When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
by bvy

Comment:
Yikes!!!

Peek-a-Boo Neighbor
by Moose408

Comment:
This works overall. Could use a little spicing up with a boost in contrast and some controlled burning of the edges.

Peek-a-Boo
by gaurav

Comment:
Works for the challenge in terms of challenge theme. A bit flat...the lighting isn't providing enough contrast. The person in the shot looks SO excited to be there! :-)

Lava Fields
by darnold

Comment:
A nice landscape...what does it have to do with the challenge? Somebody hiding out there?

The Bag
by timfythetoo

Comment:
He-he. Figured we'd see some cats in this one...they're so natural at it! :-)

Great Great Granny
by JuliBoc

Comment:
A wonderful portrait. Good detail without being over the top.

Domesticated?
by Siggav

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

First Impression

Cool patterns. Interesting animal. I want more.

Looking Deeper

Beautiful animal, for sure! I think that's why I was a little disappointed/unsatisfied when I first saw this photo during the challenge. Unsatisfied because I wanted more detail and to encounter the richness of this wonderful cat in a more intimate way. This portrait feels a little static and distant in other words.

As someone (you) who knows this cat the photo is fine as you can relate to the cat's personality and traits.

What would change the way I see it? The head, face, and eyes...engage me, show me some soul. The cat now is looking down and away. Very impersonal. The fur, the whiskers, the texture and detail...bring me in closer. A "head & shoulder" type portrait would still show the character (unique fur patterns) but let the viewer feel like they're in the moment.

Technically, the photo is "ok". A little deeper aperture would have brought the entire face and distant eye into sharper focus. Lighting and exposure is fine also.

It's not the technicals that held this back IMO. It's the documentary, static feel of the image overall.

Anyway, that's my two cents. :-)

Questions? Please feel free to send me a PM. Thanks!

Going to California with an aching in my heart
by cns

Comment:
It's a nice scene, and I like the little glimpse of road. Fits the theme/title you selected pretty well. Not sure about the sepia. B&W may have been stronger. The image is very contrasty and has some strong, glaring highlights (reflections off the branches). Circular polarizer? Might have helped control some of the glare/reflections...

Composition, as mentioned above with the piece of road showing, is nice, however, attention to details would have lost the branches creeping in on the upper left and those peeking over the top of the distant hills.

All JMO of course. :-) Good luck in the challenge.

"Down By The (frozen) Seaside"
by Drake

Comment:
I wish there was more emphasis on the beacon. The red is on the shaded side of this and loses color punch, while the majority of the image is brighter. Some considerations...looks like you had a fantastic sky to work with. The details in those clouds could really add some punch to this photo in a big way with some processing to bring them out. I'm far from an expert on this. Someone with dodge & burn skills could really provide some feedback. I might have played with HDR to try and maximize the range.

Did you use a polarizer? That may have helped with sky as well. I notice some glare coming off the ice/snow in the lower center...a polarizer would have controlled that some as well.

All JMO of course. :-) Good luck in the challenge.

"Factory air-conditioned" from Trampled Underfoot
by darnold

Comment:
Very nice scene...fantastic subject for a variety of things, absolutely. While I like the setting, the end result from post-processing seems a bit over the top (over worked). JMO of course. :-) Good luck.