Work In Progress
by Dr.Confuser

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

An eye-catching image for the FS study

It is certainly a very strident image with punchy colours that cannot fail to grab your attention. There are some very clean steel components of which I like the vivid blue interiors. The composition is a little cluttered but generally acceptable.

I don't like the blown highlights or the processing especially the fuzzy vignette for me it spoils the whole image but as you say, its not going to appeal to all but if it serves its purpose which it certainly has for you then it has worked.

Thanks, Sid

Surveillance
by sidpixel

Comment:
Once again, I have my image for critique. I would value any contribution who passes by and wishes to comment, thank you...

Frozen Light
by clickodak

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

An original image that meets the challenge well.

I like your concept it it fits the challenge very well and your composition is very good, well done. The angle of the light, the very slight cropping and its position within the frame are all ideal for the subject. I like the ice and the water on the bulb it works very well adding another intriguing element to the image.

What I am not so keen on is the background, I wish it were a more uniform white throughout it would give the image even more impact than it already has. Having said that there may well be people here who prefer it this way, that is just my personal preference.

I think you have done a great here Marcel, thoroughly deserving of your high score and placing, well done, Sid

Unbearable Lightness
by Dr.Confuser

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A somewhat appealing image that meets the challenge.

The artificial light has, I assume, come from the onboard flash of the camera? I like the shallow DOF, I like the dark background, I like the shapes and composition in general. What I am not keen on is the inevitable hotspots of overblown highlights that very often result from this type of shot using on-camera flash, it rarely gives the sort of results I am after but you have used it for the purpose of this challenge.

I like the detail of the fibres with the OOF elements against the dark background it makes the image a little more intriguing. Thanks for your submission, Sid

Once upon a time....
by clickodak

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A cute image but does not meet the challenge.

The concept is cute and very appealing having the two teddies reading the book together tugs at the heartstrings and makes you go into soft mode! However, the execution could have been better, I don't think the focus is soft as your commenter has observed but the problem is a lack of sharpness which is due to camera shake. It may be that you used a tripod, I don't know, but at these sort of speeds unless you use a remote release you will introduce camera shake as soon as you press the shutter release. A way round this if you don't have a remote is to use the camera's self timer.

Your exposure is good and I like the chosen aperture and focus point on the eyes, I like the way the book in the foreground is in soft focus enabling us to focus on the bears themselves.

A very appealing image Marcel, sorry it didn't score higher for you, Sid

meager beginnings
by Parabelle

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

Congratulations on your high placing for an original take that meets the challenge well.

What a lovely original idea that works well and in a humorous way too, we all like to laugh and smile. I love your attention to detail and the detail you have captured, in particular the mans face and expression and the eager anticipation of a sumptuous meal that is oh so going to disappoint!

The lighting is excellent it emphasises the lint meal, the utensils are bright and nicely reflecting the surroundings and we then move slowly up the lovely detail of the fingers towards that darkness from which that wonderfully expressive face appears. The only minor thing I can make any criticism of are the overblown highlights on the pepper pot in the foreground, apart from that the image is perfect, very engaging.

A quick look on your profile shows that this is not a one off, you are a very talented photographer with a yellow ribbon already, its a real shame we are not able to see more from you, please return, quickly, Sid

Dryer lint puppy
by gmink

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A fairly abstract image that meets the challenge well.

It took me a while to realise that the lint is on a piece of scrap wallpaper that is being held by a lady in a blue gown with red hair. Then result is really quite abstract and more appealing for it. I find the right of the image so intriguing that it takes over the actual subject matter.

I have to assume that your choice of very high ISO was done deliberately to make the noise a feature of the image? If this is not the case you could easily have shot at something like two stops bigger aperture and reduced your ISO to 3200 perhaps even 1600 for a much cleaner result. The focus is also deliberately soft? I assume manual focus was used as nothing appears to be in sharp focus but perhaps this was one of those times when you wanted to present a different result and use soft focus per se.

I'm having one last feast of the right before I leave youâ€Â¦ Thanks for your submission, Sid

When the sun shines just right
by CameliaM

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A pleasing portrait that meets the challenge.

This is a lovely self-portrait enhanced by the side light coming from your window giving a pleasing amount of illumination and shadow. Your eyes are nice and sharp and brightly reflecting the window that is providing you with that light, nicely done. I can see why your painting appeals to you it has a sense of invigorating energy about it.

What I think would have been an equally pleasing alternative would have been more of profile with you looking towards the painting perhaps looking over your shoulder towards the red roses. In this way the light would have lit up your face even more with the shadows trailing towards the back of your head and the hair, the blend to darkness may have been quite seamless.

Apologies for the lengthy wait for a critique but I hope you still have the same optimism and your year is going well? I'm sorry your image didn't score better, Sid

Light
by mlhannah

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A pleasing image that meets the challenge well.

Wow, it was a bright day looking at your settings. You have made good use of that light to get a reasonable exposure that has transformed your subjects into silhouettes. Your image has some very pleasing elements to it but is not without its faults too.

The sea is very slightly not level but its not enough to easily notice. The blown highlights are inevitable to a certain extent but I think a little less exposure would have been of benefit here. The sky is lacking in contrast and the vapour trail is not really of benefit to the overall result. I like silhouettes but I do wish the shapes weren't so confusing here. It looks like a fallen tree she's sitting on but the way it extends into the sea is detrimental and is that her leg or a branch.

Although I may sound negative I do like your image overall and am merely pointing out that which doesn't work quite so well for me. Thanks for your submission, Sid

The power of light
by otto22

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

An original submission that meets the challenge very well

What a unique and original take on the light, I like it a lot and so did everyone here by the looks of it, well done. Your moonlit landscape is a wonderful image in its own right but together with this very clever concept it is excellent.

I have to say that I think this would have been even more effective with just the one light shining towards the moon as though forming the spotlight in space as it cleverly does. The other light is so much less effective that it detracts from the power of the first light.

Having said all that it is still a magic image, well done Otto, Sid