Guns and Bullets
by Armadillo

Comment:
Excellent rendering with an explicitly commercial feel to it.

Minor but critical defects:
The near-centered target (background) skews the composition by thirds (foreground).
The far edge of the glass shelf (foreground) suffers from a anti-clockwise tilt, neither strong enough to add a dynamic nor imperceptible enough to be ignored.
A little more (reflective shelf) space in front of the gun may make for a more pleasing whole.

Because of the strong mercantile presentation, particularly when associated with a gun, I cannot rate this shot as well as I might have without these obvious aspects.

> 3 in my book; 4 in the context of this challenge.

Leather & Lace
by rickhd13

Comment:
While this capture is reasonably accomplished and seductively rendered, as a photo, it is also short on -range-.

Both title and image relay the subject poignantly, yet the polished fringes of leather suggest an article of clothing and fashion rather than a material per se. The unfortunate and likely unintended effect is that someone viewing the image is reminded of catalog images, intended to sell a product.

If the article used here could have been more difficult to date and could be displayed more generically, this image would, IMHO, be an entirely different animal.

With a greater tonal range (both in the white and black areas), the photo would be transporting.

Despite my stated criteria, I consider it among the best in this challenge.

Light and Shade: Paint on Canvas
by Imagineer

Comment:
Despite the the very tight crop near the road sign (especially above it), its inclusion adds both dimension and balance to this soft and partly sensual chiaroscuro. A little sidelight on part of the sign would have been delightful as well. An array of shapes, tones, textures and lines juxtaposed with graffiti without any sense of clutter!

One of the most satisfying and creative images in this challenge, IMO.

Shadrak
by leaf

Comment:
Not much, really (to improve upon). I think this is a very decent shot. The rider, too, is not inept.
It helps to know (to be able to see) a little about horses and riding to perfect a photo like this. What I mean is that, as an equestrian, I'd like to see a greater engagement of the horse (the horses hind legs deeper under the body) and a little less of a rack (the high and unnatural left front). A looks like a good horse though, with good confirmation and a good carriage (the head slightly in front of the vertical). The rider, although a little heavy, has a good deep seat and appears to be focused.

The setting is, of course, ideal without any visible distractions. The bright, snowy ambiance provides a splendid air supportive of subject and action. I might consider a wider format, which would subordinate the two (horse and rider) to their environment, while retaining focal length and perspective (so no salient detail is lost).

This, however, is a matter of taste and philosophy (regarding the relationship between nature and man). The composition, as is, is quite simple and sensitive to the available space.

I would, however, consider dropping the double border. Even though a Western idyll appears so often adorned with redundant artifice in popular American crafts, this photo is too good for decorum, IMHO.

Message edited by author 2004-02-04 21:04:29.

... The Shadow Knows!
by GeneralE

Comment:
The pastels together with the undulating mesh textures make this a lovely juxtaposition. If the light, although well captured here, were closer to the -golden hour- the apparent narrow depth of field, I imagine, would be more dominant, and I, for one, would dance in my shirt. ;-)

Nevertheless, a very satisfying capture, and a -potential great-, a fact the present title cannot reflect.

Training for the Show
by Neuferland

Comment:
The extremely tight crop (or frame), unfortunately eliminates features of both horse and rider. While the flash appears a little harsh on the horse\'s face, it lacks range to distinguish the sleeve (and possibly the rider\'s wrist and hand) from the jacket.

From an equestrian point of view, a better perspective would be one including, at least, the rider\'s hand and the course of the reigns. This would reveal more of a relationship between the two beings. Ideally the reigns would flat and untwisted also, showing no tension.

The rider\'s hands, here, levy a visible effect on the horse\'s mouth. The position of the bit substantiates the evidence of a hard hand. The horse\'s eye seems to register and reflect this as much as the bright proximity of the flash.

Its head carriage is very high, too, for what appears to be a fairly green horse, but not too unusual for an Arab, certainly.

Equestrian shots, in my experience, are one of the most taxing and difficult of all. Not only does the photographer have to master his/her craft, he/she needs to have a fundamental understanding of horses and the sport to render a -telling- shot. Needless to say, to provide all this while having to battle poor light and changeable conditions which are in constant flux is no picnic.

The thrill and the thing to look for here, IMHO, is a split second of harmony between the two, a kind of suspended animation, which few recognize and even less can capture.

Dissapearing Wetlands
by ellamay

Comment:
A fine image and a worthwhile concern. The wall of cedars (?) in the background is subtle enough, through the fog, to miss.

Because of this, the diffusion of tones toward the background, I would consider including a little more of the better defined and more vivid water plants in the very front row, if the composition by thirds tolerated it.

The misspelled title is an unfortunate slip.

Time Stands Still in the Rural South
by dagaleaa

Comment:
A well-crafted nostalgia with sufficient visual evidence of software manipulation to appeal to those with a preference for a -natural- image (the blur appears more intense in the darker fields of the image).
While there are several points of interest, the choice the tricycle as the primary subject is absolutely charming. The crispness of detail (i.e. the chain hanging off the wagon) delightfully discernible in the background provides an amazingly real depth to this picture, a fact also reflected (literally) in the cool tones of automobile chassis (foreground) and the warmer ones pervading the background.

Although a compromising composition (centricity and division into near-thirds within a very narrow horizontal crop), the image maintains an impeccable balance (between light and dark areas).

While the nostalgia found and created here suggests an easily available aesthetic appreciation, the image (via emphasis on a child's toy), nonetheless, evokes emotion and holds some historical interest.
My rating > 8

Along the peer
by jjbeguin

Comment:
I'm wondering if the spelling (-peer- instead -pier-) is deliberate?

Cold Weather Eagle
by zimmanj

Comment:
I believe this could be a great image but really wish it were -much- larger (also to be able to comment intelligbly).
What appears to be breath drifting away from the eagle's head, would make this a worthwhile capture indeed.

[no rating]