Misearble Monday
by one66stang

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club :)

Meeting the Challenge:

Without a doubt... Rain rain rain rain... it rained all week during this challenge for me and then quit on the weekend when i was ready to do my shot :)

Artistic/Emotional Impact:

For me, this photo doesn't carry much of either element. The method you chose to execute this photo has some nice artistic merit, but the video rental store background doesn't really inspire me.

Composition:

The composition here is fine, but there is no spectacular part of the image that really stands out other than the color. Changing the composition around in this image wouldn't really make any significant positive change probably.

Technical:

Technical issues don't really apply in this shot. It's more of an abstract where technical elements don't apply :)

Cheers :)

John Setzler

Breaking Free
by FranziskaLang

Comment:
beautiful work... this is probably one of my favorites in this challenge. Each of the three images has strong photographic merit on its own and the composition represents a theme/story that doesn't require any explanation to me :) This is a great black and white series... excellent work... = 10 - setzler

Two Different Languages
by Annida

Comment:
I really like this image quite a bit. I'm one who enjoys shapes and patterns and this image works well for me because of that. There are only two minor issues that I think could use some improvement in this composition.... 1 - the text at the top could stand to be just a tad brigher and 2 - the spacing between the two images should probably match the spacing on the outer edges of the frame so it doesn't look like they are just stuffed together. Presentation is everything in a composition like this :) Excellent shot, great idea and the black and white makes this one very strong.... great work :) - setzler

In The Event Of My Demise
by arnit

Comment:
Arni, you never cease to amaze me... I think this is probably one of the emotionally strongest works in this challenge... "Pax Vobiscum" :) = 10 - setzler

Chasing the wind
by John White

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club :)

Hi John...

Meeting the Challenge:

Wind is definitely a form of weather and I think you have chosen an excellent way to capture the wind in the form of a photograph.

Artistic/Emotional Impact:

I should start out by saying WOW. This is one of my favorite photos for this challenge. Why? Because of the artistic and emotional impact provided. This reminds me of some similar images I have seen in the past and it just 'pops' for me. The black and white choice really adds a strong element for me...

Composition:

I love the horizon tilt in this image... it's perfect. I wouldn't change a thing about it...

Technical:

I love the sharp contrast.

Keep up the great work :)

John Setzler

candy maker
by BassInABand

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club :)

Hi Bass...

This photograph probalby has some merit, but it's too small for me to critique it effectively. I also feel that it's too far outside the challenge theme. I do see your intent with this photo, but I think it's too extreme to do well.

Cheers :)

John Setzler

Licorice Candy
by Swashbuckler

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club :)

Hi Swashbuckler...

Meeting the Challenge:

There is no question that this photo meets the challenge...

Artistic/Emotional Impact:

Artistically, this photo seems to be all about color and shape. It's a random pattern of shapes and vibrant color. Emotionally, it may fire up the taste buds for some :) This is what I like to call a 'flat' image. It has no depth and no center of interest. The entire image is the subject and there are no specific points of focus within the frame. Length and width are present, but the depth element is missing. This is not a 'flaw' but my personal taste is for the presence of all three dimensions :)

Composition:

There is no composition to really discuss in this image... It's all about random and chaos :) I don't know if this falls into the realm of composition, but possibly fewer colors could make this photo stand out a little more... maybe two or three colors of candy only would make the image a little easier to 'digest' :)

Technical:

The only technical element that I see in this image that could use some improvement is the lighting and exposure. The image, to me, seems to be a bit over exposed.

Keep up the good work :)

John Setzler

Weathered Waves
by kcwhisper379

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club :)

Hi KC....

Meeting the Challenge:

Your photo definitely meets the challenge. The erosion in the landscape shows a very strong presence of weather and its effect on the landscape.

