Dove
by owen

Comment by Konador:
Really nice detail here. I think an increase in contrast would give more of an impact.

Dove
by owen

Comment by JoelHSmith:
This is very well done.... especially with such a uncooperative subject. It is slightly oversharpened for my taste (strong halo) but I don't count off for that cause I know the original file was great too.

Dove
by owen

Comment by ShutterPug:
Nice crisp close up! Beautiful colors and details. Bokeh is real nice too

Dove
by owen

Comment by Gallatin:
Beautiful

Dove
by owen

Comment by Strikeslip:
That's what I call National Geographic detail. Fabulous focus!

Dove
by owen

Comment by FranziskaLang:
Love the details you captured in the feather. Colors are great, too, overall a really good shot. One thing I would have probably done is to clone out the reflection in the dove's eye. Other than that ... I would've left it exactly as it is :)

Seagull Sunset
by owen

Comment by HCvE:
very nice shot

Seagull Sunset
by owen

Comment by gliphix:
Very Nice. I Like it.

Dining Out
by owen

Comment by strangeghost:
Greetings from the Critique Club
by strangeghost

COMPOSITION
The first thing that grabs me is the use of leading diagonal lines, drawing my eye gently to the upper right. How'd you get the bug to pose so perfectly?? It's a great image for the challenge, IMO, because there are several distinct levels of pattern to occupy me; the fine detail of the leaf, the broader patterns of the major veins, and then the interesting camouflage patterns of the bug caterpillar itself. I also think you showed an outstanding sense of how to crop the image.

TECHNIQUE
Great color saturation on the leaf, but the dark tones of the insect are a little disappointing. I'd have liked to see the same level of detail in his skin, but it appears a little softer than the detail in the leaf. I'm assuming that with f22, you were attempting to buy yourself the greatest depth possible given your closeness to the subject. I wonder if you struggled with this when shooting or editing? It's been said many times in the forums, but I'll repeat here, we love to see your own thoughts in the photographer's comments section. It would have been nice to know what you were thinking as you shot this, what lens was used, etc. Having said all that, I do think this is a technically excellent image.

OVERALL IMPACT
As I said above, your use of leading lines really makes this image work. It's so much more effective this way than a simple caterpillar sitting on a leaf. Your eye for detail made this one work. Your score was well above average, but I think would have scored even higher if you had preserved the same level of detail in the caterpillar that you did in the leaf.

Most commenters really liked the image, and your score reflects this. A great job but I bet that added detail would have added to the wow factor and a consequent bump in score. I enjoyed studying this image for the critique. Keep shooting!

Dining Out
by owen

Comment by graphicfunk:
Overly impressive with a shimmering sense of movement. Congratulations on your top 20 finish.