Below a web of light
by jprezant

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club! ...and congratulations on a high-placed image!

The first thing that strikes me about this image is the abstraction and clarity of line. The gradation of tones is rich and satisfying and pulls me in to discover the subject. I like that the architecture slowly reveals itself...that the eye is led to the ceiling and out to the walls then back to the chandelier.

After looking for awhile, however, I had a sense of something being askew. It appears that the lens distortion causes the lines of the windows left and right to slant inward...thus breaking the perfect nature of the symmetry. I don't think cropping more would help. Though a square crop would eliminate this minor distraction the architecture would be lost. One thing that is asymmetrical which does not, for me, hurt the image is the slight rotation on the lines of the light fixture...in this case the slight break in symmetry helps add to my experience of the subject.

Overall, a technically well done image that makes me pause to discover its true nature.

Flame grilled Pi
by bmw

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Welcome to DPC! I see that this is your first entry in a challenge...that's the hardest part, entering for the first time.

The image fits the challenge and the title adds a bit of humor and dimension. I like the way you played with light-writing to create the subject...it really feels like Pi has been branded on the wood wall.

Unfortunately the focus feels soft and since your aperature was small enough to create a large depth of field I can only guess that either the camera support shook during the exposure or something else mysterious happened to create the blur.

A square crop might have helped to emphasize the circle in your composition since the black areas at top and bottom don't add to the story.

Overall, a fine first photo to enter! Don't let the scores discourage you...DPC voters are harsh critics and a "6" is considered fairly awesome here.

Keep shooting!
--Kadi

Out of the Spiders Lair
by havy2008

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

This image has immediate impact! It's crisp! The lines are full of energy--what lovely leading lines and diagonals! I love the limited color choice--it unifies what could otherwise be a complicated color image. The symmetry sings, there are so many ways this image echos itself. I especially like the way the simple lines at the top of the span are repeated at the level of the walkway.

Two elements, the clouds and the people, effectively break the symmetry and add impact. I notice your commentors are divided in their opinions on the inclusion of the people. I think the people add to the composition--they provide scale and help me move into the image. However, I think the expression of their postures is somewhat "blah" in comparison to the energy of the topic. They appear merely incidental to the image and I'd like to see a stronger connection between them.

Overall, technically well done and artistically rendered.

--Kadi

Free Wheelin'
by jgrieco

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

What a fun image! Feels like I'm right there with the boys watching them zoom past downhill! I like the emphasis on the red car. The expression on the pusher carries me into the moment...the near-concetration on the driver seems just real. Sure, you could want more expression from the driver if this were staged or you were making a movie but I don't feel that life needs to be artificially dramatized all the time.

Because of your notes I guess that you dimmed down the elements outside of the buggy. This, to me, is effective with the exception that some of the life has been lost from the boys' skin tones. I'd probably choose to pull that desaturation back a bit if I were editing. Otherwise there's nothing I want to quibble with. I see a beautiful slice of time captured by skillful panning which takes me back to the soap-box derby days of my childhood.

Sweet! Thank you for sharing this honest picture worth the time to enjoy!

--Kadi

Green Heron
by docurrie

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Ah! A heron! What magnificent colors! How fine the detail in its feathers! I love looking at birds and stalking them with my camera. They are often difficult subjects...even herons who seem to pose... The watery environment they inhabit poses obstacles for the photographer attempting the best composition. Their intentness on fishing suddenly moves them to action and the moment is gone before the focus is fixed.

I like this image. I like the character of the bird...it's frozen stance and gaze. To isolate the subject better a more limited depth of field would help. But even with that you're fighting the darkness of the log behind the subject and the merger of the beak with the line of that log would still exist. I think that the left hand portion of the image has little to offer...perhaps cropping it out and creating a square format would bring the viewer's attention back where the interest of the image lies? Even within the advanced (not expert) editing rules the background could be slightly desaturated, again with the intent of placing emphasis on the heron.

Overall, a well done image at a beautiful time of day!
Keep stalking!
--Kadi

OdysseyF22
by scalvert

Comment:
Nice hat, Brent!
(Oh, and nice shot Shannon...)

Pirate (Day 5?)
by bergiekat

Comment:
I'm guessing this is the one to print out so I recognize you. :)
Nice portrait! Self-ports are hard to do really well, I think.
I don't look at all like this:

The Golden Light
by OdysseyF22

Comment:
What a lovely location to shoot.... ;-)
Nice interpretation of Kip's Barn!
(But you could sure use a touch of Spring in Central New York.)

hagahanabi5239.jpg
by Pug-H

Comment:
Amazing! How wonderfully organic! Neat! Neat! Neat!

DSCF3429_600px_edit.jpg
by Brad

Comment:
Really nice! I over-blurred in my version....you found all the information and made an amazing transformation! That's a tremendous improvement over the orignial! Surprising how much information is retained in those files! See...all that ppchallenge pays off once in awhile. :)