Jujitsu: O Soto Gari ver.2
by GentleSoul

Comment by CEJ:
Great action shot and the reflection in the mirror really adds a great perspective to it. I hope no one was hurt.

The old-fashioned scent of a woman
by GentleSoul

Comment by Sammie:
I really like this picture, it really isn't dull at all. The lighting suits the mood of the picture. Sometimes, really good pictures don't do well just because they don't appeal to the masses - I gave your picture a 7 in the challenge - I like it a lot. The compostition is very good and I like the delicate quality of the shot, it goes well with the bottles.

Urban Landscape: The land 'round here
by GentleSoul

Comment by TroyMosley:
good shot, i knw how you feel about living in the city, not alot to shoot, good idea.

Urban Landscape: The land 'round here
by GentleSoul

Comment by temba:
Great cityscape.

deer_1.jpg
by GentleSoul

Comment by GentleSoul:

Originally posted by SJCarter: Looks like this was probably taken at a safari park where you drive through? Or maybe a petting zoo? I like the closeness of the subject and the big eyes. The lighting is a bit harsh here - you might consider reducing the backlighting and doing some burning here too, to eliminate some of the glare and increase the tonal range. Cute capture.

Thanks, Jimmy. To answer your question, it was my Dad's back yard in the Poconos. :) The deer walk right up to the back porch there. I really was as close as the picture suggests. I do need to try to do something about lighting for these outdoor shots, though. They really can be a lot better.

Wild flower #1
by GentleSoul

Comment by SJCarter:
The OOF of the shot is what immediately jumps out at me - looks like your focus was actually set to the leaves behind the petals on the bottom right (probably meaning that you were too close to the subject in auto focus mode). Several of your other shots have similar scenarios - you might check your settings if your focusing manually, or check your manual for distances if your focusing automatically. :-) (I know it took me months to get the whole macro distance thing down, and I still flub it half the time!)

deer_1.jpg
by GentleSoul

Comment by SJCarter:
Looks like this was probably taken at a safari park where you drive through? Or maybe a petting zoo? I like the closeness of the subject and the big eyes. The lighting is a bit harsh here - you might consider reducing the backlighting and doing some burning here too, to eliminate some of the glare and increase the tonal range. Cute capture.

Jujitsu: O Soto Gari ver.2
by GentleSoul

Comment by SJCarter:
I like the composition and editing/processing with quadtones. There's a little too much OOF/motion blur for my personal taste, but I do like that the obviousness of the impending slam. Makes the viewer really become involved in the shot.

Christopher_1.jpg
by GentleSoul

Comment by GentleSoul:

Originally posted by SJCarter: Love the composition here and the perspective. The colors are great too. The focus/DOF seems to be a bit off though. Appears as though the focus is actually closer to his hand and the railing than his face (auto?). Very cute capture though.

Thanks, Jimmy. Yes, you're right. I was using auto focus, and probably auto-everything for this shot. Gotta try to capture the eyes next time. :)

Christopher_3.jpg
by GentleSoul

Comment by SJCarter:
Very cute kid, but the OOF is a real distraction. Looks like a fun expression and it probably captured a special moment.