Window to the La Sals
by Yomi

Comment:
pitsaman says this is oversaturated, but you and I happen to know that you just caught this at the right time of day! THESE ARE THE ACTUAL COLORS OF THE UTAH DESERT FOLKS! Great shot Jeremy!

Okay, I would like to see more of the base, despite your title. Anyway, really fun stuff!

Spring Surprise - where's my red tulips?
by BJ

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

I concur with all of the compliments below!

In this image, three croci grab my attention very quickly as the colors are so bright and lively. The cropping and composition work well for me because it seems as if they were apppropriately random, showing an almost candid shot of flowers--yet the photo is still balanced and the three flowers invite me to move my eye around the frame. In fact, the three flowers form a kind of circle that my eye really enjoys making over and over again. This photo gives me a feeling of happiness and peace--it's a celebration of exploding color and springtime. Very nice work!

To improve the shot, I can see only one thing that you might want to give more attention to: light. As I look at this photo, my eyes finally end up resting on the upper flower--that is where the most interesting light is. It gives definition to the flower, but it is gentle and even and builds a calm mood that speaks so clearly. Note especially how well the yellow of the stamens meat and is embraced so softly by the colors in the petals. The lower left flower has a harsher light. The flower on the right has better light, but its shape isn't as inviting as the top flower, though that's no reason not to include it, for we all enjoy variation. Someone noted below that they felt the darks were too dark and the lights too light. I think that it only has a few spots that are just a tad too bright. A diffusion of your light would probably have solved any lighting problems here.

The green leaves in the background also have interesting light, and really do a nice job of enhancing and grounding the brighter colors.

In sum, a wonderful shot. Focus and DOF work very well here, as does composition and cropping. You've obviously a great eye and have great skill in these areas. Lighting could perhaps be improved, so some experimentation with light may be a fun thing to do. This is a fine shot that you should be very pleased with. I've really enjoyed looking at it in more depth.

I look forward to seeing more of your photos in future challenges. Keep up the great work!

David

Wood Hysynth and Fennel
by Swashbuckler

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

I concur with all of the compliments below!

This image works pretty well for me. I see a blue flower with some other lovely colors mixed in, and I see some fennel, which pokes in from the bottom right and which vanishes to the upper left. The fennel acts as both a subtle frame here, and also provides some engaging lines which draw the eye to the hyacinth and then off the image to the upper left. The two main objects are outstanding together here; I really enjoy how they compliment each other nicely in both color and form. Because the fennel both enters and leaves the frame, we are given a hint that there is more beauty to be found even outside the frame of the photograph.

The light you've used (or found) really enhances the gentle nature of these objects. The shadows are soft and pleasing. DOF works well here too, enhancing the invitation to thing that there is more to be found beyond the photo itself.

Some below have noted that the fennel leaf at bottom right distracts from the image. I disagree, but it does pose slight problems, and the problems are a tad complex. Your title suggests that the two are equal, and the bottom right fennel certainly is in focus, but the object that really carries the weight here is the hyacinth. Yet you've given one of the fennel leaves sharp focus. However, it may be that what is disturbing folks is that we want the two to either be equal in power (right now the hyacinth has most of the power--it's even in the center of the frame) or we want the fennel to act as an enhancement, giving all of the power to the hyacinth and be content with its role as lovely background. Instead, we may have some slight "turf wars" going on here. The fennel seems to be vying for power it is not supposed to have, and so some find it a distraction rather than an enhancement. I suppose we want peaceful shots like this (established so well by you through lighting and focus) to seem balanced and free from such battles!

If more fennel were in focus, this problem might be solved, but you might lose focus and interest with too much busy-ness going on. Also, if the shot were cropped tighter to eliminate some of the hyacinth (at the upper left) and let the fennel at lower left be as large and important as the section of hyacinth, that might solve some problems. I'm sure there are other choices.

In sum, I like this image. It is soft, peaceful, the colors and lighting work extremely well. IF there is a problem, it is probably due to an ever so slight sense of unbalance created by split focus, even though your title suggests we should look for two elements. The flower has the power, when it should probably be shared with equalivalence.

Super work. I look forward to seeing more of your images in future challenges!

David

Balance
by ClubJuggle

Comment:
I'm trying to figure out how to ride one of these! This shot really goes far in celebrating the unicycle.

Poppy's Delivery
by Pep Ventosa

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

I concur with all of the compliments below!

I've probably said enough about this image below in my voting comments, but this image is brilliant. I expected to see it in the top 10, but alas, many things that are expected here at DPC don't come to fruition.

I'll echo my comments below a bit: when I look at this image, I see ripeness, and again, this reminds me of all thats joyful about female sexuality. I'd be interested to know if that was your intent, for it seems so evident to me, and I'm not one who usually goes around thinking about female sexuality. Your lighting is warm and gentle, and sets this seed pod off very nicely. The light slowly creeps up the pod until it it brightest right at the top where it belongs. You show through your other images that you are master of light, so this is no surprise. I like the placement of the pod right in the upper middle where it gets the attention it deserves.

Focus and DOF are magnificent, and I really can't think of anything that would make this a better photo, except perhaps a modest border--just enough to set it off from the gray. I'm not sure your feeling about borders, so I'll leave it at that.

This is the kind of photo I wish to take some day. Keep up the good work!

David

Joy, Comfort, and Love
by dacrazyrn

Comment:
Unique and intriguing. The "frames" seem to bring a bizarrely postmodern feeling to this image, as if the relationship were being scientifically dissected, which is strange, because postmodernism is usually so cold. However, the image and subject matter itself defy this, so it's as if you are gently poking fun at how such relationships are dissected. I'm in Lala Land now, so I'll stop. IN essence, this is a complex image that is warm and gentle, but goes much farther. Congratulations!

$peedVision
by RiderGal

Comment:
Interesting and engaging shot, even for folks who don't "go" for cars. I like the focus, colors and glitz of these autos. They celebrate headlights!

First of the Season
by Refracted

Comment:
These little flowers are sure fun when they pop out of the ground so early, aren't they! Focus is great, though both shots, but especially the left could use just a little more contrast in the petals, I feel. The frames work well together. Nice, soft lighting.

Two Different Languages
by Annida

Comment:
Really engaging and fascinating juxaposition here, and your bold and simple approach really works well. Not quite sharp on my monitor, but what great work!

Ebb and Flow
by KarenB

Comment:
The frames work well together, though the center and right are similar enough when the bird is so dissimilar. Still very nice tones and gentle colors. Nice work!