Freedom from the Balloon
by jrtodd

Comment:
VERY cool shot! WOW! LOL... Excellent.

Happy Alone
by Joey Lawrence

Comment:
Great expression. Certainly looks like a free spirit. Nice use of B/W too.

Symbol of...
by kosmikkreeper

Comment:
Beautiful DOF & color. 10

Above the Clouds
by bryanbrazil

Comment:
Magnificent... 10

More Bugs Please !!!
by GeorgeLentz

Comment:
*Greetings from the Critique Club*

First of all let me say that I think that the image did meet the Macro V Challenge. Although, not a traditional macro, it is a close-up.

Second, this is a very nice shot. However, I think the score suffered a significant amount because of the white border on the bottom, rather than the composition or technical aspects of the image.

Without commenting further on the white bottom border, I think the composition is great. The DOF is pretty good (although I think the fledgeling could be a little sharper). The heart-shaped hole in the birdhouse is cute/endearing. The color (IMHO) could be bumped up a bit and still look natural, as most of the colors are a little drab. You did a great job of not getting glare from the flash - the lighting is good.

From your profile, I see you are somewhat of a bird aficianado and have taken some great shots. This is a really good shot too, but I think it's score probably suffered from some voters' more strict or traditional interpretation of "macro". I look forward to seeing more of your work.

Just my 2 cents...

Outhouse Flowers
by madison461

Comment:
*Greetings from the Critique Club*

First of all, let me say welcome to the fray (as this is your first challenge entry)! I think you met the Macro V Challenge well with this shot. And as you indicated, it may not be taken with a macro lens, but it is a close-up.

I think your composition is pretty good. The color saturation could be bumped up a bit and you might consider cropping a little more off of the left (or selectively coloring the main flower and having the rest in B/W as someone else mentioned - I think that could really give this image some 'pop'). The DOF on the main flower is okay and the fading DOF toward the background works well. But IMHO, the area that could use the most improvement is the lighting.

The lighting here is a bit harsh - washing out the flowers' natural purple colors. And the fact that your "main" flower is partially shaded works against you with strong light. You may be able to adjust some of the exposure levels and make the shadow compliment the photo instead of detract. By bringing down some of the back lighting and adjusting contrast levels (and color sat), I think you can really bring out more vibrant colors to compliment the nice composition.

All in all, I think it's a strong shot and with a little more processing I think you might be able to really make a significant difference in it's overall appeal.

Welcome again & keep on shooting!

Just my 2 cents...

Jimmy

wheel
by visaksen

Comment:
*Greetings from the Critique Club*

First of all, let me say that (like many other commenters) I don't see how this really meets the Macro V Challenge. I'm sure that the score for this image suffered greatly from a lack of apparent ties to the challenge topic. It may be that you have an excellent reason and justification for this being a macro or close-up, but I think the average viewer will miss it.

Second, this is an exceptionally good shot. The composition is excellent. The colors are great. The lighting is good. The DOF is outstanding. I'm sure that if this had been entered in the Construction or Circle Challenge, it would have scored MUCH higher. Maybe you could add some comments to the shot to help the viewer understand your intentions more clearly.

I like the somewhat unusual perspective you used - it really adds to the image's appeal. Like I said, this is a REALLY good shot and I hate that it didn't score well because it appeared (to the layman's eyes) entered in the wrong challenge.

Anyway, very nice work. Just my 2 cents...

Jimmy

Untitled
by Kathe

Comment:
*Greetings from the Critique Club*

First I think this met the Macro V Challenge well. In a challenge full of flower shots, this one did stand out on a number of levels. The water droplets are great, as are the colors.

Composition
Very nice, although the shadows on the left are a little distracting. I like the crop with the exception of the long stamen/stigma that's out of focus.

DOF
Great except for the long stamen/stigma that's out of focus. The water droplets could also be just a tad sharper, but that's hardly noticeable.

Lighting
With the exception of the harsh shadows on the left, I think the lighting is good. Nice highlights on the water droplets on the petals.

Color
Really fiery, inspiring a strong mood/feeling in the viewer. The color is one of the best aspects of this shot (IMHO).

WOW
Not a whole lot of "wow" to the image, BUT it stands on its own (and in the challenge) quite well. It has a lot of emotional appeal and is very pleasing to the eye.

Overall
Very nice job. A 5.5 ain't bad at all - especially given the intense competition in the Macro V Challenge. Good work!

Just my 2 cents...

Jimmy

At home
by Mambe

Comment:
Beautiful image! I agree that it could be a tad darker and sharper, but WOW - very nice! Perfect composition and expression. You're quite a looker! ;-)

Consttruction Security
by liv4him330

Comment:
This shot is pretty dark. You might consider lightening it up a bit (keeping the "dark" feel to the piece). You'll also want to correct the spelling in the title. ;-)

Interesting shot - very moody.