Favorite Household Item - Nintendo Wii
by Manderz188

Comment:
Hello and greetings from the Critique Club-
The first thing I should mention about your photo is that photos that are not the full size generally do not score as well as those that are, so it might be worth your time to peruse, DPC challenge prep tutorial though keep in mind the size constraints are now 800 pixels and 300kb.
You’ve done a good job with the contrast of your scene, with complete white as well as complete black being present. On the other hand, in order to accomplish this, your subject matter (the Wii) is now underexposed. One thing to ask yourself is what your subject is, and how you can accentuate its presence within the photo. In the case of your entry, the viewer is drawn to the television screen because it is brighter, even though you intend for us to focus on the Wii. This creates a disconnect with the title, and the overall feel of the photo is a bit odd because we are now looking at the television, which is not included in its entirety. Making the Wii dominate the scene more would have been more effective, or, better yet, including somebody playing with it would have been ideal. Bringing movement and dynamism to a photo will typically make it more visually interesting, and I think such a technique would work well for your subject.
In any case, keep trying and don’t hesitate to ask questions. The forums are a great place for this, and you can also ask me personally if you have any questions.

Message edited by author 2011-02-15 06:46:33.

Spin up
by tome

Comment:
This is an interesting abstraction of the helicopter, which is aided by the fact that it doesn't look like many other helicopters do from the front, what with how the cockpits are situated. I like the presence of the main rotor, but wonder how it would look with that cropped off, increasing the abstraction?

Ship with SunSet
by ankursomani

Comment:
Very nice shot, and I love the colors and simple composition, but (at least on my screen, which could be the culprit) I'm seeing some gradations in the sky, which are unfortunate.

A Sled Made for Three
by dahlin

Comment:
Really like the high contrast all or nothing editing. I didn't really notice the lack of one of your daughters at first, but it does bug me now that I see it. It's especially odd because you can see her forehead... and it's almost like her face has been blurred into oblivion or something, as though she's faceless.

NYC.transportation #2/BIKES
by mariuca

Comment:
Ha, yeah, I feel for whoever's bike that is. All that grit and muck... does not play friendly with bearings and the drivetrain. I'd consider changing up the perspective and getting lower.

NYC-transportation.#1/LIMOS
by mariuca

Comment:
I like the placement of the tree, and the fashion that the limo goes off out of frame. I might like to see the tail end of the limo to accentuate this effect even more, though.

The Sexiest Thing On Earth
by LandzEnca

Comment:
Not sure what aperture you were using, but stopping down to get more depth and better sharpness would be appreciated. Also having some lighting on the tuning fork marque, since you generally want to accentuate the product itself. The bit of white at the bottom and the bit of red above the tank could be eliminated, since they seem matter of fact, as well.

IMG_7877 800
by Yo_Spiff

Comment:
The processing works well to add a vintage look to this, but I'm not a fan of the bordering. I can see it working well when presented in another medium, but the rabbeting on the edges and the white just looks silly in this context. If that white were transparent... it would work well.
The cigar is great, and I also like that you've captured him in front of a building which does not indicate the modernity of the shot, it is not an anachronism.

Back
by Paul

Comment:
Really like the vignette, but the gloves are what define this shot, adding a somewhat forboding (not sure why...) aspect.

illumination
by Barroness

Comment:
Hello and greetings from the Critique Club-
Since I voted on this challenge, I will provide you with my vote and an explanation as to why I voted how I did.
For your entry, I gave you a vote of 4. While hummingbirds are undoubtedly one of the more difficult objects to capture, the bar has been set very high by other members in this arena and it isn’t unusual for them to take Top 10 placements in the Free Studies. Regarding your photo, the centered composition makes the photo feel very static. This feeling is increased by the lack of other subject matter. Technically speaking, the sharpness for this photo is below what is demanded by wildlife photos, which are expected by the very sharp. I think part of this is due to the aperture of 5.6, assuming you were shooting at the tele end of your lens. Knowing that the 5D is not known for focus speed, I would suggest you stop down significantly, for two reasons. First, it will expand your depth of field and make it more likely for you to catch the bird in focus, and secondly, because it will make your lens sharper in any case. Do not be afraid to crank the ISO of the 5D up- it performs very well in this regard. I would also recommend using a higher shutter speed as 1/250 for a 300mm lens is going to be pushing the limits for a sharp shot anyway. If you have external lighting at your disposal, I suggest you peruse this tutorial as well- (DPC Tutorial
Be aware, however, that the 5D often does not actually sync at 1/20 and frequently down towards 1/160 instead.
You’ve obviously got the most important thing for wildlife photography- patience- so I suggest you keep with it. There are few people who can muster the patience to sit around trying to focus on such small speedy creatures.