Gates of Splendour
by mpeters

Comment:
Inspiring.

Sensu
by MAK

Comment:
Great shot MAK. Well done.

Singapore's 2009 Countdown - Full Bloom
by andrewt

Comment:
Cool shot Andrew. Congrats on your first place finish.

Posing in front of the Christmas tree
by pdalzell

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club...

I was not able to vote on this challenge, but if I had, I probably would have given you a 6 or 7.

My first impression is, wow, why didn't this score higher? A nice and clean composition with a wonderful variety of circles. I like to tell people they haven't left enough breathing space for their subjects, but in this case, you have left enough room to make this work. I like that is not looking into the largest negative space, which is the crop chosen most often. Yes the highlights are a tad overexposed. I'm not saying a photograph has to have a perfect exposure, but in this case, I don't think it adds anything to the photograph. All in all, a lovely photograph. Keep up the good work.

If you need any clarification on any of my comments, please feel free to pm me. It might take some time for me to get back to you.

Frozen Embers
by tapeworm_jimmy

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club...

I was not able to vote on this challenge, but if I had, I probably would have given you a 6.

My first thought is that the lighting is beautiful. The backlighting creates a very nice silhouette with lots of information. The exposure is very good as the highlights are not blow out, and you can clearly see the rim lighting. The out of focus background really separates the plant from the rest of the photograph. This really makes the viewer stay focused on the plant, and in that respect, the bokeh is actually functional. The background reminds me of a "Group of 7" painting. The photo is very good overall, and I don't have anything to add that might improve this photograph. Great shot.

If you need any clarification on any of my comments, please feel free to pm me. It might take some time for me to get back to you.

Christmas Snowflake
by Jessi

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club...

I was not able to vote on this challenge, but if I had, I probably would have given you a 6.

My first thought is that you have some very nice bokeh in the background. The random spacing and colours of the ovals keep this interesting. The crop on the snowflake could use some work. I feel as if it was cropped to close to the bottom as we can see just the stub of the bottom leaf of the snowflake. Either moving the crop down, or raising the snowflake slightly higher would be an improvement in my opinion. I like all the details in the snow flake, and the subtle reflections are nice as well. The right hand side of the snowflake is noisy due to the low depth of field. I believe this is because your ISO was set to 1600. I'm assuming you could get the same bokeh effect using ISO 100 and a tripod.

If you need any clarification on any of my comments, please feel free to pm me. It might take some time for me to get back to you.

Checkmate!
by MsAmbrosia

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club...

I was not able to vote on this challenge, but if I had, I probably would have given you a 5 or 6.

My first impression is that I like the colours and contrast as they are very strong. The composition feels a little busy. The three most important pieces are the two in the foreground, and clear piece in the middleground. The pieces in the background are a little distracting. Perhaps if they were smaller pieces such as rooks, they would not grab our attention so much. I think the angle of the board has room for improvement as well. Rotating the board even more might give this shot a little more drama. Overall it is an interesting shot, it just needs some more thought to take it to the next level.

If you need any clarification on any of my comments, please feel free to pm me. It might take some time for me to get back to you.

Its All Very Clear To Me
by boss351

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club...

I was not able to vote on this challenge, but if I had, I probably would have given you a 6 or 7.

My first thought is that I really like the composition you have chosen. I like how the cardinal just pops into the shot; it's an unusual but interesting choice. The red really pops out against the green background. I also like all the negative space. It's as if the bird is thinking or dreaming. There is not much to critique other than the border. I'm not a big fan of faded borders, but it is not overly distracting. Congrats on your top 25 finish.

If you need any clarification on any of my comments, please feel free to pm me. It might take some time for me to get back to you.

Jane
by CassieDoodle

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club...

I was not able to vote on this challenge, but if I had, I probably would have given you a 7.

Cassie, this is just beautiful. You have nice sharp detail on a couple of the berries/flowers, and the background is nice and soft. The square crop is great because it keeps our focus where it should be. The colours are very delicate overall, and you've finished it off with a nice frame. I really don't have any constructive criticism. All in all, it's a strong image. Congrats on your good finish and personal best!

If you need any clarification on any of my comments, please feel free to pm me. It might take some time for me to get back to you.

frenzy
by raoulsam

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club...

I was not able to vote on this challenge, but if I had, I probably would have given you a 4 or 5.

My first reaction is "hey, my first submission to DPC was something similar". I love all the texture the catfish create, and it's wonderful that you have completely filled the frame. This adds to all the confusing and chaos. As for fitting the theme, I think this is less personification than it is representation. The fish litteraly represent a frenzy, that could be compared to any number of other aspects of life. I think most viewers were looking for inanimate objects in situations that gave them personalities. Your final score is a representation of missing the theme, and does not in any way represent the quality of your photograph.

Good luck with your future entries.

If you need any clarification on any of my comments, please feel free to pm me. It might take some time for me to get back to you.