The Bicyclist
by DigiFotoBuddy

Comment by UNTITLED:
The technicals look good on this photo, but combination of motion blur and artistic tilt seems a bit much, especially for those that might easily get queasy.

The Bicyclist
by DigiFotoBuddy

Comment by pineapple:
I like the semitransparent nature of this cyclist. Nice shutter speed.

Naturally Textured - Take II
by DigiFotoBuddy

Comment by yanko:
Greetings from CTP2

I think you improved this shot in the wow factor category. It no longer looks like a snapshot compared to the other one. It's bold and in your face. However, there are some things I prefer in the original. For example, the sharpness. I think you got it right in the original but here it feels oversharpened. Maybe I'm wrong but this type of texture shouldn't look that sharp, IMO. The other thing is the background color. I liked the black background better than this bright red version, which just makes the image seem too bright in general. Still it commands your attention better than the original so good job improving that.

Indulge into happiness
by DigiFotoBuddy

Comment by yanko:
Greetings from CTP2

Looking at the color version I definitely like that one better for the fabrics but overall I like the duotone version better because it takes a busy scene and keeps the focus squarely where you want it (i.e. your faces). With the color version my eyes drift all over the image too much and everything becomes a distraction. However, with that said I think the color version may have worked better with DPC voters who crave that.

Well that's it. I wish I had some real critiques here but I like this image. I think the technicals are great. I love the lighting and the composition and the layout. It's also very sharp and it has good tonal range and lots of detail which I love. I think you did a bang up job here. I certainly can feel that moment you captured and the duotone helps to convey that.

Message edited by author 2006-06-23 03:52:58.

Indulge into happiness
by DigiFotoBuddy

Comment by alexgarcia:
Hello from �lex, CTP MkII

First Impression: wonderful enviromental portrait...LOL. Very well done.
Composition: good, using thirds
Subject: meets the challenge very well. The expressions are great.
Technical: I like the tonality here. Not sure about if the color version is better or not, I like the duotone. The focus is very depth. The lighting is superb.
Improvement: About the focus, I couldn't help reading karmabreeze comment, and I agree about the DOF; maybe the selective focus would have bumped this photo over 6.5+
Summary: Very good job.

�lex

Indulge into happiness
by DigiFotoBuddy

Comment by eschelar:
This is really nice. The expressions on their faces are heartwarming and lovely...

I was going to comment something similar to what karmabreeze said.. There's always something great about selective DOF...

Colors can be tricky... I might have chosen a low saturation over the duotone... Can't say that it would have made things better of course... Just something else I would have tried... I do like the duotone...

Indulge into happiness
by DigiFotoBuddy

Comment by pineapple:
The colour version is charming as well - perhaps better, richer.

Indulge into happiness
by DigiFotoBuddy

Comment by Rebecca:
Hi Shailesh-

I agree with the voters who wanted the color version. Colored fabrics imply a certain richness and luxury that just don't come across in duotone.

Something that might be interesting with a shot like this is more depth of field. Maybe focus just on the wine and grapes and let the models be a background element instead of competing for focus with the wine. Or vice versa - show the couple enjoying their time. There have been a lot of Lensbaby posts lately, this might be an interesting shot to try something like that as well. Good solid concept!

Naturally Textured - Take II
by DigiFotoBuddy

Comment by Rebecca:
Hi Shailesh-

Don't hit me, but I like the original photo much better. I think that red is a very very difficult color to photograph, since it tends to oversaturate very easily, and it overwhelms the natural color variations of the shell. The original looks much cleaner and much sharper, where the retake lacks that nice sharp quality.

Indulge into happiness
by DigiFotoBuddy

Comment by Gatorguy:
I like the image very much. I'm sure you had your reasons for toning it this way, but it looks like it would have been very colorful. The label on the bottle is pretty bright and pulls my eye to it - maybe if it was turned 90 degrees it would have been better. 7