Love of the earth
by mcurregog

Comment:


Hello from the critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge well

Any shot that includes young, in this case, ducks is bound to tug at the heart strings of the viewer so well done in exploiting this potential. The shot itself is competent the focus on the birds is good, the lighting is a little flat but the colours are strong throughout. Your crop has left space for them to move into which is good. Unfortunately, the wow factor is missing that elevates the shot to something even more delightful. I think a lower viewpoint would have helped to make us feel more engaged with the subject and to include perhaps a distant soft focus shore in the background?

Welcome to the community with this, your virgin entry Carolina, we look forward to seeing many more from you.

Junk Yard Island
by CameliaM

Comment:
Hello from the Critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge well.

As Aimee says, ‘what a great find’. These sort of places are an endless source of fascination, anticipation and surprise. I like the creative way you have approached the subject by introducing a deliberate angle but a crop would improve it. The telegraph pole on the right is superfluous and distracting and we don’t really need any sky above. A crop that includes the 140 sign at the bottom right but excludes the pole, you would need to clone out the two power lines from it, and removing the top to just below the weatherboard, in my mind, improves the end result. If you do that I would also clone out the two spotlights at the top of the frame or else they would then become distracting, you could also ease the detail out in the foreground with a little dodging.

Thanks for an interesting entry Camelia

Flying High
by dpeden182

Comment:
Hello from the Critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge well.

Yes, very contre-jour! I like the dynamic feel to it, you can sense the wind blowing. I don't know if you did but you can often take many images because the shape is constantly changing just to get the right shape, I think you've got it here, well done. I can see why you've done the desat but, to be honest, I can't say I like it, as opposed to total desat I think a subtle desat of the flags to make them less dominant would have worked better together and the colours in the flag itself are starting to look unnatural. There are some blown highlights particularly on the middle flag that detract.

Thank you for your entry Daniel, you're doing ok.

At Day's End
by Lydia

Comment:
A gorgeous image but even more so, what a lovely tribute to Sean, Melissa and his memory

The Mask
by sfalice

Comment:
Hello from the Critique club

An interesting image that contributes well to the free challenge

This is certainly original and unique, taking full advantage of the expert editing rules to create something that creates a lasting impression. Having said that I cannot say I like it but I do respect what you have done. What I do like is the imagination that has gone into your creation. I can see the warped kayaks bit I̢۪m struggling to interpret the rest of it but from potential butterfly to mask and who knows what else it could have become all credit to you for a very imaginative result.

Thanks for your entry Alice

I Love You
by Lydia

Comment:
Hello from the Critique club

An appealing image that contributes well to the free challenge

You have taken full advantage of the expert editing freedom with this very creative entry, well done. Both shots have been carefully taken with great attention to detail and lighting and blended together to form something very unique. I find the eye, the hand and the tear all very well executed and convincing, it works well. I̢۪m not quite so convinced with the left hand, I like the way you have the eyebrow hairs over her hand but they would have worked better had they been the same black as the rest of her eyebrow. All in all, I think you̢۪ve done an excellent job.

I̢۪m sorry you didn̢۪t score higher and those sub 5̢۪s cannot be justified, you certainly deserved to. I̢۪m glad you overcame your procrastination and decided to enter such a creative image, thank you Lydia.

Simple Beauty
by smellyfish1002

Comment:
Hello from the Critique club

An appealing image that contributes well to the free challenge

A very accomplished and unique landscape. I do n̢۪t know if you̢۪ve enhanced the colours but the blues and reds are certainly very vibrant and thanks to your self-sacrifice of an early rise the lighting has given it all a convincing 3D effect. The rocky outcrop adds interest to what would otherwise be a fairly standard and less interesting scene. You have good DOF and detail throughout. I might have been tempted to favour a little more foreground for some of the blue sky to raise the outcrop a little further from its present position.

I̢۪m sorry you didn̢۪t receive any comments during the challenge, I hope this makes up for it, thanks for your entry.

Boo
by Ja-9

Comment:
Hello from the Critique club

An appealing image that partially meets the challenge

This is a lovely flower study, the vibrant colours are very effective against the muted and dominant greens, it works very well to that extent. As regards the challenge brief you have introduced an angle that meets part of the challenge but I think the sense of unease that will fully meet the challenge is missing here. I do like the diagonal but to achieve a greater sense of unease I think you inclusion of the horizon would make you feel more off-balance as it were.

In itself a lovely image thank you for your entry Janine

Relax
by angelo75

Comment:
Hello from the Critique club

A standard image that meets the challenge to a degree

The angle you have used for your shot to some degree fulfils the challenge brief but the viewpoint fails to make effective use of the wide angle lens̢۪ creative potential. There are some lovely curves at the base of the unit she is lying on that, if you had gone in close with that lens you could really have exaggerated together with your model in an angled view. For an example of what I am thinking of see Bill Brandt̢۪s nudes on the beach. As it is your position is too distant it becomes more of a snapshot than an image and as with all wide angle lenses it tends to place an emphasis on the nearest parts ie., the top of the head and the arms which is neither flattering or effective. Such a wide angle lens as you have has enormous creative potential do please try some close up shots hopefully you will see what I mean.

Thanks for your entry Angelo, sorry you didn't get any comments during the challenge, I hope this makes up for it.

Sloping Aurora borealis
by Bennih

Comment:
Hello from the Critique club

An appealing image that meets the challenge

The good old Northern Lights! They never cease to impress do they? By taking the shot an angle you have met the challenge brief though I feel that there was more potential to be tapped here. The strongest part of the aurora is on the edge of the frame with lots of space against the weakest part of the aurora. A crop moving everything further right and angle the other way with less sky more water would have enable you to capture the strong part and its reflection in the water I think this would have had a lot more impact. And while we̢۪re on the subject of reflections I find the moon̢۪s reflection very distracting I would probably have cloned it out but the crop I suggest would have excluded it anyway.

Thank you for your entry Benedikt, I am envious of your location , I look forward to more lovely images from you.