Butterfly Superposed Images
by nathaliedoo

Comment:
*Critique Club*

FIRST IMPRESSION: Vivid color, but not sure what the extra frame adds.

CHALLENGE: As the challenge called for two or three separate photographs, I don't think this really meets the challenge as intended. That said, a few other people interpreted this the same way, so I do not think this totally missed the point, either.

COMPOSITION: The composition of this shot is very strong, though the angle at which you took the shot results in harsh reflections off the leaves.

TECHNICAL: I might have preferred the use of a polarizer here to soften the reflections of light in this shot. Also, shooting in macro mode and/or with a larger aperture (smaller f number) would have softened up the background a bit. Given that unlimited editing was allowed you could have simulated the shortened depth of field using Gaussian Blur.

CONCLUSION: Very convincing photoshop work, and a pleasing end result. I don't think that the extra beveled frame around the butterfly adds anything, and I wonder if it would have been better to omit it. Then again, it does add extra punch, so perhaps it is better to keep it.

Thanks for sharing and good luck in future challenges!

Mortal Coil
by moodville

Comment:
*Critique Club*

FIRST IMPRESSION: Very moody, the images tie together well.

CHALLENGE: Meets the challenge.

COMPOSITION: Individually and as a group these are composed very well. I might have liked a tighter crop on the rightmost image as that would be consistent with the others.

TECHNICAL: The technical aspects of these images are excellent; again my only issue is with the rightmost image, which appears to have a graininess not present in the others.

CONCLUSION: This is a high-quality submission that holds a lot of interest for me. It is interesting not only for its overy theme but also as a study of lighting and mood.

Thanks for sharing and good luck in future challenges!

United In Love
by timj351

Comment:
*Critique Club*

FIRST IMPRESSION: A great series of shots that goes beyond the personal appeal to family and friends.

CHALLENGE: Meets the challenge.

COMPOSITION: The composition of the shots individually and together is excellent. My only issue with any of the individual shots is in the final shot, in which I would have preferred some space between the flowers on the mantle and Monica's head. I understand, however, that this was out of your control.

TECHNICAL: All technical aspects of these images are outstanding. Your expertise really shows in these shots.

CONCLUSION: Great series of images. I am sure Kris and Monica are happy they chose you to photograph their special day.

Thanks for sharing and good luck in future challenges!

Success
by rj324

Comment:
*Critique Club*

FIRST IMPRESSION: Colorful and inspiring.

CHALLENGE: Meets the challenge.

COMPOSITION: Your composition of these shots as a group is outstanding... I like the progression to outstretched arms, as well as the variation between zooms/crops. Individually, the shots are also well-composed with the exception of the center shot, which in my opinion is cropped too closely to the elbow.

TECHNICAL: Technical aspects are flawless. I love the way you metered this to get a perfect sunset and a silhouette of the girl.

CONCLUSION: One of the better entries to this challenge.

Thanks for sharing and good luck in future challenges!

Triptych Tulipiana
by Jak

Comment:
*Critique Club*

FIRST IMPRESSION: I like the many-to-one theme, lighting seems a bit off.

CHALLENGE: Meets the challenge.

COMPOSITION: The composition here is pretty good for each individual shot. I wonder if the top left shot might have been strengthened by including less negative space at the top. Also, a more consistent framing method might also add to the overall appeal of this composition.

TECHNICAL: The angle of your light is such that there is a lot of reflection off the tulips, and the reflection seems a bit yellowish to me. I wonder if a custom white-balance (or appropriate hue adjustments after the fact) would have yielded a more pleasing end result. In addition, the bottom shot in particular seems a bit oversharpened.

CONCLUSION: This is a good solid shot, and some additional work on the above-mentioned details might have put it quite a bit higher in the scoring.

Thanks for sharing and good luck in future challenges!

Rolling waves
by agwright

Comment:
*Critique Club*

FIRST IMPRESSION: Unusual composition, but that's a good thing. The staggering of the images works.

