unwilling model
by timfythetoo

Comment:
--Trading Post Comment--

Camera Work/Technical: Man, that's nice focus on the most important part of the subject. Add to that the terrific depth of field you used, and you end up with a great shot.

Lighting: Very creative and very interesting. I really like the profile-type of image you produced with your light positioning.

Composition/Content: Very nice. While the lit part of the face is centered, the rest of the image works very well to keep the eye flowing. The centering adds strength to the image.

My Opinion: Well seen, well captured and well processed. Another fine production.

Eric

Woody Presley
by tngrndream

Comment:
--Trading Post Comment--

First off, always try to include some info about the shot in the Photographer's Comments section. It really helps out when we know what the photographer was thinking and what equipment/lighting/etc. were used, especially when you request a critique. Secondly, congrats on your highest scoring photograph to date, as well as a top 100 finish.

Camera Work/Technical: You did a terrific job keeping all elements in crisp focus to render very nice detail.

Lighting: Excellent lighting. This is the strongest element in the photograph. Wonderful job capturing the detail around the shadow.

Composition/Content: Again, very nice. You created a composition that allows the eye to flow around the key elements very nicely.

My Opinion: Nice job meeting the challenge, but your subject has become commonplace around DPC. I think that the voters echoed the same feeling with their votes. This is a far better image than the 5.67 that it scored, but voters tend to vote lower when they see similar subjects over and again.

Eric

A Glass of Wine with a Bottle to Go
by chalice

Comment:
--Trading Post Comment--

Camera Work/Technical: No offense to any of your previous, but this your best technical shot, in my opinion. I like the crisp focus and the amazing detail you captured. The neat image was just a hair too much, giving some pixel distortion to parts of the wine bottle.

Lighting: I like it, but it's just a hair too harsh. Nice idea, and I think toning it down just a bit would have helped. The one area of the wine glass is too exposed. Outside of that, this is a fantastic capture.

Composition/Content: Really nice. The tight crop and composition that you created works very, very well for this subject. The wine bottle serves well to draw the eye in and up to the glass.

My Opinion: Your score suffered because of so many fantastic entries into this free-study type challenge. This is a terrific shot that would have scored much better had there not been so many other fantastic entries to compete against.

Eric

There's A Place
by chloeclogs

Comment:
Hey there from the Critique Club

Camera Work/Technical: Everything looks pretty well focused here, but there are some very strong textures in this one that you could have brought out even more. With a little more contrast, this one could have been even more appealing.

Lighting: I like the lighting. Everything looks very evenly lit, but just a touch flat. Upping the contrast would also remedy that look.

Composition/Content: Very well composed. I have to disagree with the comment by docvorhies. I think that there is tones of interest there, and getting closer would add to that even more.

My Opinion: Fine job meeting the challenge. With some slight adjustments, this one would have scored even better.

Eric

Yellow Submarine
by Joy Moore

Comment:
Hey there from the Critique Club

Camera Work/Technical: Great focus, but there is a yellow hue beyond just the yellow of the submarine. It is more strong at the bottom of the frame.

Lighting: You did a nice job with exposure control here, but the shadow at the bottom left of the frame is a bit distracting.

Composition/Content: I think the cropping is just a bit too tight. You need just a little more space between the submarine and the left side of the frame.

My Opinion: Wonderful job meeting the challenge. Coming across a yellow submarine was a great find. With a few slight adjustments, this one surely would have pulled a much better score.

Eric

High Five for Árni
by Majanka

Comment:
Hey there from the Critique Club

Camera Work/Technical: No complaints from a technical standpoint, but this one has become as overdone as wine glass refraction. I think the voters voiced the same feeling with their votes. I do like that you did it in a more creative manner, isolating the hand rather than shooting the entire body.

Lighting: Your lighting is near-flawless. The highlights and shadows work very well to give this image a great texture.

Composition/Content: The centered composition also works very well for this image.

My Opinion: I believe that the image quality is much better than 5.46, but the voters tire of seeing the same idea shot over and again. If this were the first of its type, it would have been a 6+ image, maybe even a 7.

Eric

Road Map
by IreneM

Comment:
Hey there from the Critique Club

Congrats on a well-deserved top 30 finish!

Camera Work/Technical: Simply amazing! The only thing this image suffered from was being in a free-study type of challenge with so many strong images. Your detail and crisp focus are terrific.

Lighting: Again, wonderful. I especially like the brightness along the bottom of the leaf. The works very well to add some pop to the subject, as well as isolate it even better from the background.

Composition/Content: No complaints. The stem works well to lead the viewer's eye into the leaf. then the veins take over, taking the eye throughout the frame.

My Opinion: This is a terrific image. In a more specific type of challenge, this would be a top 10 finisher. Your score only suffered because of so many top notch entries.

Eric

Otherside
by sephick911

Comment:
Hey there from the Critique Club

Camera Work/Technical: I agree with you on the focus. Self-portraits are often very difficult, especially in low light conditions. The focus you captured is very nice for a 10 second exposure, but just in the wrong spot. You captured great detail in the hair, as well as the door texture.

Lighting: Very nice and very moody. Great exposure control with the lighting that you chose.

Composition/Content: You did a very nice job with creating a composition that leads the viewer's eye into the frame. The door texture serve as great leading lines toward the brightness and then the face. I think cropping a bit more off the top would have helped this one out.

My Opinion: I think some selective desaturation or toying with the toning of the image would have helped you out with the voters. This one would have worked nicely with a grungy type of feel. I think that this one had more scoring potential with just some slight tweaks.

Eric

Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
by Revecca

Comment:
Hey there from the Critique Club

Wow, first challenge, and you did this well. I think that means I will finish one spot lower in upcoming challenges. I looked through you photosite work, and you have a terrific eye!

Camera Work/Technical: Wonderful, crisp focus with great depth of field use. You also did a very nice job with the BW conversion, not loosing any detail, as well as keeping a terrific tonal range.

Lighting: The lighting is just a touch harsh. The highlights on your brother's head are very nice, but you lost a little bit of detail on the monkey's nose.

Composition/Content: Great setup and I really, really like the tight crop. My only change would be to include his fingers at the bottom of the frame. Cropping them off tight there looks accidental, and it provides a leading line that takes the viewer's eye right out of the image. Great expressions on both the monkey's and your brother's face.

My Opinion: Very nice job meeting the challenge, and a great first entry. 5.86 and a top 100 are good places to start. I look forward to many, many more.

Eric

I Saw Her Standing There
by Judi

Comment:
Hey there from the Critique Club

Camera Work/Technical: Excellent! Great focus and a really nice IR toned capture. I would like to see a touch more contrast and maybe some selective coloring with the panties, hair, and nipples. I think with just a touch of color in those areas, this image would have gained some amazing pop.

Lighting: The lighting is just a little harsh, but you did a fantastic job no losing detail in the bright areas. The highlight on your head competes with your face and body's features for the eye's attention.

Composition/Content: Wonderful composition and great content. You positioning and cropping work well together to make an image that allows the viewer to get into and become a part of. The disappearing shadow also does a fantastic job and pulling the eye through the frame.

My Opinion: I usually like nudes, and this is no exception. You do a fantastic job capturing yourself, and this is my favorite of you so far. I think with a touch more contrast and a little selective coloring using layer masks, this would have been a top 10. Great work, and I look forward to seeing the idea you are working on for the future.

Eric