shining under the spotlight
by AllenP

Comment:
Well done, this is an advertisement quality shot, the only thing missing is the company logo.

Santa Serenade
by PGerst

Comment:
Ha, I knew that beluga looked familiar. Visited him at Mystic last year. He loves the camera.

Newborn
by gyaban

Comment:
Love how the landscape seems to bend around the ball here.

Tiger Lady
by bobnospum

Comment:
Love how the tiger looks to be emerging from the iris here.

Light
by Mike

Comment:
There seems to be something really off with the skin of the neck (redder, more textures) in comparison to the skin (lighter and smoother) of the woman's face here.

Mysterious Ascensions
by AllenP

Comment:
Very cool!

47 Dog Steps
by Ammie

Comment:
This is an excellent photo, and here is why I think so.

First and foremost, it tells a story that we can all relate to: Looking into the unknown, for example, looking into the future. That is key, because every element of the photo works toward telling that story:

-It uses the dog as a foreground focal point for a landscape. The fact the dog is facing away from the camera and looking into the mist is critical to the telling of the story.

-It has three layers, exactly what you want in a photo: foreground (the dog and green shrubs), mid ground (the yellow grassy area, slightly misted) , background (the mysterious landscape in the dense fog). All of these elements work toward the story, the idea that the present is knowable, the near-future is relatively predictable, and the distant future is unknowable.

-The two elements that DON'T work toward telling the story are the ones I'd change. Here, I'd have stuck to the rule of thirds to place the dog off-center, which would enhance the effect of the dog looking into the landscape, and I'd remove the border, which gives a sense of order, which contradicts the idea that the future is unknowable.

I didn't vote in this challenge, but I'd have give nthis photo a 9. It'd get a 10 from me if without the border and if the dog were off-center.

Brangus
by Ammie

Comment:
When someone looks at a photo, especially in a challenge/voting situation, one thing they look for a story behind the photo, so one of the main issues with this is that it doesn't have one. People look at this photo and say 'okay, it's a cow'. I think you want to get more adventurous, think about what story you can tell with the cow through photography.

There are also some other points to consider:
- The cow's head is centered in the photo. The center is usually the least interesting area for the viewer to look at.
- There appears to be a cow in the background behind the cow, one that is exactly the same color, so we lose some of the animals shape.
- Just as in with humans, the eyes are usually the most important feature. The angle at which this is taken does not show the cow's eyes very well.
- I think you sort of hit a 'dead-zone' in terms of the framing and distance of this photo. If you'd zoomed in and taken a slightly different angle and made the photo asymmetrical, you could've made the cow's eyes the subject. Alternatively, you could've made the cow a foreground focal point to a nice landscape, or used it in silhouette for a sunrise/sunset show.

God In The Machine
by Osiris1975

Comment:
Thanks bflo_guy, you're right, this one just didn't work out.

The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, by Douglas Adams
by Osiris1975

Comment:

Originally posted by Melethia: I don't know if you realize just how very hard it is to get a Thumb from Paul ( ubique) AND hang in the posthumous gallery at the same time. And with your first entry! This is a sign of good things to come, I'm sure. And while your set pieces are reminiscent of RKT's work (please do check her out - she's amazing), you have a different weight to the picture than she usually casts. Welcome to DPC!

Thank you, Melethia, I'm very appreciative of Paul's recognition of my entry, and I confess, I didn't know what it meant until I asked.

I've only been here a couple of weeks, but I'm loving it, it is such a great online community.