Looking down
by FocusPoint

Comment:
I'm really glad this one ribboned - I think the bokeh is exceptional here. Well done!

Faded Beauty
by NikonJeb

Comment:
Jeb - an attempt at a critique of sorts. I gave you a 6, BTW.
First, I think the subject is lovely and the lighting is just about perfect. The use of green bokeh in the b/g is excellent as it provides a metaphorical foil to the dying rose.
Now for the reasons I think you barely missed that 6 on this one :-)

Although the rose appears initially to be in a nice position compositionally, I felt something was slightly off balance while voting. I think it's because the real subject (in my eye at least) is the center of the rose. The center is high and near the center - which gives a feeling of needing a bit more room on the top and less on the bottom. The rose also has a bit of a rigid vertical feel to it - if it were tilted slightly with the stem disappearing to the bottom left corner I think the line would lead nicely to the subject. Finally, I think that the whitish petals on the right side of the rose detract from the subject. The eye tends to always be drawn to the brightest part of a photo, and in this case it's those two petals.

Hope this is helpful - not meant to be harsh, as I do think it's a lovely photo and, as I said, exceptionally well lit. Just a couple ideas that might make it even stronger (and of course this is only my .02 - I'm far from an expert on photo critique!)

In the morning Light
by griz210

Comment:
This is gorgeous, David! I really like the warmth of this image a lot.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being
by posthumous

Comment:
This looks like an excellent contenter for the OOBIE this week :-) I really like it. Very artistic, tells a little story right in one frame.

Oleander
by JuliBoc

Comment:
Julianne, are you shooting manually or in auto mode? If you are shooting manually, underexposing at any ISO over 100 will cause a lot of grain. In fact, underexposing at all will cause grain if you "correct" the underexposure from your RAW file (Unless the underexposure is intentional and how you intend to present the finished product, grain will be a real issure.)

Could also be something with your teleconverter?

At any rate, I saw that you are getting a Rebel XT soon? That should clear the matter up as long as you avoid underexposing unless by design.

Hope this helps!

Bamboo lemur
by purpleflutterby13

Comment:
Wow - what a cute little guy this is! You must have taken this photo on your trip to Madagascar? I love the background. It compliments him nicely :-)

Rose of Remembrance
by NikonJeb

Comment:
Jeb, this is really pretty, and a lovely tribute to your father-in-law. The rose is silky-smooth and looks stunning against the dark backdrop. My thoughts are with you and your family!

Missing You
by colorcarnival

Comment:
There's a great emotive in this photo. I was one of your 7's and think you should have scored much higher! I really love the line from the goose's eye that goes directly to the flock. Very nicely done indeed.

Good seemed the world
by quiet_observation

Comment:
The greens are so vibrant and, well, green here- absolutely lovely! I also really enjoy the shapes.

Message edited by author 2007-09-10 21:02:53.

Prefigurement of Loss
by posthumous

Comment:
Don - I think it's really cool that you achieved this effect without a filter. Kudos for your creativity!