Windows
by Melethia

Comment by supernaught:
A perfectly composed portrait! The lucidity of the eyes really draws me in, and the "duo tone" effect works wonderfully here, though I would love to see a color shot too. Lighting and contrasts are great, focus is spot-on, and there's not much to complain about here, other than that it is simply a portrait, with a fine expressive subject. I think it could be a tad darker. An 8, easy.

From the air
by Melethia

Comment by supernaught:
A fantastic shot, of some rarely seen scenery, that could only have been captured in this frozen moment. The noise from the saturated blues in the mountains, and greens in the foothills are all that stand between a a 9 and a 10 here, and I would have went with a 9. My preference would have been to try to de-saturate the noise some, and level the color down overall. Also would have liked to see this slightly sharper.

The Shared Umbrella
by Melethia

Comment by supernaught:
Absolutely wonderful! Perfect contrasts/gradients, and a superb capture of the weather. That both subjects are wearing the same color/style coats was either luck, or you used models, but there's nothing here to suggest anything but a wonderful, candid shot that is expertly timed and composed. Easily a 9 in my book.

Morning conversations
by Melethia

Comment by supernaught:
What a wonderful image - compositionally sound, lucid scene. The colors and scenery invoke a peaceful resonance. A little over-sharpening, perhaps, on the buildings and plant in the foreground, but don't detract much from an otherwise beautiful capture. Also noticed some slight color banding in the sky. I would have scored this an 8. Lighting is wonderous, and moody.

9.52 Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof
by Melethia

Comment by SherwinJames:
Looks like a scene from a movie. The shot is busy, but quite natural. I like the fact that the train is off to the side and not in the center of the shot.

Whiskers
by Melethia

Comment by Yo_Spiff:
It does not wow me any, but it is a nice and detailed shot of the cat's whiskers. One of those shots that is really pretty good, but just does not bowl me over or grab me. I'll say I would have probably sixed it, but in voting it could have gotten a five from me, not really sure.

Edited to add: I don't like to read others comments before I add my own, as I don't want them to influence what I say. I think Louis may have nailed it down better than I did. In a free study, you have a glut of "wow" shots that people have worked on all month, or saved their best for, and the subtle but good ones get lost in the crowd.

Message edited by author 2008-03-10 18:55:56.

Simply red
by Melethia

Comment by Yo_Spiff:
I haven't really gotten serious with layers yet, so a lot of your processing steps went over my head right now.

I really like what you did with it. Even though the tones are more subdued, it brought out the veins in the flowers. The composition may be a little too heavy on the left side, where all the red is. That's the only thing I might fault it with.

I did not vote on this one, but I think I would have given it a 6 or 7.

Message edited by author 2008-03-10 18:46:26.

Whiskers
by Melethia

Comment by Wink:
You are the master of otherworldly whiskers. They add an extra dimension that transcends catdom.

Simply red
by Melethia

Comment by EstimatedEyes:
Hey Deb -- I didn't vote on this one originally, but I do like the colors and soft processing and DOF techniques. The composition is pleasing as well, though a part of me would like to see more of those flowers on the left edge, at least that top one that's lost just the tip of its petal. The colors and tones on the leaves are marvelous. Very lifelike.

Whiskers
by Melethia

Comment by wheeledd:
Tell Thomas I think he has great whiskers; they are certainly better than mine.

I really liked this. It is not "yet another cat picture." It features the whiskers and says something about how important they are to a cat. My whiskers don't do much useful for me except catch stray bits of spaghetti sauce, but his are an important part of his sensory system and they help him interact with things in close quarters.

The paw. What is that paw doing there? Is it a distraction that draws attention away from the whiskers? Or does it contribute to the feeling that he is interacting with something in close quarters? I haven't decided about this.

--DanW