Wall Flower B&W
by timfythetoo

Comment:
I like the simple and clean presentation of this final version rather than the cluttered and busy overlay of 'wallflowers' in the other version you posted. This is minimalistic high key at it's best. Those big, beautiful luminious eyes of this little girl really reach out and draw you in. I also like that she seems to be 'emerging' out from the right hand side of the composition...like she is stepping out from the light into our field of vision

Day 03
by Dirt_Diver

Comment:
Darkening the backdrop such that the industrial elements disappear really help the fence and the lock & chain become the standout main focus. And wow, what a difference converting the color version to the B&W because now with the dynamic range in contrasting tones the textures really pop visually. The eye more readily sees the pits, spots, and rust on the fence pipe in the B&W than it does in the original. You took the mundane from a color snapshot and added visual pop & grunge feel with the B&W final composition.

golden seed
by yanko

Comment:
The combination of the two photos into one where the birds occupy the same space helps create a feeling/story. That one bird on the left is looking at the bird on the right and seems to be thinking "Man, how come those seeds don't do that when I break them open?!?!?!" Nice touch with the simple backdrop in which a color halo spreads out from the bird breaking open and releasing the magic sparkles from the seed. The uncluttered backdrop really draws the eye to the main subject and the action going on. You did some wonderful editing magic to create this final composition.

Day2-after.jpg
by Jaker

Comment:
The original had a flat range with dull orange/yellow hues. In the final composition you have done a geat job on the conversion from color to black and white...the dodge & burn really helped boast the dynamic range of tones such that they pop. The way you composed the shot too has strong bones with leading lines that travel from the top left to the bottom right which creates visual interest.

nat-bw-after-1-web.jpg
by gwe21

Comment:
Wonderful conversion from the color version to the B&W. The subject of the photo really pops visually and you have a nice dynamic range of tones. The gleam in her eye and her large doe-like eyes really pulls the viewer in. My only critique is that it could use a little work with the burn tool to give more contrast and definition to the handle of the basket that has blown highlights - also to the define the line of her knee which looks to blend in with the tones of her sleeve a bit too much.

Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?
by artvet

Comment:
You have some strong compositional elements and I like the mood you are creating here. First off there are sepia/yellow tones to the photo that invoke the idea of an era gone by, the ol' west and also that of an old yellowing photograph showing us this moment in time. I like that you composed the shot such that the horse is walking away and about to disappear over the hill. To me it symbolizes a vanishing breed/time which plays into the title. The age where cowboys rode horses on the open plains is now vanished like this horse who is about to vanish over the hill out of our sight. Tonal range is good with good dynamic range between the contrasts of the relatively lighter tones of the sky in comparision to the darker tones of the ground plane. The biggest weakness that holds this photo back from a stellar category is that blown out sun and the clouds surrounding it. It does not add to the composition but it does distract by marring an otherwise aesthetically pleasing image. My suggestion would be to crop the top 1/3 of the photo out thereby making this a square composition without the sun. It would still show a vast expanse of sky plus the tighter crop will call greater attention to your main subject.

Waiting for the cowboy
by cptpoland

Comment:
The elements of the composition are strong but there are a few areas that need improvement to push this up into an above average category. First off is that (on my screen at least for I know everyone's screen is different) the shape of the muzzle of the mama horse gets lost in the neck portion of the baby horse. The tones of both horses are so close that they just blend into one another. Taking a couple of steps to the right or left or even waiting for them to move a bit more apart would have helped 'separate' them to show two separate 'individuals'. Now the sepia tones really add to the composition for it invokes imagery of an era gone by & the ol' west. But as much as that is a strength it also, unfortunately, is a weakness. There is soo much cloud cover that with minimizing the color palate down to a few hues it does not allow for much dynamic tonal range plus it just makes that sky busier thus calling away some attention from your main subject - that of the lone horses waiting on the hillside. Waiting for less cloud cover would have been the best solution BUT then you most likely would not capture those two lovely lone horses on the hillside which is the main focus of your shot. Not having seen the color version mayhap the color shot would have been a stronger composition that shows greater dynamic range in color hues.

Happy Trails Cowboy ( Tribute to Sean Matos, AKA JawnyRico)
by kleski

Comment:
Love the bold and vibrant hues in this capture. The silhouette of the cowboy holding the saddle contrasts quite nicely against the vibrant sunset colors of reds, purples and blues. You even managed to capture a streak in the sky that invokes us to think back upon Jawnyrico's blue ribbon winner "The Cowboy". Composition and mood is wonderful too. Nice symbolic touch with the silhouetted cowboy carrying a saddle as he goes off into the sunset. The message to me is that the 'ride' is done. This cowboy now ventures off into the sunset (symbolic of life's journey ending) to hang up his saddle.

The Chase
by surfdabbler

Comment:
Great action shot! Lighting and colors are wonderful in this capture - love the sheen on the horse. Great details in this one too. We see the roughness of the calves hide and the flying hairs of the horse's mane as well as the flecks of dirt being thrown up. I also like how you also took the shot that shows the face's and/or facial expressions of all the major characters of this shot - either one or two could have turned such that all we see is the back of the head but here all three either have a full facial view or a side profile. What also makes this a strong action photo is that the scene is not overly busy that the main action & subjects do not get lost in it. This roundup has a visually pleasing backdrop with green trees and green grasslands beyond the fencing. It is relatively uncluttered. The backdrop is in varying degrees out of focus so that it will not distract from the main action going on but rather compliment it. My only critique is that I am not overly fond of the letterbox movie style border on the sides. I think the composition would remain strong without it.

Weathered Hands
by Renee_Jordan

Comment:
Composition of elements is strong but the photo needs improvement in a few areas to push this into an above average shot. I like that you have a tight focus on the hands, the lasso, and the head of the saddle - all these elements strongly invoke the imagery of a cowboy without having to show us a full picture of a cowboy on horseback. My critique on the areas that need a bit of improvement are greater contrast in tones and crop. The tones in this composition are a bit flat with no dynamic stand out range between the dark tones and lighter tones. Try playing around with bumping up the contrast in the brightness/contrast controls or even (if you have this feature) automatic contrast adjustment and also(again if you have this feature) using clarify (but only sparingly as that too much will cause artifacts to spring up). Next I believe that if you pull back just a tad to include the lasso in full it will add a strong visual element to the composition. There are two reasons for this. The first is because a virtually strong composition element will no longer look or feel chopped. Second a showing the full lasso will introduce the shape of a circle within the confines of a rectangular composition. Another shape within a shape adds an additional visual interest - subtle but nonetheless adds interest.