Rusty
by wingy

Comment:
This is excellent. I enjoy an image where the photographer sees beyond the 'whole' and starts to work with specific elemtns of an object. A stop sign on its own has an interesting shape and possibly some nice contrast with its environment, but you have observed a detail within the sign that has a lot of strength on its own. Wind, weather, and storm take their toll on everything. Excellent capture... = 10

Lurking in the brush
by Cam

Comment:
These 'Coots' are quite entertaining to watch. I like the clucking sound they make and they have a really brilliant red eye :)

Phyllomedusa tomopterna
by chuck

Comment:
increcibly nice work :) = 10

No Edit Aquarium--Maybe Microsoft would buy it.
by shareinnc

Comment:
Poor title... decent photo tho... = 4

KFC
by Beerme425

Comment:
Very nice detail.. the composition feels a little 'tight'.. primary elements are a bit too close to the edge of the frame in places. The background doens't support the subject well either, IMO. = 5

45 Degrees
by kellian

Comment:
Very nice composition. I like the symmetry... it is nicely offset by the patterns on the surface of the board. I think this photo could benefit from extra depth of field. The foremost pieces in the scene are soft because of this. I can't really see any improvement in the image by shooting it this way. = 7

A heart of ..... Orange?
by Trinch

Comment:
Per your request in the forums....

I love the shape of the daffodil. It is a common flower. I see them all over the place, but this doesn't diminish the actual beauty provide by its shape and dimensions. The brilliant color variations that are available among the various species of this flower are great subjects for photography. There is a lot of fine detail to work with on this flower.

Now.. you are wondering about the results based on the challenge...

Elements of great photographs include shape, perspective, textures, and color for starters. Your subject has strength in shape, texture, and color, so you definitely have a subject worthy of exploration with the camera. The perspective from which you choose to photograph it will also make or break the shot.

Perspective:

I think the perspective you chose is ok. I can't see anything blatantly wrong with it. What other perspectives did you explore? If I had approached this subject, I probably would have made 5-7 distinctly different shots based on perspective alone.

Color:

The yellow and green combination are complementary of each other. They just naturally work well together. The variation in yellow presents some nice eye candy on this subject as well.

Texture:

This blossom has some distinctly interesting texture that could be highlighted in various ways.

Shape:

I think that shape is the strongest element of this, especially when coupled with the color. The contrast that could be created here with these shapes against the background are quite powerful.

Problems:

Light and background... Your background does not support the subject at all. Even though it is outside the depth of focus, it is distracting and full of contrast that is somewhat irritating. The amount of light that is falling on your subject is a bit harsh. It creates some lost detail in some of the highlights and it also creates some shadowing that creates extra unnecessary contrast.

How to rectify these issues:

1. Different time of day or different weather conditions... the direct sun is your enemy in this image. You could also create a portble 'cloud' to diffuse the direct light or have someone stand in the way of the direct sun to put this bloom in the shade.

2. Eliminate the unpleasant background. You can achieve this by shooting at night using artificial light or a flash and finding the correct exposure to fully darken the background. You could also place a sheet of a variety of colors of posterboard behind the flower to eliminate the background.

Some people will balk at removing the natural background. However, in this particular photo, the natural background doesn't work for me. If you want to maintain the natural background, you should choose a flower in a different location with an acceptably supportive background to work with.

:)

Bird Talk
by oskar

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club:

Good practice: When you request an in depth critique, you should include the exposure information and your own comments about the relativity and intent of the photo. Photos that do not include this information are optional for the critique club members.

Traditional Baking
by DiamondPete

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club...

Good practice rule: If you request in depth critique on your photo, you should include exposure information along with photographer comments explaining your intent and desire with the photo you have submitted. Critique club members have the option of bypassing photos that have this information excluded.

Between Red and Yellow
by tyt2000

Comment:
Greetings and thanks for the note on this photo... If you go look at my tutorial on how my shot was done, you will get some insight into the lighting situation required to pull it off with a lot of strength. It's difficult to create the separation between the various colors in the background if there is any light on the front side of the glass. Mine was done in a totally dark room with lighting on the background surface only. The depth of field here is also a bit shallow to make that definition punch.

If you decide to perfect this shot, you will definitely learn some valuable lessons about patience and lighting :)