Cathedral Rock at Sunset
by BAMartin

Comment by roz:
hey barbara .. i was looking thru your prints for the pick your fav pic and i'd pick one and copy it and then see something else that i liked more and copy that .. then i noticed this one which i hadnt before, i dont know why when its been here since june .. i just loved the incredible drama in those colours .. its an absolutely stunning photograph and would make the best print .. and wots the free canvas ?? ..:)

B_W Street Scene
by BAMartin

Comment by Germaine:
Good b&w. Looks like vintage National Geographic.

B_W Street Scene
by BAMartin

Comment by Bernard_Marx:
Thank the heavens... Tide.
Honestly though - this is a nice slice of someone else's life.

Coca Cola
by BAMartin

Comment by boysetsfire:
distracted by the edit here, seem s heavier at bottom than the top. photo is nice.

Perhaps a Ghost
by BAMartin

Comment by posthumous:
fascinating shot. a story implied. I gave this a 7. that was as high as I went on this challenge.

Horse Power
by BAMartin

Comment by Melethia:
Good action, good editing. To have a great action shot, one needs to have something in sharp focus for most viewers. For composition, it's a bit cramped on the left side, and for DPC viewers, there's the clutter factor with the cars and such in the background. No way to get rid of those things other than by trying to find an angle that doesn't include them (which in situations like this is vitually impossible unless you can get high and shoot down.) Not sure what you mean by shadows/highlights pushed it to the limit - looks pretty balanced to me. You have a good grasp of basic editing techniques - not sure how much help I can be in that respect!

Portrait of a Lady
by BAMartin

Comment by Melethia:
The composition, the color, and the mood set by this picture are excellent. I really like the way the curve of the frame is echoed in the curves of the curtain. This works outside of the challenge topic very well, and meets it better than most did. From your commenters, I think the consensus is it needed to have something in focus. If you're able to shoot it again (and even want to), you may want to try what Julianne suggested - just the leading tassles in focus. In no way do I think the framed face needs to be in focus - that needs to stay as is. This is not a DPC friendly submission, but it is indeed a warm and evocative photograph.

Perhaps a Ghost
by BAMartin

Comment by Melethia:
You got some good comments on why this didn't work for voters. It looks like a good location to shoot and the basic compositional elements are there, with a few "no no's" (cutting the head in half, for instance.) When shooting something like this, you want to try different angles, different approaches. Get closer, get further back, try from the side so the wall isn't completely "flat" to the camera. The light may be a bit bright for this setting, meaning try to shoot more toward early morning or late afternoon when the light creates more shadow and depth. The annoying thing about trying to get good shots is we're limited to very short periods of time when using ambient light. I don't see anything in your post processing that jumps out as bad or wrong, and I'm not an expert in post, so I don't really see what to add other than possibly some proverbial dodging and burning to add texture and depth.

Coca Cola
by BAMartin

Comment by posthumous:
sounds like a lucky break. all us great artists get them once in a while. ;) the trick is to know them when you see them. good find! the processing accentuates the right things, blending the peacock into his environment. I also like having the logo cut off. It is the most recognizable brand in the world, so a fraction is all we need.

Coca Cola
by BAMartin

Comment by Bruce_the_Robert:
I keep thinking that that bird is looking at you for help in getting his money back, as the stupid machine has eaten his quarters and not given him a coke! There are some wonderful elements to this that really make me smile. The tilt of the shot (OMG, it's not level, DNMC DNMC!!!) adds a dimension of oddity that fits with a peacock (or some other such bird)in front of a coke machine beautifully. The processing, for me, is a bit heavy as you reach the bottom, but parts of that I also really like, such as how grungy and dirty the floor looks; to achieve this but keep a bit more detail in the tail would be my preference, but I don't know if it's doable, and "cleaning up" the floor might "ruin" the shot to my eye. I love the papery, delicate feeling the processing gives the machine, and one thing that caught my eye was the almost crystal clear "thank you" near the coin slot. For the "story" or reaction I had to this, that clearness works really well in an ironic (or more likely quasi-ironic) sort of way. Neat shot, right place, right time.