Berries and Chocolate
by Tlemetry

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club:

It looks like you used this challenge to try a new technique and I like seeing that in the challenges (We’re here to learn right?). The trouble is that I can’t quite tell which technique you are trying, the ghost effect or motion blur. Either way, you were smart to go with something a little out of the box, as the subject matter is a bit blasé on its own and would not have even hinted at being long exposure without the effect. If you could have executed your concept a little better this image could have scored over a six easily. Keep trying, as creative thinking like this will help you get higher scores in the long run once you master the techniques.

On the technical side, the exposure and lighting are nicely done. The green items in the background behind the spoon are a bit distracting should have been removed before taking the shots. It is very important to remove all items from an image that are not essential if at all possible.

Tim

London Eye
by Grandad

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club:

Congratulations on your new personal best. This is a really well done image and deserves the solid score it received. Looking at the time of day that this shot was taken, it clearly was a long exposure and meets the challenge. You did a nice job with your composition and post processing of this image. The quality of this image was well rewarded with a near six score. The primary suggestions I have for improvement are related to when you took the image. The image would have been a bit more impressive if the buildings at the bottom could have been avoided. Also, a little motion of the London Eye would have given this a more artsy feel instead of a touristy feel to the shot. Not sure if either change would have helped your score, as the subject matter chosen, while solid, lacks uniqueness to really capture the attention of the voters.

Tim

Lotsa Flowers...and Bokeh
by Wildcard

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club,

First, let me thank you for the details you provided in the Photographer's Comment section. This was a big help on what to discuss in this critique. The bokeh in this image is very nice and enhances the main subject very well. So why didn't this score better? Although you used USM twice in post processing, the image still lacks sharpness. You may want to recheck your USM settings and try reducing the radius and increasing the strength. I also found the parts of the image touching the left and top borders of the image less than desirable. This is a minor nitpick but still, it pulled my eye's away from the main part of the image.

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

Edit: Congratulations on your new Personal Best.

Tim

Message edited by author 2006-11-06 11:02:12.

JK Memorial
by hudsondias

Comment:
Back to comment: Not what the voters will be looking for subject wise in this challenge. Although the perspective is somewhat interesting, the subject itself has little appeal visually. I would be interested in knowing if the person in the upper right is real or part of the exhibit.

Tugging the Heart Strings
by rkligman

Comment:
Back to comment: Not what the voters will be looking for subject wise in this challenge. This image also looks a bit out of focus. You may want to sharpen more after down sizing an image for a challenge. Most people use Unsharp Mask to bring back the sharpness lost because of down sizing.

Moolar Eclipse
by Bugzeye

Comment:
Basck to comment: Not sure what to say about this image. There is considerable noise and the focus looks a bit soft. You may want to sharpen more after down sizing an image for a challenge. Most people use Unsharp Mask to bring back the sharpness lost because of down sizing. This image might have more impact if it were post process such that the cows and silo were completely in silhouette.

The beauty of fall
by photom1946

Comment:
Back to comment: Nice colors but the image looks a bit out of focus. You may want to sharpen more after down sizing an image for a challenge. Most people use Unsharp Mask to bring back the sharpness lost because of down sizing. I also find the subject matter to hold little interest for me. A tree centered in an image shows little creativity.

Whispers
by Atlantis

Comment:
Back to comment: I'm betting your score is prettly low on this entry, as the subject matter does not really align with the expectations for a landscape challenge. The post processing work does give it an artsy kind of look but I wonder if you shot the image with this in mind or if you were forced to process it this way to fix an image with blown highlights.

Halo
by Faithless

Comment:
Back to comment: I'm betting you are getting killed on this image, as it doesn't really meet the subject expectations most voters will have. The post processing work is very nice and the perpective is very interesting.

Red Sky at Night Sailors' Delight
by pixeldust

Comment:
Back to comment: This image looks a bit out of focus. This could be from hand holding the camera during a long exposure or you may need to sharpen more after down sizing the image for a challenge. Most people use Unsharp Mask to bring back the sharpness lost because of down sizing. I would have cropped this image a bit tighter to get rid of the partial tree on the left edge and to remove the bright light on the right edge.