May 07 - Cute coots
by hajeka

Comment:
Cool looking little birds with their orange ruffs. Manual focus is a struggle most anytime, but especially with a huge tele like the one you're sporting.
Wildlife are definitely one segment that benefits hugely from cropping, since it's often so difficult to get close enough (even with a 500mm) without some stealthy lurking. Even so, I think that while cropping would have strengthened this by focusing more on the birds, it isn't absolutely critical.

Day 1
by colorcarnival

Comment:
Very tantalizing! I thought there would be a way to make the camera register where the ring was set so it would register aperture, but after some perusing, I couldn't find one. With my Nikon, it takes some finagling in menus but it can be done, so perhaps there's hope.

The strawberries really do look quite juicy and succulent though, tempting me to pick them up; good stock potential.

Hibiscus
by Cuttooth

Comment:
Really cool effect with the depth of field on this one. It almost looks as though the flower petals were a separate photo and the stamens bursting forth like a firework.

Day 2
by mrchhas

Comment:
I have a sneaking suspicion that this would work very well as a texture, if you enjoy that sort of editing. The washed out blacks do give it quite a bit of a nostalgic film feel.

Day 1
by mrchhas

Comment:
Looking at the thumbnail, I thought this was a sailboat on an ocean with the sun, so I was a bit surprised to see the lamp when I opened it up.
Having said that, though, I think it's a good job of making a seemingly ordinary object a bit different and unrecognizable.

Colorful Smirk
by markwiley

Comment:
I like the thin depth of field on this, as it helps to keep out focus on her face, eyes, and expression.

May 06 - Helping hand
by hajeka

Comment:
I think the composition works great here. As noted, the way the other players are chopped off really changes the atmosphere here and focuses us on the downed player. Good find.

Meta Waterfall
by Cuttooth

Comment:
Hm- this scene is kinda interesting- I find the bokeh for the shot a bit harsh and garish, but it works extremely well here by adding nearly a life to the water all it's own. It's the edges on the circles of confusion that give this, forming those squiggles and lines. As others have noted, very nice toning on this- the texture on their coat is very nice. Personally a fan of the BW over the color.

Bricks & Ivy on Boscawen
by nova

Comment:
You might have considered shooting stopped down a bit more so you could have used a hyperfocal distance for the shot. I'd personally like to see more sharpness on the bricks at left.

Tulip
by markwiley

Comment:
Ah, but you're using your macro, so surely you must take several as they are such perfect and numerous subjects for that lens!
I'm somewhat surprised at the clarity on the foliage in the background, I imagine they must be rather close to the tulip itself or at least of a similar distance from the tulip as the tulip is from you.
This would be a good subject for some focus stacking, so that you can get the center of the flower in focus.