Cover: $8, Drinks for Dancers: $18, Lap Dance: $20, Satisfy that Lusty Craving: Priceless
by mnast

Comment:
Interesting photo...great tie in with the title. Wasn't around to vote back then, but good emotive capture. :o)

hungry under the table
by Donald

Comment:
Howdy from the critique club!

This particular image is difficult for me to critique, I'll admit. It's definitely abstract in that I don't quite know what it is other than the corner of a footstool, and have no real reference point upon which to ground my eyes.

This shot lacks a central focal point, which is important for most voters unless the challenge is specifically for abstracts.

The colored effect is interesting, and the blue tones are quite beautiful. I am certain they have a place in other shots, where the tone is more befitting of a certain mood or scene.

The cord running in the background is quite distracting...it takes away from the shot IMHO.

I would imagine that the image, in regular color or in B&W, could be cropped and/or edited in such a way that the frayed fabric edges and rough wood could definitely be an indicator of poverty. I'm afraid that the shot you entered, however, is just a bit avante-garde for the average DPC voter.

All that being said, I think the shot is an interesting study with positive attributes and several points upon which improvements can be made. Have fun and keep shooting! :o)

Laurie
CC

1 Samuel 2:7
by xtabintun

Comment:
Howdy from the Critique Club!

This is a very powerful and emotive image...the colors (and lack thereof) are visually as impactful as the pose and the meaning. I do, however, see where the downfall may have been, which you probably know anyway...but DPC voters and religion usually just do not mix well, and that's a whole other story. This being an international site, with many different faiths represented (some of which do not use the bible) make it difficult for photos with religious themes to do well as a general rule. That doesn't make it a bad image, it just means it loses some appeal with voters who do not know, do not understand, or do not feel an emotional attachment with the subject matter.

If one is unfamiliar with the bible and/or the passage referred to...the correllation between it and poverty is difficult to ascertain.

All that being said, I think the shot is an interesting study with a lot of positive attributes and points upon which improvements can be made. Have fun and keep shooting! :o)

Laurie
CC

November
by Mambe

Comment:
This is very serene and peaceful...I like the lines in the tree and the sky, how they work together. Very nice! :o)

Home sweet home...
by Terramar

Comment:
Howdy from the CC!

This shot has an interesting composition, good focus, and nice lighting (although a polarizer might help bring out the blue in the sky). If it were in a different challenge, it would probably do fine...but in the Poverty challenge, I agree with some of the previous commenters that it's just difficult to discern the poverty aspect without knowing the story behind the photo. I think that having the person actually being in the shot would make a huge difference.

All that being said, I think the shot is an interesting landscape study with both positive attributes and points upon which improvements can be made. Have fun and keep shooting! :o)

Laurie
CC

Rust to rust
by jcolosi

Comment:
Howdy from the Critique Club!

This shot is very visually interesting to me. I love textural studies like this. The color and feel of the bricks just pop out at the eye, and the steel running through them creates a nice visual reference that draws you into the shot. However...

In the Poverty challenge, it's difficult to determine just how this ties into poverty. Most voters will want to see some sort of connection with the building and a person or people. There's no real way to be sure that the lack of repair to a building actually is due to poverty or just lack of care/concern. This was probably the downfall of the shot for this particular challenge, IMHO.

It is a technically sound shot, but it's just not for this particular challenge. All that being said, I think the shot is an interesting study with a lot of positive attributes and points upon which improvements can be made. Have fun and keep shooting! :o)

Laurie
CC

Windowless
by yael27

Comment:
Howdy from the Critique Club!

This is, as other commenters have suggested, a very artistic and textural shot. I love the color scheme. It seems to work very well to enhance the emotive nature of the scene.

The composition is interesting enough as it is, but I might suggest a less-centered approach, possibly putting the window up higher and to the left, leaving more open on the right side and at the bottom. Of course, depending upon what was there might have made this impossible but it's just a suggestion as many don't enjoy centered subjects as much or find them as visually appealing. The lighting does appear a bit harsh or bright...perhaps shooting early or late in the day might bring more warmth to the earthtones.

As far as the challenge is concerned, it is difficult to ascertain whether or not the appearance of this run-down building was caused by time and age, or lack of funds to keep it up. That seems to be what many commented about during the challenge, and I agree.

All that being said, I think the shot is an interesting study with a lot of positive attributes and points upon which improvements can be made. Have fun and keep shooting! :o)

Laurie
CC

Implied Powerlines (dedicated to laurielblack)
by Gauti

Comment:
Well bless your heart... I'm so touched! LOL This is a neat picture regardless of the inspiration. Thanks and congrats! :o)

Lady
by Jacko

Comment:
Beautiful use of primary colors and DOF. Composition is perfect. I love this image! :o)

Mystic Forest
by Chiqui

Comment:
Absolutely beautiful! Congrats on your top 10 finish!!! :o)