My Buttermilk Hero
by albrix

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

My initial thoughts on this are that I am often off-put by these type of shots, but seperating myself from that, I think you did a good job composing this and filling the frame. I think what hurt this shot, accounting for the score, was the nose being out of focus. For a shot like this, you really want all parts of the image to be tack sharp.
Also, the black and white tones could use some more contrast as they look a little flat. Also as was mentioned, the stubble does not help in this case.

I noticed you wanted comments on the vignetting and to be honest I don't see any. If you added any, it's very subtle. I don't think this is the type of shot that would benefit from a vignette. If you take a look at stock photography for this type of shot you wouldn't see that, you made a good choice where that is concerned.

Don't be too discouraged by the placing and the score, we've all had them. This is how we grow as artists, keep shooting!

Jason

Moving Colours
by michelaudette

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club!

I am really glad I got this image to critique. I did not vote in this challenge, but if I had, I would have given this a 10. I wish I had taken art classes because there is a style here that I can't quite put my finger on. It's not really pop art but that was the first descriptive that came into my head. I'm sure Bear_Music could give it a label but my vocabulary/education is not expansive enough.

At any rate, suffice to say, I love this shot. Clean, simple, industrial. Fills the frame nicely, the colors compliment each other. I am struggling to find something I would change about this. It looks like the voters agree with me.

Congratulations on an excellent shot and blue ribbon.

J

The Calling
by Silent-Shooter

Comment:
Greetings from the better late than never Critique Club!

First impressions: Excellent, almost Ansel-like. The dominant object in the shot of course is the ray of sun light. You did an excellent job capturing that. Everything in the shot, from the mountains to the clouds, stands in tack-sharp clarity. The seperation of the mountain tops from sky is especially pleasing to the eye. The ray of light, of course, acts to draw the eye nicely from the sky to the hills.
The voters rewarded your hard work, excellent placing in a free study.
If I were to think of things I would change in the shot, it seems as though the tones of the black and white conversion could have some more contrast. I am left wishing (at least on my monitor) that I could see more details in the lower part of the hills.
However, I don't think these things alone take away from an excellent shot. I would have no problem hanging this on my wall.

Congrats on an excellent shot.

J

L♥Ve
by Lydia

Comment:
Cograts Lydia, I didn't vote this challenge but I looked through it and when I saw this image I knew immediately it would ribbon.

Man of Faith
by Dseale

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club

You certainly accomplished the goal of emulating the style of Jagar. A nice of use of the rule of thirds and the black/white conversion is excellent.
There is a wonderful juxtaposition between the two men, like they are both going to work but to two very different places.
There is not much to improve in this shot, as reflected by the scores and comments. If I had to make one nitpick, and this is really reaching, it would be to crop from the top just a bit lower, i don't know that the extra negative space adds to the image. But that is purely personal preference.

This is an image you should be proud of, congrats on the new personal best and top ten finish!

Jason

Try to Walk in My Shoes
by Hoghemaru

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

First and foremost, welcome to DPC!

My first impression of the image is that I like the lines and angles and perspective from which you shot. I like the tones of the black and white conversion but there is something about the processing that is not setting right with me. I can't tell what it is, like, maybe there was a lot of noise in the shot and a lot of smoothing was applied. Hard to say without knowing your post processing steps, but it may be part of what kept this image from scoring a little higher.
I think also it was hurt by the crop, I feel like if I saw all of the antenna and a little more of the roof or window that it would connect with me more.

You should be encouraged by the avg score of the commenters and from the fact that your first entry was a 5.3 which is not always easy to do your first time. Also, 12 comments is a good showing, your picture moved people to comment and that is more important than the score!

Keep submitting and learning, and if, after entering a few challenges, you feel DPC is a good fit for you and you would like to become a member, send me a message. I can help :)

Enter Stage Left
by posthumous

Comment:
Critique Club Here!

This is funny to me that I got your image as my second one. I've always been unsure that I understood your vision with your photograpy but every once in a while you have one that stikes a cord with me. Oddly enough, this is one of those images.

My immediate reaction when looking at the image was much like all the commenters, I was struck by the light and the way it frames your subject. Also we see a nice use of the rule of thirds. It seems like the b&w conversion could have just a tad more punch to it, but not enough that I think it takes way from the image.

The one thing that really jumps out to me that I would change about this image is the models stance. I would not have said this were it a candid but since you set up the shot, I really think being able to see the side of the models face perhaps having them walk by the wall a few times and catching them in stride would have really given it that feel of catching someone going about the mundane duties if their life. That, to me anyway, is really the essence of many of Jagar's shots.

Overall I really enjoy this image and you got a fairly decent spread from the voters. I think they can be pretty harsh when they are expecting you to imitate someone. Nice work. :)

The Defining Lines
by romil

Comment:
Well, unfortunately for you, you are my first picture as a new member of the Critique Club! :)

My first impression of this image was that I immediately liked it. I am a big fan of shallow depth of field, especially as it pertains to portraits. I also love the black and white conversion, black and white really lends itself to portraiture imo, as it allows us to focus on the subject without distraction.

It's difficult for me to find something I might change about this, but after reading your description it made me wonder if we are missing something by not seeing what surrounds him? Perhaps a wider crop (if it was possible) would make this an environmental portrait and give the viewer more of a connection with the subject.

All in all, I really enoyed this and the scores agree with me. Congratulations on the new personal best and Honorable Mention! Keep up the great work.

-Jason

Touched by Love
by SandyP

Comment:
even tho not in a challenge, imo, this is one of the iconic shots of DPC, great work.

A Song in the Air
by SandyP

Comment:
I like the way you got little curly-cues of light