Peachy-Keen
by Burg

Comment by sfalice:
Greetings from the Critique Club

Ah, these symbols of small-town America. Personalized watertowers. I love 'em too.

You've got a good start here, but execution didn't quite make the grade. On a bright, sunny day, I'm frequently reminded of the photographer's slogan: "Sunny 16" An aperture of f16 or lower is frequently best in capturing a scene like this with less danger of over-exposure. If it's easy to bracket your shots on your camera, that is a good help too in coming up with a correctly exposed image. One last trick: a polarizer can take the glare away. If your camera can use one. (Edited to add: I see your new camera is a dSLR. Now you can do all this stuff!)

I like the way you showed a suggestion of the dimple in the peach and can only wish the designers made that leaf more pronounced. Nothing you could do about that. ONe thing that does stand out - those utility poles in the background. A few steps one way or the other might have hidden them. But that's not my call. YOu know the terrain. I don't.

Message edited by author 2006-01-13 13:35:45.

The Dreadful Wasted Smoke - Lighting the WRONG end!
by Burg

Comment by Makka:
*Greetings from the Critique Club*

Ahh, being a smoker myself I can say I have done this more than once in my life, but normally when intoxicated. :p

First thing that hits me here is that the cigarette is blown out a bit. The rings separating the butt from the tobacco disappear too much and to me that is a major indicator that IT IS the wrong end. With having the cigarette the main point of focus it really needed to be spot on. I would of also liked to have seen more light on the burnt end to get some detail there. Maybe if it had of been turned slightly more towards the camera?

I'm also seeing that the focus on the cigarette is a tad soft. Not too much but just a little. I'm not sure if you used any USM in Photoshop before you saved it but it may of just been enough to reduce that.

The texture of the background the cigarette is sitting on is great in my opinion. It's obviously a park bench or something similar? The 'spots' in the foreground I find a little distracting. If it was an advanced rules challenge I would of cloned them out but as it stands you may of tried just moving the cigarette further back and bring the camera in a bit to drop them off the bottom of the frame.

The overall composition is great and the placement of the cigarette in relation to the frame is good. I like it. Well done on your first entry. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to PM me.

Best of luck in future challenges.

Neil

Peachy-Keen
by Burg

Comment by odetta:
Oh my gosh I want to see this peach in person! Nice shot of an unusual tower.

Peachy-Keen
by Burg

Comment by ginjer:
The lighting is flat. It could use more contrast.

Peachy-Keen
by Burg

Comment by lucas:
apart from the use peach i dont think there so many special things about this picture. next time try getting it at a diffrent angle. maybe editing the colors a bit.

4

Peachy-Keen
by Burg

Comment by rachelellen:
I'm sure the local teenagers make fun of it but I love things like that -- seems like something from a different era(?). Well-composed.

Peachy-Keen
by Burg

Comment by MochaNova1987:
i like it, the peach looks like a butt

Peachy-Keen
by Burg

Comment by jorr:
Great capture - Good luck

Peachy-Keen
by Burg

Comment by Bear_Music:
An amusing shape that brings a smile to my face, but lackluster composition and processing both are detracting here.

The Dreadful Wasted Smoke - Lighting the WRONG end!
by Burg

Comment by MPRPRO:
I quit 7 months ago. I am so much happier now.