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

g l o w i n g • e m b e r s
by Ja-9

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

An abstract that meets the challenge to some degree.

When the challenge description gives you the scope it has in defining orange as a range of colours between red and yellow not all will recognise the 'orange' qualities equally. Whilst your image has appeal it is significantly towards the red end of the definition to the extent that the smaller yellower elements in the top left stand out as being distinctly orange by comparison. If it had been me I would probably have subtly altered the hue more towards the yellow spectrum to get nearer a recognisably distinct orange through more of the image.

Having never tried to capture this sort of image I assume the long exposure enabled you to bring out more of the glow and less of the blacks because of the changing nature of the glowing embers? Bet you were nice and warm for this one!

Thanks for submitting Janine, Sid

s e a • s p r i t e
by Ja-9

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

A simple image given extra quality.

As soon as this started to appear on my screen I actually uttered an ooh� it has instant appeal for me. As your commenters have stated it has a dreamy quality to it.

Your slow shutter speed and deliberate(?) movement during exposure has created a much more unique image that has an extra appeal all of its own. The vogue is so often for very long exposures turning the sea into a flat lake which, although it has its merits, has been way overdone of late, this is much more preferable. I like your composition with the child well off centre and looking in towards the rest of the frame, it works well.

There's not really anything I can add, it works for me, thanks, Sid

• n i r v a n a •
by Ja-9

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

A nature study without a strong focal point.

This is the Orton effect again isn't it? The end result looks very similar to your image I recently critiqued for the challenge 'the Orton effect', most of my introductory remarks equally apply to this image.

I find it difficult to rest my eyes on any particular aspect of the image I am wandering around and not seeing anything that holds my attention. There is an imbalance between the right and the left, everything of any interest is to be found on the right. The general tone of the trees just doesn't look natural there seems to be a colour cast throughout.

I do like reflections and I think this may have worked better if you had concentrated on the right and more water using portrait orientation, it would probably have made it more interesting.

I'm sorry this one is just not doing it for me, Sid