White Peacock Bug
by MelonMusketeer

Comment:
Hmmm. I hope not to offend here. Not sure how "honest" we're supposed to be in these side challenges (I've only done a couple over the years).

At first glance this image is fine. It's interesting and pulls the viewer in for a deeper examination of the subject.

The objective 'DPCr' in me sees another item or two: The most obvious being the lighting. It's a little strong. While that's good for getting the details it can also be a tad harsh. The leaf underneath the butterfly is what really makes me bring this up. The leaf is washing out instead of being yellow/green. Because of the washout the leaf blends in with the butterfly somewhat. Did you consider using a CP during this time of day? Sometimes a polarizer can add color depth in non-traditional ways. Just a thought.

Another consideration is to create a duplicate layer, multiply mode, and try fading to see what it does for the color and highlights.

Geez. I hope I'm not being an ornery bugger. ???

macro_8468.jpg
by HeiSch

Comment:
A very nice subject study here. Good choice on shell selection (contrasting colors/patterns) and a nice arrangement as well.

Lighting works fine as is, although I wonder if you considered anything more dramatic, side-lighting, etc... Also, consider a polarizer to control the light glare (it's not bad - but I wonder what a CP would do for this).

Obviously, JMO. :-)

Beach - 2
by JuliBoc

Comment:
Absolutely delicious! I love the OOF areas and bokeh. Almost get a sense of motion/movement with this. Very cool! As for the technicals (comp/lighting/focus), they've all been handled quite well from what I see.

Nice!!!

Chain in the rain
by bjoern

Comment:
I like this. The shallow DOF and long fade add interest. Given that the focal point is near the bottom of the comp I think you could have gotten away with a different aspect ratio that shortened the length of the image (I have to scroll to see the whole image on my laptop).

Focus and clarity is very good and the B/W presentation works well for this subject. B/W range could be a touch darker on the Black end.

Overall, nicely seen and captured! :-)

A Colorful Wait
by vsmed1968

Comment:
Was this meant to be in this challenge? Studio Portrait??? Besides being outdoors and not showing the person, it has a "snapshot" feel to it (blown out sky, busy background, etc... Sorry.

The Adventurer
by cptpoland

Comment:
Nice color tones and good control of lighting. It does seem that the eyes are on the fringe of the focal range (look a little soft). Good luck in the challenge.

A horse with no name
by Oded

Comment:
I like this MUCH better than the pose chosen for the Abstract Emotion challenge.



Nice comp, good detail. Should do "ok" with this one - although you may get dinged for it appearing to be an "outdoor" shot rather than in a "studio".

Good luck.

Flying
by Kelli

Comment:
Didn't you recently post this for feedback? I know I saw it with some comments on it. Hmmm... Oh well, good luck.

macro #1
by incubus

Comment:
I like the lines in this. Wish the back wall could have either been in total detail, or totally OOF. A small crop off the top to eliminate that upper-right bg rectangle would make this a tad stronger.

Oct 01.jpg
by Mr_Pants

Comment:
This has a sense of mystery to it. Like some fantasy world. The extreme shallow DOF is creating this feeling and works well. This isn't a shot that's going to make the school biology book, but would work well as an "art" type print. Nicely done.