Emotional/Artistic Impact: (My Opinions)

My personal opinion on the artistic and emotional impact of this photo is weak. There could be some, but the landscape is unfamiliar to me and I am unable to draw many conclusions on these aspects. This scene could have more impact to you since you are familiar with this terrain and it could also be an environmental concern for you and others in your area...

Composition:

I think you chose an excellent compositional view of this landscape. I always believe that digaonal elements in a photograph create better compositional value. Your erosion pits do this very well. The contrasting diagonal of the 'hill' moving up in the opposite direction seems to work well also.

Technical:

It's sometimes difficult to make comments on the technical aspects of a photograph without having some of the camera exposure information available. This scene could possibly be exposed a little differently to create some more contrast and possibly bring out the blue in the sky a little more as well. I don't know if you can use a polarizing filter on your camera or not, but those usually help increase color saturations in shots like this one. The sky in this photo is the strongest element of color, and I believe that the entire image would be stronger if the sky had a bit deeper blue saturation.

Welome to DPChallenge and, since this is your first submission to the site, I would like to give you a few ideas....

1 - don't get discouraged by scores and comments that you receive here. We have a very diverse group of viewers. Some will love your photos and some won't. Some leave nice comments and some leave comments that lack tact.

2 - Shoot photos that make YOU happy. If you are happy with your photo, that's all that really matters.

Keep up the good work :)

John Setzler

Sour Spaghetti Candies
by Pep Ventosa

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club :)

Hi Pep...

Meeting the Challenge:

Your photo definitely meets the challenge and there is no doubt in my mind about that aspect. I can see how sticky and gooey this candy is just by looking at the image :)

Emotional/Artistic Impact:

This photo has a strong abstract quality to it. The random patterns and the contrasting colors seem to work very well here. As for emotional impact, I don't find much in this image, but that is OK. The abstract nature of it overrides that. I'm not a good judge of abstract art and I readily admit that :) My own photography deals much more with reality :)

Composition:

I don't believe that composition really plays a role in this photo at all. Everything here is 'random' and I am sure that is what you intended. The shapes and curves coupled with the lighting build your abstract composition perfectly.

Technical:

Once again, I believe that technical aspects are irrelevant in most abstract photos. The backlighting of your candy creates a nice glow and makes the colors stand out very nicely, so that was an excellent choice. The only possible technical issue I could mention here is the white background. The white in the lower right hand corner seems to fade to a yellowish hue and doesn't maintain and even color throughout the image. Some correction in that area could be beneficial, however, this color shift is very small and doens't play a very large role in the image overall.

Keep up the good work :)

John Setzler

A Beautiful Ending
by bruster54

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club :)

Hi Bruster....

Challenge Theme:

I think this photo may be slightly weak on the challenge theme overall... This sunset is a bit abstract with the red tinting, but I think it does meet the challenge.

Emotional/Artistic Impact:

This photo seems to be quite strong in this area. The red tint gives it an 'out of this world' feel. It could be a Martian landscape. This photo could be interpreted many ways. It has an apocalyptic feel to it... It could be the end of the world rather than the end of an average day :) I like the mood of this photo in the 'apocalyptic' sense and that seems to create a little conflict for me with your title :)

Composition:

Compositionally, I think the photo is ok but I think it could be stronger with less of the foreground. The empty blackness in the foreground doesnt' seem to be adding any impact for me. There is no detail visible and, in my opinion, it could be left out to strengthen the image. Possibly, it would have been a stronger composition to frame it that way with the camera and add more sky to the image at the same time...

Technical Work:

Photos like this one can be argued either way for technical aspects. Some people will tell you that they want sharpness and others will believe that the softness of the image adds to the overall theme. In this particular shot, with my own apocalyptic interpretation, I believe the softness works well. It seems to add to the surrealism and mood of the image. Reading your comment, I believe that using sunglasses for a lens filter, you woulnd't have been able to make this one sharp if you tried :) The curvature of the lens surface of your glasses is probably going to add distortion to your image.

Keep up the good work :)

John Setzler