Caricature
by Konador

Comment by sagestudio:
Hey, this is very cool, and well-done too! I love the lighting and the warm tones. 10

Playing Fields
by Konador

Comment by Pedro:
tremendous colour. gamma correction would lighten up the trees on the left a bit without spoiling the contrast.

Playing Fields
by Konador

Comment by Kavey:
Nice feeling of openess - and lovely cloud shapes in the sky - nice light too. The perspective shift (or whatever it's called) on the nearest goal is a little weird, and there's a lot of jagged stepping down the vertical to the far left. Nothing quite exciting enough to really pull me in and keep me looking longer.

Playing Fields
by Konador

Comment by shadow:
The colours are dazzling, with nice sharp focus and clear lines for each subject in the photo. Hmm, even looks slightly like my WinXP wallpaper "Bliss" LOL

Playing Fields
by Konador

Comment by justine:
Really nice color (saturation)..super. Love the perspective view.

Playing Fields
by Konador

Comment by alanfreed:
You've taken an otherwise dull subject and made it interesting! I like the perspective here. The colors are really dramatic here, too. And I can't help but make the wise crack that this could be the new emblem of the 4H Club! - 8

Playing Fields
by Konador

Comment by JPR:
Very crisp. How do you get such a clean sharp shot? Is it just your camera? I'd really like to know.

Schism
by Konador

Comment by sylandrix:
Greetings from the Critique Club!...

FIRST REMARKS... Wow, your prediction is so accurate! I think you are the person I've critiqued the most, this being the third critique done, and every time, your own comments are pretty on the mark :)

COMPOSITION... This abstract appeals to me also, but not with the screwdriver inside the shot... its just so dark that it looks like an unecessary or obtrusive object in the photo. Perhaps you could have shone a small light onto it. Maybe if the screwdriver was more discernable as one, then it would convey the feeling of sound more strongly. Adding slight motion blur with the screwdriver as it strikes the ice can also help with that feeling of "sound" while still maintaining the photo's abstract qualities.

TECHNIQUE...Excellent exposure, with a good range of tones from the highlights to the shadows, niceley saturated blues. The light seems to be coming from behind the ice, always an interesting way to light things :) Of course, ice will always appear "messy".. I wish I knew of a way to make it smooth and flowing, since i'm not crazy about all the specks and other obtrusions in the ice...

OVERALL... I do agree its a nice abstract but the fact that it doesn't covey the feeling of sound as much as other entrys is what ultimately hurt your score.

See it for Yourself
by Konador

Comment by emorgan49:
Hello From the Critique Club-

I have been holding your photo hostage for a week. I don't really know what to add to the comments you recieved.

Obviously, your two biggest problems with the voters were not necessarily problems with your photos. #1 In this day of photo manipulation and super models I think many (myself included, unfortuneately) are uncomfortable looking at less-than-perfect skin. How sad. #2 this sunglass thing has been done here before and many people bring that to their vote rather than looking at it as a fresh image (at least it wasn't a splash).

So, let's pretend that neo has perfect skin and that I have never seen a photo with sunglasses reflecting a scene. Going down the checklist of technical aspects of a photo, you have exquisite lighting, no unwanted shadows or glare, precise focus, depth of field to include every part of the subject, lovely duotone, and a crisp border. What more could a voter want? Technically flawless.

Okay, now for the checklist of compositonal elements. Here is a photo that makes great use of the negative space. Your Neo looks to the right so the photo reads left to right which is, according to the textbooks, the dymanic direction. Also we read dark to light and your image reads left to right in that respect also. So there is an implied action in the direction he is looking. Also it is inferred from the reflection in his glasses - the matrix code. There is tension here, he is not just a passive observer. Contrast is nice, the white negative space, the low key face and the very dark glasses and code. I think I agree with the commenter who wanted more of the frame filled with the dark numbers. Oh, and to make it perfect mabe the numbers could have been in reverse so they show up right way around in the reflection, that would be cool. Texture: The human quality of the skin contrasted with the shiney synthetic of the sunglasses hints at the central conflict of the movie. Lines? Lovely. just two simple lines form the face and the nose. The lines of the sunglasses create an interesting pattern which draws the viewer back into and around them, counteracting the unvisible line that follows Neo's gaze out of the frame to the right. Balance - yep, the amount of white empty space is just right t balance the dark sunglasses - Light/dark tension- white is good = human, dark is sinister = non human metal, plastis, glass and code. Rules of thirds? Got that one covered too. Composition is stellar, what more could a viewer want?

Good job. Clear, simple image. Technically and compositionally perfect. Right on challenge theme. However, I only gave it an 8. What more could have given it that DPC wow? Beats me.

Now the disclaimer: remember that this is only my opinion and I am just one person who is not an expert.

Schism
by Konador

Comment by frisca:
I haven't a clue what this is. I'm going to imagine its ice and an ice pick. I hope you can relieve me of my ignorance on this soon!