Viridian Vortex
by riot

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

A very nice shot technically, excellent makeup on the model. But the focus does seem to be more on the inner eyelid than the iris. I feel too that the colouring on the iris just seems too random - it may have been a lot easier, especially in terms of post work, to hold out for a model with green eyes or access to green-tinted contacts!

There seems to be a sense of disconnect here, like we can see her, but she can't see us. I admire the details you went to in terms of setup and telling her to stare at a particular area, but I almost wonder if it didn't backfire a bit this time.

Otherwise a very good attempt, you know what you're doing technically but it may be time to push a little more artistically.

Feel free to PM me with questions or comments,

Susan

Emerald - my precious!
by pgirish007

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Technically this is a good shot, nice focus, decent comp and dof and the reflection is cool.

But artistically it has a somewhat sterile quality. Here the title does have a very strong evocative image. The One Ring is an object of obsession beyond belief. Gollum hisses that phrase like a mantra, and Frodo and co doing their best to keep it from him on their journey. But the image just doesn't deliver, we don't see you or another coveting with their life and breath your precious ring.

You need to push a little more in this sense in order to do well; you see to have a firm grasp of the technicals. Now, take some risks, go further. If I haven't yet suggested it, try this: Choose a challenge, and look at all the entries...but in reverse order. Start at the last page with the DQs and those that, well, aren't very good. Then work your way up to the front page. As you do, you will see the quality improving with each pic, they won't all be fancily lit studio shots with AlienBees and softboxes galore. This should help sharpen your eye as to what works, and what doesn't.

Hope this critique has been of help, feel free to PM me with any questions.

Susan

T i M B e R
by sherpet

Comment:
FUNNY, INTERESTING SHOT, GREAT USE OF PENCILS AND PLACEMAT! WORTH THE SACRIFICE! :-)

White Queen's Rook
by riot

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

You certainly put a lot of work into this image! Love the solidity of the tower and the softness of the willows around it. The long exposure is something else, it certainly seems to have given the water an unusual sheen, almost metallic to my eye. Nice comp and good lighting, I might have tried to isolate the tower a bit more by cloning out some of the trees behind it to the left, to accentuate the 'rook' look.

This site can be funny when it comes to shots like this. Too much pp can turn voters off, yet it works very well for this instance. Just wondering if a simple Inversion would have helped at all, maybe cut down a little on the adjustments of contrast curves?

Overall nice work, I look forward to seeing more from you.

Feel free to PM me,

Susan

Imagine Choices Without Constraints
by njsabs

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

It's always tough writing a critique for a challenge of this nature, so it's even more daunting doing it for a ribbon winner...but I'll try.

The metaphor with the shawl is great; she can see her way to the outside, but is still imprisoned by the shawl enveloping her, even though she could pull it off at any time. Instead she has her hands lifted more in a gesture designed to halt or show supplication. This seems to be a show of passivity and strength still, like she only needs to realize that she just has to lift her hands above her head to be free...

*whew*

Technically a flawless image, the soft lighting works beautifully and your model's serene expression and body language work perfectly. The billow in the back caused by the shawl is a little distracting but you don't see it straight off.

Overall a wonderful compelling shot, great work!

Feel free to PM me

Susan

African Dream
by posthumous

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Hmmm...lensbaby + backlit foil rhino...why isn't there a Posty blue here?...

Very intriguing shot, the unusual subject and setting make things even more surreal than normal (for you, I mean ;-) I see what looks like some sort of motion blur around the head, the road behind and the plateau it's on makes me wonder if it's supposed to be a metaphorical end of the road for the rhino.

Liking the angles and leading lines, they add depth and intrigue to this mysterious shot. Good stuff.

Feel free to PM me

Susan

illusion
by lobrin

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

This had me scratching my head, trying to figure out how the reflection was achieved and why the lady in the middle isn't reflected. Very tricky and very well done, I'm sad to see that it didn't score higher. Ah well. It's good to keep this crowd on their toes. I like the slightly voyeuristic shot, the lady looks like she's just seen you and is curious while the photog with the p&s is completely oblivious :-)

Glad to see you're stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new approaches, Louie, it works well. And look, you got a Posty red! Posties can be just as hard to get as the *real* ribbons.

Keep on shooting and entering, we'll see you on the front page again, I know it! :-)

Susan

deer dreams
by disassociation

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

A shot with lots of potential, but the soft effect created by the screen is just a bit too much - like Juli says, the overall sf makes me want to rub my eyes. Sadly this discourages it from being looked at too long, because there is lots about this photo to like - nice backlit foliage, cute subject, decent comp. Without the screen, which can also cause your AF to mess up, you could have got the shot and then used Gaussian blur to create the dreamy effect. But live and learn.

One thing I've tried that works quite well, so I don't have to shoot through screen when I see birds at the feeder, is this: I have a secondary screen of camouflage netting ( readily available from hunting supply stores) with a slit in the middle so I can put my lens there and shoot. Of course I still have to take down the outermost windowscreen, that's the only drawback. But if you often see shots like this, it might be worth considering.

Keep on shooting and entering!

Feel free to PM me

Susan

Fiery
by gyaban

Comment:
Congrats Christophe! Nice pecs and abs btw, woohooo!! ;-)

Fiery
by gyaban

Comment:
Congrats Christophe! Nice pecs and abs btw, woohooo!! ;-)