Maybe it is easy being green.
by timfythetoo

Comment:
Composition
I like the placement of kermit in the frame, but maybe you could have found a simpler, less busy composition/pov to give it that extra something.

Technical stuff (exposure, dof, lighting etcâ€Â¦)
Seems a tad flat, as though available lighting was poor.

Meeting the challenge
Well duh :P

Other
Would prefer if the "fishing line" was taut, rather than floating in the water.

My personal opinion
Whilst you have some great shots of Kermit, it is quite worrying that half of your top 6 entries (I have 6 thumbs to view) feature him lol.
Great score anyway, well done

Dragons Fly?
by tngrndream

Comment:
Composition
Fine for what it is. Another time you could maybe try some different angles, so that its more of a bugs-eye view but I understand there's an element of luck involved in "setting up" this kind of photo.

Technical stuff (exposure, dof, lighting etcâ€Â¦)
Focus is spot-on, but would like to see a touch less dof to get rid of that distracting twig. Very well exposed

Meeting the challenge
Well duh :P

Post-processing
Coped with the noise brilliatly. Had it been advanced editing I'd have toned down the b/g, either desaturate some (not completely though) or blur more, or both.

My personal opinion
Technically a very good shot, you should be pleased with it - shame it didn't score so high there's not really much to fault.

I do find the b/g detracts form the image as a whole, because the dragonfly doesn't pop out so much

Well done on getting another photo in your profile top 4

The Santa Maria Revisited
by timfythetoo

Comment:
Wow, congrats on the PB and 7+ with this great shot.

Slightly different format for Take Two...

Main critiques on original
brightness on right, more water reflection/detail, noisy sky, distracting bits (to be cropped out but you've just made them non-distracting)

What you've improved
Much better POV, without the teenagers to get in the way. Reflection really adds to it, and colours are more vibrant, without such noise.Because you've not had to crop in so tightly its compositionally much stronger. Also, maybe its just rfom the wider angle, but you've managed to avoid blowing out the brightest parts this time. Because the whole ship is in view, you've captured more of a sense of its grandeur, so it makes much more of an impact. Also, it avoids the clutteredness of the original.

Oh, and I much prefer this border, much neater imho.

What I prefer about the original
Whilst I love the reflection of the 2nd, I have to admit I prefer the position of where boat meets sea in the original - I think I'd like to see this one cropped to just below the porthole reflection

Overall, imho
Great work, you should be proud of it. Definitely deserved the score/placement, and its nice to see you do so well when I've seen the first photo and really can see the improvements.

Rebridged
by Melethia

Comment:
Slightly different format for Take Two...

Main critiques on original
sharpening, better in B&W?
my own, due to lack of comments - maybe a touch too bright in bottom left

What you've improved
Much more life to it, more wow/creative element. More interest overall.
I love the effect of the gothic glow giving a real vibrance to the bg behind the bridge. The greens of the vegetation seem to shroud it, peeking out behind and from above. You've captured a sense of the place much more than was in your original, which was more an architectural study without giving context of the surroundings.

What I prefer about the original
More structured composition, lighting on the bridge was much more dynamic. Focus on the star, echoing the blue sky... you've kinda neglected the star in this retake, and changed focus, so its just a different perspective, not a bad thing.

Overall, imho
Lovely dreamy shot. I love the lighting (evening?) on the background, but would like a touch more lighting on the bridge (not sure if the two are reconcilable)

Texas Bridge
by Melethia

Comment:
Love the blue of the star and sky against the almost B&W of the bridge

Time of Death II
by nards656

Comment:
Slightly different format for Take Two...

First of all, I must be really inobservant 'cause I gotta admit, I didn't notice the gun in either entry for a long time.

Main critiques on original (from commenters)
too dark, focus issues, DOF

What you've improved
moving the gun from being a reflection to being behind the watch has helped with focus (although tbh I disagree with the orig commenters - I actually liked the OOF reflection because it was suggestive but took some thinking to realise it. Exposure overall is much better. Whilst the focus on the watch is better than in the original, you still suffer from a shallow dof and also seem to have focussed too high up the watch (focussing in the middle would disguise the shallow dof more).

