Going up!
by timfythetoo

Comment:
I see what you were going with on the selective desat, but I'm not sure it works. This is coming from a guy who likes selective desat (not everybody on the site does). A good example is the group of bars on the upper right. They don't help and the desat actually makes them worse.

I like what you were going for, but probably the setting was just too jumbled (which you sensed) for a great leading lines shot. The little man is quite cute though. I love overalls.

High Lines
by breadfan35

Comment:
I'll briefly comment since this is a decent score. It certainly has lines, but where are they leading? There is no subject other than the lines themselves. I bet that kept you from a higher score. Getting to 6.0 requires execution on nearly all fronts. Your conversion to B&W is pretty well done. The blown sky doesn't help, but doesn't hinder a ton.

yellow center
by margiemu

Comment:
I'm not surprised this is at the top of my comment range. I actually think this shot should be higher. I like it and would probably have given it a 6.

The technicals: Focus is well done. Composition is just a bit off. We preach not being centered and here I think the preaching holds true. You may have done better with pushing that yellow even more off to one side. The lighting is well done and you did a good job managing to keep detail in those whites. Certainly has leading lines.

The feel: Perhaps lacks a little "wow". The centeredness probably doesn't help make it feel dynamic.

The game: Flower, right? We have a love/hate relationship with them on DPC. Flowers can definitely win, but they have to be done perfectly. If voters sense weakness, they go for the kill.

I think this shot shows me at least that you have made definite strides since you have been here. The score, I think, for this shot is low.

You didn't include the camera settings for this shot. Sharpness comes from quality glass (you have that), a tripod, knowing where your focus is, and knowing how to sharpen in PS. If you shoot RAW, start with an immediate 300/0.3/2 USM filter. Then do your PP, then sharpen again at 100-200/0.3/2 depending on the feel after you have resized. If you shoot JPG, I would skip the first USM. Faster shutter speeds and smaller apertures can help, but are not necessary.

mmmm . . . ice cream
by kashi

Comment:
Technicals: Composition is decent. The leading lines definitely exist and do lead us to the subject. Lighting is a bit overexposed. The ice cream looks somewhat blown and the lack of contrast between the ice cream and the styrofoam plate hurts. The look of the styrofoam also isn't the best. The highlights look too much like noise.

The feel: Feels too much like a setup shot with no purpose. I don't feel that someone was actually going to eat this and that it was more just set up for the shot. (probably because I don't see any trails of lines other than our main four). The plate also gives it a bit of a "thrown together" feel.

The game: See the feel. I think it suffered because it looks too set up and lacks "wow". I think you hit the 5s because you clearly met the challenge. Unfortunately I could have easily seen this shot in the 4s.

Seed
by kashi

Comment:
Technicals: lighting is well done, no blown highlights. Composition is fairly static and probably could have been livened up. A diagonal approach with more curve to the tail? Maybe even an "egg" to give a bit of an action feel.

Feel: A cute idea, but sesame seeds don't have a lot to do with sperm, eh? So while it certainly meets the challenge on more than one level, the connections feel forced. The static composition leads to a static feel.

The Game: I'm not sure sperm is a winner on DPC. :) I applaud your creativity however and say keep it up.

A Light In The Darkness - Powered By A Portable Electron Distribution Device
by atupdate

Comment:
The technicals: Centered composition and horizon line works in shots with symmetry. I think it works here. The light source is blown, but that is to be expected. The processing is likely where this image failed from the technicals. The keychain portion has become very choppy with significant portions lost in the dark background. It has also become quite pixelated which is a limitation of the 640 pixel canvas.

The feel: Meets the challenge. The title is a bit long. I do like the glow of the car. The keychain, less so.

The game: Shots of trinkets rarely do well on DPC. You have to either really nail them technically or have something very unusual. This likely hurt you a bit in scoring.

cliche #28
by tase

Comment:
cliche shots always have to be done extremely well to get anywhere. This one doesn't quite do it. I think it's the DOF and the dark portion which makes it tough. 5

Flower in the rain
by Kaveran

Comment:
the saturation is too much here. reds really oversaturated quickly on digital. the highlights are too much too. 4

Weatherman
by SJCarter

Comment:
he held still pretty well while twirling the bumbershoot. A bit of a stretch on theme, but whatever. the background is a fairly neat effect. How do I know he's a weatherman? 5

Rainy Evening
by Schuff

Comment:
I like the symmetry. Processing is pretty well done. the grate adds a neat texture and makes me wonder what we are really seeing. 6