Reach Out
by TerryGee

Comment by amsmyth:
DOF field problems with this

Reach Out
by TerryGee

Comment by JMS:
I like your selective focus. Nice job.

Long Gone
by TerryGee

Comment by sonnyh:
Good idea but I would have liked it portrayed better.

Soft Summer Breezes
by TerryGee

Comment by scw1217:
Very nice abstract with good contrasting colors.

Soft Summer Breezes
by TerryGee

Comment by indigo997:
nice color combination. dof is almost too narrow. i would like to see a bit more of the flower (the stem maybe) in focus. nice exposure. 6

Long Gone
by TerryGee

Comment by xhoss:
nice pic. i like the composition, the dof, and the perspective here. nice work.

Beauty in the Garden
by TerryGee

Comment by indigo997:
I have to sort of agree with Kevin in that the negative space isn't adding a lot to the shot IMO. You also have to keep in mind that many voters think of negative space as just plain empty space which may account for a few of those low votes. At least there aren't any 1s! I'll admit that I gave this picture a 5. Technically it IS good, but it just doesn't have enough "wow" to make it stand out. Everyone should remember that a good competition shot isn't always the same as just a great picture. You have to grab the voters.
(This also looks like a moth, and I hate moths :P )

Beauty in the Garden
by TerryGee

Comment by KevinRiggs:
Terry,

I posted these comments in response to your request in a forum thread about this challenge (//www.dpchallenge.com/forum.php?action=read&FORUM_THREAD_ID=40433&PHPSESSID=7dcb27baea25a3e53744a87cce1f1e86).

You mentioned that this post was similar to your post for the first Negative Space and that the first one scored better. For myself I scored this image a 5 and probably would have scored the image for the first challenge higher. Here's why. The goal of the Negative Space II challenge was that the negative space should create the WOW of the image and this one falls short not because your subject isn't centered or is a macro. This submission doesn't meet the bar because the background (your negative space) contains elements that make it resonate with the foreground (the main subject). Thus, your negative space doesn't make your main subject stand out in a powerful manner; rather, it gives some continuity from your subject to the background. My points would be that the pinkish hue in the flower is replicated below and to the right of it. Likewise the maize-colored areas on the butterfly's head and one spot on the wings seems to harmonize with the yellow-tan colors in the top left of this image. In contrast, the image you submitted for the original Negative Space challenge (link) had a vibrant difference between the pink flowers of your main subject and the blurred space caused by the narrow DOF. You might have played with the colors in that submission to desaturate the yellows and generate a version that I would find even stronger but IMO it is a better presentation of this effort. I think you used a good technique but because of the blurred colors surrounding your subject in this submission you watered down the methodology you used to make your subject stand out.

Message edited by author 2003-08-25 12:43:14.

Beauty in the Garden
by TerryGee

Comment by TerryGee:
OK maybe this was not the most unique use of negative space, but it did meet the challenge. Negative space, when used properly, defines the positive space. My use, in fact did that. If I would have chosen a different DOF, my image would not have had the same impact. My technical aspects were quite good, something that lately gets overlooked. This photo did not deserve 2's 3's and 4's.I think the voters on this one were a little harsh, but that's the DPC audience for you.....

Long Gone
by TerryGee

Comment by rickhd13:
nice composition, good DOF, challenge met