Sweeter than the Roses
by qnjt

Comment:
Howdy from the Critique Club!

The flowers you have chosen make for a lovely subject. I think that you have captured their delicate and fragrant nature well.

Your photo has great depth, giving the shot an almost 3-D appearance. I would like to see the edges of the petals within the frame...as it is, the tips being cropped away stops my eye, leaving me wanting for more in the frame.

The focus and DOF are nice in this image...the sharp edges and delicate softness of the petals are both captured well, along with the fuzzy stems. The blurring in the background keeps the focus on the blooms.

The background seems almost split in half horizontally...the greenery on the lower half and the beige color on the top (which almost has a radial blur to it that is quite interesting). I would prefer to see a more constistent background, either all foliage or all beige, but that is my taste. It isn't terribly distracting and seems to work here, but I wonder how it might be even better with changes in the background.

The lighting is beautiful along the right two-thirds of the picture, but in the lower left corner, it darkens...and coupled with the dark background in that area, it becomes just a bit too dark.

The color of the petals, on my monitor, appears to be more of a blue shade than purple...which might have posed problems for you during the Purple challenge. I believe that voters were looking for the more traditional, jewel-toned purple rather than the many, and quite lovely, variants seen in the challenge.

I like the compostion of the three flowers...perhaps a bit centered, but sometimes centered composition works well, and I think this is one of those cases. You might try different crops from the original and experiment with centered and off-centered placement of the flowers, just to see if you come up with a visually pleasing arrangement that works as well as this one. I love to experiment myself, and am constantly learning different ways to present the same photo!

All that said, it's a lovely image with many positive attributes and places upon which to improve. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me...I'm learning too!!! :o)

Laurie/CC

The Pier.jpg
by K-Rob

Comment:
Awesome shot, K-Rob...very emotive and well done.

Dark Flowers
by eostyles

Comment:
Beautiful lighting...the mood of mystery and intrigue is very interesting. I would like to see the rest of the petals that were cut off on the right. I actually like the grain and the noise.

The Beginning of the End
by OneSweetSin

Comment:
Howdy from the Critique Club...

This image has two assets that I see right off the bat - visual interest and angle. The bridge itself is a good subject, and the angle from which it is shot is appealing.

Visually, the bridge is interesting enough alone. There are many other items in the picture that tend to compete with it for attention. The machinery in the lower third of the photo is a bit small and difficult to see with any discernable detail. I believe a tighter crop would be quite nice, leaving the bridge and sky, and removing the distracting elements at the bottom and on the left side. Perhaps a shot from down in the railroad track area, looking upwards toward the bridge and sky would also work well. That, of course, might not have been possible, and I understand.

I do wonder what the shot might look like in natural color. The desaturization you have used is effective, but the shades and tones are all so similar that many of the details have been lost. The sky, however, does look quite stunning and works well with the colors you have chosen.

The title you have chosen is nice, but for someone who is unfamiliar with bridge demolition, it was difficult for me to see that the bridge was actually being torn down.

Overall, this is a good photograph with some positive elements and some points upon which to improve. I have enjoyed studying it and wish you the best in future challenges.

CC

nudeself-9.jpg
by theodor38

Comment:
This is my favorite of the four. I especially like the lighting and the color in this image...as well as the pose. It's much more soothing and less "intense" than the other three. Very nice.

Police Lineup
by TooCool

Comment:
Great shot, TC...would have done well, I'm sure. Composition is wonderful, and the desat really sets it off. Better luck next time!! :o)

Best for Your Body
by sahko

Comment:
Congratulations on your ribbon!!!

Uisge Beatha - The Water of Life
by andywightman

Comment:
Congratulations!!! Beautiful shot!

Catch
by Sammie

Comment:
She will treasure this picture in 20 years...it's great! :o)

Purple Alt 3
by BikeRacer

Comment:
This one is very nice...quite artsy and elegant. :o)