The Long Sprint Home
by jagar

Comment:
Ok, I'm in awe:-).

The Long Sprint Home
by jagar

Comment:
Wonderful photo. I'm having a very hard time judging this challenge but I can believe this photo. I want to believe it. If it was setup I don't think the photographer would have included the second child. If it is setup, including the second child was brilliant. If that child had been illuminated in that patch of light I would have questioned the photo....to perfect. I'm no Bresson expert by any means but this captures his essence imho. From the setting to the light to the decisive moment this photo works overtime for me.
If this photo is a truly candid shot then I'm in awe of this person's work. If it is setup it's still a wonderful shot, just not in the spirit of this challenge.

Chipmunk on a leisurely stroll...
by Socom

Comment:
Socom, your recent thread caught my attention and since I scored this photo a 4 I want to leave a comment as to why. BTW, I'm new here, I'm sure I'm newer than you, and I've looked through your photos and definitely think you should NOT quit! I have had thoughts like you myself, in fact I have a couple more lower scoring photos than you. But I won't quit, I joined here because I wanted honest opinions and I guess I'm getting them:-). I haven't left as many comments as I probably should because I am not a photo judging expert in any sense, but I do have opinions and it seems often enough they are different than others.
I would rather praise than criticize but I will give you my honest opinion on this photo which I think is the weakest of all your photos I've seen. That said it definitely does not deserve any score less than a 4 imho. The perspective is good and you caught the chipmunk, for goodness sake! The composition is good, many would have centered the flower and chipmunk. BUT, it's hard to tell it's a chipmunk, he's so underexposed. The grasses in the photo are big distractions making everything way to busy, the grass low, right in front draws attention from the chipmunk, you have to really search to find the chipmunk. There is to much space upper left that is to bright and adds nothing to the composition. That bright white area draws the eye out of the composition right off the bat.
When I take a picture of a flower and I want it to pop and I want to make it the center of attention, I try to turn everything else into a creamy blur, especially if everything else is to busy and doesn't add to the composition. If the picture is about a field of flowers, of course you don't want to blur them totally but this photo is about a chipmunk and his flower.
I can see exactly what you were trying to accomplish and it would not have been easy to pull off, the stars didn't line up for this photo just like they don't line up for 99.9% of my photos but if it were easy we would already have moved off to something else:-).
I hope this helps.

pit stop
by FourPointX

Comment:
Lovely photo, I like the colors but I think the yellow flower in the upper right should be cropped out. It is not adding to the composition and it tends to draw my eye out of the photo.

Paint Me
by mrbig65

Comment:
I like the idea here, I like the flowers are OOF and the fence is sharp because this challenge is supposed to feature a fence but the big bright spot at the very top of the photo drags my eye right out of the composition.

The American Dream
by bassbone

Comment:
This is a very strong challenge and there have been some great B&W conversions of which this is one. There have been some great pics but a few of the great ones didn't "feature" a fence. To me this photo is spot on, wow.

Beyond
by Ammie

Comment:
Great photo, beautiful colors, dramatic sky, great placement of the fence in the composition. There are situations where the horizon can be centered but imho this is not one of them. I would suggest cropping about 20% off the top of the sky, right above the rays.

Grafitti Alley
by DJWoodward

Comment:
Oh yes, this is how B&W conversions are done folks. I would have taken this photo.......if I was good enough.

The Wall
by Yo_Spiff

Comment:
This is what we're talkin' about.

Beyond Repair
by SaraR

Comment:
Wonderful image, makes me wonder why the heck I'm sitting here instead of fishing:-).