14.12.08 Meet Socrates
by suemack

Comment:
I don't do rats either... but this little guy is kinda cute. Great dof here, and I like the processing. Maybe a bit green for my tastes, but I usually feel a little green and queasy when I think of rats anyway. Cute shot! :)

Slim Pickins
by emoons

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

First Impression: I like that this shows a different perspective of the feast by showing the end... it's the way every Thanksgiving bird ends up! I'm a fan of the shallow dof, so that's a plus for me, and I like the little sprig of parsley to spruce it up (though it's clearly added just for the photo). The lighting isn't so great, and while it clearly meets the challenge, it's not something I'd want to hang on my wall.

After reading your comments: Wow.. first entry? Many folks here check that little box to get a critique for weeks and months and still don't end up being the lucky ones who the critique club can get to!

I think you'll find that most photos here (not all) have some editing done to them, even if it's just to crop, sharpen and tweak the color or levels. I think a little editing might have made this stand out a bit more. Perhaps a levels adjustment to make it a tad brighter, an adjustment to the color to fix up the white balance (the yellow tint), or even a slightly different crop. However, it's always better to try to get the best shot with the click of the shutter, so perhaps adding a more dramatic lighting to this, or changing your angle a bit may have been helpful too.

Congrats on getting through your first entry! I hope that the comments given by others, as well as this critique have been helpful. It's always interesting to go back and try different editing techniques that have been suggested, and it's a great way to learn more about what you like in your own shots. Best of luck with your upcoming challenges! :)

If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.

Beach Art
by wildiris

Comment:
Glad to see this one getting the posthumous yellow! A beautiful, abstract photo that captures a fleeting natural moment. Wonderful! :)

Russ and Rachel
by Rompy

Comment:
I have to say, I'm happy to see that this got the posthumous blue! Such a whimsical shot that oozes happy, warm fuzzy feelings! The lens flare looks like little bits of magic sprinkling down over the couple. Wonderful! :)

Broken Park Bench
by EssAreDubya

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

First Impression: A bit different from most entries with the broken back (I like the out of the box thinking), but the bench is a bit hard to see since it blends into the background.

Looking Deeper: The angle here seems pretty straightforward, and you placed the bench right in the center of the frame. There is some bright overhead sun which created some interesting shadows in the frame, but overall it didn't help the shot. It seems like there is some interesting splintered wood on the left, I wish I could see it more.

Suggestions for Improvement: It looks like there may be some interesting potential here with the shadows and the textures of the broken wood. I think with this bench, I may have tried to get in closer to that shattered wood, while still showing enough of the bench to make sure that voters didn't think it was something else. Or perhaps there may have been an angle to show off the dark shadows behind the bench. I also wonder if anything could have been done with a b/w conversion to bring out some textures here.

After reading the comments: Seems like most voters felt the same as I did, and it showed in your score. I do like that a few voters commented on the feeling that the photo evoked in them, and that one voter took the time to notice that it was likely a fresh break in the wood. Just goes to show that even a photo that places 123/125 has plenty to explore, just that many voters don't take the time to notice the details during voting if the shot doesn't have that initial 'wow' factor to them.

Hope this has been helpful. If you have any further questions, please feel free to PM me!

bars of light and shadow
by Mephisto

Comment:
When I first looked at this, I saw the bars of light and the shadows that overlapped each other. After reading your comments, I started looking only at the light, and what I had seen as shadows suddenly became just space between another set of bars of light. Great optical illusion!

12-25
by jdannels

Comment:
Oh, this is fantastic! The way they are so evenly spaced, heading in the same direction, completely synchronized and mostly dressed in dark colors. They're all in their own little worlds, not realizing they've become part of something bigger in that one moment. A wonderful capture!

as I dream of trees
by krnodil

Comment:
A great blend of colors and layers. For a photo where so much is out of focus and the entire shot is made of the same subject, there is a lot to explore.

mirror mirror
by yanko

Comment:
Wow. Just wow. Great eye and quick reflexes to capture this before anyone moved. It's amazing the number of things that just happen to have worked out to help make this such a perfect shot. The two round mirrors that hold the key faces, the third face on the ad up above to complete a triangle of faces, the lighting on the older woman's face, the angles... and I like that everyone is looking away from each other, yet the 3rd face in the ad is staring directly at the viewer. And the b/w conversion is the perfect presentation for it all. Wow. Just wow.

Day-6 Hiding out
by carofo

Comment:
What a cutie! Looks like she helps with wrapping the presents like mine does! I have no idea how you came up with that border, it's completely quirky, but strangely it works perfectly with this shot!