Emptiness
by barbaraanne

Comment:
GREETINGS FROM THE CRITIQUE CLUB
by strangeghost

COMPOSITION
A well lit, wonderfully evocative scene. Your choice of vantage point draws beautiful lines all throughout your photo that naturally lead the eye and draw my interest. The shadows are deep and dark, but still reveal a teasing hint of detail. After wandering over the architectural highlights, my eye is naturally drawn to the photos on the walls. The two at the far end are clearly recognizable as portraits, but who are they? The closer photos on the walls are indecipherable due to the perspective. Your title doesn't leave any clues (but sets the emotional stage). I'm glad I had your photo notes to help me interpret the scene. I'd love to have seen other perspectives that would have shown a few of the miners' faces in some detail, but this would have meant drastically changing your composition.

TECHNIQUE
Nearly perfect. There are a few blown highlights on the upper beams but this hardly matters in a wondrous scene as this. You've captured such perfect earth tones with such a variety of different feels for each wall, the floor, the woodwork, etc. It's all very well done. Textures are visible throughout owing to your excellent focus, deep dof, and near perfect exposure.

OVERALL IMPACT
This is a wonderful photograph and one that you should be very proud to have created. It drips with feeling: loneliness, emptiness (great title), abandonment, etc. Like all great pictures, it suggests stories; poses questions for the viewer. It drew me in and I'm honored to have had the chance to study it closely.

On Stage
by Zap228

Comment:
GREETINGS FROM THE CRITIQUE CLUB
by strangeghost

COMPOSITION
Very definitely a high contrast entry - a good response to the challenge. The subject and lighting provide ample opportunity to plumb the highs and lows of the histogram. I like the BW choice and the downcast face of your model sets a somber tone over the whole image. Very moody and reflective. I might have tried even a tighter crop, closing up the space around his head (and even chopping a bit) and maybe placing one of the hands at a third. I went back and forth for a while over the really blown light area at top left. I like it but it might be a bit too powerful. The rest of the image has a very dark feel to it though, so the overall contrast sets a tone of conflict that goes very well with the mood of the photo.

TECHNIQUE
In keeping with the overall feel, the image has a slightly grainy, "rough" feel to it that I think works. It's not too sharp, but not soft either. You've managed to backlight your subject, but still front-fill enough that the guitar is very visible and evident. I'm guessing the overall light level you used was somewhat dim, given your ISO and shutter. Don't be afraid to bring in a few more light sources and experiment with the different effects you can achieve.

OVERALL IMPACT
I like the picture. I felt drawn in to it and found myself wondering about this person. It's a photo that suggests a story and I'm curious about what the story is. I bet you were disappointed with so few comments and a middlin' score. The image resonated well with me and I'm honored to have had a chance to study it. Nicely done.

Like Her Mom
by spydr

Comment:
Oh, I love this shot, but I wish it were a little brighter! The expression on her face is priceless, the deep shadows on the left work well. You have a perfect sense of how to crop, I could go on... But I think a little tweak upward in curves to bring up the mids would have helped. Great shot!

The Gravels
by orussell

Comment:
GREETINGS FROM THE CRITIQUE CLUB
by strangeghost

Hi Owen! It's quite an honor to get to critique one of your images. I've loved your work since first "meeting" you in the bokeh challenge!

COMPOSITION
I like the overall composition very much but I think it's a bit cluttered with nonessential "stuff." The primary subject (red boat) with the background hills, harbor, and sky is wonderful. The other elements tend to be a bit distracting and unnecessary. I might have continued searching for a spot that gave you your desired comp but left a bit more open feel in the foreground. Lacking that, I might have tried to tighten up on the boat a little and frame that in a very close object with the water, sky, etc., forming a distant backdrop, keeping the very deep dof.

TECHNIQUE
The bright, beautifully saturated colors meet the challenge in stunning form. The rich greens of the grass, the rusty red of the boat, and the deep blues of the water and sky are wonderful. I particularly like the evident blue gradient of the sky. Superb sharpness and bright colors make the shot a real eye-catcher. Since you had access to advanced editing rules, I wonder if you considered selecting the sky and clouds and stretching things a bit more, or bumping the contrast with curves? It pops as it is, but I can't resist pushing the limits when I have a sky like this to work with. It's evident to me that your post-processing skills are superb and you have a great eye.

OVERALL IMPACT
A very pleasing image that begs a closer look. The wonderful play of colors and objects is a visual feast. Very well done!

Message edited by author 2005-09-15 17:38:14.

test.jpg
by TroyMosley

Comment:
Beautiful colors in a very well executed motion blur shot. You've got a tiny speck of something (sensor dust) at the lower left. Not much of an issue though; it's an extremely well done photo.

through heaven's lense
by tomzinho

Comment:
GREETINGS FROM THE CRITIQUE CLUB
by strangeghost

COMPOSITION
Airplane window shots can be a pain. You have access to some pretty incredible scenery from a great vantage point, but not much control over the details. This is a great capture under those circumstances, catching both foreground peaks with lots of detail and background mountains lost a bit in the haze of distance. Love the combination of clouds, snow and dark rock. You had great light and took full advantage of the opportunity.

TECHNIQUE
Your end result looks very good, and you achieved a very respectable score in the challenge, so your technique was obviously successful. I wonder if you really only used desat and contrast enhancement to achieve the BW effect though. If you're using photoshop, you might also experiement with channel mixer to achieve other types of BW effect. There are many, many ways to achieve the BW look, don't limit yourself to simple desat/contrast adjustments! I agree with the commenter who observed that you had achieved an Ansel Adams-type look. It catches the eye!

OVERALL IMPACT
Not many people can resist a second or third look at a compelling landscape shot, especially one with an unusual viewpoint and a sweeping grandure. You have certainly done that here. The image is eye-catching and and well composed. Not many people could pass by quickly with this pic. Nice job!

Message edited by author 2005-09-15 14:37:21.

listeningtodevo
by Pedro

Comment:
Is that legal in advanced??

Summer's End — Sunrise
by Bear_Music

Comment:
Drop dead gorgeous. A shot most of us would give our left arms for. Should be a ribbon for sure. Well done.

sharp image!
by Riponlady

Comment:
Would do wonderfully in a texture challenge. All the patterned lines make a feast for the eye. Lots of interest. Did you try jacking the greens and yellows even more?? Cool shot.

IMG_6246.jpg
by ajschel

Comment:
Very deep shadows here make for deep relief on the subject, but I wonder if that's starting to work against you due to the darkness and lack of detail on the wall to the left. I think you chose the correct perspective and crop though. Nicely done.