Specks and the Universe
by greenem2

Comment:
Beautiful shot.. I love the exposure on this one.. the children in the frame really make this shot pop... great work :) = 10 - setzler

Where square people live.
by Harz_Joerg

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club :)

Hi Harz...

This is an interesting 'square' concept. The window on the building is standing out nicely. I also like the contrast created by the shadows from the sunlight in this shot. The exposure on this shot seems a little strange. I'm not sure how easy this particular photo was to expose properly. It looks like there is quite a bit of direct sunlight to deal with here, but the darker areas are still nicely exposed.

I think that one of the strange concepts here is the sepia toning maybe. In my opinion, sepia toning is used primarily to create a sense of age or antiquity in a photograph. The process is used to try to duplicate naturally faded old photographs. this building has a more modern appearance and that somewhat conflicts with the sepia toning in the image.

Keep up the good work :)

John Setzler

Abandoned
by Remie

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club :)

Hi Remie...

I think you did an excellent job with this composition. I love 'rustic' look and feel in a photograph. I think your choices of desaturation work very nicely here as well, along with the bump in contrast. The contrast adjustment gives the grain and texture in the door a good 'push' and brings those elements to the forefront of the photo. My mind wants to see a "keep out" sign on this door :) Maybe this is a door to an abandoned warehouse or storage building of some sort.

This composition contains nice diagonals and triangles. My eye seems to keep coming to rest right in the center of the X on the door...

Great shot...

Keep up the good work!

John Setzler

Square Shim
by GeneralE

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club :)

Hi General...

I highly agree with one of the comments you received this week about making this a black and white. The patterns that are available in this image coupled with some directional lighting from one side would create some great shadow effects that would work well as contrasts in black and white or duotone.

The overall image is slightly dark for my taste. The darkness is absorbing too much of the detail of the texture in this image. The texture seems to be the dominant factor in this image and I believe that highlighting that in your exposure would be very pleasing :)

The centered composition works well here. I don't believe that any other particular composition would be as strong as this one...

Keep up the good work :)

John Setzler

Orange Sherbet Rose
by Kaz

Comment:
beautiful shot... the softness of this shot is what makes it work for me... great closeup... = 10 - setzler

Weathered Perfection
by Shiiizzzam

Comment:
i really love the burnt orange glow of the background on this shot... The rustic feel of the gourd is also excellent :) - setzler

Crazy Quilt
by basia03

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club :)

This photograph has some interesting color and texture for sure. The square concept is clearly visible here, even though it is a bit abstract.

I believe that there are several reasons that this photo did not score so well... First of all, There is not really a defined subject, as is the case in many abstract photos. Abstract photos, in general, don't seem to be as well received here for some reason. DPC, for some reason, likes tangible subject matter for the most part. I believe that creating a little 'depth' for this image may have been an improvement also. The image is rather flat from this camera angle. Maybe adding some wrinkles to the fabric would have enhanced the depth as well...

Keep up the good work :)

John Setzler

emotional distance
by juras

Comment:
The color in this shot is excellent.. the shallow depth of fiels works very well here... great shot :) - setzler

Before and After I put on my Glasses
by Azrifel

Comment:
this is a really neat concept... I love the idea and u did a great job with the clarity of the image in the eyeglasses... great work :) = 10 - setzler

Game Squares
by Artifacts

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club :)

Squares are definitely dominant in this photo. There is no doubt about meeting the challenge at all.

For some reason, the exposure on this shot is a litle flat. The colors are not popping out, and there are some nice colors here to work with. I think maybe the combination of lighting you described in your description is playing a role in that as well. Even though you fired your flash, the lighting is quite even. I don't see any resulting harsh shadows that I would normally expect from a closeup flash shot. Maybe you have an external flash that you bounced or something?

Compositionally, the image is a bit 'busy' for me. There is no good resting point for my eyes in this image. As I look at the image, my eyes keep wandering around and they don't really come to rest at any given point. There is a lot here to absorb and no real single focal point for the viewer...

Keep up the good work :) The 717 is a great cam and I'm sure it won't let you down!

John Setzler