Mobile Boats
by codfish709

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

Congratulations on your top ten finish for an excellent shot that fulfils the challenge well.

You're absolutely right, they are very well built models that on first glance are so convincing they are easily mistaken for the real thing, even with closer inspection they are still very plausible. The only give away is their proximity to each other they would be much further apart if they really were freely at anchor.

Having the landscape behind adds very effectively to the illusion of reality and together with the mist it also adds atmosphere to the image. I love the reflections and the slight rippling of the surface this again contributes to the overall result. Your exposure is good with detail throughout. Your attention to detail in cloning out unwanted debris has paid off we have an end result that we can concentrate and appreciate without unwanted distractions.

A very pleasing image deserving of its high placing, well done, Sid

MtStRainier_DriftingSilhouettes
by paulwestmoreland1

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

First of all welcome to DPC. I have just critiqued an image that you took the time and trouble to make some constructive critique on and felt that your efforts deserved a response, so here is my feedback for your entry, I hope you don't mind. Incidentally, for your future entries, if you tick the critique box when you submit your entry you will be added to the pool and I and other members of the critique club will be more than happy to offer you our thoughts.

A flawed attempt that meets the challenge well.

You have chosen an elevated position with the mountains as silhouettes which on its own forms quite a suitable location for the challenge brief. Your composition is considered, using the lower third favouring the night sky which works a lot better than a thoughtless 'plonk it in the middle' approach. The silhouettes of the main subject, the mountains, are clearly defined and you have a foreground frame of the silhouetted pines which adds too.

There are two major problems with the image, the first is the bright line that is effectively dissecting the frame into two it is so dominating and distracting it is completely overpowering the end result and, given the theme, it is detrimental. The long exposure has elongated the lone star, as it is all alone it would have been very easy to clone out which I think would have been advisable though not essential.

The other major issue as already identified by your commenter is sensor dust. You are not alone, I made exactly the same mistake just a few entries ago (see my entry – sunset). As you have used a large aperture its not immediately evident but once seen they stand out light beacons so, you must get that sensor cleaned quickly, your wife will I'm sure be able to advise you but you're welcome to contact me if you wish.

A very noble first attempt, I look forward to more from you soon, Sid.

Dinosaur rock
by otto22

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

An excellent image that fits the challenge well.

Well, you've certainly found a most appropriate subject for the challenge here, and the timing is such that the tide forms some interest in the middle distance beyond the dry shore. The long exposure has calmed the waters which seems to be the chosen way nowadays, personally I prefer something in between, a little more animated.

Although you have made an excellent job in terms of composition I do have a couple of issues with the image, the main one being the blown highlights. I know its inevitable that when you are including the sun you are going to get a certain amount of blown highlights but the long exposure has blown out too much of value here. I do like the starburst effect of the suns rays from the small aperture. The other problem for me is the unfortunate nature of the cloud bank which at first sight gives the impression of a sloping sea which would obviously be a definite no no. I'm pleased to see one of your commenters making the effort to expand upon the normal one liners, he adds another interesting perspective.

Well done with your deserved high placing for yet another excellent image, Sid.

m a l e v o l e n t • a s c e n t
by Ja-9

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

An oft repeated but nevertheless effective shot that meets the challenge.

These type of shots always work well because they lend themselves to an easy and straightforward composition, they also easily hold our attention on the main subject, the stairwell.

I like your mono conversion you have a near full range of tones with good contrasts, it suits the subject very well indeed. The exposure is spot on with full detail throughout, the brickwork is excellently rendered. There is so much detail here to feast your eyes upon, it really is lovely.

I think I understand why you have titled it the way you have, not just for the number and steepness of the steps but those metal treads look extremely unforgiving should you slip, ouch! Thank you for another interesting entry, Sid

Rainbow In The Fountain
by TommyMoe21

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A knobbled attempt that I assume meets the challenge.

I say assume because the assumption is that this is your best art shot of the year and a very good one it was too, I also say was, because what you started with had enough potential and attraction to just tweak it in a minor way to get the very best quality out of it. Unfortunately what you have done in post processing is, for me, far too heavy handed it has destroyed most of the original quality that was surely there for perfecting.

I can see why you were tempted to take it too far you obviously wanted to get the best out of the lovely rainbow but to get it to this you have sacrificed everything else in the image. I don't want to labour the point anymore than I already have, I'll just say, sorry, the end result is just not for me, as you can see from one of your commenters who loves it we are not all the same, Sid.

WW 2 Engine
by Drake

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A noble attempt that I assume meets the challenge.

