chair
by GinaRothfels

Comment:
Very nice: essence of chair.

I'm trying to figure out the characteristics of all the different Lensbaby optics. This looks to me like what I get with the plastic optic: there is a sweet spot (back of the seat in your photo) but even the sweet spot is not very sharp. So is the Lensbaby 2.0 equivalent to the plastic optic?

Inside Out
by Retroesque

Comment:
This has a very nice feel to it. For me, the focal point is the tree seen through the window rather than the door, so that is where I would have put the sweet spot.

by RKT

Comment:
You've captured a working man and put the emphasis on his working hands. Very nice!

I also tried studio lighting with the Lensbaby. I'm interested in hearing more about your experiences. I had trouble figuring out the exposure with strobes so I switched to hot lights for this one:

Keep Left
by Retroesque

Comment:
This has a very nice feel to it.

My first reaction was that the sign was rather ordinary and that the shot would be better with something more interesting in the sweet spot. But now I see that the point of the sign is that it says left rather than right. You drive on what much of the world considers the wrong side of the road.

untitled
by bspurgeon

Comment:

Originally posted by paulbtlw: That corner to corner shadow is fabulous.

Absolutely. The shadow is what makes this stand out. There is just enough detail in the shadow area to show that the bird does have room to fly.