Just For You
by TerryGee

Comment:
Critique Club comment:

A whimsical photo, creative and simple. Technically perfect except for some barely noticable signs of oversharpening. I like most of the creative choices you made, especially the colors, background, and DOF. I think it needs more space at the bottom and left; the flower seems a bit too close to the frame. And the shadows are a bit harsh; a fill light on the right side would have helped soften them. But these are minor points; overall a very nice photo.

Printed Landscape
by sainaz

Comment:
On behalf of the Critique Club, here is the critique you requested.

The message of this photo seems to be to convey your interpretation of the interesting textures that caught your eye. And as previous comments point out, they are indeed interesting! The lighting was apparently serendipitous, but is great for this shot, casting nice shadows just long enough to bring out the textures. Some added contrast or sharpening would help them stand out more, but the subtle softness works fine. The sepia treatment is perfect here.

The image doesn't have a clear center of interest. It isn't critical for an image of this type, but one is useful for holding a viewer's attention long enough to start appreciating the overall image.

Overall, this is a fine image. Keep looking down! It didn't score very well in the challenge; I offer two possible reasons for this: First, many voters didn't appreciate the subtleties of the image. With over 300 entries to vote on, they simply didn't take the time. Second, the image doesn't fit the classic image of a still life being a studio shot completely set up by the photographer. Some voters probably took this narrow view and voted low.

To the Stars
by Refracted

Comment:
I was given this great photo to critique on behalf of the Critique Club. There isn't a lot I can say; it is certainly well-deserving of a blue ribbon! Part of its success was being in the right place at the right time with a capable camera. But this image represents your interpretation of a dynamic event and there are certainly a lot of good artistic and technical decisions behind the image as well. The colors are stunning, with nice detail in the aurora. The silhouetted skyline is sharp and interesting. The nearly square format works great. The noise in the aurora and bright lights on the ground don't distract from the overall image.

Infinite Lites
by Coley

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

The challenge was to express the seemingly infinite and this image does it both literally, with the line of candles stretching out of the frame, and symbolically, with the infinity sign. The candles themselves are also reminiscent of some religious and meditation practices so provide yet another tie to the infinite.

However the composition is somewhat lacking. The infinity sign is too close to the bottom of the frame to be an effective center of interest. Instead, the viewer's eye is directed up the line to the first intersection, where it is held by the crossed lines and the different color. But it just isn't that interesting, leaving the viewer unsatisfied.

More importantly, although the candles are fascinating I think some other element is needed to relieve the tedium of the dozens of candles. I don't have a suggestion--I like the lack of other lighting that makes the candlelight more dramatic--but long to see something besides candles.

Infinite Chinese Soldiers
by Cam

Comment:
Critique Club comment:

The challenge was to express the seemingly infinite and I think you've done this very well. The voters agreed and gave you a high score. The subject was a great choice, showing infinity through repetition. And your point of view is perfect: low enough to show details on the front soldiers but high enough to emphasize their large number. The softness of the photo is a plus in my opinion. Higher contrast, a lot of sharpening, or starker shadows would have focused more attention on the front soldiers and detracted from the overall effect. Nevertheless, a very small amount of sharpening would enhance the overall texture.

This is a well made image that you can justifiably be proud of.

Folding Shadows
by TimS

Comment:
A bit abstract for a classical still life, but that's OK; this is the 21st century! The lighting casts shadows that bring out the unique shape of the folded paper. But the grey doesn't match the vibrant feeling of the sculpture. I think colorizing it a light orange (symbol of energy and vibrance) would make the image more interesting.

Culinary Still Life
by mariomel

Comment:
A modern take on the classic art form, with fruit the masters had probably never heard of. The arrangement is pleasing, with the wine and pineapple balancing each other giving some symmetry to the composition. The reflection is nice. My main complaint is the lighting: the tomatoes are mostly in shadow as are much of the bananas, yet the shadow of the pineapple on the background is barely visible.

"Still" Life
by MEGAjig

Comment:
This image has a lot of depth. The composition is good, but the bright spots in the extreme foreground and on the edge of the blanket are distracting. It's clear from your title you realize this isn't a "still life".

Bent Shadow (Corollary to "Unbent Shadow" from the "Shadows II" Challenge.)
by GolferDDS

Comment:
I frankly liked Unbent Shadow a lot better. The shadow here isn't dark enough and the angle of the fork in relation to the shadow isn't convincing.

Strawberry Water
by kevinteh

Comment:
The strawberries add some color, but it's not enough to make the image very interesting. The cloth makes a nice background at the top, but irrelevant and distracting elements show at the bottom. The glasses are distorted by the wide angle focal length, and having two of them means neither is really the center of interest. I think one glass would have made a better image. And perhaps a yellow straw would add some impact.