Sleeping Duck - Quiet Please
by Cantique

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club...

Hi AC :)

There is nothing wrong with this photo... the technicals are fine and the composition is ok. The lighting feels a little flat but not too bad. I think the subject/composition just lack interest for me personally. Sometimes a photo has nothing really wrong with it and still doesn't draw much attention. This usually points to the subject choice and/or the composition of that subject. I can't really offer you much on this one other than that. The photo didn't score poorly but it didn't do particularly well either...

John Setzler

At Rest in the Snow
by JEFFJSB

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club...

Hi JEFFJSB :)

This is a nice study in simplicity. The subject contrasts nicely with the environment and has a nice isolation as well. I can't really offer you a lot of critique beyond my general like for the image. I think it's very well done.

As I look at your camera settings, I ask myself a few quesitons though. Your +2/3 exposure compensation was a good start here for sure with the white background, but I'm struggling to understand the choice of f/14 @ 1/25" on the exposure. It seems like a smaller aperture would be in order since there is no depth to the image and depth of field would not be an issue. Shooting that same image at f/5.6 would have allowed a shutter speed up around 1/200" or so. You don't have any visible camera shake in this photo, but you could have at 1/25". Just some thoughts :)

John Setzler

Scissors and Thread
by CarpeNoctem

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club...

Hi CarpeNoctem :)

I always appreciate the study of classic photographers in one's own personal journey to improve. Ansel Adams was a definitive master of both the photography and printing process. I'm glad you have chosen him as a subject of study. You will learn quite a bit and delve into some subject matter that you may not have otherwise :) You will find inspiration in Edward Weston's works also.

This photo, as presented, doesn't seem to create much visual appeal. I think your background surface and perspective on the shot may be contributing to that. Depth is important, and this photo is rather two-dimensional. I don't think the viewer found much interest in the presentation...

John Setzler

Soft
by shanksware

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club...

Hi Shanksware :)

I think this photo is underrated for sure. It's a very nicely done portrait. The reason it is underrated is rather simple though. It's not your soft focus, technique, or composition. It's the subject. Your subject is indeed beautiful and, as I said before, it's very nicely executed. The problem is that the viewers of this image have no attachment to the subject and there is no particular wow factor that creates a link to the unattached viewer of the image. When presenting a portrait to a general public audience, you can't expect much in terms of artistic merit recognition.

My personal opinion of the image is that the color tones are possibly a bit too warm for the image.

John Setzler

Outcast
by labuds

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club...

Hi Labuda :)

I don't think this image requires any critique. Everything about it is very nicely executed and I wouldn't change anything... nice job with the lighting and congrats on the ribbon :)

John Setzler

Fake Flower
by rayg544

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club...

If you request a critique from the critique club, you should always fill out your 'Photographer's Comments' field when you submit your photo. When you don't include your own thoughts on the image, you can't really expect someone else to give their time and effort to give you a critique. It makes me think that you don't care enough about your own photo to take the time to post your thoughts on it...

This photo doesn't have much visual impact and the composition doesn't seem to have any particular consideration given to it at all. The background is quite busy and not complimentary of the subject either. The visual impact provided here is minimal and rather unimpressive. In my personal view, this photo is a very weak attempt... possibly a last minute idea. Better luck next time :)

John Setzler

solitary
by Tuckersmom

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club...

Hi Tuckersmom :)

I like this image quite a bit. I think the back side view of flower blooms are way underrated :) This photo did well enough in the challenge that it doesn't really require any/much critique. My critique for you will be that you should always post your own thoughts and intentions in the photographer's comments along with your submission. Why did you submit and why do you like this photo? Giving your own insight to a photo is a form of self-critique that is very worthwhile. Your camera settings are also useful. Ask yourself why you chose those settings :)

John Setzler

Memorial Arch - Valley Forge
by panynj

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club...

Hi panynj :)

Compositionally, this is a nice image. Subjectively, it doesn't offer a lot of interest to me. I think the blue saturation is overboard to the point of looking very unnatural. At least you didn't get but one flag hater to comment on the image :) People outside the United States don't seem to have much patriotism for their own countries, and they really hate Americans who do. Politics will override great photography in most cases...

John Setzler

Mosh Pit
by BobsterLobster

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club...

Hi Bob :)

This photo did rather well in the context of the challenge and doesn't really require much critique. All I may be able to offer is my personal feelings on the image rather than a way to have it score higher...

The photo obviously meets the challenge and the voters seemed to like it. Compositionally, it feels a bit odd to me. It feels like a riot is taking place, and the partial person/object in the lower right seem to be the focal point, and there isn't enough context there to sort out what is happening. I'm not familiar with the term "Mosh Pit" so I couldn't use that to help me understand the image...

John Setzler

Wild Flower
by Bridog

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club...

Hi Bridog :)

This photo is well executed and it meets the challenge nicely. The only area where I think strength could be added would be in the choice of colors used. The color combination in this composition isn't complementary. The red and blue don't work as well together as blue and green or blue and yellow may. It's just some food for thought :) Another compositional suggestion would be to use an odd number of flowers rather than an even number. It would upset the balance just enough to create some additional dynamic in the composition...

Nice work :)

John Setzler