Park Bench in Shade
by Nelzie

Comment by nborton:
you've got some nice texture, but the whole shot seems on the soft side.

Park Bench in Shade
by Nelzie

Comment by Skip:
nice target, unfortunately, a bit out of focus. there is potential here, but you'd need to work on the lighting hitting the nail.

Park Bench in Shade
by Nelzie

Comment by Dr.Confuser:
Great image. Nice balance. Focus and colors are spot on. Nicely done without bugs or flowers.

Park Bench in Shade
by Nelzie

Comment by pcody:
Good potential. Great colors. Needs more dof or, imo, the focus should be on the rusted bolt. If you shoot parallel to the object you will get more perceived dof because everything will be on the same focal plane.

North and South Lines
by Nelzie

Comment by Kavey:
You have asked how someone might better convey the concept of "opposites" in this image. I think the answer might be that you couldn't really do so and that the subject is therefore a poor choice for the challenge. I think most of the low scores probably centre on that rather than on the image itself. That said I'll comment on the image next and ignore it's suitability for this particular challenge theme.

Texture: You have captured some lovely textures including the worn wooden sleepers, the gravel and the reflective metal. That contrast of textures is definitely a point of interest.

Contrast/ Tone: The image overall is quite dark. Contrast is reasonably high which works well - I can see the whole range of greys from almost pure white to black shadows.

Composition/ Content: The rails are not horizontal within the frame and the tilt is quite obvious because of the proximity of the lines to the edges of the frame. Rotation would help. The image seems a little too centred horizontally - if there is an expanse of gravel above the top rail I'd include a lot more so that the two rails shown sit in the lower two thirds of the frame. There isn't really an individual focal point or single point of interest - although that's not always necessary, I think it might lift this image and add further interest. For a surreal touch you might place an unexpected object such as a toy rubber duck. For a more traditional feel perhaps a worker's hat and gloves, as though abandoned or maybe a tool?

It's Monumentally Refreshing!
by Nelzie

Comment by Kavey:
Kavey Critique

Initial thoughts
Viewpoint is unusual but overall image seems very tilted.

Composition/ Content
As above, the tilt does make this look less professional and could have been corrected with a small rotation of the image followed by a crop. The colours are vivid which is appealing and the water droplets do add interest but there isn't really a focal point for me - where should my eye end up?

Background
I like that it's not completely flat yet doesn't distract from the subject.

Technical
Lighting seems harsh - perhaps diffusing the light source with a white cloth or tissue might help.

Fits The Challenge
Yes, though it seems more a case of showing me the product than really selling it's qualities.

My Opinion On The Photo
An acceptable image but one that could be improved a great deal by a few simple changes to lighting and rotation. That said, content does lack "punch".

Park Bench in Shade
by Nelzie

Comment by dsa157:
I like the color and texture of the lichens on the wood

It's Monumentally Refreshing!
by Nelzie

Comment by chasmo:
Sloppy framing distracts from product/brand focus.

It's Monumentally Refreshing!
by Nelzie

Comment by Go-KL:
Right idea with the water droplets on cans - reds in red bull a bit orangey, dull background.

Purple Burst
by Nelzie

Comment by pcody:
The color is rich.