Carnivore
by Geocide

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club,

As your score attests, the post processing of this image is very dramatic and well received. Using the tray from an old toaster was a brilliant idea to help set the mood. Where I think this image falls a little short is related to lighting. The shadows next to the black handles really makes the image look less three dimensional and takes away some of the effect of the post processing. Maybe a reflector or two could have lightened up the shadows a bit. This is a very well done image and a pleasure to review.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions regarding this critique.

Tim

The Steel of the Night
by mariahdc

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club,

Obviously, from the comments you received, you know that the focus on this image was a little soft. A tripod would have helped considerably, as it is hard to get a sharp image when hand hold a camera at 1/6 of a second even with an IS lens. The soft focus on this image is by far the biggest reason your score was below 5.

Setting the focus issue aside, lets take a look at the composition. You were on the right track when you cropped the bottom of the pan at the bottom right corner. This is significantly more dramatic than if the whole pan was showing. However, some of that impact is lost with the handle being dead center in the composition. I often leave extra room around my subjects that I shoot for challenges so I can play with rotation and cropping. I would suggest you rotate this image about 35 degrees counterclockwise and crop it so the handle lands in the upper left corner and the pot in the lower right corner and see what you think (You will have some white areas in the opposite corners that will need to be filled in to get the full effect). An added benefit of the rotation and crop is that the large glare at the bottom right corner ends up getting cropped out. If you have trouble visualizing what I am suggesting, send my a PM with your email and I'll send you a quick edit over the weekend.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions regarding this critique.

Tim

Canopener
by mian3010

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club,

A very creative image of a can opener. When I first opened this image, I didn't know which challenge this was entered into and I didn't read the title right away. As I looked at it a few thoughts came to my mind, "What a neat perspective of someone holding up an object on their fingertips, I wonder what lens was used", "Those fingers look a bit over processed - too much neat image", and "The post processing of this image could have been a little cleaner".

Overall, this image meets the challenge topic very well. The colors are very vibrant but this works against you here a little bit, as the orange plastic handles are not very appealing. Since the perspective of the subject is rather unique, I feel that the color of the handles gave the voter an easy excuse to vote a 4 or 5 and not spend the time figuring out the perspective.

There are a couple of post-processing issues related to switching the background from white to blue. On the top of the left handle you can see a slight halo effect and the handle looks jagged where your layers mask didn't quite meet up with the handle before converting the white to blue. There is also a section on the bottom of the right handle where it is easy to see where the blue conversion carried over into the handle material. Masking to convert the background color is very tricky and requires a lot of work at high magnification to clean up the layers mask. As you practice this technique more, you will find you will improve.

With a different can opener and a bit more practice with the post processing, this image could easily of scored in the 6's. This image shows that you have a good eye for composition and I know your score will improve as you enter more challenges.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions regarding this critique.

Tim

River Aurous
by Cutter

Comment:
Back to comment & bump: I'm not sure if I like the effect the long exposure had on the water but for what you were trying to accomplich, you did an exceptional job. 7

Sea Walls
by sabphoto

Comment:
Back to comment: I like the post processing and composition of this image. To bad there isn't a sailboat in the background to give it a focal point. Not much you can do about that. Still a very nice shot. 6

rocky beach
by melville006

Comment:
Back to comment: A very lovely scene you have captured and the composition is nicely done. It looks like your image could have used a bit more sharpening after downsizing for the challenge. Most members use Unsharp Mask with a radius of one for this purpose. For my taste, this image could also use a bit more contrast and maybe a slight boost to the saturation. Please send me a PM if you have any questions regarding these comments. Again, nicely done. 6

Tim

Sea of yellow
by marbo

Comment:
Back to comment and to bump: The sky is a bit saturated for my taste but still, this is an exceptional capture. 9

Snowy Morning Mates
by Cuddles

Comment:
Back to comment: Very nicely done. The small tree at the left helps give the image a focal point. Glad I came back to comment, as I under-rated this one. Bump to an 8

Deer Tracks in the Mountains
by riversong

Comment:
Back to comment and bump: I'm amazed at how effective a simple path through the hills can be as a focal point for an image. Nicely done. 9

Dormant
by rinac

Comment:
Back to comment and to bump: A bit more foreground than I like personally but still an exceptional image. 9