A Florida Boardwalk Denizen - White Ibis
by olddj

Comment:
Great shot; catchlight and all!

Natural Graveyard
by butch81385

Comment:
I wish I could find the wildlife in this lovely composition.

Drink For Tomorrow We Shall Die!
by carlo

Comment:
Super idea! Oh, if only those guys in the foreground were in focus.

Mask
by flavioalima

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

Welcome to DPC. You now have completed your first Challenge. Congratulations. The first one is always the most difficult. And I sure do like the colors you chose.

You created an interesting picture here, but perhaps an unsettling one for our viewers. Your selection of this partial mask view may have left some folks wondering what else they should be looking for. But, of course, if you had photographed the entire mask, you might have run afoul of the "Other People's Art" rule. One of your commentors suggested a more symetrical view. Now that might work, too.

Your image comes across as soft. Even with IS, sometimes it's a good idea to brace your camera or use a tripod on these long exposures and 1/15th of a second really is a long exposure. If you don't want to use a tripod you might think of boosting your ISO from 50 to 100 or even 200.

All in all, I'd say this is a creditable first entry and I expect you will have a lot of fun with DPC in future challenges. I'll look forward to seeing more of your work.

Dressed for the Occaision?
by Skip

Comment:
Congratulations on a well deserved ribbon, Skip!
I like your runners up as well. Especially those three police guys who have 'seen it all'. And the gal in the red coat, oh, and the rest of them too.

Half & Half
by gurlwithapen

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

One of the fun things about this critique Club job is the opportunity to wander through portfolios that I might miss otherwise. Your architecture section is fascinating. Really a delight.

Okay, back to work. You've presented a half & half image, indeed. It meets the challenge, but didn't score very well. Sometimes, with images divided essentially in half, the viewer just doesn't know where to look to find the point of interest, gives up and moves on. Perhaps this is what happened here. There are nice textures in the red - although they need time to be studied - and the rocks also have some interest.

My suggestion, since your portfolio also tells me you like earth tones, is to think about introducing a third color, such as yellow ochre into the composition. This might give it some zing and keep the viewer in the picture long enough to enjoy it.

I wish you much success in your adventures here at DPChallenge.

Alice

Red Milk Eruption
by moonwell

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

Welcome to DPC. You're doing very well with just three entries!

It's my pleasant job to critique your Red Milk Eruption. Pleasant because I can find only good things to talk about. The image meets the challenge spectacularly and you nailed that 'splash' effect. Some of your commentors wondered about the bubbles or froth. I think it gives it authenticity and adds to the interest. So that's another vote for good job.

Yes, the composition could be different.. If you had posed the drop in the center so as not to reveal the rim and sides it would been another approach. But, I think you need the frame of reference of that rim to make the image 'read' well.

Finally, it looks as if you either achieved this effect on the first try or had the tedious task of refilling the milk container again and again. My hat's off to you, either way you did it.

My best wishes for continued success in DPChallenge.

Red Beauty
by Drake

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

One of the things I enjoy about this Critique Club job is getting the chance to look at people's portfolios. I must tell you that I enjoy your bird pictures immensely - and for sheer "awwww factor" your cygnets in training is a delight.

Okay, back to work: You have an image that meets the Challenge but just didn't excite the voters all that much. I think some of your commentors touched on the main problem, when they suggested the red rose did not appear to be as fresh as it could be. The colors of all of them, however, are quite beautiful. The shadows are indeed a bit harsh and I also think the moisture on them (if emulating dew) was a touch heavy-handed.

So, I'd suggest trying diffused lighting. Using a tripod is often helpful with still-lifes, so with that in mind, think about taking your aperture to a lower number, experimenting with 5.6 or 6.3 or even lower, but not increasing your ISO.

I wish you continued success in DPC. It sure was fun looking at your portfolio.

Crystal Burst
by PhotoTess

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

Pretty picture that certainly nailed the Challenge, and you were given quite good marks by our voters.

I have just a couple of suggestions, because this could become quite an exciting image. The spots on the glass immediately caught my attention. If it's because of the bubbles, I have no solution (except to use clear, still liquid instead of carbonated). Next, as some of your commentors suggested, depth of field is very shallow. I would suggest that you use a tripod (if you don't already) and set your ISO to around 100, and, using aperture priority, vary your aperture from (oh, say) f5.6 to f22 or even higher; your camera can do it nicely. This should make everything all the way back nice and sharp.

Finally, I like your lighting a lot, except for that patch of white to the mid-left side. Because it attracts attention away from your main subject, if you could tone that down it would help.

Well, I said 'finally' but one more thing. I'm of two minds about the level of the yellow liquid. Because it makes the yellow stand out a bit, it's fun; because it's different from the others, it makes the picture a little unsettling. All in all, I think I like it (FWIW).

Looks as if you are enjoying your DPC experience. I'll look forward to seeing more of your work.

Blue Flight
by danw791

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

Congratulations. You have your first Challenge under your belt and it didn't hurt a bit, did it!

I like your image; it reminded me of some pleasant times in India with those arches and colors. I very much like the darkness within the arch which is matched beautifully by the dark trees to the far right.

And yes, as your commentors suggested, you included lots of information in this image. I too, would simple it down quite a bit. For example, wait until those birds have either settled onto the roof or flown away. Then, I wonder if the "Burst of Color" effect would have been intensified by a much lower sky crop and another crop to the left to eliminate that chimney. Because the moon, the facade and the black tree are extremely effective without the distractions. Try it and see if you like the composition better.

Still, it's an interesting image and a great location. If you live nearby, you might well have fun shooting a lot of images of this building.

Welcome to DPC, and I'll look forward to seeing more of your work.