Summertime Scents
by CreativeFlyPhoto

Comment:
Not a very emotive piece for me. A little blown out in the lights, I don't think you've answered the challenge very well. Frame is distracting.

elixir
by marvin

Comment:
The subject has potential, but I don't feel the inclusion of the white background really adds anything. Closer crop? Lower angle?

The falls
by caba

Comment:
The water has quite a lot of drama. Nice range of tones and colors. High contrast? Well, ok, but it would have been a stronger argument if the lodge at the top left were omitted along with the unappealing sky.

Shade / Light
by redmoon

Comment:
Interesting angle but the landscape format doesn't compliment the subject, IMO. Nice texture and lovely sky.

Natural Divide
by AlexSaberi

Comment:
Interesting mood. I think the blown out sky takes away--perhaps if you'd reduced the amount of spce it takes up in your image...

Rippled Reflection.
by timmeriowa

Comment:
Well, by now I'm sure someone has mentioned that you ought to maximize the image size--640 pixels on the longest side. (If you need help with that, there are plenty of folks who will give you ideas if you post the question in the forums....me, included.)

Back to the image: I like photos of reflections. The ripples are a classic addition, but seem to dominate the photo. At this size, it's hard to contribute meaningful comments on your image. But I think you could focus on composition and the "intent" of your subject. If I were to pick on its fitness for the challenge, I would say that you seem to have trees and not "branches" here.

Wishing you success as you begin your DPC journey! --Kadi

Special Branch?
by mede61

Comment:
I just wish there were better definition on the "special" branch. If the highlights were more subtle, perhaps....
did you think about desaturating the red-orange to lower the importance of the dead leaves caught among the branches of the pine?

Branching Out!
by cmstys

Comment:
It is difficult to make out what, exactly your subject is here. They appear to be interesting bugs, or perhaps crabs of some sort. The backlighting has obviously created problems for this image causing you to lose detail in the critters' sides. Other than that, it doesn't exactly scream "branch"--it could be a tree trunk, or a hill of dirt.

Branches of a woman
by Willtorecord

Comment:
The evidence of technical ablity is here--in focus, well toned image. But take away the challenge topic (which you have admittedly stretched) and what do you have?

Zeppelin IV - Man With The Branches
by Shermy

Comment:
This subject had potential, but the difficult lighting situation has led to blown highlights. The focus seems soft--perhaps a bit more contrast and sharpening would help. The composition is ordinary--I don't think centering the subject helps add dynamic to your image. Because the background is complicated it is difficult for the eye to separate the branches on the man's back--the point is thus lost.