Bass Harbor Light
by Neil

Comment:
Wow! I look at this and think, "My mother would absolutely love that!" It is a favorite place to visit whenever I've been in Maine. The light and texture, the extrme angle of view, just wonderful how it all works together! Superb! (...and, thank you for sharing it.)

Splitting the D
by d95vette

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club!

This image is very journalistic in its feeling--it documents a sports play in a way that might be appropriate for a newspaper. The yellow shirt of the girl demands attention and pulls the eye toward it. The girls from the opposing team serve to frame the subject. The limited depth of field makes no mistake of who/what the subject is. It appears to have been taken with a long-focal length lens, or so the compression would suggest.

The expression of concentration on the girls face brings an element of emotion to this image--it doesn't, however, appear to be the decisive moment. A half-second later when her foot inevitably connected with the ball her facial expression would possibly be more interesting.

I think the cut-off girl on the right detracts slightly--it would be nice to see a bit more or less of her. The ball sits tightly at the bottom of the frame--it would be a bit better, in my opinion, if it had a little room to move--perhaps a little field in front of it.

The red chairs compete with the bright yellow shirt for attention. (Even though this was a basic editing challenge, the red could have been desaturated some to lessen the effect.)

I think this image needs a little something more to hold the viewer's interest...the girl looking up past the defense, her foot in contact with the ball, a less cluttered background. You might try getting closer to the ground when taking these shots to avoid the clutter from the other side of the field. Though the long lens gets you close to your subject, it also draws the opposing team close to her which would be fine except, here, they have fairly passive body language. I feel one or all of these would improve the message of the photo.

Overall, a fine photo for the yearbook but a little rough around the edges.

I hope you find these comments helpful and not too harsh.
--Kadi

Gauntlet Victory Lap
by ShaneBlake

Comment:
Very fitting!
Nice way to call the game!
I hope we have a chance to play at something I can win next time...like Scrabble, perhaps.

Death & Love
by dewed

Comment:
David,
You asked for response to your photo and a little help in getting through the holiday season. I printed out your photo and have looked at it every day waiting for the right words to come to me. I had a title for my poem from the first time I saw your image and request. The poem is written. I hope you find something in it that will be of comfort to you.

This Is Not How I Remember You

I remember how you made me toast and jam,
How you held my hand steady in yours
And taught me to spread it to the edges.
How together we poured a drink of milk
From the glass bottle with the paper cap,
Your hand, stronger than mine.

I remember how you dressed me in red,
Pulling the wool mittens over my fingers,
Snugging the knit cap over my ears
And kissed my forehead by the door.
I swore I'd remove them before I got to school.
I remember I forgot to take them off.

I remember the expectation in your eyes
As I pulled the ribbon off the gift,
Your hope, even though you'd wrapped it yourself.
Your hands warmly grasping my shoulders from behind,
A Gentle power willing me to be sucessful,
Never purshing, only holding me against retreat.

I remember everything, the tucking ins,
the shouting outs, and chores.
Your choices and mine in disagreement,
Leaving you for friends and school,
the summer swimming pool and jobs.
How we diverged and came together.

I remember when you called and told me
You could not hold me back from what I did not want
To hear, from what you did not want to say.
Staying distant from the news of old names
Settling into that comfortable chair you gave me,
My first apartment, a retreat from growing older.

I remember holidays and visits, coming home
Hoping you'd like my friends and accept
The gifts we brought, the way we dressed,
The things we had to say, the leaving and
The promises we made to stay
In touch over years and miles.

You will not remember all the prayers you taught me,
How often I have said them in your name,
The cups of coffee sipped in waiting,
The quiet solitude of a chair in a busy room
As nurses come and go and murmur wishes,
The light outside the window on an otherwise fine day.

This is not how I remember you.
Our dance, a struggle to hold on
Through the pain, expectation in my eyes,
My hands firm upon your shoulders,
Not pushing, not holding on, trying
To be steady, spreading our lives to the edges.

Blessings to you and yours,
--Kadi

CRW_0294 copy web.jpg
by ButterflySis

Comment:
Nicely seen, Jen!
Suprised to see the location...don't think I've been to that part of the lake in eons!

Flower Girl
by Bear_Music

Comment:
This is exceptional!
Unbelievable!
I *know* it's a "candid"...but still!!!!!
Could you possibly make a print available?

Dead End
by inspir8tion

Comment:
Fun! I like the wide angle view. I like the shaggy look of the palm. I only wish the composition were tighter--maybe adjusted a bit toward the left--probably could crop a tiny bit off the bottom as well.

Dead Ends Craddle New Life
by zapgrafx

Comment:
I like the subject, the colors, the texture. But the tilt is extreme and I don't understand how it adds to the subject. Feels a tad bit over exposed as well, but not terribly so.

Impasse
by aznym

Comment:
Beautiful! I love the grain and the monochromatic choices made in this image. The dock leads to a perfect dead end. The posture of the man implies his contemplation. And yet, with the boats lively lit and what appear to be birds flying, the rest of the world is alive. Superb!

Last Stop
by TrollMan

Comment:
Cute and funny! That red has a lot of pop! I find the sharpening around the edges of the cheese slightly distracting. Wish you'd left only the little pieces of cheese outside the mousetrap--the larger one out there gives away the set-up too much because I think the mouse would be full before he took the bait.