Set to Pasture
by Firstrich1

Comment by Coley:
interesting take ...I like this shot

Set to Pasture
by Firstrich1

Comment by LtHousLady:
Great shot, but I probably would have focused on the pasture instead of the car features.

Hot Bath
by Firstrich1

Comment by dsmil:
This shot is pure genious...it should have easily beaten the other photos which were quite lame and meaningless.

You brilliantly decided to focus on the glass instead of the model's face which enhances the emotion of this picture.

The "cleavage" was tasteful and not overdone...this is one of the best pictures i have ever seen on this site...it deserved the blue ribbon.

Cold Steel
by Firstrich1

Comment by Artifacts:
Nice use of smokestacks for this challenge. Several other sets of parallel lines work for this industrial image.

Cold Steel
by Firstrich1

Comment by moodville:
Nice details, good contrasts, like the composition too. Good shot!

Cold Steel
by Firstrich1

Comment by garlic:
Seems like litle overexposed or overbrightened and contrasted. But its a fine image and i like the angel of the main subject.

Cold Steel
by Firstrich1

Comment by Bibliophile:
I like this picture, but feel it could use a bit more contrast. More whites and less greys. The border also really calls attention to the lask of contract. If that's exactly the look you were going for, then ignore me. It's an artistic observation so...you know.

Cold Steel
by Firstrich1

Comment by shardy:
Very atmospheric

Cold Steel
by Firstrich1

Comment by justine:
Like this, like the tones, the cold feel. the focus. Good luck.

Interstate Abstract
by Firstrich1

Comment by KevinRiggs:
Critique Club

Composition
The composition is impressive. You included the fire hydrant for perspective, you have diagonal lines disappearing into one of the corners of the image and you captured the architectureal beauty and magnificence of this subject against a graduated backdrop of ever darkening sky. Artistic of you to see something like this and then be able to capture it to share with others. Because this was based on the Advanced Editing rules, however, I would like to see just a couple of changes to your composition. The large vertical column just above the fire hydrant has what appears to be a white sign on it (in the shaded area). I think it would enhance the photo to clone that out. Likewise under one of the spans of highway that runs almost horizontal you should be able to see what appears to be a traffic sign. I think the picture would benefit from having that cloned out as well. Those two things are minor nits and easily overlooked on first viewing of the photo though.

Color
The colors in this shot were kept to a minimum (probably by the designers of the interstate) but it works well for you because it allows the grace of the design to speak more powerfully. The organic orange hue seems to work well whether it is cast in full shade, sidelit or in direct sunlight. The yellow/orange of the hydrant is starkly lit against the shaded cement. The range of blue in the sky is a beautiful backdrop against which the scene can be set. The high-octane blue along the side of the interstate walls works in contrast to the muted orange and the darker blue in the upper left corner. The image contains few colors but they all receive ample space in the photo so that they help to create a beautiful scene. Rather than having blobs of color, the extended lines help reinforce the graceful concepts that went into this design.

Focus
You have ample depth of field here with your aperture of 9.0. I'm sure the amount of ambient light you had to work with helped you and I think that any smaller aperture would not have worked (see Lighting).

Lighting
My argument against a smaller aperture is that I think it may have resulted in shadows that were too dark to create the 3-tone effect that some of the roadway has; I think it would have tended to generate areas that were "in light" versus areas that were "shaded". With your capture you have produced 3 distinct ranges out of one color. The whole interstate seems to thrive off the bright orange hue on its surface but you have enhanced that by going when this section was in direct sunlight and you have further deepened the color by shooting at f/9 which allowed you to get brightly lit sections of the road as well as mildly lit ares and much deeper shadows. The shadow running down to the fire hydrant is also timed almost perfectly; it leads the eye down the photo to the hydrant.

Overall
This photo is a very strong shot given your title. You truly nailed what it looks like you were aiming for. It is abstract art from a view of an interstate roadway. Congrats to you for seeing it and noticing the beauty and balance inherent in this view and even more for being able to capture it and share with us. It is deserving of an award. This capture the essence of the design that others labored to produce; to me you got exactly what a photographer should look for: a replica that inspires its viewers in a similar manner to how the original view must have inspired you.