Lake Michigan
by GolferDDS

Comment:
Hey!
I tried to study this photo before reading the comments, and guess what jumped out at me ... the horizon is slanted. :o) If you use a photo editing program like photoshop then you can use a grid or guide line to check lines like this.
I personally like technical shots and ranked this above average because I liked the quality. The focus is good. Exposure is good (it's a bit dark but goes along with the stormy mood and was probably accurate for the conditions).
I think you may need a stronger subject. The waves and the dark diagonal of concrete draw the eye first, but I'm left wanting more.
The colors are rather dark and drab which adds to the mood but also feels a little "blah". You know what I would suggest trying? Keeping everything as it is but adding in a brightly colored subject in the bottom right (follwing the rule of thirds). Someone looking out to sea, walking away from us, or sitting on the rocks in a raincoat might work.
Of course, if you could throw in a colorful boat on the left side of the horizon or a lightning bolt in the upper left then that would work too. ;o)
If nothing else, you could have moved some so that the (whatever it is) on the horizon isn't so centered.
I wouldn't categorize this as "motion" off hand, but it does fit the challenge.
Overall, this is a good photograph but doesn't have enough interest to draw me in and keep me coming back. Very good score nonetheless!

DeoxyribonucleicWHAT?! The Life of a Student
by Konador

Comment:
HEY! I went to the Rainforest Cafe in London!

How to Scramble an Egg
by indigo997

Comment:
OK. I took this before reading the "how'd they do that" on the "Swish" photo, but my technique was similar. I don't have second synch flash and wanted to freeze the egg above the nail rather than at the beginning of the fall... To do that, I blew out the egg and glued a piece of black thread in one end. I then tried holding the egg for the flash and pulling it up. The problem was that the string was showing in the shot (due to the flash). To solve this, I flipped everything.
I nail was hanging from a string (and wouldn't hang straight). I held the egg just under the nail for the flash and then let it fall. In post processing I flipped the photo so that it would be falling the right way. I also had to adjust the black level some so that the string didn't show at all.

Message edited by author 2002-12-16 00:19:09.

Rehearsal
by Alecia

Comment:
I think this is a really good snapshot and definitely fits the topic. It just isn't "pretty enough" for the average voter. My complaint is the noise and that shadow obstructing my view of the hot guy.

Blue Streak
by inspzil

Comment:
This is great, but if you could somehow create the motion blur just in the bg and have him in focus then it would be awesome. Sort of like the look you get when you sit in the center of a merry go round and take a pic of someone on the edge of it while it spins. Not sure that's at all possible of course. ;oP I just wanna see this kid!

Moving by night, sleeping by day
by psychephylax

Comment:
Awesome capture. Excellent. Gotta subtract one point tho b/c it isn't exactly a shot of motion. Still a 7 tho.

Gridlock'd
by arnit

Comment:
This is cool. Nice night shot. Good quality.

Music Box Ballerina
by Squiffyeitherjag

Comment:
I think this was a good idea tho I don't really understand the blur being all over the place. I thought these girls usually just go around in circles. I'd like to see her more clearly. Did you try to use a flash to stop her motion and then leave the shutter open to catch the motion trail?

Foggy Mist
by Marla

Comment:
Lovely composition. The fence is a great help in breaking up the vertical lines. Did you try using an even slower shutter speed? This is a great waterfall for photography! You're lucky if you live near enough to go back. One of my favorites in this composition. ~indigo997

A Melancholy Song
by indigo997

Comment:
Just a few thoughts on my photo: I knew when I entered it that it had some problems, but I just liked the overall feeling of it better than any of my other choices. My first problem was that I only had the model for an hour which didn't leave a lot of time for set up. I did throw the sheets in the dryer for a few minutes but didn't have time for ironing.
This was my first attempt at "painting with light". I set the focus with the light on and then turned it off and used the remote to take the shot. When the shutter opened, I moved a flashlight over her quickly. She did fairly well at holding still for a 6-year-old, but with the six second exposure there was some movement of her arm & hand.
The composition is "off" because the camera was knocked after I turned the light off, and I didn't realize that it had moved so far until I went to set up for the next shot.
The "hot pixels" are actually glitter that she wanted to wear.
Unfortunately, I did this shoot late Sunday and didn't have time to reshoot for the challenge. I do plan on going back and trying again only this time I will iron the sheet, not let her use glitter, and double check the framing before each shot. I like the lighting effect, but I obviously need some practice with it.