Pipe Dreams
by MAK

Comment:
Very creative take on this challenge!! Good composition and the post processing helps bring out the harshness of the shot. Well done!

Not my Dog - Not His Yard
by 4ROGGYCHEF

Comment:
Neat concept and composition.

out of work
by noot

Comment:
Great run-down feel to the buildings. They give a nice atmosphere to the photo. The starkness of the sky is a little distracting for me, though I see how it could be meant to contribute to the "harshness" of the environment.

Fierce Road Kill Scavenger
by Shadowfax23

Comment:
What a capture!! You may get dinged for the blown-out sky, but what a great moment to have the camera ready!

crash landing on planet brooklyn
by jdwalz

Comment:
I like the drama and contrast of the stark black and white tones, but I find the halo over the hill to be a bit distracting

Swing Shift
by mpeters

Comment:
I LOVE this shot!! Great idea and fabulous execution!!

clowns getting into the act
by cirrasch

Comment:
Very nice set-up, but I wish there was just a hair more light.

Bloodthirsty
by wanjun

Comment:
OMG, I've never been scared of clowns, but THIS ONE!!! Dear god! Nicely done!!

"Soon the Hunt Will Begin..."
by Rooster

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club!

My first impression when looking at this photo was that I wasn't quite sure what it was, but that it had a unique, almost "alien" type quality to it. And then I looked at your notes and saw it was the Predator :-) So I felt that that "alien" feel was very appropriate! I think the background you chose definitely helps give that feel, and it was a great choice to keep the shot simple.

My other thought was that this has a good start at really having some movie-poster qualities to it (something that typically scores well here). To get that super-great score, it just needs a little more drama. I think that some slightly different lighting would really make this shot pop and stand out in the crowd. Figures in general are pretty hard to light, and I don't have notes on your lighting, so my apologies if this advice goes awry! I like the shadowed look that you've created on the front of this figure, but it's lacking a little bit of detail that gets hidden at the edges. One way to solve that might be to add some soft backlighting, which would help highlight the edges--making it more obvious what the figure is. I think, particularly in this case, that it would also help the viewer see this cool piece of art made of car parts!!

I think that a bit more total light might improve the score a bit too. In general, regardless of how fitting to the theme of the shot, darker images are harder to win with. There are tons of reasons, but the biggest one is that it's hard to really see the shot...which means the average voter won't look at it as long as they should. Because focus, detail, composition, and all of that are some of the criteria we vote on, it's hard to score well with a photo where the lighting hides some of those technical aspects.

I hope that helps a little, and if you ever do a reshoot or want a sounding board, feel free to send me a PM!

PooH BeaR $5.99
by Motek

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club!

My first impression when seeing this shot was "Wow! What a sky!!" Certainly a strong aspect in this photo and really adds some serious drama and interest to the scene.

You've got a pretty decent ranking and score with this shot, but I know the question is always, "How could I have scored higher?" It's certainly an above average shot, with a lot of good things going for it. The sky is fabulous and the colors of the Pooh Bear give an almost "super hero" quality to the toy. Your angle is also great, adding some extra interest to the photo. I think that maybe a slightly tighter crop would add to that drama---really making the Pooh seem larger than life! I think that would add to the mood that the fantastic sky sets. My only other nitpick is that Pooh's nose doesn't quite have the detail in his forehead. Overall, detail and clarity are very good on this shot, but the focus is spot on on his forehead, and I think DPC viewers typically like to see that carry through either all or most of the objects shot like this. You also had a comment about a lot of shadows in this shot....which isn't something that particularly bothers me when I look at it. In fact, I like the look of the shadow under his belly...makes it seem like he's really flying. But perhaps a hair less shadow around his eyes would help the detail you've captured shine through.

All in all, a great shot! Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us at DPC!