Blue Bridgeby
blackfalconComment: Hi Michael.
First, what's bluetack?
Second, here are a few things to improve in this shot:
1) The contrast is low between the subject and the background. Do a search for "photoshop curves" and "photoshop levels" in Google to find some good tips.
2) Photos are usually more interesting when the subject is off-center. You'll see a lot of references to the "rule of thirds," meaning that a powerful composition technique is to put the subject 1/3 of the way from each edge. Here's an example from my portfolio:
3) Your subject should either be very sharply focused or look like it's deliberately out of focus while the background or elements are focused.
Learn about depth of field and how the aperture and distance to your subject affect it. Depth of field is how much distance is sharply focused within the picture. Aperture is how wide the opening is on your camera that the light goes through. Generally speaking, the larger the aperture (noted as a smaller number in the f-stop), the shallower the depth of field.
Here's one great article:
//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field
4) Watch out for distracting background.
Welcome to the site. I've only been here a few weeks myself.
Try to take your score as simply an indication that you have a lot to learn, and then study other photos on this site, read the tutorials, etc.
An excellent starting place is with DrAchoo's portfolio, but really start by reading the two sets of tips linked from the top of his profile:
//www.dpchallenge.com/profile.php?USER_ID=40718
I've been adding favorite pictures to my list like a madman, so feel free to use that as a reference, too:
//www.dpchallenge.com/favorites.php?USER_ID=60862 
Photographer found comment helpful.
