Dark Princess of Light
by Jaded_Housewife

Comment:
Beautiful entry, Crystal. Just gorgeous.
Way to go, ImageNation!

Dip in the Pond of Longevity
by tate

Comment:
Congratulations, Tate. Way to go, ImageNation!

Divine Porcelain Ladies
by Giorgio

Comment:
Congratulations, Giorgio. Way to go ImageNation.

Little problems of a little champion...
by gipomontesanto

Comment:
Catania
Greetings from the Critique Club

Like many other people who looked at this image and commented, my first reaction was "oh, how very sweet!" It was a delightful moment and a good capture. It tells a good sports story.

Technically, I think your image was well exposed and you managed to get it at a time when you could avoid harsh shadows (or you compensated for them in RAW). Nice.

Compositionally, I too would prefer to see a closer crop. It's an intimate moment, and could use an intimate frame for that moment.

I look forward to seeing more of your work. You brought me down memory lane for a moment when I saw the city of Catania in your profile. I visited Sicily for a few weeks a while ago and was enchanted with your beautiful island. But only spent a few brief hours in Catania at the airport...

Dark Princess of Light
by Jaded_Housewife

Comment:
Oh, I'm so sure this is Jeff's. The lovely model sure looks as if she
could be the mom of baby Julia! Terrific photography and terrific idea.

I'm enchanted by this image.

Dip in the Pond of Longevity
by tate

Comment:
This one just has to be Tate's. He finds an unusual setting makes
it truly interesting, and then slams something unexpected and
challenging in it. (But I don't know what Phive means. Will have
to look it up one of these days.)

All of these three enries should end up on the front page, but if
this doesn't, I'm gonna have a tantrum.

Divine Porcelain Ladies
by Giorgio

Comment:
Okay, I'm guessing this is Giorgio's. That's because he seems to
have a never-ending supply of beautiful women who will pose for him.
And this is certainly beautifully posed, as well as beautifully
executed.

Kickfliping through contrast
by J-Andy

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

Welcome to DPC. YOu are starting off with a bang. Trust me, 6+ on your first entry is not a normal thing to have happen.

But that score happened for a reason. You have an excellent action image that is well composed and nicely processed.

Like some of your commenters, I also fooled around with framing this image differently because I wonder if this is what kept you from the front page. Maybe a tighter crop to the left, maybe a little more air at the top, who's to know. What you have is plenty good enough and I'm pleased to have had the chance to look at it again.

Keep 'em coming. I look forward to seeing more of your work.

Keep your eye on the ball
by tech

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

Oh, galant try! You nearly got that ball in focus. You sure did a good job on getting detail on the kid. Good placement in the frame and great expression on the boy.

It's a bit 'hot' so you might try a little adjusting with "levels" and "curves" in Photoshop Elements or whatever editing program you prefer. Because this image can pop with just a little tinkering.

As a candid, it's okay to have all that background, and hey, you got the shot, but it's a good idea to position yourself so that the good shots come with a nice tidy background. (Just a thought) Another thought: think about blurring that background out a little, now that your image is out of competition. Because it's a keeper.

Meanwhile, I see you are new to DPC; this is your fourth Challenge. Welcome, and I hope to see lots more of your images.

Up and Over
by docurrie

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

Oh, I liked this when I saw it in competition and I still like it now!
Seems to me I saw a "Validated" notice on this then, but can't figure out what could have prompted that, unless you were away during judging.

Anyhow: Beautiful composition, coloring and subject matter. Excellent capture of a difficult subject. YOur lens was just right for the occasion. Processing - well, yes, it does appear to be a bit over-processed. There's a slight halo around the girl's thigh and the horse's legs, usually a sign of oversharpening. That may be the only reason why you didn't make it to the "6" column with this excellent image.

Keep up the good work.