Companions
by pamelasue

Comment:
I think your silhouette may have been more effective if there was less "stuff" in the background, which now fill the spaces between the branches where the sunset could show through. Perhaps moving a bit to the left from where you took this might have shown the main tree against a more open area. Also, lack of a clear horizon makes this look as though it's tilted counter-clockwise, even though the man-made structures(?) seem to show that you had the camera level.

Eau Claire - The Bow River
by Citadel

Comment:
You've definitely captured the feeling of "cold" -- I can imagine a lot of people being picky because -- between the running water, plants, and snow -- there's only a little actual ice showing.

Also, to me, the way you've cropped at/below the horizon makes it look as though the image is tilted a bit to the right (clockwise).

Arabesque
by anotherday

Comment:
I'm not sure you needed quite as much surrounding black area (or maybe more?). There's good detail in the mid-tones; maybe that and the brightness of the highlghts combine to make the subject itself not as low-key as it could be, but really, I don't see much problem with this photo myself -- I like geometric patterns and odd objects.

Boy
by kashi

Comment:
Well, I like this -- I think the lighting is fine and the crop/negative space composition work well.

I wonder if the purplish tone to the highlights disturbed some people as perhaps being a bit out of place -- suitable for an actor or musician on stage, but a little odd for a children's portrait studio.

I'm interested in trying out the step "reduce to 80% opacity" -- above what color BG did you have this as a layer?

Stoic Resignation
by fotomann_forever

Comment:
In a way, this is almost a high-key photo in feeling -- the way the face of the bear and the smoke/fog are so brightly-lit I get the impression of a lot of light present with the subject hiding in a shadowed area, rather than an overall dimness. It looks kind of like a shot on a stage, with a spotlit performer. I guess I'd describe the lighting as rather harsh, and I think most people have an expectation of softer lighting, with smoother gradients and more rounded shapes when they are looking for a low-key image.

I'm not sure if the smoke adds or is a distraction, though it makes an interesting contrast with the sharper textures and angularity of the bear's skin.

Low Keys
by GeneralE

Comment:

Originally posted by noraneko: Cool idea, but the realization could use a little work - keys aren't quite in focus, and bag texture is a bit distracting.

Interesting, as I figured part of the goal of this challenge was to shoot within a limited tonal range while still maintaining detail -- I deliberately chose the texture of the camera bag to show off that aspect.

LAN
by GeneralE

Comment:

Originally posted by AGrigorof: You should fire the cabling guys ;)

Uh, I agree, but I'd have to fire myself. : )

Message edited by author 2007-03-07 11:13:40.

Total Lunar Eclipse 03 MARCH 2007
by Greetmir

Comment:
Very nice job -- I like the presentation too.

Optical Coincidence
by mpeters

Comment:
Your description reminded me of the story of how Galen Rowell acquired [url=//mountainlight.com/gallery.tibet/images.html]this image in Tibet. I don't recall all the details, but I think it involved running about a half-mile across a muddy field with all his camera gear to get to the right spot in time.

Talk about optical coincidences, I think with just a little burning-in you can make that into a funnel-cloud in the background.

Inner City Trees
by sickdog

Comment:
Hey, I recognize that banner!