Evening Star (Oranges and Purples in the Sky and Ocean)by
loz1Comment by ursula: From the Critique Club
Hello, Loretta,
Well, so you wanted to get your first 5, and you went almost to 6! Now that's the way to do it. And you have the second spot for your camera. Congratulations!
Your "Secondary Colours" photo is very beautiful. The colours are the best part of the picture. I would not crop the top, not at all, the purple sky is perfect as it is. I think it's a good idea that you went with your gut feeling on this. I love the low horizon line, the reflections on the water, and the little tiny dark clouds in the middle and to the right.
The photo looks ever so slightly out of focus to my eyes, but in this case I think it actually helps. I don't think good photos have to always be perfectly sharp - clear, yes, but that's different. I like the way you managed to keep the purple sky so smooth.
The border is a bit uneven, at least that's the way it looks to me. The outside black line is wider on the right and narrower on the left than on top and bottom. Also, the inside black border merges with the picture at the bottom, making the purple border look slightly like an optical illusion. IMHO, this picture would look better without a border, or with a very simple border (e.g. a white mat). The picture speaks for itself, the border it has now doesn't really enhance it.
A couple of your commenters below mention the person's head, but on my monitor it hardly shows (it's amazing how different pictures look on different monitors). One idea that I've been using is to create 2 copies of my entry, one lighter and the other darker than the actual submission, and view them to try and see how my picture might look on other people's monitors. You pick up stuff about your picture that way that you might miss otherwise.
OK, I'll quit before I bore you to death. Again, congratulations on a very good entry. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your pictures. Take care,
Ursula (uabresch)
Comments, questions, complaints ... feel free to contact me.
Photographer found comment helpful.