What a lovely old engine this is, I can see what attracted you to it there's lots of lovely detail but there's the rub, I think you lost an opportunity to make more of this. I like your composition and the focus point clearly on the famous name which helps identify it and its era. What I am less happy with is your chosen aperture, the DOF is too shallow. You probably decided that you wanted to draw the viewers attention to the name to the exclusion of everything else but in my mind there was further great potential in the reflections in the centre hub such as we get a hint of in the cowl.

The tint works quite well here especially being a vintage engine a sepia type tone gives it a sense of antiquity. What I definitely do not like are the blown highlights. I know it can be difficult to get the right exposure especially with chrome under spotlights but there is too much here, it might have been better to combine a couple of exposures to avoid this. Whilst I do like your composition I think a little further away would have been better as you could have avoided cropping the lovely curve of the hub and perhaps included a little more of the lovely shape of the props.

All in all, a good effort, thanks for sharing it with us, Sid

Daybreak
by CodeShark

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A noble attempt that I assume meets the challenge.

You have attempted to inject some additional interest in your image by having your model pose in a yogic posture silhouetted against the sunset which works to an extent, except that in forcing the sillhouette you have completely overblown the sky as you have already questioned in your comments. There are large areas of sky where all detail has been completely lost which is something that is an absolute no no, its something that as photographers we should always try to reduce to an absolute minimum. It is inevitable that in this type of shot there would be a little overexposure at the sun itself but, like I say, this should be minimal.

A much better approach to make your model a silhouette would have been to select your subject and simply reduce the exposure for her, leaving the background image and exposure intact, this would have produced a much more pleasing result. I firmly believe that you should get as near to perfect in the camera as you can and any subsequent post processing should be handled with care and alterations made should be very subtle aiming to get the very best quality out of the original.

Thank you for your submission, good luck with your future entries, Sid.

Triumph
by bonnett

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A record shot that meets the challenge

The good thing about this challenge you have free reign for anything you want to do as long its duotones which your image is, therefore, it meets the challenge. The subject is one that will stir the hearts of motor cycle enthusiasts and any who admire the qualities of good engineering and an iconic name. Equally, it is a straightforward record shot and there are probably going to be a lot of voters here for whom this does not stir the same emotions.

Your exposure is good with good detail retained throughout and you have a full and lovely range of tones from the brightest highlight surrounding the makers badge through to the deepest shadows below the carb. I like your wide open aperture it emphasises the iconic name whilst still retaining sufficient detail in the rest of the components.

Where I think you have failed to make the best of the opportunity is in your composition, I just think with a little adjustment there were probably better possibilities here, for example, I think the carb has less appeal than the beautiful curve of the exhaust. By moving the frame right and up a little to include all those lovely curves you would have had a more appealing composition, you would also have had some lovely distorted reflections too. The downside is it would have moved the logo more to the middle but the fact that it is on a slant helps alleviate that.

Thanks for sharing your lovely image, Sid

slow death
by Giles

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A flower study that partially meets the challenge.

Your commendable attempt to portray death meets the challenge in as much as the decay of the dying flower head itself conveys a feeling of the final stages of the flower's life. However, completely counter to that is the effect that the lighting is having on the front petals, it has rejuvenated and breathed a new life into them making them look much fresher than is desirable for your purposes.

I think you would have been a lot more successful to have done this in its natural environment with natural light only, perhaps using reflectors if needed. In situ this would have probably given you opportunity to repeat the theme with other decaying debris in soft focus and thus convey the feeling much more successfully. Equally, where this also fails is that the focus is on those front parts of the flower where it looks freshest, I think if your focus had been on the most withered petals with the front in soft focus that would have moved the emphasis from the freshest to the deadest parts of the flower and may well have been a lot more successful.

I'm very pleased to see that you have received several comments offering some constructive critique, (I only ever look at the comments after making my own) much of which seems to concur with the points I have raised and offers more observation that I didn't. I hope our collective efforts help, thanks for submitting, Sid

g l o w i n g • e m b e r s
by Ja-9

Comment:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

An abstract that meets the challenge to some degree.

When the challenge description gives you the scope it has in defining orange as a range of colours between red and yellow not all will recognise the 'orange' qualities equally. Whilst your image has appeal it is significantly towards the red end of the definition to the extent that the smaller yellower elements in the top left stand out as being distinctly orange by comparison. If it had been me I would probably have subtly altered the hue more towards the yellow spectrum to get nearer a recognisably distinct orange through more of the image.

Having never tried to capture this sort of image I assume the long exposure enabled you to bring out more of the glow and less of the blacks because of the changing nature of the glowing embers? Bet you were nice and warm for this one!

Thanks for submitting Janine, Sid