Hiding
by JuliBoc

Comment by rdebruyn:
Godzilla!

Fairy Dust
by JuliBoc

Comment by figaro:
I appreciate your frustration with this one - this shot clearly speaks to you a lot but the voters just see an OOF figurine and click the 'tank' button. It will have been the shutter speed that has caused this - I never shoot under 1/80 on my 50mm with my slightly shaky hands! As has been mentioned before, the border, though it works well with the colour scheme, is a bit too garish for most tastes (including mine if I'm honest). The important thing is that you keep submitting what means the most to you. With a bit of luck, someone else will feel the same way!

Tai Chi Master
by JuliBoc

Comment by see:
Wow, this guy radiates �the calm before the storm�. It�s easy to see why he liked it.

Fairy Dust
by JuliBoc

Comment by krnodil:
I like how the bokeh seems like just larger twinkles that match the twinkles in his eyes. I don't know if you shot this handheld or not, but at 1/20s it may have been too slow for handheld, to avoid softness due to hand shake. Also the aperture might have been too wide - I think what could have led to some of the poorer votes were the parts of the shot that fall out of focus, like the beard and eyebrows, which a greater depth of field may have helped. With such a narrow DOF, critical focus is even more critical, and anything, like handshake at slower shutter speeds, will be even more dramatically apparent. Of course if you didn't intend the beard and eyebrows to be in focus, my comment is irrelevant - I'm a big believer in the photographer's intent trumping what any particular viewer might "want" from your image. :)

In any case, votes below 4 for this image seem harsh. Personally I voted this a 5, which means to me a shot that is decent but just doesn't particularly "grab" me.

Fairy Dust
by JuliBoc

Comment by Yo_Spiff:
I didn't vote on this one, but I would have probably given it a 5. The composition is pretty good. I think the main issue is the clarity of the image as a whole, and a bit of graininess. The 1/20 second exposure may have had something to do with that. Were you using a tripod? If it was handheld, then I admire your ability to hold a camera steady at that shutter speed. I would have probably bumped up the colors a touch to bring out the rosy cheeks, sparkly eyes and the bokeh in the back.

I think to some extent it was a little out of season right now and some voters may have viewed it as a photo of someone else's piece of art.

Fairy Dust
by JuliBoc

Comment by Xuko:
Julianne, this is a response from the forum you signed up for: It has already been said in a few of the comments and I agree; shots of toys or figurines don't do well here. The photo does have great bokeh that picked up the greenish dusk. On the down side of the dust is that it gathered in the eyes and makes me want to flince alittle because we can all relate to getting something in your eyes and how painful that is. I've looked thru your portfollio and you take some wonderful shots but I can't say this is one of them. Don't be too discouraged by my comments, it's just how one viewer sees this. Do keep shooting, you do some really nice work. X

Tai Chi Master
by JuliBoc

Comment by colorcarnival:
Wow this is cool. The glowy background around him is perfect considering he does tai-chi. I love how the lighting emphasizes the features of his face. He looks serious and calm. Great photo!

Tai Chi Master
by JuliBoc

Comment by levyj413:
Hey, that's a great portrait!

Fairy Dust
by JuliBoc

Comment by nonney:
Fun photograph. It makes me happy.

Fairy Dust
by JuliBoc

Comment by Bilberry:
Sweet but rather artificial.