A Distracted Painting
by pa_cuthbert

Comment:
Very interesting composition. Shows creativity and the ability to translate an idea to image very nicely. My only criticism would be the division between your face and the posterboard. If that was a little less discernable this would have been a much stronger contender. Well done!

sapphire lode
by tcmartin

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club!

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

Composition/perspective - the choice of processing for this image was well done. The colorization is not too heavy and really sets a nice mood/feel for the image. The angle to the subject is nice. My only comment on this aspect would be it is not readily evident if the scale is actually balanced or not. The crop is a little tight on the right side - it would have been nice if the stones were not cut off. The focus is crisp and the DoF is nice - keeps you focused on the plane of interest in the shot. Well done!

Color - b/w, very well processed. The contrast between the subject and the background keeps the subject up front throughout the image.

Lighting - overall the shot is well and evenly lit. There is one bright spot on the base of the scale, but it is not really a distraction. The small bright spot on the arm doesn't hurt the image either. The detail in the textures of the plate, stones, table top is well preserved and adds a lot of 'feel' to the image.

Challenge requirements - in this area perhaps it could have been a little stronger. The implication is that the scale is balanced, hence even. But from the perspective it has to remain an assumption and in fact it appears to be heavy on the weight side of the balance. If it was shown to be balanced it would have been much stronger in this area.

Overall/my opinion - well done image that has a lot of strong elements working for it. I would have liked to see all the stones and perhaps more of the balance, but as it is it is still a strong image. Overall very well done!

symmetry
by imagesloyola

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club!

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

Composition/perspective - right off the bat I find the mouth a big distraction. Perhaps because it is open and it doesn’t really fit the image. Perhaps if it was closed. Not sure if it is the teeth or the expression. Cropping it lower to remove it would not have hurt the image. Plus the only part of the image that appears at all out of focus is the chin area and the shoulder just behind the chin. The armpit on that side is a little blurry as well, but that is not as noticeable as the above mentioned. Seems the center of focus was just above the naval. The pose and your angle to the subject is good. Almost gives it a 3-D appearance. The curves of the pose interact quite well with the confines of the image. Apparent distance to the subject is good. Enough detail of the skin is present without taking away from what the main focus should be (see below).

Color – b/w, control over the subtle shades of gray and the slight shadows is very well done here. Not over processed which would make them look fake.

Lighting – very well done! All the detail in the muscle patterns is clearly visible. Nothing is hidden by shadow or lost in the glare. The subject stands out from the background and does not get lost in it.

Challenge requirements – a good example of symmetry and as such meets the requirements of ‘Even.’

Overall/my opinion – as stated above the only thing I find distracting is the mouth. I can live with the slight OOF in that area, but the expression just isn’t right. The bottom of the chin appears to have some motion blur in it as well.

Alcohol
by gloda

Comment:
My only problem with this image was for the challenge requirements - not really sure she could not be an adult. If there was some other element on her clothing perhaps that indicated youth or more of her face which I assume looks young were showing might have made this a stronger image.

On The Rocks
by Rikki

Comment:
Very interesting image and well shot. Lighting and focus are good. Subject placement is well done. The added element of the glass shape itself really sets it up nicely. Well done!

Let me be your mirror
by messerschmitt

Comment:
Wish this had done better. Very clean image. Well focused and lit perfectly. The skin tones look completely natural. WEll done!

Pink Horizon
by Sonifo

Comment:
Very pretty! Perfect winter capture.

Sunset 4
by Sonifo

Comment:
I really like the relationship of negative space in this image. It gives the tree a lot of strength and allows it to dominate without being overbearing. Very well done!

The Longing for a Greenhouse
by Tallbloke

Comment:
Compositionally the shot is very busy. The grass that is in the foreground and blurred is very distracting. The light behind the structure is too bright and blown out on the left. With the blurry foreground grasses the rest of the shot looks out of focus as well. There is no real center of focus or anything to get your attention.

For the challenge - there is little, if anything, here that ties it to the challenge. The things you pointed out in your post - peering over a wall, etc. I don't get from this at all.

Message edited by author 2005-12-05 08:23:41.

Squirrel
by hsteg

Comment:
Hey...are you sure this isn't a stuffed squirrel? Nice shot. The closeness of the zoom to his face gives a very nice balance to the background. Nice job!