Christmas Bunny in the Snow
by shudson

Comment:
Welcome to the world of DPC challenge participation. Although a basic camera may impose limits on the technical aspects of exposure (range of aperture, ISO setting, available focal lengths, and flexibility with flash equipment), elements of composition are mostly independent of the camera. If you get a chance, take a look at “The Photographer’s Eye”, a wonderful book that will change how you look at all kinds of artwork, including your own.

Actually, in this case, the cake is nicely exposed, with detail preserved and the white not blown out despite use of flash, and the important elements are in focus. Unfortunately, in a topical challenges image that really hammer home the theme tend to do better. So a strong light from the side might have moved the shadows over enough to be a bigger part of the image.

But the biggest opportunity is with the background. It really helps to take a close look all around the edges of a posed image just before activating the shutter. A slight shift in position would have eliminated the distracting back edge of the table. A moment to smooth the tablecloth would have eliminated those folds in the upper left, that don’t contribute to the composition. Perhaps changing the cloth to a solid color would have made the subject much more attractive (the repeating white lines in the cloth clash with and distract from the simplicity of the square white platter).

Keep taking pictures, keep entering, and keep learning everything you can from the comments and the discussion threads. Also, try voting in some challenges too. I find that is a good way to make me slow down and seriously consider all the different aspects of each image and how they contribute to the final product. Great way to learn about images and about yourself.

....just surprise me.
by Simms

Comment:
Nice outfits and expressions. The darkness of the close together sides of their faces makes it just a little less festive and inviting than ideal. But it also looks like the pose woudl make it difficult to correct for those shadows.

A Puppy
by GolferDDS

Comment:
Love the captured expression. (I look askance at those snow people myself, but they are pretty funny.) Excellent lighting, and using black background keeps us focused on the subject.

.... is You !
by hesitant

Comment:
Ummm ... I'm taken already. Good choice for a personalized card for your special someone. The head position is classic, and the background is handled especially well. Her eyes seem to be looking just a hair camera left of the lens center. Having the eyes shift slightly more to camera right might create an impression of stronger communication. To my taste, the amount of negative space caused by including so much of the hair on our left shifts the balance of the image unfavorably. You might consider experimenting with having the right left side a bit closer to the shoulder seam, maybe balanced by a little trimmed from the top. Others may disagree.

Message edited by author 2008-12-31 10:24:18.

Santa's Cookie Collection
by GeneralE

Comment:
The yellow tones combine well with the deep greens of the background. Setting this up as a stack shows off the top item well, but hides the other cookies, with the darkest one looking unappetizingly like charcoal. Maybe an attractive positioning around the plate with a little overlapping would have been more appealing.

A Couple of Blue Ribbons ;-)
by Lonz

Comment:
Might have been good to make the top of the blue ribbon target in the background rounded white to echo the planned roundness of water drops. Despite all the threads grumbling about water drop shots, this will probably score well, but I don't predict a blue ribbon. Not voting, just commenting.

Get Out from Behind the 8Ball
by banmorn

Comment:
Interesting use of light from below, which has subtle associations with horror movies -- appropriate for an 8 ball. Pretty gold ornament top and festive red pipe cleaner add thematic contrast and enhance the image.

Playing with light
by hajeka

Comment:
Artistic high tech take on strobe with metallic umbrella. Full image is lots better than the thumbnail. I like this one.

But you'll shoot your eye out, Dear.
by drydoc

Comment:
I enjoy this view of a table top tree with elegant red draping below and excellent capture of lights and decorations. Makes me wish the image would be all about the tree.

Face... with Santa Claus.
by rembo

Comment:
Good lighting and preservation of detail. Black is good choice of background.