New house on the block
by Jean

Comment:
10 from me, my favourite by far in this challenge - I hope you do well

Window peep
by Robro

Comment:
Might be my monitor, but the windowframe looks yellow to me, not at all orange. Otherwise, I like the picture.

Primary Glass
by Jacko

Comment:
Jacques, congratulations! Good work.

Butterfly Fantasy
by dsidwell

Comment:
David, congratulations! I guess the good use of "fake" comes with being in theatre?

Petals
by agwright

Comment:
Congratulations! Wonderful picture!

Cable Car Xing
by Gotchya

Comment:
From the Critique Club

Hello,

On first impression, this is a striking postcard. The text jumps out at you, as does the street-sign with graffiti. It was a daring move on your part to use this photo for the postcard challenge!

Graffiti first: On the one hand, including it makes San Francisco more real, perhaps even more "likeable", more like a place where the common person would feel comfortable. On the other hand, I think it's highly unusual to include a sign with graffiti in a postcard - and this cost you in the challenge. For myself, I'm not sure; I like it, then again, if I were a tourist in San Francisco I would think, "Well, that's a shot I can take myself, why do I need to buy it in a postcard?"

The grey sky is also daring - most postcards seem to aim for the perfect blue. You didn't. I must say, the grey goes beautifully with the buildings on this street, and gives the flavour of the city better than if it were blue. I like the light - the street is for the most part in shadow, but still bright. Nice.

Focus also is good, actually, there's hardly anything out of focus in this picture, just the trees and buildings in the way back.

The text is beautiful, bold, appropriate. And the lighter border (of the card, not the text) softens it just so.

My nitpick: the streetlight in the top right hand corner, I think I would have tried to keep it out of the photo.

Good work! Take care,

Ursula (uabresch)

Hi there! Greetings from Frisco!!
by Pep Ventosa

Comment:
From the Critique Club

WOW!!! I got the WINNER!!! I am sooo impressed :)

This going to be a very short critique, as your postcard is just right, I wouldn't add or take away anything, it's fine the way it is. I read the comments below, to see if I could pick up something to say besides, "Great postcard!", but, no luck.

I love the colour of the sky, the clouds close to the horizon line, the angularity of the buildings - it's a dynamic shot. The shadows on the buildings make it more human. This postcard tells me that I wouldn't want to go to San Francisco to spend a relaxing time by the lake, but I'd go there to DO something, something fun and interesting.

OK, before I type up a bunch more superlatives, I'll quit. Keep up the good work!

Ursula

Come Visit South Haven
by Drake

Comment:
From the Critique Club

Hello, Drake,

First of all, I'm so sorry that your entry to "Weather" had to be disqualified. It's a beautiful picture. I'm glad that you are continuing to enter photos.

Your postcard is an interesting shot. When I first looked at it, I saw three things: the kites, the church, and the bridge. I wondered if there was a reason why you included these three. How do the components in this photo add up to "fun in South Haven"?

The blue sky is beautiful. I like the early Spring treeline, and the white house towards the middle peeking through the bridge. I do find the bridge a bit out of place; whitout knowing why it's there, it doesn't make much sense to have it. Also, the bottom 1/10th or so of this picture could be taken out.

Focus and lighting are fine, but I wish the kites were sharper.

The words have a slight "halo" around them. Placement, size, and choice of font is good.

I think your entry would have been more powerful if you had taken the photo from a different position, and/or included something that would illustrate the fun people have when coming to South Haven. And, as an idea for another postcard, I would like to see just the church with such a beautiful sky for backdrop.

Keep up the good work!

Ursula

Berkeley
by GeneralE

Comment:
From the Critique Club

Hi, Paul,

I am so glad I get to write something about your postcard! For now at least it's more fun for me to write about photos I like. Someday, when I learn to be diplomatic and witty, I might enjoy writing about photos I don't like.

On first impression, your postcard hit me as a bit "corny" (like any good self-respecting postcard SHOULD be). It's also "so academia". I guess the lettering is what gave me that impression (duh!).

I love the powerful sky! Plain skies are so boring. The white tower is beautifully framed by the dark trees. The dark trees match the mood of the sky.

I'm wondering if you tried going in a bit closer, for instance, cropping about 1/6 of the total width off the left hand side, 1/8 to 1/9 off the right hand side, and about 1/5 of the total height off the top - nothing off the bottom. Lettering in the same place, same style, possibly even slightly bigger. It might make it a more powerful postcard.

About the lettering, two things.
(1) The "K" and "Y" look a bit ragged. Might be the font. You did have the anti-alias turned on for the lettering, right? Some of the entries to "Postcard" did not.
(2) The spacing (the distance between the individual letters) is not consistent. For example, the distance between "B" and "E", "E" and "L", and "E" and "Y" is larger than the distance between "E" and "R" or "K" and "E". This last distance would seem to be the correct, or best, choice. Sometimes this is a problem with the font. In such a case, I manually move the letters (when the lettering is important) so that the spacing looks just right.

Anyway. I enjoyed looking at this postcard again, and in greater detail. It's a fun postcard, it makes me smile. Take care,

Ursula I Abresch

Kalaloch Lodge Sunset
by wsargen

Comment:
From the Critique Club

Hello!

This is a nice entry. A good sunset always works in a postcard, and this is a wonderful sunset. The colours are beautiful. Meets the challenge with no problems.

The horizon line is straight, but the stone fence line and the columns are not - that is somewhat disconcerting. Straightening out one would make the other look slanted. Maybe if you could have gotten a bit closer and to the right, and lined up the horizon to the top of the stone fence, and kept the columns straight?

The use of the arches as the frame for the postcard is a good idea. IMHO the postcard could be improved if there were not such a big black area towards the top, and if the sides were more similar (one side has a black column, the other not). Again, going in closer and to the right might have helped.

The colours are absolutely beautiful! The sun behind the branches and the reflections on the water really make the picture shine. I love the soft reflection on top of the inner stone fence. The colour is the best part of this postcard. Focus also is fine.

The font/size/color/placement of the lettering is good, maybe a little on the shy side for a postcard, but nice. The only problem with it is the spelling, it should be "Olympic Peninsula", not "Olympic Penninsula".

Keep up the good work!

Ursula I Abresch