Trolls Do Exist! Bad Troll, Bad Troll.
by jaysonmc

Comment:
I knew you lived in Seattle the moment I saw this photo - I lived there right out of college for a couple years. Since you are already aware of the techical issues of your photo (hand-held at 1/6? - can't believe it is this sharp, actually) I won't elaborate too much. I suspect you mainly took this for fun, and it did fit the challenge very well. Looking forward to seeing further photos of this guy - next time with a tripod :-)

Black To Move
by Greetmir

Comment:
I didn't vote in these challenges, as I was leaving on my vacation, so this is the first time to see this photo. I can't evaluate it as a chess player, since I don't play, so will attempt to assess on photographic merits alone.

First, I will say good white balance and excellent tonal range. You have the whole spectrum covered, which makes for a much better shot. The lighting seems solid, and the composition is fine (though the perspective is a bit skewed from above).

I noticed almost all of your comments are from chess players :-) Maybe I should take up the game, and then I would understand better why this is bad.

Message edited by author 2007-02-15 20:47:12.

Tunnel vision
by quiet_observation

Comment:
Great lines and vanishing point. However, I have to agree with Jeffrey on this one; pretty hard to get a good shot in these conditions without a tripod. I don't know what the Nikon Coolpix capabilities are, but if the ISO can be turned up to 1600 or even 3200, grain might be better than the slight blur that's inevitable otherwise sans tripod. I don't know if the green cast was intentional - if so, please ignore - but if not, maybe consider changing white balance to fluorescent setting or bracket a few shots on different WB settings to see what works best. Finally, I think fill flash might have enhanced the foreground area, depending on how far your flash extends.

The doorway to hell!
by bmartuch

Comment:
Bob,
I think this is a really cool idea. I get the feeling that you took this as a snapshot, though, without really checking your lighting and DOF. Since it is advanced editing, I also think you might have benefited from some burning work around the devil's face to bring him out more.

I must say, though, that is a pretty cool-looking devil - it just takes a few glances before he's apparant.

Something Lost in Translation
by raish

Comment:
Interesting. I actually wondered if anyone would pick up on the alternate meanings of the word 'bad' in other languages when I first saw this challenge.
I like the idea, but feel you needed to add something to give it the feeling of being your own, versus a photo of an Ikea ad. Still, there is something captivating about it. I didn't vote but probably would have given you a 6, as it is refreshingly different.

A Barn Winter
by jaysonmc

Comment:
Jayson,

I am a fan of simplicity that is technically well done, and think you succeeded quite nicely with this. I was one of your higher scores (7). I know in your comments you mentioned lack of pure white, but I see some whites in the rooftop and small area of the sky on my monitor. In fact, this seems like a very well metered shot to me, and we all know how trick snow is!

The one thing that seems problematic is the horizon - I think it may be a tad skewed to the left.

Leavin' in Style
by cheegirl

Comment:
Really weird, but I like it. The colors and composition make this work.

Golden
by msdoubletrouble

Comment:
Beautiful lighting and nice composition.

grape mirage
by chele

Comment:
I really like the sense of motion provided by the ribbon running through this photo, and the DOF is interesting.

Fruit Bowl
by Grandad

Comment:
The colors really pop, and this is very sharp. The composition feels a little crowded, though.