Waiting to be wheeled in....
by Ja-9

Comment by sidpixel:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

An image that fits the challenge in an obvious sort of way.

I like that you have chosen to concentrate on a viewpoint that makes it immediately obvious what we are looking at but it just doesn't seem a very inspiring sort of image. As one of your commenters has pointed out the focus is on the second wheel throwing the lead one into soft focus which somewhat spoils the effect.

I think the repetition of the wheels would have been enhanced by cropping the front one so that we don't know its the first one but we have the illusion of a never-ending line of trolleys that just goes on ad infinitum. I like the diagonal of the composition but what I think would have also improved it would have been to go in close on the wheels looking up towards the rest of the trolley structure, this may have made it more interesting and engaging. The debris on the floor doesn't add to the shot and would have been better cleaned up either before or after the shot.

A good attempt Janine but not one of your best, Sid

breezes
by Ja-9

Comment by sidpixel:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A lovely nature shot that tries to meet the challenge in a different and interesting way.

Given the specifics of the challenge brief that the shot should be taken during the golden hour of dusk or dawn I'm not sure that your image exhibits the qualities of light that are to be expected at those times. Don't get me wrong, I do like the shot and the way it portrays a golden feel through the lovely colour of the crop. I also like the golden bokeh and the shapes that the crop is being blown into slanting across the frame as it does.

What I don't like is the overexposure, in particular on the crucial area of the topmost head which is probably the most important of all of the heads. One or two of the bokeh circles are also burnt out which detracts in an important part of the image. The top of the image is horribly burnt out too which detracts from the overall result somewhat. It is this area that signifies to me that it was not taken during the softer and more amenable light of the golden hour and therefore fails to meet the challenge directly, the light is just too harsh.

I do like your interpretation, thanks for the submission, Sid

breezes
by Ja-9

Comment by jmritz:
sweet grass

Waiting to be wheeled in....
by Ja-9

Comment by quiche:
Nice. I like the repeated pattern. Wish the lead wheel were a bit sharper. Looks like focal point is really on the second wheel.

breezes
by Ja-9

Comment by quiche:
Nice bokeh.

A L L • S T A R S
by Ja-9

Comment by sidpixel:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

Congratulations on your high placing for this appealing shot that meets the challenge well.

As has already been observed by your commenters this would a make good advertising stock image. You have chosen well in your choice of location and background, placing of the shoes, aperture and focus point, it all works very well together.

I like the whites, however, I feel it has been pushed a little too far, there is some overexposure and loss of detail, I think probably half a stop less would have retained the detail. It is not a major issue but to me it is evident and undesirable. There is a blueish tinge on the whites that would also benefit from some adjustment. I like the orange colour and worn nature of the road lines together with the textures, it adds a nice touch.

Well done Janine, Sid

~ s o a r i n g ~
by Ja-9

Comment by sidpixel:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A very appealing action shot

This is not the first time one of your images has had me exclaiming �yessss� as I scroll down to reveal it � its lovely! This really is right up my street, I love it though I'm sure not everyone here would but to be honest it did better than I would have expected but not as well as it deserved.

I obviously love the motion blur but what makes this work for me are the horizontals of the water both dark and light, the horizontal of the beach, the abstract shapes of the birds, the double vision bike and that gorgeous splash of red of the rider's clothes shaped by the wind. The only very minor amendment might be to have the rider a little more to the right it is a little too central.

I like it so much I think I'm gonna have to fave it, (that's not something that happens very often!), thanks Sid.

"It is life, I think, to watch the water." ~ Nicholas Sparks
by Ja-9

Comment by sidpixel:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A competent image that meets the challenge

Your fast shutter speed has enabled you to capture the water drops very effectively and thus meet the challenge. I like your portrait orientation to leave plenty of room for the drops to fall into. I also like the row of soft focus drops in the background against the one sharply focused drop in the foreground.

I find the background distracting especially all the colours, I think this would have worked much better in mono. I think there is also scope keeping the same aspect ratio for a crop removing some from the right and the bottom so that you have more of a feel that there are still more drops just beyond the frame.

It's a shame you didn't get any comments during the challenge and also that it didn't score higher, I think it deserved better, Sid.

Corn King
by Ja-9

Comment by sidpixel:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

A record shot that meets the challenge.

The image is a quite straightforward shot of a tradesman at his labours which, of course, meets the challenge brief. It is a very challenging exposure in the bright sunlit conditions in which you were in, so I assume in order to get sufficeint exposure to the most important part of the image, the man, you have used +EC? It has worked for the man at the expense of the rest of the background which is totally blown and, for me, detrimental to the end result.

This is obviously not a situation where you can combine exposures but if this was your only vantage point I might have tried to expose for the scene as a whole with a lower and more acceptable level of overexposure and selectively increased the exposure for the man in PS. I know the shadows hold less usable data and reveal noise more readily but there is also scope here for a lower ISO and wider aperture given the background scene.

Hope you enjoyed the cob?!? Sid

m a l e v o l e n t • a s c e n t
by Ja-9

Comment by sidpixel:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique Club*

An oft repeated but nevertheless effective shot that meets the challenge.

These type of shots always work well because they lend themselves to an easy and straightforward composition, they also easily hold our attention on the main subject, the stairwell.

I like your mono conversion you have a near full range of tones with good contrasts, it suits the subject very well indeed. The exposure is spot on with full detail throughout, the brickwork is excellently rendered. There is so much detail here to feast your eyes upon, it really is lovely.

I think I understand why you have titled it the way you have, not just for the number and steepness of the steps but those metal treads look extremely unforgiving should you slip, ouch! Thank you for another interesting entry, Sid