Games
by cryingdragon

Comment by kteach:
You posted in the forums that you were looking for comments on how to improve... so here goes.

When I look at this photo, it doesn't scream wow to me. It's a very contrived set up and for taking so much time to set it up, I'd think you'd have been a bit more careful about making it more precise. The spacings on the bottom row are uneven, and the dice are slanted at slightly different angles. With such a symmetrical type of shot, any deviation from an exact setup draws attention to itself I think.

The lighting was good for what you were trying to achieve, but as others commented, a bit more contrast might have helped. You also lost some light down in that lower corner, which also draws attention to itself.

Overall, it's just kind of a flat shot. Meets the challenge, was a creative idea as far as technique, but just not executed as well as it could have been.

Hope this was helpful.

Candlelight Katana
by cryingdragon

Comment by posthumous:
the flame
does not speak
to the blade

Candlelight Katana
by cryingdragon

Comment by talj:
This image doesnt have a serene, harmonious feel to it IMHO

Games
by cryingdragon

Comment by kawesttex:
As symmetrical as you tried to achieve, the top chip set is slanted the opposite of the bottom chip set. The dice are not evenly spaced. The concept and execution are good except as noted. I do like the lighting and agree the contrast could have been boosted a bit.

Games
by cryingdragon

Comment by amandalore:

Originally posted by CTBruce: There doesn't seem to be enough contrast between the black and white...seems a little dull.

I'd agree with this, need to bump up the contrast... also, the shot seems too "posed" and too far off to the top right... also you have shadows on the bottom row of chips and nowhere else so it looks out of place.

I would've just tossed the pieces onto the table and shot from table height perspective to try to give this some more interest... good camera work with the lighting, though it's hard to tell what is in focus and what is not because it's so flat

good take on the challenge

Games
by cryingdragon

Comment by klstover:
I think this is a good shot - you definitely achieved the white popping off the background as you desired. I agree that it could be improved upon but of course most photos can :-)

Games
by cryingdragon

Comment by lopposopper:
hmm, some side or back light could be nice

Grains
by cryingdragon

Comment by Makka:
* Greetings from the Critique Club *

Hi Mike. Ok, let's be honest here. Why didn't this photo work with the voters? Pretty much for several reasons. I think what you were going for was a good idea, no problems there. A wooden desk is a surface with lines running through the texture. It was all in the way you executed the photo.

The main thing, focus focus focus! I'll be honest and say I'm not too familiar with the camera that you are using. I know there are some users with this camera (SJCarter for instance) who produce some great work. It's all to do with knowing how to get the most out of your camera. There are two ways you could of gone about shooting this. You could of used the cameras macro mode setting to get in relatively close to the desk to capture it's detail. A standard P&S camera will operate from about 10 cms from the subject so it would of worked well. Alternatively, you could of pulled back a bit to allow the camera to self focus properly and then cropped it in tight to just show the desk. Either way, you've missed one of the main components of a photo here, which is the focus.

You'll also notice with your crop of the photo there is a little light spot right at the top in the centre. If you were after just the grain of the desk make sure you crop the image to remove things like this as some people will see it as a distraction.

Reading through your portfolio I see you're pretty new to all this. You've come to a great place to learn. It's good to see that you are experimenting with different ideas (looking at your portfolio) which ultimately is the best way to learn. It's amazing what you'll pick up by looking through other peoples photos and reading their comments on how they have done it. You mention in your bio that you're not very experienced with photo editing. Once again, this is a great sight to learn on. Look through the tutorials and try different things and see the results that you get. Keep at it, ask questions, experiment. It'll all come together. Best of luck with your future entries!

Neil

Candlelight Katana
by cryingdragon

Comment by Nuzzer:
5: the sword by itself would have said enough - the candle looks out of place

Games
by cryingdragon

Comment by marycciu:
Could use to be brightened up quite a bit -- so the whites look white.