Stechelberg
by marabu61

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club:

I rather like this; I think the selective desaturation works fairly well and unlike some other commenters, I really like the foreground rails - I particularly like the middle distance where the tracks cross.

The train has bags of character too - great colours and some pleasing asymmetry.

Your aspect ratio does you no favours, the 800px max has forced a very narrow and small overall image - never a good thing.

A very creditable entry though.

On Track for a Lasting Love
by Shea927

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club:

Great technicals here in terms of focus exposure etc but the apparent tilt is problematic as is the cropping of her knee and finger. They are a great couple and this is a really good picture of them but they do dominate the scene; we see the tracks but you make us not care, your composition asks us not to look - "look at the people please". I suspect your score would have been fairly similar if you took this same scene without the couple; that give's you a sense of what they have brought to the scene.

Without them, you had many processing possibilities; with them, your kind of compelled to treated them with some (editing) respect. They limit your options for getting creative.

Just some thoughts...

Regards

Paul

Over the River
by cowboy221977

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

I won't go on too much because you've had a bunch of recent input below, but...

I think this image has more potential within a tighter crop. The tunnel-like effect of the bridge offers some mean perspective and some potential to pull the viewer in. You have undersold it here.

Straighten, crop to just above the bridge and half way between the bottom and the bottom of the signposts and I think you have yourself a more powerful composition that emphasises depth. I'm not sure about going black and white; the colours you'd be left with - red and green always look fine in my view, though I certainly think some vintage coloration might help.

Just some suggestions...

Best regards

Paul

Danger ahead
by gmink

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

This is a good find for the challenge. Selective desaturation is a tricky techniques, not technically but for knowing when it works. It does work here but it is slightly in-your-face; it draws attention to the flag and thus away from the tracks which are the implicit subjects here.

I like the splintering of the wood in the sleepers but cropping some of the lower part of the image would have give a crisper, and in my view, thus more effective foreground.

Overall, a valiant entry - better than 69th might lead you to believe.

Interloper
by Paul

Comment:

Originally posted by posthumous: you're clearly an amateur at going low. you should get advice from me next time. beautiful shot.

I know! It did disturbingly well. I need two more Browns too.

Walking The Line
by jagar

Comment:
I gave this a 10. I hope you checked the timetable.

by Keith Maniac

Comment:
Exceptional. Discovered via the triptych thread.

That Was A Lifetime Ago
by maclen

Comment:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: This is a delightful and slightly poignant image. I like how the colour and light bleeds away at the edges of the frame like a metaphor of her life. I really like the resigned manner in which her bag is placed; like it's taking a rest - again, this reflects the overall mood of someone caught up in a reflective moment.

Critical stuff: Some will find the vignette a little strong.

Overall: Beautifully observed and processed in alignment with the sentiment of the image.

See the light
by Melethia

Comment:
Where on earth have you been hiding this treasure?? Amazing.

goo
by jmritz

Comment:
I feel the Earth should stand still for this one. Gave it an 8 at the time. That was stingy.