Tao
by LevT

Comment:
This was my favorite in the challenge. Not so much that it tells a story, it does to some extent, but nearly all the elements in the photo are perfect. It is a still-life of humanity. The officer on one side (with the one red sock), the guy to the right with the same expression, but a different posture. The perfect framing and lighting. The square shapes, mixed the with the circles and the straight lines. Really, just a perfect shot. I give you a 9 for this challenge, 10 if it were in a free study.

Suprise Encounter
by SaraR

Comment:
Very nice stag.Looks like he might still be a fairly young guy. Where did you capture this at.

IMG_3066.jpg
by xianart

Comment:
Very nice! I really love the lighting here.

swing2.jpg
by b0gdan

Comment:
Very good lines and contrast. Also love the expression.

Shady Cul-De-Sac
by EssAreDubya

Comment:
Cheers from the Critique Club:

Hopefully I can add some suggestions which might be beneficial to you in the future. Let's start with the good.

What this photo has going for it:
First the relevancy to the challenge topic is very good. Nothing beats a cul-de-sac on garbage day for a true suburbian image.
Overall, I think the framing is good. And what I mean by that is I like your ideas. Framing with the garbage cans toward the front, the trees framing the subject on the sides and you subject in the middle. It is a good concept and good you are thinking about placement of items in the frame. The Jet Trail is a nice added effect too.

Scoring better:
Just some ideas if you were looking for a better score, ignore this if you were not. It is a little plain on the tonality, it probably needs a bit of bump in contrast/color. I would bring the sky down a little bit if possible, creating a darker sky. B&W might have been a good choice here as the range between light and dark is really great and color really isn't adding too much to the photo. Anyhow, if scores are not your concern just ignore this.

Things to consider in the future:
Some things I would might change. While I like the intent of the framing I think it could be improved. Try stepping back. Then switch to your longer lenses, your 70-200 for example. What this would give you is a similar frame with the garbage cans and trees on the side, but everything will be much more compressed giving you larger houses which seems to be the subject of the frame. I think doing that will give you an exceptionally better frame, plus the variance in light won't be as high (but you'll probably lose the jet trail). You'll probably have to step back a ways though. Wide angle usually works if you are very close or the subject is huge. Perhaps something to consider in the future.

To Sum Up:
Personally, I think it is a good photograph with a lot going for it. It fits the challenge topic very nicely and I think the intent of the framing was well done. I gave some tips on what I think you could do for a better score, but take that with a grain of salt. The last part is more of a reflection what I might do differently and is a matter of personal preference and in no way impacts this shot.

21-99-78
by Melethia

Comment:
Missed this one somehow. Super!

skyburbs
by skewsme

Comment:
Darn, this is cool. I gave you a six, but in retrospect probably deserved a 7 or 8. Your composition is too good and the mix of nature and man-made is awesome. Gotta love the power line.

Message edited by author 2008-10-25 21:05:43.

Reflection a la Van Gogh
by JuliBoc

Comment:
It really does look like a Van Gogh. It is actually quite intriguing as most reflections tend to be a bit more ordinary, but this is cool because the framing is dead on. The sun really creates the shot, and really makes if feel impressionist. It really takes a bit of time to really appreciate and does not really work as a thumbnail (probably some of the rash of low votes).

Tennis Club a la 'Northern Exposure'
by JuliBoc

Comment:
Very cool entry Juli. Just shows you how different suburbia can be for different parts of the world. I really like the dappled light here and the way the door to the tennis courts stands out in contrast is very nice. I think I might have cropped just a tad off the left, but it is nice the way it is.

DSC_5710copyw.jpg
by crabappl3

Comment:
LOL. Cute photo. Love the peaking and the strong vertical lines