Cottage by the Winter Marsh — Herring Riverby
Bear_MusicComment by mycelium: Here's my input.
I gave this a 7. I will get around to saying just why shortly. I think it's a great picture, and its subtlety of tones set it apart from many of the other submissions. The curvature of the tree on the left holds the image together very nicely. In another challenge, say, a free study, I would probably have given this another point or two.
But the reason I didn't- and the reason I think that a lot of other people scored it so poorly- is that it's really not a shot of architecture. It's a shot that, technically,
includes architecture, but the cottage doesn't appear to have anything particularly impressive about its design, nor is the cottage itself even the dominant element in the picture. What I most notice, in order, are the window, the chimney, and the golden light on the grass in the background. Following that I find myself looking at the image as a whole, and noticing the play of light and the understated gradations of tone. By my reckoning, it simply doesn't meet the challenge very well.
Which is not to say it's not a great picture- it is, to which your several sales attest.
Photographer found comment helpful.
