Noisy Tree
by JeremyFleury

Comment by RiderGal:
*Critique Club*

First of all does it fit the challenge? Yes... you've added grain to it, so I suppose it does... however, at least for me, when I was judging this challenge, I was looking for photos that benefitted from and were made even better through the technique of grain. If you look at the winners of the challenge, there is a reason they used grain in the images (besides just for the challenge) and it really added to their photos. I do not feel that the grain was useful here.

Now to the actual photo...

The fact that you found this single tree that had changed, among all the other trees tells me that you are really looking. I like that, it's really neat that you found this, which probably wasn't extremely to do... although sometimes as photographers, and the fact that we are very visual makes these little details really pop out at us. Anyway... nice job in finding an itneresting subject...and not just a random tree with some colored leaves...

Your composition seems pretty clear here... you don't have the tree dead center, which is good... and other trees surrounding this one tree offer fairly good leading lines with their branches. I actually would have liked to have seen (if possible) you back up quite a bit... and get more surrounding that tree all in green (not sure whether that's what there was or not) but it would have added a lot more interest I think to see this one tree among a LOT of others, perhaps in a wide landscape look... and with the tree a little bit smaller.

It's difficult that there seemed to be a very bright sky... but I think your little tree looks a tad washed out... I might have liked to have seen the colors pop a bit more. Playing with color balances might have been extremely interestingto try and maybe desaturate a little bit the background trees and really bring out that one tree... although you'd really have to play with it to see if that could be accomplished.

Overall I find this tree to be a great subject... I just think you might have played around with it a little more. Like I said though nice find!

-Talya

Monarch Butterfly
by JeremyFleury

Comment by FotoMunki:
Nice picture, but the butterfly doesn't stand out enough. I get's lost in darkness of the background.

Monarch Butterfly
by JeremyFleury

Comment by micluinenburg:
Too much contrast. The butterfly is lost in the shadows.

Monarch Butterfly
by JeremyFleury

Comment by piegu:
Original crop. Cool light and colors.

Noisy Tree
by JeremyFleury

Comment by Yellowpeep:
This is a nice photo. And it leaves me wondering whether or not the grain really enhanced the image. To me, grain works best in photos that are dark, contrasty or moody, or to provide an "aged" look. This seems to me like a good image that had grain added to it for a contest, rather than an image that was enhanced by the use of grain. Keep shooting! :)

Monarch Butterfly
by JeremyFleury

Comment by loriprophoto:
The harsh light and lack of focus spoils this shot, also it is not a Monarch Butterfly.

Noisy Tree
by JeremyFleury

Comment by jakemacriv:
good observation

Monarch Butterfly
by JeremyFleury

Comment by wavelength:
looks a little fuzzy, need sharpening?

Monarch Butterfly
by JeremyFleury

Comment by jaxed:
This has the potential to be a great shot. I'm by no means an expert but some ps to level, sharpen, adjust hue and add a border would have more impact. It's an interesting composition, is it sized correctly? Photographing a butterfly can be very difficult congrats on a good job.

Monarch Butterfly
by JeremyFleury

Comment by shudderbug:
took a couple second to find the butterlfy - very very busy and dark