Niagara
by juliejold

Comment:
Hey there from the Critique Club

First of all, congrats on a new personal best. Its always great to see a new entry sitting there atop the previous scores! Also, nice job, and a very rare occurrence in the fact that you submitted an entry that made it all the way through without a 1, 2, OR 3 vote. Your bell curve looks funny!

My thoughts on the image: Well seen and very well presented. I love the moodiness you captured with the various tones of gray. Without the area of grass on the left, it would be hard to tell that this was not a nice black and white conversion. I am not normally a fan of soft waterfalls, as they are extremely overdone here, this one is very, very well done as evidenced by your strong finish.

My ideas for improvement: I honestly have nothing to offer here for any vast improvements. Perhaps some selective dodging and burning to add some depth and drama to the sky.

Where I would have/did score this entry: I did not vote in this particular challenge, but I would have fallen up there with your 6s or 7s depending on the strength of the overall challenge itself. Nicely done.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a critique on your entry,
Eric

primitive
by posthumous

Comment:
I always love the opportunity to spend time with your images. This one is no different. I agree with Steve. There is something very alive in there. It looks more heavenly and angelic to me, especially shining through brighter than the back lighting itself. I see a steamy lake, a nice mountain range, and a beautiful sunrise...all from an abstract of a paper towel. It is always a nice surprise to see how much a creation like this actually speaks to your comment givers. While the overall vote is no surprise give the average voter's expectation of a crystal clear water droplet, light refraction through wine glasses, or the weathered face of a third-world citizen, I still take delight in the fact that there are still many votes of 6 or better. I didn't vote in the challenge, but this one would have been a top pick for me. As always, Mr. Giovanni, it is a pleasure each time I run across a request for a critique from you. Thanks for the opportunity.

Rural landscape with pigeon shed.
by rooum

Comment:
Hey there from the Critique Club

My thoughts on the image: I like it, but I don't think that it fits well into the landscape challenge. The toning is nice and I really love the interest that is contained within the capture. The processing is near-perfect for the subject matter. The various textures you managed to capture truly are amazing if you give your eye time enough to explore the image.

My ideas for improvement: As far as the image as it is, there are not many areas that I would alter the shot. I like the detail you capture, and the various textures paired with the array of leading lines keep my eye moving from one interesting item to the next. I would like to see the sky with more interest and better exposed. As it is, it does compete with my eye attention with the rest of the image.

Where I would have/did score this entry: I did not vote on the entries of this challenge, but my vote would have probably fallen the range of 4. I do see the rural setting well, but I have grown to expect more land in a landscape image.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a critique on your entry,
Eric

Chatsworth House on a moody day
by alpharich

Comment:
Hey there from the Critique Club

My thoughts on the image: I like the leading lines you created with this composition. It serves as a terrific guide for my wandering eye. It grabs me, leads me in, thus leaves me with enough interest to explore the remainder of the image.

My ideas for improvement: I'd really, really like to see more interest in the sky. I think that even some contrast adjustment may have added enough drama to make it more appealing. I also think that I'd like to see your point of view moved either a little higher or a little lower to change the line of mountains that are behind the building. My eye wants to see those either above or below the building. It is a bit distracting running through the main focal point of the image.

Where I would have/did score this entry: I did not vote in this particular challenge, but this would have drawn a 5 from me. I do think that it fits the challenge well, and there are some nice strengths in your capture. With a more dramatic or colorful sky and a different point of view, I believe that this one could have easily grown the vote.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a critique on your entry,
Eric

Windshield Watercolor Photo-Painting
by 777STAN

Comment:
Hey there from the Critique Club

Originally posted by 777STAN: It was a five-second impulse. Grab camera! Without visually composing shot point toward windshield! Click! Put down camera!

My thoughts on the image: Unfortunately, I immediately feel that this is a post-processed snapshot rather than an image that you tool time to compose and enhance with post-processing. Now I do like the watercolor feel that you processed, but over all the image has several flaws that are difficult for the standard voter to overcome.

My ideas for improvement: Clean your sensor. Even without cleaning the sensor, make sure that you remove sensor dust from any challenge entry. Every time. Take time and compose the image. This looks like a typical Georgia fall to me; a scene that I am very fond of. I love the wet asphalt, the golden grass, and the beautiful leading lines you captured. I'd just like to see it with the sky a little less exposed and some time in post-processing to enhance the captured image rather than creating a new image through processing.

Where I would have/did score this entry: I did not vote in this particular challenge, but I surely would have been one of your 3s or 4s. While this is indeed a landscape, I just lose appreciation and interest with images that are over-processed. I do like the foundation of your capture, but I'd like to see it processed more for the image that it was.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a critique on your entry,
Eric

Straight And Narrow
by power47

Comment:
Hey there from the Critique Club

First of all, congrats on a new personal best. Its always nice to see a new image sitting there atop the previous high scorers. Nicely seen and nicely presented.

My thoughts on the image: I am not normally fan of infrared images. However, I like the capture here in the fact that there are details that scream infrared while the overall image retains a nicely toned black and white feel.

My ideas for improvement: Honestly, as far as a nicely done infrared image, there is hardly anything that I could suggest for improvement. I like the perspective. I like the tones you captured. I like the overall exposure. The composition is surely a great strength of the image as well. It does a wonderful job of drawing me deep into the image.

Where I would have/did score this entry: I did not vote in this particular challenge, but this would have been somewhere in the 7 or 8 range for me, depending on the strength of the overall challenge. I do like it, and I think that the voters scored this one appropriately. Well seen, well captured, and well presented. Nice work

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a critique on your entry,
Eric

Message edited by author 2009-12-04 05:18:10.

Friday's Prayer
by HighNooner

Comment:
Unfair pressures? It looks like a room full of conference goers rather than anything religion based. The photo is nice with great tones, but it relied solely on the title to shoehorn itself into the challenge. Cool shot, but just not on for this particular shot.

Precarious Perch
by jomerner

Comment:
Awesome way to finish the tournament, Jo! Congrats on the win!!

Best Friends
by timfythetoo

Comment:
\

ETA: Not sure what that original \ was all about there. Apparently I was hitting backspace to maneuver around the challenge entries. Anyway, I love the emotion you captured here. They both seem very happy with the current situation. Congrats on the blue!

Message edited by author 2009-11-12 13:35:48.

Good night.
by Marty

Comment:
Hey there from the Critique Club

Well first of all, WELCOME TO DPC. Its one of those places that you will love and hate all at the same time. Welcome and congrats on getting that first entry in!

My thoughts on the image: This is a nice start. While not scored over the midpoint yet, this is still a nice way to begin. I love the warmth you captured on the face of your subject. The subject is also nicely focused and crisp.

My ideas for improvement: I'd like to see a little better composition. While I am no stickler for the 'rules of photography' this one is a little too centered for my tastes. I think that I'd even like a square crop best on this particular capture, thus cropping off some of the emptiness on the left hand side of the frame.

Where I would have/did score this entry: In this particular instance, I agreed with the voters. I voted this one at 5, but it truly wasn't far from pulling a 6 or better. Nice work and again, WELCOME!

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a critique on your entry,
Eric