Enduresby
posthumousComment by muur88: Greetings from the critique club.
You are my second detailed critique so I hope I have gotten good enough from my first one to provide you the necessary insight to fast forward your journey to becoming an exceptional photographer.
My how fascinating...I just realized whom I am critiquing...my hero when it comes to dpc prose... screw photography...I now only hope to not come off as illiterate.
I wonder if you are actually interested in a critique or just secretly laughing at the establishments' feeble attempt to understand you.. regardless, I will carry on what I've for some odd reason gotten myself tasked into doing and comment on this image.
So... my first impressions were that this was for the bokeh challenge. I think it a nice touch that you incorporated a recent challenge technique into this "life" photo. I sometimes think about how it would be cool to submit stuff that incorporated all the current challenge topics into a single submission, but then I quickly realize nobody would actually pay attention. I'm initially drawn to that orange colored spot...it's like a beacon of hope that spring may return some day...or that something is still truly living under the sheet of winter. Sure you got the buds on the branch, but they're looking kind of rough at the moment. So if I crop off the top or bottom inch the composition has a much better flow for me around that hi-light. The lighting is really soothing, but that 1 branch in the back is a bit overbearing so I'm wondering if you might have shopped a few other angles out to best limit the distractions. It is nice that it points the eye back toward your main subject...so what the heck do i know.
Technically...nice lens. Good focus from a distance. I assume it was smart to use a strong zoom and keep the aperture tight, rather than get up close and use a wide aperture. As I mentioned before the lighting is nicely done. I also like how the main ice point has a darker area directly behind it. Overall, the composition just doesn't work quite as well as I would like. Post processing isn't noticeable which I believe is what you intended.
Creatively...the photo has an emotive feel. That alone makes it better than 90% of the images for me. I like your choice of title and it's simplicity. I think titles are extremely important in setting the stage for the photo. Some how the word itself matches the composition. Something about the S and the curve of the branch. Or maybe that ess sound reminds me of gentle rustling of those branches in the wind. Or maybe I've had 1 to many chocolate chip cookies before bed ;) As far as subject matter, not exactly something I would have expected from the dpc underground, but you can't stay on the outside forever ;)
How to improve your score on dpc...not that I think this pertains, but keep focusing on water. Perhaps a spring thaw with a nice droplet on the end would have propelled you into the high 5s.
And so ends your critique... now go return the favor by telling me to stop submitting the same street crap to your challenges.
Thanks for listening. Take care.
-MT
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