Extra Bubbley
by aurorab

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Love the low point of view here, I am a huge fan of extreme pov, so a bonus point. Lighting for stuff like bubbles, which by nature tend to very reflective, is quite good.

I like the concept but the execution needs a little work.

First of all, less is more, especially when it comes to composition. Look at the winner of any challenge, there is one focal point, one element that dominates any others in the shot. Here things are a little busy with two beer steins, a beer bottle, and the odd length of pipe in the bg. FWIW I'd elimate the beer bottle, fill the steins a bit more and if need be, drop in some salt, get a few little strings of bubbles coming up.

Have to agree with the comment about the brown/copper? pipe in the background. It doesn't seem to be part of the shot. Unless it was needed to hold the backdrop in place, in which case it could have been wrapped in fabric (or anything else matte and black).

Finally, try stopping down a few f-stops and opening the shutter. Just fool around, see what you get with different settings. You may want to look at some older food/drink challenges for ideas, I believe there was a Beer ad one this past summer.

Overall, not a bad attempt especially if you are new here. Feel free to check out the stuff I shot during my early days with a Samsung Digimax (2.01mp! woohoo!) it'll make you feel a lot better :-)

Feel free to PM me with any questions,

Susan

Aerosol
by vickio

Comment:
excellent use of props and setting. 7

This way please
by vikas

Comment:
great use of a passerby and the figure on the wall.

No Remorse
by got2bgutsy

Comment:
I take it she's supposed to be the one responsible for the graffiti? So why not show her holding a spraypaint can to go with the defiant attitude?

Rising triplets (under the rules)
by duartix

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Congrats on a top ten finish and for producing an image that left many scratching their heads as to how it was done. Very clever use of the lens cap! Amazing detail, great exposure and the pp is adequate and not overdone, ie it isn't readily apparent.

So I am having a tough time picking this image apart looking for flaws, so I'll quit while I'm ahead :-) Composition adds interest and dynamism, especially as it does look cloned in.

Thanks for giving me the chance to critique this wonderful image.

Feel free to PM me with any questions,

Susan

The Blue Moon
by chai

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Very good attempt especially with exposure, at capturing a difficult subject - after all it is big, brightly lit and moving, even if very slowly. The partial eclipse is a bonus, helps add interest to the shot.

Looking at your settings, I'm guessing you shot handheld. Nothing wrong with that, but for a subject like this a tripod will help tremendously. That way you can drop the ISO to its lowest setting, close down the aperture a bit for maximum depth of field, and then open the shutter up to, say, 5 seconds to start with. Then go from there!

Hope this helps, look forward to seeing more from you in the future. Keep shooting!

Feel free to PM me with any questions,

Susan

Blue Moon 2009
by bstar

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Not a bad attempt, especially for your first ever challenge entry. I can see what you want to do with this shot, but you need to do a little work. First, you know the moon is in motion, so don't focus on it - focus on the tree branches. Next, use a tripod. They are invaluable for shots like this. I shoot handheld 98% of the time but still have a tripod handy esp for night and studio work.

You're on the right path, though, with the aperture closed way down. Now, put your camera on a tripod, focus on the tree (if need be bring a flashlight so you can shine it on the tree and focus accordingly). Then slow your shutter down to, say, 5 seconds for starters at your lowest possible ISO. Then see what you've got and go from there.

Composition is very centred, which doesn't really hurt a shot like this. But play around a little, get to know the basics of composition, and go from there.

Overall, a good try, just pay more attention to the technicals. And feel free to look at the stuff I entered in my first year (or two) here - I'm sure you'll get a good chuckle out of them! :-)

Feel free to PM me with any questions,

Susan

'There is a place of sunshine out there, but it takes two to tango' Arthur, 84.
by rooum

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

What a lovely shot. Not a conventional portrait by any means, but the hands are so expressive and convey so much of his life story, it's quite amazing. Had you included the face that goes with these hands, and you would have scored well in the 6s, if not a top 10 finish. The ribbed sweater is a great way to add depth and texture to the shot without detracting from the subject. I find myself listening for his voice, watching for the hands to move.

Normally I am not a fan of borders or vignetting, but for this shot anyway, I am a convert. Lighting is good, composition centred but that's what works for this shot. Find it interesting that you used a very high ISO, but can't quarrel with the shallow DOF.

A truly great shot. Well done, keep up the good work.

Feel free to PM me with any questions,

Susan

Smash!
by kellyo

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Fun concept, and the way I've seen some players hit the ball it really does look like they're trying to do this. Execution is dicey but you managed to pull it off well - bokeh can be tough! Centres the attention on the ball. Lighting good, comp is OK, ball a little close to being centred but the racket tilt helps frame the ball and some dynamism and interest to the shot.

Looks like you had fun coming up with the idea and executing it. Keep up the good work, and keep entering challenges!

Feel free to PM me with any questions,

Susan

Patience
by jcar

Comment:
Very good shot, the yellow shirt gives it a vibrance and energy. And the fish isn't that small, it looks good for a couple of mouthfuls :-) And of course huge congrats on getting published!