Good Habit: Minimize Debt
by JMS

Comment:
An ORIGINAL idea among the many, many "common" one.

Midnight Oil
by MorbidAngel

Comment:
Exam tomorrow? Interesting lighting - image a bit busy.

The Welder
by sp00f

Comment:
Greetings Josh and * Greetings from the Critique Club *

Your second challenge - and a very nice submission. We won't discuss the "rules", "customs" or "manners" of the site, only the image itself.

"The Welder" is a very strong image - primarily due to the dramatic lighting. That lighting really makes the colors stand out and become critical to the composition. The yellow and balck rope would normally just "be there" - but in this image it is a great lead-in tool.

It generally works better if there is more space behind your subject than in front of it - so consider cropping the image on the right side so that the yellow-black rope is right on the border.

On the other side - cut a bit off the left and the bottom so the coiled rope is kinda in the bottom left corner.

This cropping will make it nearly a square format, but I think you'll find it works a bit better.

YOur colors are fantastic - with the green shirt, blue pants and helmet, and the red beam all leading to the action in the hands. And the entire scene is framed by a triangle of rope.

Good seeing - keep shooting and sharing!

-Tom-

Battle of Stirling Bridge 1297 (but don't attack on a holiday Monday, as we are shut)
by kevrobertson

Comment:
Hi Kevin and * Greetings from the Critique Club *

Oh my gosh! Your first landscape! You should not have done the first one because now you're hooked.

The image is very well done with superb exposure, focus and loads of interest. Compositionally, it rather violates the "norm" by placing the lead-in line on the top right instead of the bottom left. But - the good news is that it works perfectly for this shot! The viewer enters from the right side of the bridge and then can explore the arches, the distant landscape and water at will.

So - we nearly all agree it's a superb image (me and most of your commenters); the question is, "What can we do to make a superb image even better?"

I think one of the commenters hit the nail on the head - it "needs" one place for the eye to rest. Picture something like this:

a) A person in colorful clothes sitting with their legs haging down at the far end of the bridge. (Just past the square pillar.)

or b) A bird flying in front of the clouds just above the square pillar.

or c) A old horse-drawn wagon crossing the bridge - if that's even possible - so that it would be in view.

Having said all that, remember that it's a great landscape, and an awesome "first landsacpe."

Keep shooting and sharing!

-Tom-

Power of Flight
by dixonp1

Comment:
Hi Philip and * Greetings from the Critique Club *

So what gives - you have a technically "perfect" picture - and it rated fairly low in the challenge?

By perfect, I mean the exposure is right on, image is sharp everywhere, the composition is effective, and the colors are pleasant. It was taken in bright sunlight on a clear day.

If the shot was of a UFO or some other less known object, I can guarantee you it would have scored much higher. You are the victim of taking a shot that everyone recognizes - and in its normal frame of reference.

When you shoot things like this, you need to find SOMETHING that will make it more unusual - like you did with your magical sunset lighting of the bridge across the Mississippi. Some ideas could be:
a) Wait for very late evening light - such as the bridge.
b) Take it with a zoom lens and actually move the zoom during the shot.
c) Using a deliberate show shutter speed to induce some blurring
d) Tilt your camera at a 45 degree angle to give it an unusual perspective - even though one comment said it should be exactly "level."
e) Take it on a day with puffy white clouds - or dramatic storm clouds assuming the airport stays open.

In other words it is now a great "record" shot - but not an artistic one. To score well, it probably needs to do both.

Next time you are in a bookstore - see if they have any books by Freeman Patterson - such as "Photography and the Art of Seeing." LEaf through these books - it will be good for you.

Thanks for shooting something new and sharing it with us.

-Tom-

Fresh Supply of Scented Incense in a New Spa
by librodo

Comment:
Hi Manuel and * Greetings from the Critique Club *

The comments you received seem to have stirred up a "mini controvery" over the use of soft focus to contol where you viewers' eyes travel. As you can tell, this seems to be a "love - hate" situation, either the viewer thinks it's cool - or else thinks it's a distraction.

The way you have it shown, the viewer is taken right to the red/black area in the center of the cup. From there he or she can explore outward. It works well.

If you did want to try more DoF - use a smaller aperture (larger number) as you shot this wide open at f 1.8. To do this you'll probably need a tripod, something you probably wouldn't take to a spa. You may find that the image seems to get too "busy" with everything in focus though.

The other artistic qualities of the image are very nice indeed - composition and lighting both support your subject very well.

I'm not sure you need the border - see what you think without one.

So - if you want higher scores and try to "satisfy" more viewers - reduce the soft focus. If, on the other hand, you really like this technique as I do, shoot for yourself and forget about high scores.

It's a nice image - and thanks for sharing.

No Wonder He's Single
by dovey

Comment:
You are the victim of selecting an idea that many others used. You do have some irony though - the "unclean" seat bottom - and a bachelor with pretty fishy curtain.

The Habit of The Birds - Abstract
by laser

Comment:
Defintely a habit - and a messy one at that. Abstract is not very compelling.

His Toilet
by rezros

Comment:
You are the victim of being in a large group with the same idea. The bottom 1/3 of your image is nothing at all. Lighting is pretty good.

Hobby to Habit
by swisskiss

Comment:
Cute model, nice lighting. Good composition taken from unusual angle. The halo around the guitar is a bit distracting. Finally a dark background would probably work a bit better.