Marmot Whistle Alert
by Ja-9

Comment by ericwoo:
Hey there from the Critique Club

My thoughts on the image: Those little jokers can be hard to catch for photos! I remember stalking on for about 2 hours the first time I saw one in Glacier. He was hiding in the parking lot, dipping in and out from underneath cars. Nice capture and nice job meeting the challenge!

My ideas for improvement: This is a fantastic image, and I think it scored decently. It seems like the voters are more often drawn to vibrant colors over interesting subjects. I brown animal on a brown background probably didn't translate well for many, especially if they don't know how difficult they are to catch a good image of.

Where I would have/did score this entry: I did vote in this one, and I was one of your 6s. I was between a 6 and 7, but leaned 6 based on comparison with the rest of the field. Nice capture, and thanks for sharing!

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a critique on your entry,
Eric

Cozy Harbor
by Ja-9

Comment by ericwoo:
The queue is giving me this one again. I still love it!

Cozy Harbor
by Ja-9

Comment by ericwoo:
Hey there from the Critique Club

My thoughts on the image: Hands down, the best entry in this challenge, and a well-deserved blue! I am not normally a fan of these types of challenges...yeah, too old school when it comes to photos...but this one is done really well with fantastic composition.

My ideas for improvement: It would have been great to see this scene with this treatment on a perfect, blue-sky afternoon, but we don't always get the conditions we want. With that said, I think you did a fantastic job with this overall.

Where I would have/did score this entry: This would have been an 8 or 9 from me. There is not a better image in this challenge. The voters got this one right!

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a critique on your entry,
Eric

Misty Shoals On The Sea
by Ja-9

Comment by ericwoo:
Hey there from the Critique Club

My thoughts on the image: Very nice tip 5 finish! While there were some images that were maybe more creative, this one was my favorite overall after looking through the challenge.

My ideas for improvement: Maybe a little dehazing, but not a lot. I would like to see the lighthouse w little more clearly, bit the mist really adds to the moodiness of the photo.

Where I would have/did score this entry: This one would have been an 8 or 9 from me, but I really like the photography aspect of the challenges over the creatively constructed scenes. Very nice capture, and thanks for sharing!

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a critique on your entry,
Eric

low • tide
by Ja-9

Comment by ericwoo:
Hey there from the Critique Club

My thoughts on the image: Congrats on another top 10! I like this one a lot. The post-processing came out very nicely.

My ideas for improvement: I know, I am a broken record sometimes. I would like to see this one with pushed contrast. That, though, is a personal opinion. Sometimes high contrast does well, sometimes not. I think that some contrast would have really impacted the depth of the image.

Where I would have/did score this entry: This would have been a top 5 for me. It would have been a 6 or 7, but maybe even an 8 if the contrast was increased. Thanks for letting us see it!

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a critique on your entry,
Eric

Mr. Israel Gross ~ Aug 27, 1807
by Ja-9

Comment by ericwoo:
Hey there from the Critique Club

My thoughts on the image: I tend to agree with ThingFish on this one. While I get the thought that you were going for, I just don't think that it hit the challenge very well.

My ideas for improvement: I think it would have been very difficult to squeeze this one into the confines of the challenge, so I really wouldn't have much to offer on improvement. I do enjoy old cemetery and gravesite photos, as I currently have one doing 'meh' in a challenge in voting now. Grave shots are always hit or miss with me on this site.

Where I would have/did score this entry: I think this would have pulled a 3 or 4 from me. The image is still nice, but it just didn't fall into the challenge the way I would have interpreted it. Even still, thanks for posting it.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a critique on your entry,
Eric

• j u s t • b r e a t h e •
by Ja-9

Comment by ericwoo:
Hey there from the Critique Club

My thoughts on the image: Congrats on another top 10! This is another stunning image that makes me feel like I am sitting right there!

My ideas for improvement: That strip of land on the left makes my mind think that the horizon is tilted. I think I may have tried to reposition to either include more or less of it, but nothing major. I can see that it is only an illusion, but I think that is what makes me feel tilted.

Where I would have/did score this entry: This would have been a 7 or 8 from me. There were some strong entries, but I feel like this one should have placed better. I suppose that technically it did with all of the removed images. Nice work!

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a critique on your entry,
Eric

Norton's Ledge
by Ja-9

Comment by ericwoo:
Hey there from the Critique Club

My thoughts on the image: I cannot understand how this did not ribbon. This one should have placed third, at least in my opinion. Everything about the image works together to pull my into and all around it. Fantastic capture!

My ideas for improvement: I may have upped the vibrance, especially on the blue, just a bit, but that would have probably been all that I would have done differently.

Where I would have/did score this entry: I didn't vote, but this would have been an 8 from me. I think that the 1 and 2 finishers would have pulled 9s from me, but this would have been an easy 8. Great image!

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a critique on your entry,
Eric

Just Around the Corner
by Ja-9

Comment by ericwoo:
Hey there from the Critique Club

My thoughts on the image: Very nice capture, and it nicely meets the challenge. I really like the wide range of colors captured. The reds and greens and blues all play well together.

My ideas for improvement: I think I would have upped the contrast a bit. I think a little contrast would have really made that red pop.

Where I would have/did score this entry: I wasn't active back on September, so I didn't get to vote on this one. Going through the entries after the fact, this one would have been a 6 or a 7 with me. I think it scored a little low, but not significantly. Nice post.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a critique on your entry,
Eric

Bison: The Majestic Beast of the Plains
by Ja-9

Comment by ericwoo:
Hey there from the Critique Club

My thoughts on the image: I am surprised that this one did not do a little better. I think it is a bit over-sharpened, but it is still, in my opinion, more pleasing than some that finished ahead of it.

My ideas for improvement: To me, this would have been a perfect image to really stretch out that lens and compress your DOF. Had the Bison been in sharp focus with some blurring of the BG, I think this one would have made a bigger impression.

Where I would have/did score this entry: I also scored this one a 5. I think with some changes in the DOF, this one could have easily been a top 5.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a critique on your entry,
Eric