She is more transparent than the rest...
by TOY

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club
by strangeghost

COMPOSITION
An intriguing image. The composition manages to convey a sense of business and loneliness at the same time. The subject is a bit difficult for me to make out though. Appears masculine for some reason (not sure exactly why I think that) but your title suggests it's a woman. The passersby are ghostly and impersonal - maybe a bit too ghostly? Overall, I like the space and context - not too close, not too far. Just right. Excellent comp.

TECHNIQUE
Here's where your pic really gets interesting for me. Choosing the right shutter and aperture to capture the motion must be tricky, and I really like your result. The lighting has an orange caste that I like a great deal. It really feels like a somewhat dirty street scene lit by those ghastly cheap sodium vapor lights that you find in many urban areas. Your use of shutter and aperture to capture the action is nearly perfect. I might have liked to see the ghostly walkers a have a bit more definition, but that's splitting hairs in a very technically difficult shoot that you pulled off extremely well. Your depth of field is very great, which is a little surprising given your large aperture. I'm curious what lens you used, and whether it was a zoom or fixed.

OVERALL IMPACT
Quite a lot of impact, IMO. I'm very happy to have had a chance to study this image closely. As I suggested above, there is a great deal of emotional tension here, implied abandonment, poverty, and the down-trodden ignored by the insensitive masses. It's not easy to pack such a punch into a simple picture, but you've done it. Your final score of 5.7 is a bit disappointing in my view, but then it's easy to see why many DPCers would pass pretty quickly by (nice irony there, no?) if they're not immediately wowed by something.

I just paused to read over your comments and am gratified to see that others recognized what I saw in this image as well. You should be proud of this accomplishment regardless of its final place in the challenge. I am honored to have been selected to critique it.

Gateway to Cleveland
by bobdaveant

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club
by strangeghost

COMPOSITION
The composition is a little too cluttered. The blue bridge and its reflection in the water appear to be the subjects, but there is further construction in the background that appears superimposed behind it. All the boats and buildings on the left and right make for a confusing and busy scene. It certainly qualifies as wide angle with the great expanse of water in the foreground giving the picture a feel of great breadth. I love the bird at upper left. Very nice touch! Too bad the water's a bit dirty directly in front.

TECHNIQUE
Great sharpness, focus, contrast, nothing to complain about at all!

OVERALL IMPACT
While this is a technically excellent photo, it lacks that subjective punch needed to make the viewer stop and stare. I think it's tough for a photo of a busy scene to do that - there is no clear single subject to command attention and become the centerpiece of your pic, and no sense of drama or emotional draw.



Pretty sparse, eh?

Bouquet
by Antanas

Comment:
There are soooo many things about this photo that just work. The crop is genius. The lighting is unbelievably perfect. It looks so effortless but I bet you worked at it. The beautiful background tone and gradient really makes it. I hope you sell this baby. Make some money. Make a name for yourself.

Delicate ice
by jerom

Comment:
May I have some please?? A wonderful compositional idea. The moisture on the skin is a bit sloppy feeling, but it gets the job done.

delicate luck
by Shan2112

Comment:
A superb composition and idea, but oh, don't use flash! Light it obliquely from both sides to fill in the shadows.

Smile Cass
by ramc

Comment:
Absolutely beautiful candid. This pic has a wonderful feel to it. On an emotional level, it begs the viewer to ask questions. Who is she? Why is she smiling? What just happened. I love photos like this. Bravo.

Painted Sky
by Philos

Comment:
Oh my. Perfection in photography. Begs for a largish print, don't it? An eye for composition was poised behind the camera on this occasion.

My Son, the Poet
by mannjudit

Comment:
Very well done with the shutter. Great grain. An emotional photo that tells a story in pictures. 8.

My slice of paradise
by climbin2thetop

Comment:
Stunningly beautiful. Great abstract-like feel to it. This sort of pic is very appealing to me personally. Technically perfect as well. 8.

M1 The Crab Nebula
by jmritz

Comment:
Outstanding!