Rose of Fire
by bobdaveant

Comment:
* Greetings from the Critique Club! *

I must say that I have to agree with the majority of commenters on this image. It is truly beautiful. The composition, colors, and soft feel of the image are wonderful. It's not very often that you find a photo wherein the entire real estate is filled with a particular image and it works - but this one does.

You've managed to maintain the crispness of the image while it's a close-up, and the colors are not "overdone". I'm not a big fan (usually) of macro flower shots, but this one is certainly exceptional.

You know, as odd as it may sound, it makes me feel like I can almost smell the sweetness of the rose itself. I think your use of lighting and composition are impeccable.

Sorry I don't have more to constructively criticize, but IMHO this one is one for the Portfolio FOR SURE! Extremely nice job!

Just my 2 cents...

Jimmy

"Common"
by blad

Comment:
* Greetings from the Critique Club *

I remember this entry from a recent challenge and thinking WOW what a fantastic shot! I LOVE the model & expression on her face. It screams to me of any local urban nursery wherein you know the locals on sight. It has a beautiful "familiar" feel to it and the composition really reinforces this emotion.

The colors & composition are wonderful. I would say that the lighting seems a bit harsh in spots, so if you were to reduce the backlighting and/or increase the contrast a bit, you might find even more detail & hidden treasures to show. Along the same lines, the sky could use a little more color - namely blue. There are several ways in which you can achieve that (as you probably already know), but I think that a little less glare would only further enhance the warm familiar feeling that the shot already conveys.

I'm not crazy about the green border either. I think that the picture speaks for itself without the added color (but that's just my opinion - I know that borders can frequently add a lot to a shot, I'm just not sure that in this particular instance it works in your favor).

Overall, the photo is excellent. I know that I scored it quite highly in the challenge (8-9 if I recollect correctly).

I also find it difficult to really point out many features that warrant reexamination and/or improvement. The lighting glare is the most obvious one to me. A secondary one might be the clarity of the background images - a certain degree of OOF begins to enter the image as you stray from the close-up subjects.

Again, I can't stress enough what a warm familiar feeling this image brought to mind for me. That alone is worth a LOT in my book. When you can evoke that strong of an emotion from the viewer, then you know you've been doing your job well!

Just my 2 cents...

Chris-Craft
by cbeller

Comment:
Very nice shot. I like the color & definition on the boat. The water (IMHO) could use a little more zest. I think this is a great shot and I like the crop & composition. Your eye is drawn immediately to the beautiful color & detail of the boat, but then is a little disappointed when it gets to the somewhat dull water. I recognize that the emphasis of the shot is the boat, but I think it could be further accented by a little more clarity & color in the water.

Just my 2 cents...

Chris-Craft Interior
by cbeller

Comment:
Magnificent shot! Crisp, clean detail. Beautiful colors & composition. The only thing that really leaps out to me is the lack of "pizzazz" in the water in the upper right. The rest of the photo just jumps out at you with great color & sharpness. The upper left portion of water is just kinda there without any of the same zeal that the rest of the shot has. Perhaps some selective color saturation and/or contrast might bring out more of the hidden appeal of the water.

VERY nice shot though. Great job!

Bear Gone Fishin'
by cbeller

Comment:
Very cute pic. The colors, clarity, & composition are great. The house in the background is a little distracting, but only slightly so. I'd give it a 6-7 in an appropriate challenge. Not sure I can put my finger on exactly what I find disheartening in the photo - sorry. It just doesn't seem to hold my attention very well. Perhaps making the crop a little larger? Making the teddybear still the focus, but more so because of the vastness of the space? Just a guess & suggestion...

My 2 cents worth... (probably not worth a penny!)

Antique Boat Show
by cbeller

Comment:
This one seems to lose focus for me. The other three are very cohesive. Don't get me wrong, I think the use of the partially exposed boat closest to the viewer and the obvious crowd around other boats provides a statement about the activity portrayed in the shot, but I think that your other shots make the argument more definitively.

The colors are good. I'd like to see the horizon a little more perpendicular to the side of the photograph. (I tell ya what, I'd love to own one of those condos pictured!)

Overall a good impression of the shot, but I'd probably give it a 6 in an appropriate challenge - it's just too busy.

Message edited by author 2005-06-12 19:49:26.

Koi
by GinaRothfels

Comment:
BEAUTIFUL shot! I really like the way you used the reflections to create a wavy semblence of the subjects. VERY well done! Thank you for sharing it!

Alone on Sandy Beach
by Sunniee

Comment:
Wow! This image certainly scores high in that regard (the WOW factor). I love the composition and model placement. One of the few (hopefully constructive) criticisms I have is that the water seems a bit washed out. You might try selectively reducing backlighting and/or increasing the contrast there to bring out some of the detail of the water. Otherwise, I think the coloration of the sand & the model's pose/attire are superb. She seems so immune to anything that is possibly going on elsewhere. Really nice shot! Congrats!

Just my 2 cents...

Jimmy

Morning
by thatcloudthere

Comment:
* Greetings from the Critique Club *

First of all, I think this is a very nice, emotional shot. It conveys a feeling of warmth and wetness that I think is indicative of a foggy, dewy morning.

I do have a couple of comments regarding the image... I think the lighting is superb. The rays of sunlight are great and the shadows are spectacular. I do think, however, that you might be able to further improve on the image if you were to crop it a bit differently. Some of the bottom shadows are essentially irrelevant to the frame (IMHO), so if you were to cut off some of the shadow of the tree, I think you could bring the viewer's eye closer to the focus of your image (which I assume to be the tree and the sunbeams). The use of B/W is very effective here. I think that the overall effect of almost smoky images is great - and I think that you could further capitalize on that by a slightly different crop. I would suggest experimenting with different crops (always including the tree and the sunbeams, but perhaps minimizing other elements).

Overall, a great shot. Nice work! :-)

There's Nothing Quite As Beautiful As The Correct Use Of Grama
by mrmorris

Comment:
* Greetings from the Critique Club! *

First of all, I have to say, WOW!... This certainly has an impactful appeal. I love the use of color & B/W - it really highlights the "graffitti" feel of the image. Exceptionally well done.

The boldness of the color is almost overwhelming - which in this case I think is a good thing. After all, that's what graffitti is all about, right?

I think your use of color vs. B/W is very well conceived. It really adds to the impact of the image's statement.

I'm finding it difficult to say much more about it - other than AWESOME JOB! The clutter in B/W below the color graffitti is great. It's very well cropped and composed. In the appropriate category/challenge theme, I would have scored it a 9-10. (I know that sounds trite, but it's the truth.)

I think you have an extraordinary eye for detail and composition. And I look forward to seeing more of your work!

Just my 2 cents... ;-)

Jimmy