Bug muffin
by puzzled

Comment:
Greetings from the critique club

The first thought that came to mind when I saw this photograph was that it is very technically sound. The bright side-lighting does an excellent job of bringing out all of the details in the mushroom. The sharpness of the edge of the fungus, as well as the bug, are both excellent.

The rule of thirds has been used very well as the bug is at the intersection of these imaginary lines. I also like how the background is completely out of focus because it let's us focus on the main subject.

The one thing that takes away from this photo, is the mushroom stem. Because the stem is long and vertical, our eye is drawn away from the bug and the mushroom top. If this were cropped tighter to focus on the items at the top, or cropped to be a horizontal photo with only half of the stem, I think this image would be a lot stronger.

Good shot overall. Keep up the good work.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

Bumblebee on Coreopsis...
by 777STAN

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

The first thing I noticed when I saw this photograph is that it has a very strong composition. The framing of the flower to include the stem, and the negative space around the bee are both very well done. The rule of thirds has been used very well as the bees head is near the imaginary intersection lines.

I like the overcast lighting because there aren't any harsh shadows to obscure the details of the flower or bee. I do feel however, that the photo could stand to use a little more brightness overall, as the highlights on the bee are a little dull.

The challenge into which this image was entered, was a technical one (Macro) and therefore, the technical aspects of the photograph are very important. The image is in focus, but not as sharp as some of the photographs that received higher votes. I admittedly do not have much experience with Macro shots, but I am quite confident that had this image been sharper, that it would have scored a lot higher.

I get the impression that there wasn't a lot of available light based on your camera settings. In the future, it might be good idea to try to close down your aperture a stop or two to get a greater depth of field. By changing the f-stop from 5.6 to 8 or 11, you will increase the area in focus, and hopefully have a sharper image. Manually adjusting the focus is probably the best way to achieve sharper photos.

Overall, a good capture. Keep up the good work.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to PM me.

Fret
by kevrobertson

Comment:
I like the lighting and the focus. The composition is very symmetrical, and a different angle might produce a little more variety and interest.

boardwalk
by kellian

Comment:
I really like this photo. Very well done. I have to agree with Tez that the yellow is where my eye is drawn. Other than that, it looks great!

Soul Searching
by roba

Comment:
Very sharp focus and detail. I like the contrast between the dark background, and the light color of the skeleton and the blade.

Clues
by silverscreen

Comment:
Good use of the magnifying glass.

"Know A Good Place To Eat?"
by jrjr

Comment:
I like the contrast between the highlights and shadows. I find the branch at the top of the photo a little distracting because it is so large.

Constant Search
by Nikolai1024

Comment:
Very nice curves created by the bird. The reflection is very nice as well. I think this photo could use a little brightness.

Come out, come out, wherever you are!
by BarbB

Comment:
Searching for food! Very nice details on the reptile. Good depth of field as well.

Seaching Shadow
by jaysonmc

Comment:
I quite like the composition, and the lighting is very strong as well. The shadow is a little obscure.