Flowering Tree
by Tikicharm

Comment by briphoto:
this seems so cluttered that I can hardly make out what it is.

Flowering Tree
by Tikicharm

Comment by Dr.Confuser:
At least on my monitor, this is pretty dark. I am afraid I am losing the significance of the various elements in the picture. It is vry busy and gives my eye no place to rest.

Poof - Into thin air
by Tikicharm

Comment by magicshutter:
Interesting effect on this one. Can't see the source of the light trail.. Spooky!

Poof - Into thin air
by Tikicharm

Comment by bpickard:
I really like the muted colours in the foreground. Hedge and above necessary?? How about cropping so we don't see the end of the light??

Poof - Into thin air
by Tikicharm

Comment by whiteroom:
just like that! funny title

Poof - Into thin air
by Tikicharm

Comment by singale:
good picture, great combination

Funny Face
by Tikicharm

Comment by jonpink:
Greetings from the Critique Club :D

The first thing that strikes me about this photograph is the pose - it's very different from the standard bug shot as it seems that he is actually posing for the camera which gives it some true life appeal ;)

A lot of people don't seem to think about eye contact when shooting wildlife, yet the same rules apply as if you were shooting a human, so i must give you full marks here for that.

That aside the composition is both average, and excellent. the location of the bug is pretty average, nothing great but also not too bad. But the position that you have shot him in is second to none. There is a tendency to shoot looking down when taking bug shots, but it seems to me that you have bent down to be level with the bug and thought about the angle of approach.

The one thing that does let this image down is the quality. Overall it is a little too noisy for my tastes, I would hazard a guess that the original photo wasn't 100% in focus and as a result it has been sharpened up a little too excessively.

The fake DOF is average - it's always better to obtain that effect in camera if and when possible though. One bad point about doing that is the DOF never seems to be as gradual as it does when achieved in-camera. It also leaves noise around the sharp object (sen around the legs especially)

Overall I think a final score of 5.5 is a fair one.

If you want to discuss this critique in more detail please feel free to contact me via the PM system.

JP

Poof - Into thin air
by Tikicharm

Comment by aaronb532:
I really like you take on this challenge. It's a little different, but not so much so that it's a strech to meet the challenge.
The only concern I have about tis is the crop. There is really no reason to have all that wassted space at the bottom. I would crop it about the edge of the grass. That would also help getting your lights on the bottom "thirds" of the image.
Good Luck!

Poof - Into thin air
by Tikicharm

Comment by e301:
Shots like this are so dependent on your viewer's precise set-up, that I think it's difficult to be sure what exactly you were after. I see a vague roadscape with those lines, but a touch brighter and I see a skyline etc., a touch darker and I see only the hint of a road. Working with such very subtle graduations in the shadow areas is, I think, unlikely to get you a reaction you can really rely on.

For me, it has the beginnings of an impact, but the muted nature of those surroundings confuses things.

Poof - Into thin air
by Tikicharm

Comment by notonline:
A good try but in my opinion does not meet the challenge. "parallel lines converge together." isn't actually in the picture. would have made a nicer picture if you went closer to the road and and shot a longer shot with the lighted objected further away. now not only would you have to road that would have fit the challenge but the lighted object (motorcycle I assume) would appear that is a 1 light splitting into 2... or at least it sound right in my head. lol