In the Dugout
by SquishyB

Comment by mist:
I bet on a single towel there could exist millions of tiny microbes and things. It's difficult to imagine anyone actually using the towel and feeling clean. On the plus side, you have a nice sky.

In the Dugout
by SquishyB

Comment by typhotos:
the lighting is kind of funky for me but it definitely meets the challenge.

In the Dugout
by SquishyB

Comment by craigester:
This could be sharper or more focused. Would score higher then but still a good image.

In the Dugout
by SquishyB

Comment by UNCLEBRO:
nice view point that is slightly let down by the image quality which doesn't seem all that good.
but i guess it could be the nitty gritty look you were after?

The Distinction Between Youth and Old Age
by SquishyB

Comment by atupdate:
Lila,

First, lets start out with how this image fits in relation to the challenge and the DPC game. Most voters for this challenge were expecting an image with high photographic contrast. Eight of the top ten images in this challenge were black and white or near black and white. Since your subject has a metaphorical contrast, you start off fighting an uphill battle.

Now lets look at how well you conveyed your metaphorical contrast to the voters. You have an older looking white flower that is centered in the image with pretty good focus and lots of detail. Contrasting that, you have a fresher looking yellow flower in the background that is partially cropped off and definitely not in focus. In fact, the focus on the yellow flower doesn't really provide the voter enough detail to determine if it truly is a "young" flower or a middle aged flower on its last legs, especially in the two or three seconds the typical voter will look at the image. The composition of this image doesn't help support your metaphor either, as the yellow flower looks more like background clutter than as a contrasting element to the white flower. For these two flowers to convey the age contrast suggested by your title, they need to have equal prominence in the photo, both in placement and focus. As is, without the title, I would never be able to tell that this image was contrasting an old flower to a new flower. There was a recent posting in the forums that suggested if a four year-old cannot easily tell the connection between your image and the challenge description, then you probably won't score well.

Let me finish with a few comments about what I really like about the image. First, the post processing of this image is really well done. The white flower has lots of detail and more important, texture. It would have been very easy to over sharpen this image to the point where that texture would have been lost in the detail. I also like the softness of the background. It really compliments the texture of the flower. If the yellow flower weren't there, this image would work very well with the white flower being centered and a square crop.

Watch your composition and make sure it supports the message you are trying to convey. And always, crop out those areas that don't support your message. The voters will forgive a few technical flaws if the composition and relationship to the challenge are strong.

Tim

In the Dugout
by SquishyB

Comment by Gracechild7:
Of all the "stuff left on a bleacher" shots in this challenge, yours feels like the most honest. I might have cropped out the sunset in the background just to create a more consistant range of colours, but it's still good this way too.

In the Dugout
by SquishyB

Comment by ShannonLee:
too light of highlights in my opinion

Abundant Poverty
by SquishyB

Comment by hahn23:
Well, I see the abundant part. Where's the poverty?

Abundant Poverty
by SquishyB

Comment by klstover:
Oh man, I just love the composition here. And I hope people aren't giving you grief about the "blown highlights" because there isn't much detail in that area of the penny and the way you have the lighting really sets off the figure on the penny. Great job.

Abundant Poverty
by SquishyB

Comment by littleda:
Now that is cool! 9