"Hey Schmitty, how about some O2 over here!"
by Nald

Comment:
Nice portrait. Just my opinion, but with expert rules in effect, I think a lot could have been done to not rely so heavily on the background photo to make your shot.

Flower in the Dirt
by banmorn

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club!

I have studied your image and have the following to offer:

Composition/perspective: For the challenge (see below) the composition seems a bit unbalanced. The flower is the stronger element and consumes most of the frame. It draws and holds your attention leaving the rest kind of secondary. The perspective to the subject is excellent however. Lends itself very well to capturing the rich detail and strong textures. Focus is clear and DoF is nice - both surface planes are clear. With the flower so large it is hard to balance the placement to a thirds placement and as such it seems a bit center weighted.

Lighting: very well lit with no flares or dark spots. Shadows are really incidental and just enough to bring out the detail and texture of the soil. Clarity is excellent with the even fall of light across the whole scene. Well done!

Color: very rich and well preserved. The palette is well balanced and not over-saturated. Everything looks natural.

Challenge - this I feel is where it fell short a bit. With Dirt as the challenge topic, dirt is not the main draw or element of this shot. Although it is clearly present and intended to be a main part, the flower is so strong that it takes away from the surroundings. Perhaps if it was from farther back so the flower was not so large in the frame.

Overall/my opinion: I like the crispness and clarity of the shot. it is well shot and it appears as though much care was taken to get the lighting just right. I would have liked to see more dirt in the shot or at least the flower not be so consuming, but the detail and technical elements of the shot make it a strong presentation.

Torn Sky
by kausikmpi

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club!

I have studied your image and have the following to offer:

Composition/perspective: Considering the concept of your shot, the perspective is perfect. The view is clean and unobstructed. I feel that the hands take up too much of the shot - appear too close - while the blue section is not quite big enough while siting too far back in the overall perspective. A larger torn area would place more emphasis on that portion while presenting a stronger balance.

Color - the color contrast is well done. The hues are strong and consistent. There is a bit much of the darkest/black areas that give it an eerie look on one hand, but also a very dark look on the other. Some of this is the hands (see below) but the lower right corner is almost all black and the large are on the left seems a bit misplaced - the small stripe of red on the border places it in the composition as opposed to bordering it.

Light - the one area I would like to see some work on. Although you can clearly see the hands, they are very dark which seems to overwhelm a lot of the composition. having them appear lighter or less red would separate them and add an element of strength to the act of tearing the sky. With the appearance of detached arms, the hands are the subject of intrusion - tearing. Lighter and slightly farther apart may have made it a stronger composition.

Challenge requirements - with no description other than the challenge title, the intended subject matter was clear. You have met the challenge requirements in that regard. I don't think you overdid the use of the new rules. Enough to portray your concept. Close, but not too much, to put it strictly on the art side. This may be where the darkness helped.

Overall/my opinion - I didn't vote this challenge but did view all entries. I was impressed by a lot of the beautiful shots but applaud the ones that tried to put together a concept - as this one. I think this shot demonstrates a strong ability to capture your ideas and present them well. A nice composite that with some slightly different processing has the potential to be striking.

Down, but not out......
by timmotyka

Comment:
Seems all are living still...where is the death? Anticipation?

Slow death of a fence
by RamblinR

Comment:
Interesting shot, well composed and good exposure. However, I just don't get death from a fence.

End of Trail
by PhilXT350

Comment:
Interesting perspective and shot, but I don't see death in it anywhere. Sorry.

The Fight Club
by fotomann_forever

Comment:
Nice shot, but I see a fight and nothing to do with death.

Death at Dusk
by names_amit

Comment:
Where is the death? Without the title I see no connection at all to the challenge.

Passing away quietly
by Eliaslewinsky

Comment:
Without the title there is nothing here indicating death.

As Fall Fades
by Elaine

Comment:
I wish you had done a bit more processing on this. The colors and composition are good. The background could have been made more black with a slight levels adjustment which would also have gotten rid of the shadows.