The Blues
by kittenfc

Comment:
*** C R I T I Q U E C L U B C O M M E N T ***

This image finished in the middle of the pack in "collections" challenge, which is IMO a fairly generous spot for it. Speaking of it as a challenge entry, it's not really shrieking "collection" in any way that can grab either the heart or the mind of the voters. It seems very "impersonal" for a collection. I realize that it's NOT impersonal, that there's a lot of YOU in this CD collection, but we can't really see that, you know? No titles, for example, to let us glimpse your taste in music.

Moving on, let's discuss this on its technical and compositional merits.

Its greatest weakness, arguably, is the composition; essentially no thought seems to have gone into this. There's no real "subject" for instance, in the sense that there's noplace for our eyes to focus on except a dark sapce that is actually LACK of subject... Now, you can imagine coming at this from a slightly different angle, for example simply by rotating the camera, so your gap there becoems a diagonal element int he composition, and then it would be much more dynamic and interesting.

You have a real depth-of-field problem also. There's really nothing actually IN focus here, almost as if the point of maximum sharpness were between the two groups of CD cases. It's frustrating to me as a viewer; you're giving me NO visual hooks to hang my hat on, as it were. The net effext is that the image comes across as a casual snapshot, not a planned image.

I do like the blue light, and I do like the nice radial darkening of the lower left corner.

Sorry I can't be more positive. Keep on plugging away. If your camera has an aperture-priority mode, learn to use it for these extreme closeups so youc an use a smaller aperture and attain more DOF.

The Right Moment
by pgatt

Comment:
Heya pgatt, trying again :-)

It is interesting that this free study also uses the diagonal compositional device, but in this case it's a "negative" element rather than a "positive" one. As an aside, I'm a little surprised to see your flare, as I've yet to get any with my 10-22mm. It's not objectionable, though.

My overall impression of this is "too harsh", too contrasty by half. I'd have to see the RAW exposure to know what's possible. It's an immensely appealing scene, but it just feels too blocked up in the dark areas to completely click for me. I gave it a 6, anyway :-)

Feel free to send me the RAW if you wish so I can look at it.

Lazy Sunday
by pgatt

Comment:
As far as overall tonalities go, this is an exceptionally lovely image. Pgatt, you're getting VERY good at B/W conversions. Since you've asked me to comment upon the image, I have these observations:

1. The composition is pretty static, and that hurts it. It divides more or less equally into an upper and lower zone, with the two pretty much in stasis. If, for example, the pier were longer and thrusting further into the "upper zone" that would be more dynamic. Additionally, the foreground piling is seriously orphaned and OOF to boot, which isn't good.

2. The lower left of the image is blocked to black; it seems to have been burned in (I can't be sure) and it really wants a trace more detail brought up, especially where the piling is reflecting and also in the "construction details" between the pilings.

I can imagine that if this were extended on the left to make a "normally proportioned" rectangle, that alone would strengthen the composition quite a bit. I'd like to see the original on this.

Good work!

Days of Old
by jenesis

Comment:
You was robbed!

Spirits
by ubique

Comment:
Beautifully done. The score shows me this is seriously underappreciated...

Sherwood Meet
by Falc

Comment:
Can't believe this didn't make top 10, at least. Fabulous, haunting image!

Ol' Blue Eye
by samtrundle

Comment:
I had this one wishfully slotted as a top 5. Congrats on a fine portrait!

Exquisite Gaze
by librodo

Comment:
More nice veils 'n light from the master of same :-)

Sunrise, Bosque del Apache
by jemison

Comment:
I loved this one, the out-of-kilter effect of the birds so high & cropped. Congrats on top 10!

Winter blues
by LalliSig

Comment:
Very nice work. I wouldn't worry about the "similarity" issue, in a Free Study it seems fair enough.