My chihuahua, he is loving & protecting
by ladpupmoe

Comment:
This is an O.K. studio shot with a few technical flaws. The focus is off, as the face of the dog looks a little OOF (it seems as though the focus area fell on the collar). Lighting is ok, but needed a little more highlight on the eye and ears. You also have some vignetting in the corners.

Smeagol - Gollum, Hero - Anti Hero
by SteveJ

Comment:
Lacking focus, and the lighting is a little flat. Composition is a little weak as well, as gollumn's feet are cut off on the right. An interesting idea, but execution needs some work. Also, as you're probably aware, DPC kind of has a hate-on for shots of toys :)

Gary - "Restoration Man"
by rayg544

Comment:
I assume that this man is a personal hero of yours, but it's difficult to really connect it to the challenge. Your subject is a little too far away, and lighting is a bit harsh on him. I would have played with more angles and perspectives, and perhaps had a closer shot with him and the gas pump(s), giving a stronger connection to the "restoration" aspect.

Today's Hero
by magicshutter

Comment:
The selective desat here is a nice idea, but I feel that the surrounding image is a little *too* dark, as well as the colored photo. The rose is extremely hard to pick out, as well as any other object besides the hat. A touching photograph, but lacks punch because of the lighting.
Another thing you could try is having the subject photograph larger.

Raymond Brown, US Army
by photom

Comment:
Lighting is a little dark, making it hard to focus on your subject. Composition isn't all that strong, in my opinion, either. Not sure why you went with the perspective you did, but the cut off of the grave marker at the bottom makes the photograph seem a little rushed.

Guitar Hero
by rhipster

Comment:
I like this shot, but feel the border is a little extraneous. The connection to the challenge also seems quite a bit forced. Not sure that any musician really hits the "hero" mark in my book.

Tintim my heroe
by carlosmfernandes

Comment:
Your white balance is a little off, still too much red in the skin tone and yellows in the paper. The focus is also, to me, too far off the comic book (Tintin was always one of my favorites growing up), and thus the connection to the challenge is pretty weak.

Mountain Rescue Girl
by kremkex

Comment:
Obviously taken with the flash, these types of photographs are always difficult to keep from looking "snapshottish". A great idea, but ultimately, not much of a DPC contender because of the harsh lighting, the lack of focus (And trust me, I know how hard it is to focus in the dark), and the general lack of composition.

November
by Jondor

Comment:
This was my only 10 of the challenge, a lovely and extremely simple shot, and worthy of a yearly botany calender :)

October
by Kavey

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club! Maybe you'll get mine to critique, lol.
Oh, and I hope you don't mind that I've "borrowed" your critique pattern that you posted in the forum :)

Initial Thoughts

Nice, simple photo that is pretty effective.

Composition / Content

I really like the composition here. Nicely centered, circular, and simple. (I'll be using that word a lot.) I think only Halloween (for many people) says more about October than colored leaves, so your content is also very nice.

Background

I don't know about anyone else, but I think the white background works very nicely for this piece. It sets the subject apart and helps focus your attention on it. To me, the open area in the middle of the leaves helps ground them as well.

Camera Work - Technical

Focus seems a *little* soft to me, but it could just be an effect of the bright background. Your exposure is wonderful for what must have been a difficult metering.

Digital Processing

I'm not too big on the burned edges of the leaves myself, especially on the red leaf against the yellow. Your levels work is very good, giving the leaves quite colorful presence.

Fits the Challenge

Well, I honestly think it's a little bit of a stretch. You fit the *month* perfectly, but as a calender it takes a little bit of imagination for me. Still, I *can* picture a calender that has various formations of leaves or other flora to a monthly theme. You may have lost some points in that area from other voters though.

My Opinion of the Photo

I love the simplicity of this. It's effective, has a good monthly tie-in, and was shot beautifully. A refreshing change from many of the usual Fall landscapes in the challenge, so good work. Love the creativity, and keep it up :)