Organic fireworks
by glennc

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.

I am a little surprised with the score this image finished with. I guess it is a little out of the box for many people. Frankly, I think it is great. I like the fact that most of the image is out of focus. The background is just awesome. It reminds me of a stained glass window. I'm sure you got voted down because the focus is on certain parts, but not one entire area. Normally I would complain about this, but the overall image is just so nice, I really don't have any criticism for you. Cool image.

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.

MEN
by ashepp

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.

The theme of the image is not as clear as some of the other photographs, but once you figure it out, it is a nice idea. I'm not sure the large amount of bricks add to the photograph, so perhaps a closer crop, perhaps even square, would make it a little more obvious to the viewer what they were looking at. I find the image a little flat overall. Perhaps some contrast or saturation might help this image jump out at the viewer a little more. All in all, a good find, and humourous image.

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.

Out in the cold
by heli_guy

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 that they look like hands coming out of the snow. They look like a burried person trying to get out of the cold. The style reminds me of Tim Burton's "A Nightmare Before Christmas". I like the simplicity of this photograph, and the amount of negative space you have chosen. The detail in the snow is just perfect, and the plant all by itself balances the photograph nicely. I really don't have anything to add in terms of improvement. Great shot. I'm not surprised it finished so high.

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.

Mr Rug's Big Surprise
by JimiRose

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.

I think the face is fairly obvious, but perhaps I have a creative imagination. It would seem some of your commenters were unable to find the face. I like how you have used the suit to bring the carpet to life. What could be done to improve on this image? I find it to be a little soft overall. Perhaps the original is not as focused as it could be. I think the main reason you scored sub 5 is because people weren't able to make the connection, or they thought the rug and the shirt were just too unrelated. Overall, I am surprised it did not score higher.

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.

Merry Christmas
by DigiFotoBuddy

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 that the bokeh rocks! The fact that you have bokeh in the foreground and background is no small feat. The colours are great, and the relfections on the table are a nice added bonus. I am a little surprised that it did not score over 6. I do think that the ornament could use some improvement, so that is perhaps what held this photo back from being a top 20 shot. The ornament is a little dark overall. Having it lit a little brighter, or replacing it with a lighter coloured bulb would have made this a fantastic image. 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.

Dove on a Stick
by upturnedface

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.

Normally I would say that the image is too dark overall, but as a whole, I don't mind it so much with this photograph. It gives the photo an overall creepy, or bad weather kind of feel. The composition is pretty safe as you've left ample negative space around the weather vane. Although I can see the bokeh, it is sublte. I think you'll find that voters on this site like the obvious more so than the mysterious. (many voters only spend a few seconds looking at a photograph before moving on to the next one)

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.

Three's a Crowd
by Shutter-For-Hire

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 that this was very well thought out, and that the hunched over peanut does a great job at expressing his emotions. Choosing to have the foreground peanuts in focus and having the 3rd peanut out of focus, really helps drive the message here. The ample negative space also helps create the sense of being alone. This photo fits very well into the theme, and therefore I am not surprised it finished in the top 10. In comparison your original image, I think this one is much stronger. The other one was too dark, and less sharp overall. 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.

Yellow flower.
by asanka

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.

My favourite aspect of this photograph is the use of complimentary colours. The purple background makes the yellow flower just pop off the page. The details in the foreground add a little interest, and the out of focus background works well to isolate the flower. As for your score, I think this is a direct reflection of the viewer not being able to figure out in what way the flower is being personified. Maybe it is a too subtle, or maybe there was not much thought put into the idea. Overall, it is a nice image, it just doesn't fit the challenge well.

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.

Tiny Dancer
by tpbremer

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 impression is that the bokeh is awesome. My guess would be those are lights on a christmas tree. Their colourfullness and interesting shapes make the background just awesome. I like the relfections in the glass, but find the feathers a little awkward. I would love to see this without the feathers, but then again, she might not be wearing anything under there..lol. I'd love to see some alternates with different ornaments. My only real criticism would be the crop, as it does not look deliberate as her hand and feet are just slightly cut off.

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.

The Mechanics of Evolution
by swabbiedoggie

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. If this were entered in another challenge other than bokeh, I would probably have vote this a 6 or 7.

This is a beautiful shot overall, but as many of the comments below would suggest, this scene is not a good set up for bokeh. The majority of the photograph is set back in the distance, and therefore since the focus is far away from the camera, there isn't any bokeh to be had. Please don't think this score reflects the quality of your work, it's just that it doesn't fit the theme as well as some of the other photographs. As an aside, the lighting in the sky is very nice, and the fog on the water looks great.

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.