The Lone Fireman
by Judi

Comment:
I can tell you were trying to use the grass as the foreground bokeh, but there isn't enough to make an impact on the picture

skittle raisins
by rae

Comment:
Not as clear as I would like, it may have done better in a smaller crop with the back box sharper and no wrinkles in the sheet.

Drops
by erainman

Comment:
No foreground bokeh, or any background bokeh.

Smokin' Dewalt
by RegencyRiggs

Comment:
For shots like this, thee are a few things that voters really look for:
1. Clarity
2. Sharpness
3. Simplicity (not cluttered and easily identifiable subject)
4. Execution
5. Meeting the Challenge (ones that are a stretch always suffer)

Perhaps this one scored the way it did was because the subject isn't entirely clear. As another commenter posted, you may have lost a bit of quality when going down to 640 pxs. I think the two main things though because it seems somewhat cluttered (has killed me in the past =) ), not sharp, and too dark.

It takes a while to figure out what the voters are looking for, but I think you have what it takes. Just look around at previous challenges to get ideas of how the voting tallies up on different sorts of shots.

Welcome to DPC and happy shooting!

goinskiing

N_DSC0116.jpg
by rjkstesch

Comment:
Haha! LOVE that ride!

To have and to hold...
by bookworm

Comment:
Congratulations on your first entry! You even did better than me on your first entry than I did on mine! I would definitely echo what was said about making the crop a little bit tighter to emphasize the embrace. There's just a tadd too much negative space on the bottom and detracts the eye from the intended subject and causes he ye to wander a bit. I realize that the S7000 uses a 4:3 ratio crop. With this shot I probably would have usd the traditional 3:2 ratio and cut off a little bit of the bottom. I think it might have helped to get a little more of the brides head in there, that may have also put the hands at one of the Rule of 3rds intersections. Hope that helps! Looking good! I look forward to your future entries.

Butterfly Kisses
by photojennic

Comment:
Way to go Jen! This definitely scored much better. Good shot I must say. Just for future reference, you can adjust curves, leves, etc. under the Basic Editing Rules to help brighten up pictures that are a tad on the darker side. Another cool little tool that most people use that is legal under the basic editing rules is a program called NeatImage. You can download it at www.neatimage.com and you can download the Noise Profile for you specific camera. If you have questions about that program, just do a search in the forums or make a forum post on it. There are a TON of helpful people here. BTW, I hereby challenge you to both the Negative and Complimentary Colors Challenges. Do you accept?

Too-Much-edit.jpg
by Rooster

Comment:
Not bad at all, I love this shot, it really captures the little girl's sweet personality. Well done Roost!

the big bang
by fstopopen

Comment:
I feel this is a HIGHLY underrated shot! Very nicely done and exectud very well. The colors are fantastic and exposure is spot on!

I just have to add the fact that I think this works well because when you look at it it really looks like space. This is a shot to be proud of!

;D

Message edited by author 2004-05-28 17:39:15.

The Lighthouse
by mariomel

Comment:
WOW!!! You definitely should have entered this one. I would have given it a 9 or possibly even a 10. Mostly because I am a sucker to lighthouses, but I LOVE the crispness of this shot and how the composition centers around the lighthouse. I love how the other elements, such as the people, really enhance to the shot and compliment the lighthouse. Very nicely done!