[ S MO K E D ]
by ericwoo

Comment:
You haven't made a comment in 4 months, very nice.

Originally posted by essay: "I like the composition and the minimalistic image you have presented here, but the subject matter suffers from commonality here on DPC. There are a lot of dandelions MATCHES & SMOKE on DPC. In fact, I think I've even seen a few with the same type of blown SWIRLING SMOKE technique. Something seems off to me with the lighting. The highlights seem a little too harsh AS I CANNOT REALLY SEE MUCH OF THE DETAILED GRAINS IN THE WOOD AS I WOULD LIKE, AND THE SMOKE CLOUD ON THE RIGHT IS NOT PARTICULARLY APPEALING." ;) Sound vaguely familiar? They say "our sins look especially bad when we see them in someone else." -Seriously, I do like your composition, and congrats on the nice finish. Thanks for taking the time to comment on my entry (thumbnail below), but please realize, there are few original ideas each week on DPC (and I do put THE TWO OF US at the top of the list that are NOT particularly original). When I do mimic something, I TRY to make some element(s) of it unique or at least execute it better than has been done before, as I'd like to think I have done in my entry this week, and as you have in yours. I'm sure I could point to numerous similar examples of each photo of page one that have been entered before. Good luck on future challenges. Stan

Message edited by author 2009-09-23 17:16:49.

Well, there were 9.
by essay

Comment:

Originally posted by essay: When I do mimic something, I TRY to make some element(s) of it unique or at least execute it better than has been done before, as I'd like to think I have done in my entry this week, and as you have in yours. Stan

Well, you didn't. It scored in the top 5 because this is DPC. Your lighting is off and nothing is original. If you can't handle honest critiques on your images, perhaps a public challenge forum isn't for you. Your retaliation was very, very unnecessary.

Message edited by author 2009-09-23 17:17:32.

One life
by TOM32

Comment:
You have definitely captured an interesting subject here, but I think that the depth of field detracts from the overall image. While some have successfully escaped the thought in my mind, I still believe that a challenge titled Nine with nine individual subjects in the image should keep those subjects in crisp focus throughout. Of course that is not a hard, fast rule, rather a thought inside my mind's eye. I think that crisp focus would have helped your image more. As I move my eye through the frame and to the right, it becomes more difficult to look at due to the loss of focus. Sure, the blurring does force my eye to stay on a certain portion of the image, but I'd rather it be free to wander within the constraints of the frame. Interesting image, but I think more focal clarity would have served well to grow your score. From me, a score of 6.

Wapiti
by hahn23

Comment:
Great title. How many have you lost with it thus far? I like the bull overlooking his harem, but the image seems a little flat overall. The composition is right where it needs to be. I like the flow from the 'king' up top there down through and across his ladies and kids. Well seen, but I'd like to see a little more contrast and pop to the image. A simple yet subtle adjustment I would have made would look like this.



From me, a 6.

Nine O'Clock
by ErichN

Comment:
The centered composition works very well for this particular image, but creativity and interest are both severely lacking. There is some interest in the clock face itself, but it is only a clock face with centered composition. Not my preference for subject matter in this particular challenge. 4.

Well, there were 9.
by essay

Comment:
I like the composition and the minimalistic image you have presented here, but the subject matter suffers from commonality here on DPC. There are a lot of dandelions on DPC. In fact, I think I've even seen a few with the same type of blown technique. Something seems off to me with the lighting. The highlights seem a little too harsh. 5.

Grunge
by colorcarnival

Comment:
I have ran across another clothes pin in the challenge, but with a much different composition. I like the elements that you have assembled here. The newness of the clothes pin contrasts very well with the rustiness and dinginess of you background. Your composition adds a great deal of interest with lines that lead my eye vertically and horizontally. The nine is also nicely prominent in the image. I even like the half frame that you included. This is one of my favorites in this particular challenge thus far. From me, a score of 9.

Where did that ladybug go?
by Judi

Comment:
This one needs some work. The lighting is pretty harsh and the subject is a stretch for the challenge, in my opinion. I see the nine, but your title suggests that I should be looking for bugs instead of numbers. I also see a lit of noise, most likely from the harsh lighting. 3.

Stacked, shelved, stocked
by bcenu

Comment:
This is a tough one to offer critique and suggestion. First of all, I have no idea what I am looking at, so it is difficult for me to relate to the subject or understand how it should look. Next, it just seems like a snapshot of an odd object with 9 levels on a store shelf; or perhaps 9 objects. I do appreciate that the focal plan is where my eye agrees with it. I don't care for the centered composition in this one, especially with the empty area below and to the right of the subject. That creates a hole and drags my eye right into it. I do like the lighting and colors you captured on the subject. That adds a good deal of interest even without knowing what I am looking at. Even with the interest, there are many flaws that detract from the score. I see it as a 3.

Incomplete
by Connor

Comment:
Ouch. If you've gone through voting, you've probably seen that there is another image similar to this one. I prefer this one. I like the creativity of the arms on black. It provides for a very appealing image for my eye to roam. I would like to see a little better lighting on the arms and hands themselves. I think your score could grow considerably with a slightly better tonal range. As it is, I give it a 6.