"Good Morning Sunshine"
by ladpupmoe

Comment by TooCool:
From the Critique Club

Things I like: The DOF is nice here. There are some fun textures with the whispiness of the clouds. The sky colors are nice. The sun is not blown out like in some sunrise pictures.

Things I don't like: The utility pole in the foreground. The foreground itself (IMHO) needs more or less detail. I find myself trying to figure out what is in the foreground and am distracted away from the beautiful sky. I haven't tried any shots like this one so I have no suggestions on how to fix this except to say more, or less detail is needed. The clouds at the very top are not quite in focus and though not terribly distracting, the composition would be a bit stronger without them.

In general, this shot to me is not spectacular enough to keep my attention or make me go 'wow'. There is nothing really wrong with the shot, it's just that there are so many sunrise/sunset photos around that only the OUTSTANDING ones get and hold my attention. While this one is good, it's unfortunately not outstanding.
TC

Chocolate Chip Cookies. . . . fresh out of the oven.
by ladpupmoe

Comment by ogdenm:
Yum. But that's it.

Chocolate Chip Cookies. . . . fresh out of the oven.
by ladpupmoe

Comment by Thorsgodhi:
very well done, looks tasty

Chocolate Chip Cookies. . . . fresh out of the oven.
by ladpupmoe

Comment by oogabooga:
meets the challenge but i dont like the picture

Chocolate Chip Cookies. . . . fresh out of the oven.
by ladpupmoe

Comment by HRoxas:
Really looks like fresh from the oven. I could almost smell it. Nice job.

Chocolate Chip Cookies. . . . fresh out of the oven.
by ladpupmoe

Comment by e301:
Horrible lighting: makes them look like fake cookies. The crumbs are a bizarre inclusion, and the composition (taking up almost exactly half the frame like that) is an odd choice.

Chocolate Chip Cookies. . . . fresh out of the oven.
by ladpupmoe

Comment by mirdonamy:
cropping a bit tight, but very yummy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies. . . . fresh out of the oven.
by ladpupmoe

Comment by adine:
Yummy, the chocolate does look warm and liquid. I baked cookies too, and tried to photograph them for the challenge. I kept trying to catch the steam that comes out when you break them open. Too hard! Yours look nice on the blue plate, but I don't think the narrow DOF does anything for it - if you had a whole platter full the depth might add to the photo, but with just a few I think having them all sharp would be better.

Chocolate Chip Cookies. . . . fresh out of the oven.
by ladpupmoe

Comment by moodville:
I could maybe see that you left the negative space above the cookies to allow for the presence of the smell to waft upwards, however, photogenically it doesnt really do much. There is a little too much space at the top and very little at the bottom. It's good that you got in close to the subject but you needed to go all the way or else back up some. The lighting is good and the image is sharp, just needed some work on the composition, I think.

The Cat Who Saw Red by Lilian Jackson Braun
by ladpupmoe

Comment by dr rick:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

The red ribbon and bell adds a nice splash of color that adds impact to the image. The white background is a great contrast with the black cat, but produces such a wide tonal range that it is difficult to photograph well. And indeed, all detail is lost in most of the cat; it is just solid black, with no texture. Exposing the cat properly would have overexposed the background, but I think this would have been preferable.

The cat's pose is great and the image is well focused, although some sharpening would bring out the textures (where they exist). The composition is lacking in two ways. First, the picture needs more space at the top, both to get the entire ears and to provide vertical balance. Most importantly, the bell is large, bright, and red; it is the first thing the viewer sees in the photo and it holds his or her attention, stealing the center of interest from the cat. There is plenty of red in the ribbon alone to provide the needed impact; the image would have been better without the bell.