CHALLENGE: The challenge calls for two or three separate photographs, and this appears to be one photograph masked into three. While I personally feel this shot met the spirit (if not the letter) of the challenge, other voters may have been bothered by the relatively looks interpretation of the theme.

COMPOSITION: Your composition of the individual shots and the group as a whole is excellent Each of the individual shots could stand on its own (except maybe the third as there is nothing there to really hold the viewer's attention) but as a group they are even stronger.

TECHNICAL: All technical aspects are excellent and appropriate for the shots.

CONCLUSION: A very strong entry, one in which you took some chances, and those chances seemed to pay off. The loose interpretation of the challenge was probably the primary factor keeping your score below 6, but that does not take away from the fact that this is high-quality work that stands on its own.

Thanks for sharing and good luck in future challenges!

Sunset Blue...
by andrewlr

Comment:
*Critique Club*

FIRST IMPRESSION: Great photos and a unique layout that works well.

CHALLENGE: Meets the challenge.

COMPOSITION: The composition of botht he individual shots and the combined image is excellent. The centered composition works on the middle shot due to the interesting sky and the overlap of the other shots.

TECHNICAL: Exposure and lighting are excellent. I wonder if a UV filter might have helped remove the apparent haze on the right side of the rightmost shot.

CONCLUSION: Great shot, a nonstandard combination method that really works, and overall deserving of the high score it received. Nicely done!

Thanks for sharing and good luck in future challenges!

ThunderStruck
by jmsetzler

Comment:
Critique Club*

FIRST IMPRESSION: Great subject, and one that I know is a personal reflection of you (no pun intended). Good choice of frame color to echo the artwork on the motorcycle.

CHALLENGE: Meets the challenge.

COMPOSITION: Good choice to use the same handlebar shot on each side (flipped, of course). Using both handlebars would have broken the symmetry and, while it might have been more technically accirate, it would have taken away from the end result in the viewers eyes. The flow across frames, fromt he one handlebar, through the fender of the motorcycle and into the other handlebar, is a nice touch.

TECHNICAL: As usual, your technical aspects are pefrect. The time that you put into this shows in your end result. Great job in keeping the reflections in the chrome under control.

CONCLUSION: A great subject that should appeal to many a motorcycle enthusiast. Extrememotorcycles.com should consider hanging this in their showroom. A well-deserved top 10 finish!

Thanks for sharing and good luck in future challenges!

$peedVision
by RiderGal

Comment:
Critique Club*

FIRST IMPRESSION: GREAT shots, great title, great combination.

CHALLENGE: Meets the challenge.

COMPOSITION: All of these shots are composed extrelemely well, I love these as abstracts it adda a lot more interest than straight shots of the entire cars. You did an excellent job of keeping the reflections from becoming a distration, especially considering you were shooting at a public car show.

TECHNICAL: The technical aspects of these shots are as close to flawless as I can imagine.

CONCLUSION: This is, in my opinion, a totally and completely professional result. I frankly feel this image deserved much higher than its 24th place finish.

Thanks for sharing and good luck in future challenges!

Three Stages of Mr. Potato Head
by deckyon

Comment:
*Critique Club*

FIRST IMPRESSION: Fun subject, nice progression.

CHALLENGE: Meets the challenge.

COMPOSITION: All three shots are composed well overall, but the background does not appear to be very well thought out. The chair and table in the background are distracting in my opinion. These strike me individually as grab shots rather than planned photographs, but as a group they work well together for the theme.

TECHNICAL: Exposure is good, though the lighting is a bit stong in front and fades in a manner suggesting use of a flash as your primary light source (though the shot fortunately lacks the hard shadows typically seen in flash photography).


CONCLUSION: A good, promising subject that could be strengthened with additional attention to lighting. I wonder if the progression might flow more naturally if the last shot were placed first, though upon reading your comments I understand why you laid it out the way you did. These are among the better of the child shots I've seen submitted to challenges; your contribution actually belongs in the challenge, where many others' "kid shots" strike me as someone using the challenge as an excuse to show off their kids.

Thanks for sharing and good luck in future challenges!

Message edited by author 2003-05-07 15:38:39.