The script
by pineapple

Comment:
I really quite like this one, perhaps because somewhere in the back of a closet I have an old set of calligraphy nibs. Nice use of DOF, too.

Ballet19-38-27.jpg
by rjkstesch

Comment:
Very lovely shot, indeed!!

From a dream
by Knightmoves

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

Met the challenge? Yep, this definitely met the challenge. A very captivating and unusual subject, too.

Composition Good job of filling the frame with the subject. I do wonder, though, if a slightly less "head on" view might have been more visually appealing. And without knowing the context, I also wonder if providing some of that context would be possible to give a sense of scale - how big is or isn't this thing? Just some ideas to consider.

Technical aspects The lighting, natural I'm assuming, is good - good job with the exposure with what appears to be a quite reflective surface. Colors are pretty good, though the sky appears grayish and dull. Try working with your post processing software to "tweak" the colors and contrast a bit to see if the sky can be realized a bit more. Also, in the future, it helps if you include your post-processing steps when you request critiques or comments.

Overall I remember this one from the challenge, so it made an impression - very good subject choice!

Goldie in the rough
by Karalew

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Met the challenge? I'll say both yes and some may not have though so. Clearly it's meant to be gold eyeshadow on the model, but on both my monitors, it appears to be more of a yellow/green gold than a "gold" gold.

Composition While I think the long narrow crop suits this image and what I perceive you wanted it to be, it may not do well on DPC as it does limit the total size the picture can be. Also, the slight angle, with the eye on the right of the frame higher and the eyebrow cut off, somewhat detracts from this composition, and makes it feel a bit cramped/too tightly cropped.

Lighting You mentioned in your comments you weren't happy with the lighting. The effect I do like here is the one eye more fully lit while the other recedes into the shadows. It does appear a bit harsh across the brow - was the light source diffused at all? That can help reduce the glare and provide more even lighting.

Overall I can definitely see what you were going for here. I think the only way to fully achieve it is with a studio-type light setup - soft, diffuse light to ensure even coverage and accurate exposure.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions!

The Angler
by manic35

Comment:
Awesome shot! I would have bet this was from Iceland, not Australia. Love the softness of the water and the sky created by the exposure, and the bit of orange/red on the horizon is perfect - makes the shot. Nice work!

The Lion and the Bumbershoot
by chalice

Comment:
Trading Post comment

I like the quietness of this. Meets the challenge well, but I suspect the low vote is due to the lack of crisp focus on the lion's head. Composition seems just a bit off-balance, but in looking at it, I'm not sure what to suggest to change it. I wouldn't crop off the left - I like that space there, but maybe had the umbrella been angled a bit more into the bottom of the picture? Not sure.

Blue on Blue
by Kelli

Comment:
Trading Post comment

Very electric! Another new pic in the top row - nice! This has a lovely, calming feel to it; nice composition (good of you to get them all to line up to create it, too); smooth, silky flow. Very well done!

Light Painting
by ericwoo

Comment:
Trading Post comment

This is lovely! Composition is excellent and I really like the lighting. Background is lit just enough to provide depth without hindering the subject. Quite well done, and I suspect your client was pleased with the result!

hayday reflections
by crayon

Comment:
I really liked this one - gave it an 8. And a 5.7 doesn't suck. :-)

Italiano Rosso
by alfresco

Comment:
Nice job, JP!