Three docks
by MrAkamai

Comment by dcano:
I think this wouuld have made more of an impact if the focal length was pulled back some.

Three docks
by MrAkamai

Comment by dados:
i dont see this as 3 objects - really. but still it could be a breat print.

Fire extinguisher
by MrAkamai

Comment by MrAkamai:
Thank you for your comments, Amanda! Sorry I didn't get around to reading them until now as I was out of town in New Orleans. I was busy there, however, taking over 130 photos and some of which are posted in my portfolio already.

The border color does look red here but I will try what you suggested and change the brush properties next time. While I made the border, I didn't think of the consequences of applying a highly opaque color against a white background. I know it's obvious but it just didn't click with me at the time.

I totally agree with you on the distortion of the bricks and that's a trait I cannot fix as it lies with the lens. I would LOVE to retake this with my 10D (and my new tripod) in the future and I hope to do it one day. The 718SH just isn't sturdy enough to hold the 10D in any sideways position.

As for the number of comments the photo received, I just hoped for a higher score based on what was said. But, personally, I am very happy with the photo despite its flaws and hopefully the one I take with the 10D will be much better.

Thanks again, Amanda!

Pomegranate flowers
by MrAkamai

Comment by MrAkamai:
Wow, I really REALLY took a beating on this one, didn't I? Oh well, like everyone said in their comments, it wasn't centered despite both the flowers and pomegranate fruit occupying the center of the frame. I guess the subject needs to be very obvious and I admit I do deduct points for the photo not matching the challenge or if the title does not fully represent what the title implies.

Do any of you think you would have voted higher if you thought of both the flowers and the pomegranate as one single subject? I'm very curious. :)

Many thanks to those who voted 5 and higher (especially those two 8s)! :)

Fire extinguisher
by MrAkamai

Comment by Jesuispeure:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

First of all, I really enjoyed this pic during the challenge. It's a shot you should be proud of.

Composition: I think this is one of the strongest points of the picture. The far-right centering gives a lot of interest to an otherwise mundane subject. There is some issue with the border. I like the translucency, but the low opacity on top of the white does make the red lighter, hence pink. Maybe if you set the brush to "darken" or "soft light" instead of "normal" you could keep the texture with a more vibrant red color. I do like the inclusion of the border. The wall could go on and on for feet, but the border helps define the realm of the picture.

Technical: Personally, I like the shadowing on both the extinguisher and the wall. I don't think it's too dark; as you said, it helps show off the texture of the brick. It also gives it photo some mood- it's not a catalougue shot of a fire extinguisher. The bricks are quite distorted, especially on the bottom edge. However, the extinguisher seems to line up for the most part with the right hand border, which fools the eye a little.

Appeal: With 25 comments, you can see that people had a very strong reaction to this photo, whether good or bad, and that in and of it self speaks of the sucess of the photo. It's not middle of the road.

Great job!
Amanda

Pomegranate flowers
by MrAkamai

Comment by ChrisW123:
Nothing is centered. You should have zoomed in (and centered on) that bizzare "bulb" on the right instead. But make sure you have enough light.

Pomegranate flowers
by MrAkamai

Comment by bpickard:
Leaf in centre too blurred to be the subject of the photo

Pomegranate flowers
by MrAkamai

Comment by postoakinversion:
nice picture, but it doesn't seem to belong in this challenge

Pomegranate flowers
by MrAkamai

Comment by C-town driver:
As much as I hate to say it, I not really seeing the centered composition in this photo.

Pomegranate flowers
by MrAkamai

Comment by labuds:
centered?