All Aboard!
by dgodard

Comment by hotpasta:
lacks any creativity

The Way Out
by dgodard

Comment by Paul:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: There are some nice leading lines here (would've fit the current challenge well) and the wood pattens in the right upper quadrant of the image are very nice - particularly the ceiling pattern. Your choice of exposure is excellent, we get a true sense of it being dim in here but very bright outside. I really like that fence line outside too.

Critical stuff: The greys, as offered, are a bit flat; I think I'd have been tempted to tweak the levels a little.

Overall: A simple image, that although effective doesn't, for me, deliver all the way.

The Way Out
by dgodard

Comment by bvy:
I love the repeating pattern, the emptiness. Nice composition.

Enduring Spirit
by dgodard

Comment by MaryO:
Too cartoonish for my taste; sorry.

Enduring Spirit
by dgodard

Comment by Abra:
The worn flag is very interesting but the post processing makes it look more like a drawing for me. However, the grainy effect in the middle saves this shot for me.

Enduring Spirit
by dgodard

Comment by whiteroom:
go bigger next time, also generally the voters do not really like too much pp.
good luck

Shop Window
by dgodard

Comment by aircooledguy:
Busy and it seems to compete with itself 5

Shop Window
by dgodard

Comment by bvy:
SUbject is good; I wish the scene it was reflecting was something more interesting.

Here's To You, My Friend
by dgodard

Comment by docpjv:
GOOD DAY FROM YOUR DPCHALLENGE CRITIQUE CLUB!

Dear Debbie, ,

Thanks for allowing us to have a closer look at your photograph. It is a fact that on average people look and evaluate an image presented to them in 5 seconds. When we are given the opportunity to really look and interpret the image, that is when we appreciate people like you. And thanks to you, we hope to learn much together.

The process I deploy is first of all to look at your previous work and then look at the currents comments made. I want to have a 'feel' for the person who entrusted me with this responsibility. Only then do I spend time with the image for a critique.

The critique can be both Applied (To the image self) and Theoretical (Attempt to philosophy and theorise about the work). It is important for me to be able to describe, to interpret, to evaluate and even to theorize about it. If I can encourage discourse about your work I will be happy.

In the final analysis, I hope you can learn something from this, take something of it and improve both your skill and self confidence.

So, here goes for your image.Congratulations with your third challenge, you are doing quite well for a 'new' member.

Looking at the feedback you received, and what a large number you received, we all will have to agree this is some special image. Yes, it did not score as well as most said, but that is actually less important than the learning experience AND the fun you so obviously had. I agree, you must have had fun. And for me that is another side of a creative person. Well done.

After having a good look at the image I would like to communicate the following.

First of, I absolutely agree with L Vicari's comment about the size of the frame. It is in my opinion the most worthy comment. I have noted that it is becoming a bit of a trend, the big border. Like the massive black two sided frames, you actually take image space for a border. A big risky trade off.

watch out for what you have behind you, it actually draws the eye away from the subject matter. For example, you did not have adequate Depth of Field to isolate the flower/stick arrangement. In the last picture it the most distracting because the base is unseen.

If you used the same zoom size for all three images, it might also have been better. In this case the first image is the one of choice. It allows you to be less distracted by just too many items. The faces by itself is actually the focus, and some of that was lost by zooming out. Composition wise, image one is superior.

This is a very simple tip, but always keep it in mind. The idea is for you to grab the eye, which you did, but then keep it on the subject. In a way we discussed that above. But that less serious than having a LIGHT spot, look at the spot in image one behind your left shoulder. in every respect, try never to have areas like that, again, the eye is always drawn to that area, not 'looking' where you the photographer wants it to look.

Your lighting was great on the faces of the first image, spot on. Images two and three has burnt out ares on the faces and neck.

Finally, the more I looked at this image the more I liked it. As with the other challenges, it shows a very creative photographer who needs to 'play more to learn more' in terms of her photography. Creativity, you have, practice will make perfect.

Enjoy your photography, and keep on participating!

docpjv

Here's To You, My Friend
by dgodard

Comment by Tommy_Mac:

Originally posted by BeckyT: This one is underrated. I enjoyed it very much. I gave it a 9. Thought it would have been closer to front page.

I agree...I thought this would have definitely been top 5