What I prefer about the original
Whilst its a tad too dark, the black background really enhanced it, and you've lost that in the take two. Also, the tighter crop on the watch made it seem more oldfashioned, which I liked. (although I understand your lack of macro capabilities)

Overall, imho
Whilst you have tackled some of the technicalities of the original, I think you have sacrificed the mood of the original.

Message edited by author 2006-06-16 06:26:56.

Dollhouse
by Louis

Comment:
Hi again, good to see you entering some more challenges.

This is very macabre, good atmosphere. I like how you can just see the walls, which gives a more empty-desolate feel rather than the more common empty-"I took everything out" effect. (if that makes sense?)

I like the combination of the composition and lighting to really focus on the corner and then draw the eye out into nothingness.

You definitely met the challenge, and succeeding in creating a very atmospheric photo. I looked up Lars Raun, and boy do I like his photographs. One of the things I like about his sinmilar photos (eg //www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=4275750) that you haven't particularly emulated is the "dirtyness", kind of old film grunge, which I think would really have improved this entry.

Earth tones
by Melethia

Comment:
Composition
Nice composition but I'd like to see it a little wider. Not really much to say

Technical stuff (exposure, dof, lighting etcâ€Â¦)
Beautiful lighting, enough to get the nice long shadow which is very important compositionally, but not enough to light the vase too harshly. Seems perfectly exposed, everything else spot on.

Meeting the challenge
Yeah, its wide enough and empty enough to not be a corner so of course

Other
I find the reflections of the frames in the windows distracting. If I were you i'd clone them out.

My personal opinion
If I'd voted on this challenge, I would have picked this out as one of yours. Your shots like this are always so beautiful (as is this one). Great to have a "signature shot" based on fundamental photography skills such as subtle lighting and tones rather than just the content. Pretty impressive that you can score a 6+ and not even make a dent on your profile page!

Persian Pedistal at Dusk
by chalice

Comment:
Composition
Love the composition of this one, following the rule of thirds. The placement of the pedistal is just right

Technical stuff (exposure, dof, lighting etcâ€Â¦)
I like how the 2 walls are different shades because of the lighting, and the shadow of the pedistal parallel to the back wall.
Although I like the warm tones, it does seem as though the WB is a touch off.

Meeting the challenge
It doesn't not meet the challenge, but not give a bit of an impression of "I'm not emptying a room just for dpc, so here's a corner". :P It would have seemed more appropriate with a wider angle (but I'm assuming there was stuff in the way)

My personal opinion
I was surprised that this didn't score higher - I think it would have done better in a different challenge, because its a great photo, but doens treally say "empty room" but rather "empty corner". Guess its hard to compete when some people are dedicated enough to dpc that they'll empty a whole room for a photo lol.

"Crying, Waiting, Hoping"
by Melethia

Comment:
Congrats on a PB and another top-20. Sorry to leave it to the last minute

Composition
Because the surroundings aren't the most exciting (ie if you'd cropped less you wouldnt have introduced new interest) you needed to fill the frame pretty much, but you've managed to do that without it being too centred and static.

Technical stuff (exposure, dof, lighting etcâ€Â¦)
FOcus is brilliant, especially considering the fleeting moment and the borderline shutterspeed. Exposed well for the dark birds and much lighter b/g

Meeting the challenge
Without a doubt. Not only does the quote fit the photo, it helps give it extra emotion.

Post-processing
Didnt think there was much to say about PP work 'til I looked at the original - you've very mcuh got the full potential out of the photo, much better than I would have done.

Misc
I love the earthy tones. The border fits well with these. Awesome timing.

My personal opinion
Great entry to the challenge, well-deserving of the score & placement. Well done

Message edited by author 2006-06-11 19:25:44.