Les Fleurs du mal
by posthumous

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Hmmm...the 'flowers of sickness'? Or 'the ill flowers'? I know it's something along that line. Anyway I can see why it scored so low, there is very little if any sand in the shot...partly told me that it was a posty! :-) But I do like the glowy effect and the way the eye goes from bottom left to top right. The crop could be a little tighter but otherwise it's fine technically for what you were going for.

Interesting choice of subject matter and treatment for this challenge but that goes without saying; I see more of a fleeting of innocence than the more ominous air seen by others.

Feel free to PM me,

Susan

Purple Finch
by Nobody

Comment:
uhm sorry, but it's a house finch...easy to confuse the two. Still, a very nicely lit shot, tack sharp. Good work! 6

Something Wicked This Way Comes
by Cuttooth

Comment:
Yep I was thinking of doing SWTWC too but you caught the spirit of it way better than I could have. Great work and good use of b/w. Congrats!

I Sing the Body Electric!
by Yo_Spiff

Comment:
snarfles proud of Grog. Grog good pickshur taker. Grog is grayt.

;-)

Tomorrow's child
by Neat

Comment:
Huge congrats on your first ever ribbon, Anita! What a terrific capture, love the spontaneity of the little girl. Well done on a wonderful image :-)

Belted Kingfisher
by Links 2 3 4

Comment:
nice shot! I see kingfishers all the time in flight and they're just too fast to get a good shot, so don't mind seeing a percher this time round :-)

Over the sun
by Alex_Petrini

Comment:
Yep, boarders and bikers are fun to shoot! Great shot and definitely huge congrats on ribboning in all 4 editing categories :-)

The Simple Life
by skewsme

Comment:
Lovely shot, almost looks like a painting. Huge congrats on the blue!

Gettin' Jiggy Wit It
by lilysmom

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

First off, I don't see any sharpening haloes...so breathe easy on that front :-) I am a little surprised that you didn't go with the 50mm f1.8 you have listed under your glass, it's faster and much better at this than the 70-200 f2.8. So long as your lens is on the same plane as your subject, well, 50mms can produce magic.

Technically the comp is OK, with the lower left thingy being in focus and the rest oof, but I find myself agreeing with Ammie...it's just close enough to be a macro. I would invest in a tripod, you can get an inexpensive one at Wallyworld or similar for about $25. It'll give you stability, you can increase your dof and go for a smaller aperture and longer exposure. And all those things are good in the macro world. With the settings you have listed, I would expect it to be a sports/action shot! :-)

Feel free to PM me,

Susan

blackberry leaf
by soeren

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Yes, there is a lovely atmosphere here, but it needs a little more. Atmosphere alone cannot carry a shot, it can only add to one that is already good. The composition is basic but good, though you really don't need that oof leaf in the top right to draw attention away from the nice jagged edges you have going. Any item that draws the eye away from your focal point will automatically weaken it, especially here.

Might I also suggest that you invest in a tripod, even the most basic model will suit you fine for now. Your settings suggest a handheld shot, and a tripod would allow you to set a deeper dof and longer exposure...not to mention stability! Though there is no evident camerashake here, you shot fairly fast with a high ISO for a macro.

Hope this critique has been of help. Feel free to PM me with any questions or comments.

Susan