Peppercorn Blend
by OneSweetSin

Comment by melismatica:
Hi there from the Critique Club!

This was an interesting choice for a Macro challenge. It reveals a desire to achieve something original (oddly, I toyed with the idea of vari-colored peppercorns myself). You don't mention what you were aiming for so I'm going to evaluate this based on the assumption that you were going for a flat, graphic quality rather than a more three-dimensional study. If this is the case, you were fairly successful. There are no distracting glares or hot-spots to interfere with the pattern created by the peppercorns. There are shadows but they are compressed and black enough to work as a sort of outline throughout the design. The white peppercorns at first seem rather distracting but a longer viewing reveals an S-shape created throughout the vertical plane accented at either end by a red and green peppercorn. This may be purely accidental but it is interesting enough to be worth noting. I have to agree with other commenters that the image is a bit grainy. I'm not convinced that it hurts this image though. It might be interesting to add even more grain and see what results.

In closing, I find that although it is not an entirely successful photograph, it reveals curiousity and a desire to explore the texture, form, and color of your environment beyond the 'safe' subjects, which is a step in the right direction.

Thanks for sharing it.

Conrail 3347...One of the few Blues Left
by OneSweetSin

Comment by Katspetkat:
I love pictures like this. It really kind of enhances the main subject.

Peppercorn Blend
by OneSweetSin

Comment by Faye Pekas:
Great textures and colors. A little grainy but creative idea

Peppercorn Blend
by OneSweetSin

Comment by Imagineer:
It's a noisy image and quite dull really. This needs better lighting (low ISO?) and more of a purpose perhaps. Imagine trying to sell the product to a food producer or something and it will help you make it look more appealing.

Peppercorn Blend
by OneSweetSin

Comment by pottersclay75:
Lighting is poor. Seems too un-natural. Focus is off. The main problem is that there is no focal point. The shot comes off flat.

Conrail 3347...One of the few Blues Left
by OneSweetSin

Comment by Tuckersmom:
I like this shot a lot - great job!

Peppercorn Blend
by OneSweetSin

Comment by nborton:
i never thought i'd see pepper in this challenge, and your's isn't the only one. the detail in the pepper is really good. good shots show you something you don't normally see.

Peppercorn Blend
by OneSweetSin

Comment by adine:
Nice subject - some interesting textures here. I like the colors as well. I think you crop even more - from the top perhaps leaving only one red and one green - it would give something for the eyes to settle on. The image is very grainy and there are some odd processing articafts - particularly in the red peppercorn - did you pump up the saturation too much?

Peppercorn Blend
by OneSweetSin

Comment by Nelzie:
Very nice subject matter. It has a great deal of texture and color contrast.

Similar to my own shot, this might look better if shot at more of an angle. Instead of a 90 Degree straight into the Pepper, use a 45 or even 60 degree angle, which could add more DOF to the shot.

It could add more interest to this otherwise nice shot.

As it sits, I can see this hanging in someone's kitchen, not as a huge overwhelming piece, but maybe as a 4x6 or 2x3 image in a nice kitchen related frame.

Peppercorn Blend
by OneSweetSin

Comment by ConcreteDonkey:
Needs more contrast and color. but like the texture.6