scratchin & pickin
by Skip

Comment:
Hi Skip...

This is an excellent piece for photojournalism. You are getting very good at that as you pursue the work from the Times-Dispatch. I have been watching all the threads you have posted with photos recently. This image has all the good story-telling qualities that editors look for for the above-the-fold images.

Don't let the DPC score get you down. There is a rather simple explanation for that, and this one escapes us sometimes. DPChallenge, as it always has been, is a site where the challenge topic is equally or more important that the rest of the image. "Lighting" is not the primary strength of this photograph. The lighting of this image isn't what sold it for you either. There is no doubt that the lighting options you chose here added to the image, but they simply aren't the main strength of the photo.

Have a seat, take a deep breath, and revel in your success as a photojournalist. Keep in mind that this success is worth more than virtual pats on the back here ;)

John Setzler

There are tracks in the background...
by MK153

Comment:

Originally posted by MK153: I never thought people would take this one so seriously... I thought I made the title obvious that I didnt care about actually placing. Thank some of you for your comments. However comments like, "the quality of this photo is horrible" followed up by "Hehe, thanks for pointing that out ;)" are just uncalled for. You dont like it? Shut up.

When you enter a photo into a competition, you should expect people to take it seriously. If you can't handle the feedback you received on a very poor choice of entries for a railroad theme photo competition, You shouldn't have entered rather than asking your reviewers to 'shut up'. When you post a photo to any public forum, you are requesting feedback. If you don't want feedback, you don't have to post it.

Why did you enter this photo anyway? Did you expect something more out of it? Personally, I think you only succeeded at wasting the time of each voter and commenter who took the time to evaluate the image.

Fiddle
by Zigomar

Comment:
This is a lovely image and it reminds me of one I did myself a couple years ago:

//www.pbase.com/jmsetzler/image/43114600

I like everything about what you have done here, and I'm giving this photo a 10. I do believe that the image is oversharpened. If you examine the detail around the edges of the foreground elements, you will see the jagged edges and white halos surrounding the dark/light contrast areas. This is a signature of oversharpness. You may want to spend some time experimenting with the sharpening tools. Excellent work :)

Red leaves, green grass
by CaliKat07

Comment:
This photo meets the challenge and has bokeh, but it's a rather boring image to look at. There's nothing of subjective interest to me in the photo. What are you trying to show me?

.: X :.
by Alain

Comment:
The parts are often more interesting than the whole...

The road home
by Johnnyflash

Comment:
This photo brings back memories for me... I used to spend a week each summer with my grandfather in South Carolina. One of the highlights of my week was walking along the railroad tracks that ran behind his home. Very nice work :)

The Morning Run
by vxpra

Comment:
I like the feel of this photograph. The subject, perspective, and processing all create a very nice antique sense to support the theme of the image. The billowing black smoke really creates a sense of volume and movement in the scene also. As a big fan of railroad images, I really love this one. I can smell the environment and feel the rumble in the scene. I love the smell of a coal-fired locomotive :)

Ghost Station
by bmartuch

Comment:
I find it very difficult to comment on a photo where the post processing is being used to create the subject or idea that the photographer is trying to show. I don't really have anything against it, but I often have a difficult time understanding the chosen methods.

Aurora Borealis
by samchad

Comment:
This is magnificent. I'm jealous of all you folks who live in a part of the world where this can be seen. I'm too far south :( I just find these scenes to be magical. This one has a particularly interesting foreground to anchor that magic into reality. Very nice work...

All I have.
by Dan_Cottle

Comment:
This is a great portrait, especially in black and white. Your lighting and exposure are both excellent for the theme. We probably share a common love for our cats :) + favorite