DNA
by yanko

Comment:
Great shot - blah, blah, blah - congrats on the ribbon - blah, blah, blah - couldn't have happened to a better guy - blah, blah, blah. ;)

SNAFU
by muckpond

Comment:
Congrats! Glad to see this image up so high and even more so for the person whose name is attached to it! Great job muckpond!!

Have To Pay The Bills Even When It Is 4 Degrees Outside
by MRubillo

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club -

First thing I thought when I opened this image was that it was out of focus and I see that you tried to explain it in your notes. I looked at your file size as well as some of the file sizes of your previous images and I think I see where you may be losing alot of your detail. WHile you have the pixel dimensions maxed out you dont have your file size maxed out which could cause some serious lack of detail. This image is at just under 60kb which is nearly a third of what is allowed. THere is a great tutorial around here somewhere on how to save images for the web and maximize their impact. Give me a shout if you cant find it. But learning how to save for web properly could really affect your scores.

Now beyond that - you have an ok shot here. The guys look somewhat interesting but there really doesnt seem to be a story being told here. Has a feeling of a quick snapshot with not much purpose. Your b&w conversion is ok too but it could have a bit more impact being a bit more contrasty IMO. I am not really digging the border much. A simple black border would have done you better.

Overall though your editing and focus were really damaged by your file size. I think you could have scored several more tenths had it been the proper size. Again - give me a shout if you cant find that tutorial and I will be more than happy to help out. It took me several challenges in to realize that I was not doing something right. Hope this helps!

Tim

lunar new year - cultural fusion
by super-dave

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club -

My first gut reaction to this is great colors on the kids. You definitely caught an interesting family there.

Now I am not a street photographer either so my judgement here is strictly the opinion of someone who doesn't have a clue. One thing I may have played with is making the family pop a bit more. Your family is in pretty good focus but they dont really stand out from the crowd as much as they could. Maybe layering them and the foreground out and gently blurring the background could have made them stand out a bit more. I may have also bumped up the sat a tiny bit just to really work the colors hard. I know most people in this challenge wanted b&w or sepia images but it would have been a shame for you to go that route and lose the great colors you have. Tweaking them a bit more may have given more impact.

Otherwise I am not sure what else to tell you. You have a nice picture here - not stellar but not a stinker either - which is reflected in your voting pattern and number of comments. Its always hard to comment on an image that really doesnt have anything major wrong with it but at the same time doesnt have that wow power that voters are looking for. You do seem to be in a great area to attempt more images like these (and for that I am jealous). And way to go with your lens choice. Some (including me) chose a very long lens so that they weren't even close to the situation they were shooting. Your choice meant that you were fairly close by which for many would be way out of their comfort zone.

Not sure if any of this helps (or makes sense for that matter). Keep up the good work!

Tim

Street Blues
by red_gecko

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

My first reaction to this shot is "Smooth!" Great tones, brilliant blur - especially against the sharp focused background - and plenty to look at. For some reason I am drawn to his white sneakers and the patterns in the bag that he is carrying.

Not really sure what else to add here. You have a strong image with great detail and composition. Your editing is clean and your choices were good especially for this challenge. Maybe next time you could call the city ahead of time and see if they could remove the lamp post for you. ;)

Good image, great score and a great showing in placement among some other top notch images. keep up the good work.

Tim

what rabbit?
by Mark

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club -

Let me start by saying that is one funky looking rabbit. I see what you were attempting after reading your comments but I don't remember if I got it during the challenge.

My first reaction to this image is that there doesn't seem to be a good focus to the image. Not from a technical blurry point of view but from a compositional POV. The man walking up front covers up the rabbit and doesnt seem to allow it to stand out. Had you caught him a step or two forward or backward the impact may have been greater. A split second longer could have yielded good separation on the walkers in the background as well. Right now it feels like a snapshot with no purpose. So thats my gut reaction.

From a technical perspective you have a decent b&w conversion, good variety of tones and in general good sharpness and detail. A little dodging and burning may have given more detail to your rabbit - but I love playing with Photoshop so that is my personal bent.

Kudos for stepping out of your comfort zone in submitting an image that you wouldnt normally. Taking pics of strangers can be challenging - especially with the lens you were using as that doesnt allow you much distance between your camera and the "models".

Keep working at it. Your portfolio shows a creative eye and execution.

Tim

You Silly Human
by jenesis

Comment:
I have looked at this one several times and it always makes me smile. Great look, great DOF and teh flooring adds a very nice real touch. This shot just makes me feel happy.

All you need is love
by Judi

Comment:
Way to go Judi! Lovely image and an awesome score. Congrats!

she touches my heart
by tate

Comment:
I thought I recognized her. One of my top picks of the challenge. Glad to see it make top ten. Congrats!

The Viking
by muckpond

Comment:
You got robbed here man.