Miles of Moments
by Gotcha

Comment:
The blue in the shadow seems inappropriate for this. In fact I think this would be better in black and white. It is a very nice composition and choice of subject.

Watching Over Me
by 'Pong

Comment:
Nice image but a little overkill on the saturation.

T

Conversation
by Havok

Comment:
This is excellent. I really hope others will take the time to really appreciate the beauty and impact of this photo. It reminds me of a Norman Rockwell painting. perfect choice of cropping and the use of monotone.

T

Late Night
by mariomel

Comment:
Critique Club critique by Tim Jensen

I think we have all been there. This is an absolutely fantastic shot. I'm not sure what, of significance, I would change in this photo. In my mind, I think I had even more books. : )

The lighting using the single point source is perfect. You have used it to highlight only what is neccessary which is exactly what you want in an effective shot. The choice of black and white was very appropriate as was choosing a dark sweatshirt to help make the face and hands stand out more.

The composition is used to maximum effect. The arrangement of the books serve to frame the person and focus our attention on her. One idea that came to mind was to include many little bookmarks or tabs sticking out of several of the books to enforce the idea that they are actually being used and studied from as apposed to being merely props in a scene. The arrangement also gives me the impression that some sense of order is being attempted but at any moment the may be scattered in a fit of frustration.

The real beauty is in how you showed only enough visual information to create a very impactful image. This clearly meets the challenge and you executed it to perfection. Great job.

Tim

brightening my day
by tomzinho

Comment:
Critique Club critiqe by Tim Jensen

First of all, this is a very good image and should have scored higher. It may not be among the most creative photos in the bunch but it is captured very well.

I would have liked to see a little more blurring on the petals on the left side to match that of the right side. It is a small thing but I feel it would have helped to move the eyes back to the center flower like it does on the right side. When an area is sharply focussed it is a tendency for the eyes to rest at that spot instead of moving on to another spot. Other than that, the DOF is very good with excellent sharpness at the center of the main flower.

The colors are very rich and bold and natural looking. They are appropriately saturated while still maintaining the subtle details that help make the photo. I find the bits of white on the lower right and left to be a little distracting, however. Those are the smallest of details that do not add anything to the photo and should be eliminated if possible. Having only shades of green visually supporting the bright yellow and red flowers would provide a simpler and more effective color palette.

The composition is very effective. By using the edges of the frame to crop every object except for the main flower is a very effective way of showcasing the flower. The other flowers and grass blades create a secondary frame and provides just the right amount of information to show the flower in it's environment.

The exposure is very good with a small exception being the overly dark area from the shadow of the flower on the lower left edge. I know it is difficult to avoid when we can't do any dodging or burning.

For the most part this is very solid photo with brilliant colors, nice composition and values, and well executed. Good job.

T

Catching a breeze
by #1 Bronco Fan

Comment:
Critique Club critique by Tim Jensen

I have to agree with some of the comments about using a faster shutter speed to slow the spinning motion and to show the blades more. I think it is a very intersting idea and the colors are very nice and bold. I'm just missing seeing more of the blades in motion. As it is the pinwheel tends to look a little small in the frame but maybe would not if the blades were not quite so blurred.

The composition is pretty good with the pinwheel set to the right of center. I may have preferred to see it positioned at a slight angle, leaning outward, to provide a more unbalanced feel that I think would match nicely with the spinning motion. It is a simple composition and I like that aspect. Someone mentioned showing many pinwheels in motion and I think that would have been an interesting idea as well, almost like a field of daisies.

I like the slight blur to the stick as it blends in nicely with the motion blur. It helps to increase the feeling that the pinwheel is somehow being transformed or disappearing into the background. It is appropriately sharp in the center of the pinwheel where it should be. This provides a solid starting point for the eyes to rest before viewing the rest of the image.

This photo clearly meats the challenge, it is an interesting and unique idea, and you executed it nicely. Good job.

T

Gull-able
by GeneralE

Comment:
Critique Club critique by Tim Jensen

As others have said this is a little soft on the focus. You may have had to crop some of the image to get it framed properly, plus, being in the boat probably did help too much.

I still like the image quite a bit. There is nice rhythm and order to the scene and the composition has a way of keeping my eyes moving around effectively. I also like the way it is divided into sections horiontally helping to convey the sense of depth.

This would probably be worth re-taking with a polarizer and either a steadier hand or a faster shutter speed. The polarizer will help deepen the blue in the sky and water and maybe provide a little more color to the rest of the scene.

It definitely meets the challenge and considering that it is slightly soft I think you did a nice job with presenting the photo. You chose a good image to begin with. The mat is tastefully done as well.

Good job Paul.

T

Abstract Yellow Bug
by DCThiessen

Comment:
I always enjoy shots like this. For this particular challenge I think it would have been better to show less of the tail light and more of the yellow lines of the bug. It's a nice composition and well executed. 7

The End of Winter
by Ziggy

Comment:
This is very beautiful. Natural and simple. Excellent composition and colors. The border is very effective as well. 10

Happy
by mariomel

Comment:
Critique Club critique by Tim Jensen

My first impression was that the skin tones were too red but after considering it I think that the coloring is appropriate because the child is inside a red tube where the whole overall color is red. Red is much more natural a color then, say, green would have been. The blue shirt is also effective in creating a nice contrast and emphasizing the boy's face and hands.

I think the cropping is also pretty effective. I might have cropped the top of the head a little to match the cropping on the arms. The extra space at the top is not necessary. The tighter cropping reveals more detail and increases the intimacy while excluding any distracting elements.

Somehow the lighting, in the way that it is a bit harsh, adds to the natural, playfulness of the photo as apposed to an evenly lit studio type shot that would appear too contrived and setup.

There really isn't much of significance that I would change with this photo. The composition, framing, bright colors and lighting, and big smile all add up to a very striking and emotional photo. It clearly meets the challenge and technically it looks solid. I think it is a very good photo.

Tim