B O O M ! ! !
by Ja-9

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Nice fireworks shot, pretty colours, the red white and blue. Good exposure, really nothing to complain about with the shot itself. I think though that the lack of a physical setting, with people watching/cityscapes in bg to give it a sense of place, that this shot has fitted itself into a very generic category. In that while an excellent shot, there is nothing to give the viewer to relate to. That relatability is so important!

Hope this helps,

Susan

B O O M ! ! !
by Ja-9

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Nice fireworks shot, pretty colours, the red white and blue. Good exposure, really nothing to complain about with the shot itself. I think though that the lack of a physical setting, with people watching/cityscapes in bg to give it a sense of place, that this shot has fitted itself into a very generic category. In that while an excellent shot, there is nothing to give the viewer to relate to. That relatability is so important!

Hope this helps,

Susan

Almost Dinner
by optix

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Yes, definitely a night heron, I've shot many of them :-) Love the pose, it's so typical of most herons, and the intensity in its hunched-over posture is great. The grey tones of the bird and the murky waters just add to the feel of the shot. There is even a partial, muted reflection in the lower left corner that adds a little extra to the shot. The little bit of glare on the rock to the left of the heron could have been burned down.

However there is one glaring bugaboo...that oof branch or stream of water or whatever it is in the upper right...it's just there. It does nothing for the shot. Crop it out and you really have lost nothing as the heron's interest is in the water, not what's overhead. Cloning out is also an option though sometimes cloning out something that big can be more trouble than it's worth.

Overall a good solid effort. Keep shooting and entering!

Susan

Pemaquid Lighthouse
by Ja-9

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Lovely shot, Janine, very well seen and initially I was puzzled by why it didn't do as well as I think it should have in voting.
I certainly approve of the pov here, great leading lines up those rocks to the buildings beyond, and that reflection is just magic. Nice colours and tones. The whites do blend a little into the sky, shooting a bit faster may have helped there.

But I think the big problem is that red shed on the left. It's just there, and unfortunately as it's such a strong red, it grabs the eye and doesn't really let it go. Crop out that whole left quarter, and you have a much stronger shot, with the eye looking at the buildings and that reflection.

Hope this helps

Susan

Snapping Rope
by clickodak

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Argh Marcel, you must stop putting yourself in danger like this, and your son too! ;-)

Very simple and effective comp, sharp focus, good lighting, though a little puzzled by the long shutter speed...I know I'm a bear on low ISO but 1/3 seems a little on the lengthy side. The yellow of the rope (even if it is the *wrong* kind) adds drama and pop to the image. (FWIW...I believe the real climbing ropes are incredibly expensive and can only be bought in lengths of 100s of feet. Pretty expensive prop!)

Things I'd do differently but with same setup - shoot faster to add a a little more contrast to the bg in particular. Possibly fray the rope a little more, down to almost just the last couple threads. And really have a visibly white-knuckled grip on the rope, you want to sell the shot, make it look as realistic as possible. If you have climbing gloves use em. Possibly get the hand a little grubbier and beat-up looking.

Overall you still did quite well in this challenge, so well done and don't be afraid to take risks. Just be careful doing so!

Susan

Getting in My Face to Speak (I can hear you)
by neenee1999

Comment:
expression and shot are fine, the pp is overkill though

need i say more
by jmritz

Comment:
those are so frickin stoopid...

superfluffonthecoffeetable
by Tiberius

Comment:
Awww Snowy looks so cute n cuddly....7

People with creepy pets
by GeorgesBogaert

Comment:
ewwwwww!!!!

cell phone zombies
by tvsometime

Comment:
love this. 9