Symbols of Power
by Toby-Dog

Comment:
Nicely done, and good contrast between the two buildings. And if I'm not mistaken, this looks very much like Swansea...

Saint Pauls
by Manic

Comment:
Thanks for all the great comments folks, can't believe that this shot did so well! I'm totally in love with this 20D - it's an amazing camera, and does well even with just the kit lens...

To be honest, this shot was a bit hurried, and I didn't really stop to think about framing properly (it was cold & windy up there on the bridge), otherwise I might have switched to a longer lens and got a cleaner original. Not to mention the amazing shot that Imagineer took of the same place (thanks for the comment BTW ;o), which kinda stole my thunder, but I'm definitely satisfied with the result. I'll have to remember to go back and reshoot there another time, see if I can't improve some more.

It's not every day that you get a personal best score, so thanks again!

Pride of London
by Imagineer

Comment:
I shoulda know that your shot would do this well, you lucky lucky git :o) Seriously, congrats on a great shot.

Pride of London
by Imagineer

Comment:
Woah, as the photographer of 'Saint Pauls', I think I recognise this location ;) Interesting choice of colours, esp the B&W cathedral, and the long(ish) exposure helps soften that water nicely. Good to see such good photos of London in this challenge :)

ROFL, thanks for the comment ;)

Can You Guess?
by TomH1000

Comment:
Oh, if it's edible, it could be seaweed...

Can You Guess?
by TomH1000

Comment:
Hard to call, but I'm guessing it's a glass vase with either a lichen-like pattern embedded in it, or with those lichen-like floating inside it.

Ducks
by arpita

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

First Impression:

Interesting colours on the water, pity the ducks aren't centred more, feels too red.

Composition:

I'm not quite sure which lines you're trying to imply here: the line of the ducks/beaks or the lines on the water behind them... but given the title, I think it's safe to assume the former. The most obvious thing is that the ducks are all partly out of frame - it might have been better to have gone for a wider shot, which gives you more control over the framing. On the other hand, did you try cropping a bit tighter on the ducks' heads? This might have emphasised the line of beaks more.

Background:

The water in the background makes for a good contrast with the ducks' bodies, but I can't help feeling that the ripples are slightly distracting. Of course, this isn't something you can control easily! Perhaps a slightly shallower DoF would have helped blur the background more.

Camera Work:

As you mention in your photo details, this was a last minute shot, and it conveys the feeling of being more of a snapshot rather than a carefully composed shot, since the focus (and sharpening) look a bit ropey. It'd be interesting to know which lens you used to take this shot, along with the shutter/etc settings...

Post Processing:

Since you've not listed what you did in post, I can only make suggestions - did you try playing with the levels, possibly bringing out the white/highlight more? This would probably help make the white ducks stand out against the background more. Also, the image feels a bit too red, mostly from the reflections on the water, so I'd recommend playing with the hue/sat controls on the red channel a bit. Finally, the sharpening (to correct for the probably blurry original) feels a bit off, as pointed out by some of the comments. One final suggestion - did you try desaturating the image to B&W? Or even selectively desaturating everything bar orange, thus making the beaks really jump out?

My Opinion:

Given the fact that ducks are uncontrollable creatures, your line of beaks is a good moment captured. However, the setup of the shot could have been better. This image meets the challenge, but technical flaws let it down.

If you have any questions about this critique, please feel free to contact me via my profile page.

Complex Pattern
by s4nd3r99

Comment:
First impressions - what the heck is it? I'm guessing a macro of a roll of wickerwork, or some sort of knotted fabric. The focus is a bit odd - I'm not sure if it's a fuzzy subject or a blurry photo that's been sharpened - but it combines with the spiral shape to make it vaguely hypnotic, nice. Couple of suggestions - the colour seems a bit muted - did you try boosting the saturation or hue shifting to another colour? Also, I'd recommend you try cropping closer so that the spiral's centre isn't central in the image, ie have it over one of the Rule of Thirds points, as that often helps lead the eye around the image. Overall, an interesting image that feels a bit too soft and muted, but definitely meets the challenge - 6.

Old Panes
by Kavey

Comment:
I think I've seen this one somewhere before... :o) The mood of the shot and the patterns of light are great - makes it looks like a sunny day as viewed from a dark room. Wonder if you can spot my entry ;o)

Vertical View
by Manic

Comment:
Thanks for the comments and votes! As many of you guessed, the sideways rotation of this shot was intentional, since a traditional portrait view of this lacks the impact that this sideways version does. Glad you all liked it, might persuade me to enter more often! :o)