Paddling the boards
by docjonny

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge

Your image has a nice balance to it with the distant land and your two figures balancing each other fairly well. Although generally overexposed I think the high key effect works well for the background but not the foreground. You could seriously improve the image by burning in the foreground and making it darker and whilst I normally dislike blown highlights I would leave the rest as is because it actually works well here. Thanks for an interesting entry Jonathon.

Elements of Harmony
by Pascal

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge

Your apt title says it all. There is a lovely mystical quality to this dream-like image where slowly a beautiful mermaid will magically appear. I like the near-abstractness of it all where land merges into mist/sea/sky almost seamlessly with sufficient separation from the band of blue to make the clouds seem like a reflection of the water. Well done in achieving a higher score than you anticipated and for your HM Paschalis.

• h i g h • t i d e •
by Ja-9

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge

There is a lovely feeling of space with the distant figures on an empty beach for a child full of life to run free who makes a very strong focal point to give the image scale and with his pose a dynamic quality. The waves complete that dynamism together with the lovely shapes the sea has carved out of the beach. Given the dynamics of the beach and sea against the much less interesting sky this is one where I would have used the reverse balance with the beach dominating. I like the near mono/pastel tones. Thanks for another lovely entry Janine

Italian toys for grown ups
by docjonny

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An image that meets the challenge.

Whilst I am no fan of this use of tilt/shift given the challenge brief of selective focus you have fulfilled it but I regard true tilt/shift as a very different technique for correcting perspective particularly in relation to architecture. So, given my explanation, I don̢۪t think my bias will allow me to comment further in any useful way. Anyway, well done for your high score and placing.

Shift
by riot

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge properly.

Your prediction for the entries was unfortunately cannily accurate! Your entry is a pleasing exception made all the more exceptional because of it and I̢۪m glad to see some of your commenters appreciated it too. At 1/13s you̢۪ve done well to hand-hold this with such a good result, yes there is evidence of noise but the really important point is that this is a true perspective. The inclusion of the two people interacting with the building really completes the image giving it all a sense of scale and accuracy. The blown highlights are an inevitable by-product of this difficult exposure.

So, with all that lovely glass you don̢۪t have a tilt/shift lens, could this be next on the shopping list? The score reflects how little this technique is respected here, thanks for a refreshingly true representation of what the challenge should have been about.

At the Sanctuary
by riot

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An interesting image that contributes to the challenge well

How appropriate having last weekend run a birds of prey photography workshop! Truly fits the challenge brief well in an, as you say, slightly different composition, you might try selling him the image for marketing? As opposed to a static wings folded portrait on the glove your bird is more dynamic having some wing movement. He's nicely isolated from the soft focus background with good sharp detail especially around the all-important eyes and beak. All in all a competent image, well done Eugene.

American Star, Shawn Phillips
by clickodak

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An interesting image that contributes to the challenge well

Ah what a great profession to have, working to give others pleasure. You have captured the moment nicely Marcel, you can almost hear the melody playing, his concentration clearly evident with his fingers demonstrating the mastery of his technique. The detail in the musician is very good and well isolated with the soft focus background but that is where I have my main problem. I rather wish I could see more detail in the band behind or a different viewpoint that has less distractions. I know this is not easy especially in a crowded audience so I think a larger DOF would have been better in this instance.

Who's There
by Ja-9

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An interesting image that contributes to the challenge well

This looks like a little owl, at least thats what its known as in the UK if indeed it is a similar bird. If so, the colours are not true, your bird has a distinct reddish hue whereas the bird I am referring to most definitely does not it is much more brownish. Assuming the colours are correct and it is a different bird I like your off-centre composition which hides any tell-tale jesses of a falconers bird making it look a more natural wild bird capture which it may be. The detail of the bird is lovely with those gorgeous eyes dominating. Thanks for your entry janine.

The Pasta maker
by docjonny

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An interesting image that contributes to the challenge well

A skilled image of a skilled lady concentrating on the task in hand, your candid shot has captured the moment well. The exposure is good with plenty of detail throughout and the composition is also good with a clear focal point of whats going on taken in such a position that we get to see the essential elements of her working environment. I suppose the only minor improvement I would make is to angle the camera slightly lower to include less of the ceiling and more of the lower half but it still works ok. Well done for your high score and placing Jonathon.

Lobster Dinner near Motif #1
by bobnospum

Comment:
Hello from the critique club

An interesting image that contributes to the challenge well

An opportune moment captured, what an ideal setting for such a meal. I like your composition, the two people and their meal are the focal point but we are also able to see the lovely location which is contributing well to their overall experience. I don't know whether its my screen but there feels a reddish hue to everything, if not then a little tweaking with the white balance wouldn't go amiss. As far as the major cloning is concerned you must have made a cracking good job of it because its not all evident to me. Well done Bob for this lovely entry