Discovering Pamela's Corpse
by Paul

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Initial impression: Very realistic, almost scarily so. Glad to see I wasn't the only one :-)

Technical: Great use of ambient lighting, dof a little shallow - would have loved to see more of the face in focus esp the lips and lower eye. I voted this a 7 during voting, for the one eye in focus is quite vivid and real...but the rest was oof. The high shutter speed and ISO seems to indicate a handheld shot; with a tripod may have been able to take more time and get the DOF. Do like the oof leaves in foreground, add trememdous depth and realism and a time of season. Could be a book cover.

Artistic: Huge kudos to the model for a great look and not flinching/blinking! She is very convincing as a corpse. Having been a model, I know very well how difficult work like this can be. Hope she got a nice big mug of coffee or hot chocolate afterwards!

Overall: Disapppointed at the low finish, I expected a top 20 finish at least. Still, an excellent idea, and great work!

Feel free to PM me with any questions,

Susan

Dark Phantom Cult
by darnok

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Initial impression: Menacing b/w of the hills and sky behind, which only seems to play up the lack of similar varied tones in the Phantom. Had to look for the blade.

Technical: Great light, good use of thirds, nice dof...though a 30-second exposure seems a little long! I think that a lesser exposure, esp with the phantom in the pic, would have resulted in a more multi-tonal and powerful image.

Aristic: Frankly I thought Phantom looked cut-and-paste and posed. However you placed in the top 20 in this challenge, so can't argue with that :-)

Overall: Great concept, I just feel execution could have been a little stronger to make the phantom more menacing. good work!

Feel free to PM me with any questions,

Susan

Everybody say 'Cheese'.......NOW!!
by BarbB

Comment:
hmm...can't imagine who that crazy redhead barefoot photog might be...and a bossy one to boot! *ducks and runs* ;-) 7

Patient Photographer
by goodgregory

Comment:
Too funny! Great minds clearly do think alike! ;-)

Dark Paradise Chasm
by haze

Comment:
What an amazing structure and great capture of same. Well done!

Deer Point Conspiracy
by Jutilda

Comment:
Woohoo Judy! It's high time you ribboned and what a shot to win with! Great work!

Winvow View - Setup
by Shutter-For-Hire

Comment:
LOL glad to see you have your seatbelt on like a good boy! :-) Great shot! Mind, I see that view too pretty much each time my bf drives...;-)

Crab in Colander
by KaDi

Comment:
Mmmmmm oh so yummy, craving crab now! Lovely still life. Hope they were as delicious as they look :-)

Pondering a Self Portrait
by Ter

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Initial impression: Good execution, but needs a little more work in terms of concept.

Technical: Not much to pick holes here. Comp is a bit centred, lighting is good, the textures show nicely...almost too nicely, as the f-stop is maxed out at 29, so the leather couch is just as much in focus as you are! I would have gone for an f-stop of say 7.1, got ISO down as much as possible and compensated accordingly in terms of shutter.

Artistic: To me, the body language looks very closed-off to the viewer, as though you were disinterested. And yes, do find the sheen on the leather to lead my eye more to the back, whereas it should be roaming around the front. Would have liked to see more of a profile or 3/4 to the camera, this is almost 3/4 the other way.

Overall: Would love to see more of your face! From what I can see there are so many stories there for you to tell, let us see so we can get a sense for who you are.

Feel free to PM me with any questions,

Susan

Le Chat
by ptenisnet

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Initial impression: I love cats and own two, so was glad to see a cat in the shot. This is a very peaceful shot, showing what cats do best...waking from a nap, about to nap, or falling into a nap. :-)

Technical: As has been noted, composition is a little centred; and as you went b/w you want to watch your tones. The more gradients of grey, the better. Like the highlight in Kitty's eye. Kitty is almost asleep, an ISO of 400 or even less, 200, would have been more than enough. With a tripod, and an aperture of a half-second to full second, could have made a ton of difference. That would have also allowed you to experiment with stopping down to, say, f4 - get more depth.

Artistic: Good use of the single light as a light source. Must be careful in challenges like Low- or High-Key, because too much or too little, and you get blasted.
FWIW: Kitty is almost asleep, so I would have tried to get more of a 3/4 profile on the face, that would put the bulk of the body behind it. With the paw stretched out in front as it is, may have resulted in some kitty bokeh, too.

Overall: A pretty good attempt especially for a first try at Low Key. If you don't already have a tripod, can get an inexpensive one at Wal-mart or similar. For shots like this, the tripod is your friend. Don't be afraid to mess with the settings and see what you get. Lighting can make or break a shot.

Good work and keep shooting!

Feel free to PM me with any questions,

Susan