Poised Pursuit
by riley

Comment:
First I like that you captured the action of this bird poised to strike. However, compositionally, the angle from which it was taken in does not capture this bird or action in the best light. The angle was taken too much from an angle behind the bird with the results being that the bird's hind end is more visible AND (more importantly) that the action of the bird poised is broken up by the branch 'disconnecting' his head from his neck. A composition that is taken from an angle that shows the bird in side profile would not break up the action and show off the bird in a more flattering angle, especially the upstretched wings ready to take flight/pounce.

Earl in Dreamland
by deana

Comment:
I think I can see what you wanted to portray in the composition. A ghostly dreamland that the dog, Earl, wanders into. I get the feeling from the title it is supposed to be serene and otherworldly. The thing is that it looks too much like an overprossessed negative that would not at all be visually appealing to most viewers. The mood of the piece is more spooky, errie, haunting and threatening instead of a serene "dreamland" - that comes mostly from the dark colors and 'burnt' look of the composition. If you were trying to get a dreamy look, then a soft focus would be one way to go. One suggestion is to use layers. First copy the whole image, make another layer, and place that copy directly over your original. Then change the layer copy from Normal to Overlay at 10 to 30%. Lastly choose Gaussian Blur for the layer copy and play around with how much will get you a soft focus 'otherworldly glow'. Depending on the size of the image it may be small as .50 to larger sizes that require a setting of 3 or 5 to get the look.

Buzzz
by deapee

Comment:
Wow, look at all sharp details on that insect. I like that you caught the moment with the bee in side profile so that one can appreciate the details of it's body from head to back. The only critique I have on this photo is the crop. I think you could strengthen the composition even more if you bring us in closer to the insect and all the lovely details we see we would see even more. A closer zoom or crop to your main subject can give the viewer an up close and personal view.

Home Is Where the Heart Is
by Joey Lawrence

Comment:
I really like the look and feel of this photo. The colors and textures present give it an earthy & grungy feel that gives a really moody feel. Even though the house appears run down the man stands there and one gets the feeling he is comfortable just we he is - it is his home after all which is what the title of the piece communicates to us. The only critique I have for the this photo is that while it shows the realism of the place, those telephone wires do nothing but distract and detract. I know some would clone them out and perhaps that might be an option so that they do not draw attention away from the main focal points of the photo.

Signed Khaki Shirts in Memory of Steve
by sherpet

Comment:
I think this is one of the more emotionally hard hitting of all the images I have seen. It is hard to believe that someone who displayed and lived life with such zest and enjoyment is just gone. A husband, a father, and strong spoken spokesperson for the environment & wildlife whom you could not help but smile with - is gone. I look at this khaki shirt and am moved because many people loved him for who he was and what he did for the community at large. But what is really hard is too look at, is that empty shirt - his trademark Khaki shirt that he donned - now hangs there lifeless reminding us very deeply of the loss. R.I.P Steve Irwin. He will be missed.

Parked
by Melethia

Comment:
There are alot of interesting lines and shapes presented in this abstract composition. The only thing that is a major distraction from the visual appeal of the photo is that the image is overexposed/blown out. There is a loss of tonal detail in the upper portions of the shopping carts. Many of the crossbar lines of the basket are a flat one tone shade of bright white. The brightness of the white is almost glaring to view.

Mother & Child
by manic35

Comment:
Love the soft lighting and the pose of the mother & child. The soft lighting casts a gentle glow and feel to the photo. Perfect for it adds to the tender moment of the mother cradling her child. My only critique on improving the photo is that it is a shame that the shirt hides some of the baby's face. For if the shirt was not obstructing the view, the viewer would then actually see another tender moment of the child's head resting comfortably upon his mother's chest.

Lollypops
by whiteroom

Comment:
Lighting and contrast tones are spot on in this B&W. Love the expressions on the two girls - one adorable smile and the other happily sucking on the lolly. Interesting how the composition includes the bridge going off into 'vanishing point of the horizon line'. It is the path that the girls come from as they stand in the foreground infront of us. But I really don't think you needed to include the whole bridge as that the main focus is the two girls. Had the composition been trying to introduce a conceptual idea of 'pathways we travel' or 'life paths' then I could see a reason for inclusion. But, as I see it here it doesn't add anything to the composition and serves to distract our attention away from the human interest element which are the two girls. They are the main focus of the shot and a tighter focus and crop would keep the attention focused solely on these two.

Up Hill
by shudderbug

Comment:
I like the concept and the capture, but certain elements were needed to place this photo in the above average category. First off, the colors are nice and vivid. I like the slope of the hill and the long distance shot calls wonderful attention to the curve. Next the cyclist adds the human interest element - we watch as he struggles to get his bike up the slope. Now to the element that complicates and distracts - the clouds. Had it been a simple blue sky you would have a simple & clean presentation of shapes & colors. For example the composition could have the green grass and the blue sky - and the line seperating them would be the slope of the hill. Shapes and colors would be main players to make the composition visually appealing. Even more so would be the addition of another key player (which you have here), the cyclist. A crop or composition where the line of the hill slope begins just above the bottom left corner and then ends just below the top right corner of the photo would communicate the thought of a steep slope this cyclist must climb. It would also add visual interest to the viewer because we 'see' and observe his ascent to the top. This is a good shot that shows potential because you already have most of the elements there - it is just a matter of how you compose them to create a greater visual impact.

The Gathering
by ecameron

Comment:
The scene is way too busy. Yes this is a good capture of daily life but there are so many elements and things to look at that it lacks a main subject. Our eyes roam aimlessly. In the photograph, you give us nothing to center our focus on - we look for a main focal point but there is none. Calling a viewer's attention by making/choosing a main subject improves the visual impact and audience appeal of a photo. If you show us something unique or focus on something interesting to call out in this scene then you will capture your audience's attention. For instance, the sitting couple that is partially hidden behind the lamppost, they seem to be deep in conversation. Perhaps during the course of conversation, interesting facial expressions can be seen - he says something and she laughs, they look at something, smile, and hold hands. Why would that be interesting? One reason is that it shows human expression and for the viewer that can be interesting for it adds human interest to the 'story' your picture attempts to tell. This is just one example of centering and finding a main subject to be the focal point of your photograph - I am sure that in the bustling scene of activity here that there were many other opportunities.