Mono Lake Mirror Pool
by ManRayfan

Comment:


Critique Club Critique

First Impressions
Good potential, I like the reflection. For me, the biggest issue in this photograph is that your 'mono lake pool' is competing too much against the foreground and the background/distance, which also makes the image on the whole a bit busy.

Photograph Information, Technicals & Composition Review
As is, a more refined crop to showcase the pool better would improve the image, in my opinion. If you get a chance to go back, I'd suggest trying a variation in angles to, at least, eliminate the water behind - or maybe include it more but either way, trying to ensure that the "tufas" (?) stand on their own against either a shallow depth of field if land in the background, or else be able to 'use' the water behind them. This would seemingly mean that a very careful 'clamber' across the rocks at the fore would be required to be able to get a somewhat extreme angle, but you might end up with a photograph that truly showcases what you are trying to show.

Comments, Score & Placement Review
144/403 in a Free Study is a very good placing, especially for your 2nd entry at DPC. A score of 5.90 seems about average that placing. Your average of 6.75 from your commenters, is a little more information for you to couple with their comments.

Summary
Nice lighting and, as mentioned above, just some variation in cropping/composition, plus possibly a perspective correction (water levels, fore & rear, reflections, etc (?)), make this an even better image in my opinion.

Sharing a laugh
by snaffles

Comment:


Critique Club Critique

First Impressions
I like the action, but overall the snapshottish feel dominated the photograph more than the moment captured, in my opinion. I gave this a 4 during voting.

Photograph Information, Technicals & Composition Review
With the image as is, I wonder whether a much tighter crop on the left and bringing their faces into the frame/dominating more may have given this more of an edge. Because some of the colors in the fabrics contribute toward a slight busy feel for this image, perhaps a toning/b&w may have complemented this image. Fairly minor, but looks like it needs a whisker straightening and/or perspective correction.

Would like to have seen sharper focus on the horse.

Comments, Score & Placement Review
15th is good placing, and 6.05 a nice score. An average of 7.0 from your many commenters reflects their sentiments - they all liked the humor in this image.

Summary
As mentioned above, eliminating some of the distractions to allow the 'interaction' to dominate more, make this better in my opinion.

Autumn Rush
by Pelle

Comment:


Critique Club Critique

First Impressions
Difficult Challenge, nice abstract but the sun/light top left dominates a little too much.

Photograph Information, Technicals & Composition Review
You mention the unwanted curved effect, I quite like that (if you're talking about the 'waves'). For me, as mentioned above, the overexposed sky is a fraction too dominant and takes my attention away from the nice flows and colors. Perhaps cropping it out, but as always, your call.

Comments, Score & Placement Review
12th place is very good. Score of 6.04 doesn't seem to match that, but a difficult Challenge with not many entries.

Average of 7.0 from your commenters - all of which seemed to really like the beauty in it. You received one comment with a suggestion about cropping out the top part, so I am not the only one to see/think that.

Summary
The overall visual balance of the movement/lines/color perhaps is a little thrown out by the tree on the left, so I wonder about a variation in cropping/composition - but your call. My favorite part of the image is the two trees/trunks in the center and the colors and movement surrounding them.

Ilulissat Fiord, Greenland
by pekelo

Comment:
The clarity on this (and the colors) is just beautiful. I really hope you have a 'wall sized' one of this in your home.

The Bridge
by pekelo

Comment:


Critique Club Critique

First Impressions
That's interesting and good movement technique.

Photograph Information, Technicals & Composition Review
Well done for doing a lot of experimenting to achieve your vision with this technique. I certainly like how you've centered it with the river/river bed in the center of your movement (and then obviously chosen your composition/crop from there in pp). I also like the way that you have created both movement in the tree branches/leaves as well as extended them into an arch.

I really like the colors and overall palette, however do wonder about some subtle tweaking in pp to bring those colors to life just a little more - packing a little more punch and getting the image to pop off the screen, as it looks like it has the potential to do.

I wonder whether a fraction off the top (and possibly the bottom) of the frame would make this image/scene even stronger.

Fairly minor, but for me, your framing (border) detracts. It is too dominant for the 'delicate wispiness' of the image.

Comments, Score & Placement Review
9 - very very good. 6.21 is a little surprising, but a difficult Challenge, so that may explain it a little. An average of 8.0 from your commenters - all of which seemed to really like your end result and appreciated the effort that went into a difficult image such as this.

Summary
As mentioned above, just some further refining in pp, mainly cropwise and color/contrast boosting, and this might be an even better image - but still very good as is. Congratulations on placing in the top 10 with your (only) 5th entry in nearly 7 years at DPC. Good luck with your photography goal!

edit:typo

Message edited by author 2009-11-09 23:35:46.

Storm coming
by snaffles

Comment:


Critique Club Critique

First Impressions
The centered composition isn't showcasing these two well. The title confused me because of the subjects. I gave this a 5 during voting.

Photograph Information, Technicals & Composition Review
As mentioned, a much tighter crop on the left to get these two more in the frame would have been better in my opinion, or even, a bold crop, chopping half the mother and going for a square or even vertical type framing, may have produced an interesting image as well.

The poses of the horses and the angle are not reaching the full potential perhaps available to you - but I wasn't there, so assuming a little.

There seems to be some haloing on the edges, perhaps oversharpening in pp, not sure - could just be resizing issues. With your title, the clouds/storm are not very prominent or showing any particular form. They do not feature enough within the frame to see all the drama too them.

There is a tree, far left in the background, that looks almost 'grey'... not sure what is going on there.

Comments, Score & Placement Review
255/403 and a score of 5.48 is circa middle of the road for a Free Study. An average of 6.0 from your two commenters (when one apparently didn't vote...) shows that they thought this image above average (as a general rule).

Summary
The image as is, with a variation in crop and perhaps some subtle 'pushes' in pp to gain a little more boost, may have given this something extra. If you get another opportunity with these two (or even one of them), perhaps experimenting with different angles, especially trying to showcase selective features may produce an interesting image.

Spot
by pointandshoot

Comment:
7 - Nice colors and complementary cat and leaves.

Lately I've Been Hard to Reach
by Alicia

Comment:
7 - Very nice clarity on the stamens and anthers. I like your composition.

Imagine - Peace Tower
by KRK

Comment:
I gave this a 4. I remember wondering why you didn't show the anchor and shed more (flash/longer exposure/light). The mountains in the distance are a good element which again, be nice if included more somehow. I do see the dilemma with the city lights though.

Fall in the Park
by janiece

Comment:
I gave this a 6. I liked it - for me what would make it an even stronger image is a little more clarity at the fore and to (and this is very difficult, especially to judge/experiment with your depth of field) but have the very distant background (road/cars/etc) blurred/unnoticeable, as they distract. I remember pondering that bench/seat/swing for quite a while as it looked quite unique.