Last Winter Rose
by Stewan

Comment:
Slightly odd title, given those other roses in the picture. Colouring seems strange - a touch of over-saturation or something? I think it's also missing the closeness that would be more expressive of the scent rather than the sight of a rose.

Subtle Nuances Surprise Me Most ! Indians?
by Mona

Comment:
Smoke signals? Is that the point? I looked at this for ages and didn't get it, and have just realised that on coming back to comment a bit. Beyond whether or not this meets the challenge, I think it lacks shape as a photograph: the compositional balance of the various elements is quite heavy-handed (the house coming into the frame almost to the halfway point, the angles and colours of the pile of stuff by the door catching the eye most, and the lack of any great progression of light in the frame. The colours throughout are well caught, but are for me too natural, to ordinary, too everyday: you aren't showing me anything special here, if you follow me.

Snack time - Hey who did that?
by wkmen

Comment:
A few questions to explain the low vote i'm giving: did you think about what to use for the background, and did you think about removing the crumbs? Did you think about using the on-board flash or using a desk-light or something less harsh? did you think about making the intial composition simpler, so that the difference might be more immediately obvious?

Bolt out of the Blue
by dan_pendleton

Comment:
Hi from the CC - I think I may have an answer to Pat C's comment ...

Two things first: I wish people would write at least something of what they were trying to achieve when they ask for a critique. Sure, your photo should stand for itself etc. etc., but if that's completely the case why need a crit.?

Secondly ... this is exactly the kind of dpc stuff which drives me a bit potty these days - which is a way of warning you that I don't like it, and this that this might be a tough comment. Whatever.

Technically, you're obviously in complete control of this shot, so there's nthing to say here.

Artistically, emotionally, meaningfully etc. ... I just don't see anything to grab me. Sure there are some subtle elements: the blue light (daylight?) skimming the top of the thread is hugely effective at adding coldness to the steel. The shiny surface complements the shiny metal nicely. The poitioning within the frame applies all the accepted compositional standards without seeming forced. The exposure is spot-on. For the life of me I can't see why you'd want to photograph it.

Or why you'd want to go to such lengths (as you evidently have) in the process of photographing it. But hey, the same goes for a lot of the photographs on here. I scored you a 6 - technical merit marks, really. My annoyance at the stock-photo nature of dpc is tempered by my debt to it as a learning experience, you see, and I had to take some shots like this in my own process. I probably will again.

Good neat work though. Still lacked that edge of something that would make it a really interesting shot though.

Ed

Anti-Drug Backlash
by EddyG

Comment:
Technically excellent - white lettering on transparent film? Haven't a clue really - but I can't relate your shot tto your title at all. 'Sure as eggs is eggs' springs to mind, but that desn'tt help me at all. Nice shooting, but ... hope I'm not being dumb, but is it perhaps an american thing?

Hell, at least you didn't put it all in the title.

Awakened
by vtruan

Comment:
Don;t know what the reddening of the fead feathers is about - blood on the plumage of the american national bird? Moderately intersting image - photographically, I'd be more intersted in less (perhaps not none) processing: I fear you may have detracted from a good photo.

The Unlit Lamp (Radclyffe Hall)
by Catherine

Comment:
Your first submission ... please please please don't be put off by the majority of voters - this is a place where siny designer photos do very well, and the intersting stuff tends to get hidden beneath that.

We need more people here with your sensibility of light and composition.

Ed

Stranger to the Ground
by JPR

Comment:
No No No. What's WRONG with these voters man? I knew it had elements that pdc would hate, but to score under 5 with such an atmospheric shot is a shambles: there should be a minute's silence. My highest rated shot of the challenge - and you should take comfort in the votes from people like crabappl, Catherine and magnetic.

Ed

Bringin' Home the Bacon
by ScottK

Comment:
Like the idea - something lets it down though photographically. Not that there's anything specifically wrong with it technically, but I think perhaps the composition is too arbitrary: why not show all of the wallet? Why have the driver licence so prominent? Actually you've ended up with the bacon dead centre of image - I can imagine this much stronger if you had the entire wallet in shot, opened symettrically toward the lens, with the bacon sticking out at exactly the same angle. Nice effort though.

"Put on Your Game Face!"
by RiderGal

Comment:
Never heard the expression, but happy to believe in it. Cool photo - excellently lit, composed. Captured some meanness, and some dynamic (the shading around the eyes is masterful. There've been some real gems in this chllenge, and this is one of the top six for me. Good luck.