Dusky Pulsating City
by DigiFotoBuddy

Comment:
Hi Shailesh, from Becky of the DTP:M2 group!

For this challenge, specifically, I think your photo took a hit for the landscape orientation, which was hotly debated in the forums. Also, the title is awkward and doesn't really suggest a movie title so much as a description of what I'm looking at.

As to the photo itself, there are a few things I see. First is the greenish-gray patch at the bottom center. Since it's not in the same tonal range as the rest of the photo it is a distraction. Instead of wondering about the movie, I'm trying to figure out what that particular feature is. (A parking lot, I think.) I would definitely crop that out. There's also a little bit of contrail in the sky (in the dark part in the left quarter of the scene) that could have been cloned out. Also, the lights seem to be a little over exposed, and the effect is that they actually seem a bit pixelated.

This might have been an interesting movie lead-in if the city were a less common color, say, adjusting the hue or color balance into blue, purple, or green, to give it some intrigue, but I somehow doubt that modification would have been well-received amongst the voters - I get the impression that anything that looked too processed really lost out in this challenge.

Driving People Crazy
by margiemu

Comment:
Hello Margie from Becky in your CTP:M2 group!

I think this was one of the best takes on the "Driving People Crazy" title that so many people used in this challenge. Unfortunately, the fact that so many people did use it probably hurt the score. Like I told Gunnsi, it was purely luck of the draw on that. Clever the first time you see it, less so upon the fifth entry with the same theme.

On a photo like this, tracking is very important. The subject should be completely in focus while the motion of the background/other surroundings is intact. It's a technique that a lot of nature photographers really work on a lot. Best example I've ever seen is here: Don Grall's Hummingbird - Maybe not the crystal clear I was talking about, but if he can do this with a hummingbird, imagine what can be done with humans who don't move anywhere near as fast!

Also, there are some blown highlights on the pants and the tape recorder. The woman in the white jacket in the background is a distraction simply for the brightness of her clothing, I might had tried to wait until she passed and the other pedestrians were more neutral. The scene overall looks a little too bright - especially the sidewalk.

Driving People Crazy
by Gunnsi

Comment:
Greetings from Becky in your CTP:M2!

Despite what others have said, I don't think the blue colorizing is a bad choice. This was a totally wonky challenge for voting, so I think your photo suffered in a few places. First, the landscape orientation in a challenge about movie posters, which was the subject of a lot of debate in the forums. Second, looking too edited because of the colorizing - I think a lot of folks probably didn't take too well to anything that started to look too much like it wasn't that way straight out of the camera. And possibly the DPC tie in was just a little too precious, though I think it was a cleverer take on the title than others had. Lastly, the fact that so many others had the same title likely hurt your score a little, but there was really no way to predict that would happen - luck of the draw on that one.

As to the photo itself, there are some blown out spots on the forehead and under the eye, and a stray hair running to the eyebrow that might have been cloned out. The DPC logo isn't totally in focus. And perhaps the "craziness" implied in the title isn't fully evoked. Would I get that element without the title? I'd probably guess tired and sleepless over crazy.

I scored 168th, so you're in good company down here in the 17th percentile. ;-)

Message edited by author 2006-05-15 00:41:53.

By the Light of the Moon
by gt7435b

Comment:
This looks like a Tuscan landscape painting. I really dig that. It just needs a couple cypresses! :-)

Tiger jump - desat
by ShutterPug

Comment:
Awww, pretty kitty! I like the choice to desaturate everything but the tiger. Very effective. I might have placed him a little further left in the frame, without losing his tail, of course, to give him more of a destination. :-)

The Strip
by vitaminG

Comment:
Your shot is seriously hindered by the 640 rule. :-(

Harbor Lights
by marbo

Comment:
Nice detail and color, but the composition is just way too busy.

desolate
by zoshyii

Comment:
I don't think a lot of voters are going to like this, but I kinda do. I would like to see the green saturation turned down a bit, though. It's actually a little too bright, almost difficult to look at. Emphasize the grunginess.

dowtown lights
by charliev

Comment:
Looks like a little bit of camera shake..? Nice colors, I would have liked to see this crystal clear.

park tryst
by blackenedwhite

Comment:
I think this would work better if the light were cropped out. It's very distracting.