Fender Stratocaster
by ChrisW123

Comment:
Wonderful clarity and superb use of dof to communicate part of the personality of this instrument. 10

molo
by slonko

Comment:
Wonderful leading lines. Just a great shot. 9

mid morning
by ursula

Comment:
I can perhaps dream of capturing a photo like this! Focus and dof are just perfect. Superb composition. Probably the blue ribbon for this challenge. 10

Mohave Sunset
by tfarrell23

Comment:
This is very nice. Tricky composition, but you manage to make things balance out quite nicely with your three levels of water, mountains and sky. 9

Group Hug
by movieman

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

I concur with all positive statements below!

In this image, I see three push pins on a strong 'third' node, in a touchy-feely situation. What's really nice about this photo is that it is so simple, and yet has a unique flair to it that sets it apart from other shots. Some below have suggested moving the pins around in new positions, but I like what you've chosen, though I'm sure different shots with different communications could be done.

The tilt of the frame and the negative space help to put these pins into their environment, which is white, quirky, and empty. Somehow, if pins could live where they wanted, this just might be a space in which they might enjoy. The negative space also makes our imaginations look beyond the frame and crop of the photo.

Your lighting may be a just a tiny bit harsh here, and this causes some harsh shadows and highlights on the pins themselves and directly beneath them. Light that is more diffused, but still bright, may have worked better, or perhaps you just added lots of contrast in post processing. It seems the focus of pins fades, especially on the two leftmost pins, so perhaps a smaller aperture would have kept them in focus better.

Overall, this shot works. It is fun, has a great title, meets the challenge, and I enjoy looking at it. Keep up the good work!

If you have questions, please contact me!

David

Profile Please
by MotoCycleBoi

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

I concur with all positive statements below!

In this image, my eye is immediately attracted to your subject: three sheep. They have interesting 'poses' and fun expressions. You've managed to capture some really interesting textures, too, from the sheep, straw on the ground, and the barn. This really adds to the interest of this image.

I also very much appreciate your tones. Your darks are nice and dark and your lights are not so bright that they overwhelm the image or detract from it. Appropriately, the brightest highlights are on the sheep themselves. Texture and tone together make this a very engaging, attractive shot.

The colors here also are very nice. Somewhat muted, they give the shot an older feel, which seems appropriate for this rural life photograph. You'll want to be careful, though, when using red, for it likes to steal the show. It may do that in this case just a little, and even my slightly colorblind eyes are tempted to look at the barn instead of the sheep. So in essence, it could be that to some people, you may have two photos here: one of the sheep, and one of the interesting barn. Not only is it red, it also has some classic architectural photo qualities--you've put the window on a nice third up there, for instance. In other words, you may have competing elements in the photo.

I feel the sheep here deserve their centered position, but I'd also be tempted to try giving them some negative space to 'walk into'. This might make the photo's feel just a bit more relaxed and playful.

There is just a bit of digital noise in this photo, found mostly among the straw, which is normal. I've been dealing with this problem a little myself. Grass and straw are difficult subjects. I have found that it is sometimes best to not sharpen it, so some selective sharpening of the sheep--and nothing else, may help here, but it's not that big of a problem, and shouldn't be for a print of this, if you're going that route.

Ultimately, this is a good shot, and your decent score reflects that. Overall, I like it a lot, and am glad to have seen it in more detail this time.

If you have any questions, please contact me!

Keep up the good work!

David

Waterlily Pond
by rj324

Comment:
Beautiful image. Deep dof works well here and is very appropriate for this shot. 9

Around the Bend
by tfaust

Comment:
Isn't this a great place?! Nice, deep focus! 9

America's Favorite Pass-time
by hgpayne

Comment:
Nice, clear image. i love the lines and curves, and the tones are marvelous.

"AND THEY SCORE"
by tyt2000

Comment:
Nicely done, Thamer! Congratulations on a well deserved ribbon!