Look at me!
by idemaerschalk

Comment:
With such an emphasis on the center flower I would have expected that it to be in sharpest focus, instead it seems a bit off. Perhaps the white flower on the right is where the focal plane is. More light would have helped so you could have used a smaller aperature. Or as someone suggested, keep the aperature wide, take advantage of the shallow DOF but don't rely on autofocs to focus on the center. AUto focus will often go searching for somethig with more contrast, as the edges of the flowers on the right against the darker background.

On my monitor the red and yellow are rather muddy, not at all vibrant. Sometimes it is helpful to look at your submission on a monitor with another calibration before you submit it. If you have Photoshop you can use selective color to boost the saturation of the yellows, perhaps that would help the red also.

Consider an off center composition. Centuries of artists have found that the human brain prefers to look at something placed at one of the intersections of the "rule of thirds" lines. While a centered composition can be effective, in this arena where the voting is done very quickly another arrangement might score better - You seem to be asking about scores.

Kisses...Mum!!
by Kita

Comment:
love the purple

Breadwinner, mother of five
by whiteroom

Comment:
At first the face seems so sad - but look closer, she is smiling!

My Pic
by Postgate1

Comment:
Hello from the Critique Club.

As has been pointed out, your resizing has left your image very pixilated. It is especially visable on the leaf stem and around the edge of the pot. I can't offer advice on how to upload. I use Photoshop "Save for Web". There is a tutorial which might help you. Many people with your camera upload very crisp pictures so I can only suggest that you need to do more research.

Probably the low resolution issues hurt your score more than anything else. I suspect it cost you a whole point. I think your focus is right on the leaf where the stem joins and the rest of the image is out of focus. So as a DOF exercise you were successful. The focus on the jagged edges of the leaf is nice.

Your composition leaves a lot to be desired. Composition is a large part of photography. Is the image pleasing to the viewer or if not, does it catch his interst in another way. Whatever can make the viewer look at your image longer, especially here where the voting can be done so quickly, increases the chance that he will see what you were trying to portray. What were you trying to tell the viewer here? Why should I look at this image any longer than to determine that it is a young plant in a pot?

Leading lines is one design element that is effective in catching the viewers eye. Unfotunately all your leading lines lead the viewer OUT of the image and in the DPC voters mind this means "Done, next picture". See how each of your leaves points out like an arrow, and the leaf at the bottom with the nice curve also points out,

You have placed your center of focus at one of the rule of thirds points, but the rest of the plant makes it dead center in the frame. A centered image, for some reason probably biologically rooted, is less interesting to the human mind than an off center image. You background is uninteresting to the point of being unattractive. Perhaps a tighter crop would eliminate some of the brown dirt.

In summary, as a homework assignment on Shallow DOF you have been very successful, in a class you would get a good grade. As a contest entry where the whole image as important as the challenge topic you have recieved a lowish score, but not a failing one. Better luck next time.

Raising cubs
by M.O.C.

Comment:
Excellent lighing on the figurine - this is very well done - too bad figurines arent popular on DPC (I could be wrong this time tho).

blue
by holdingtime

Comment:
what am i missing here? the pregnant mother is sad because the father is remote, preferring his dog and his schnapps? perhaps the baby is illegitimate and she feels shut out of the gentile life?

Soon
by Shan2112

Comment:
This is very nice - the window light is wonderful. Her hands look so gentle on the baby. All the leading lines point inward right to the center of the belly, draws the viewers attention and keeps it. i like the background wall paper as a contrasting texture.

Belly Laugh
by notesinstones

Comment:
Priceless image! I love the weddig ring over the belly button. Nice that she can still laugh at this late date. a little orange maybe?

SEASON
by TheresaA

Comment:
eekk - sorry, doing the last bit of voting on my laptop and this is really really pink - i hope it looks better on everyone elses monitors. focus is nice. might look bette with the flower center at one of the rule of thirds points, the bottom right is the least interesting part of the image.

vulturebabe...dressed to kill
by sajin

Comment:
isnt she elegant! looks like a queen of england of olden days. great photo too.