A Horse Of Course
by aKiwi

Comment:
Great subject, horses are indeed graceful animals. I like the colors and shadows you've captured in this shot.

I feel the composition of the image could be improved a bit by providing a bit more room on the left and a bit less on the right. Combine that with a bit lower camera angle (to keep the black horses ear shadows from showing) and I feel this shot could be a top 10 finisher!

Hope this helps,
Quadrajet

Take My Breath Away
by LiveNLurn

Comment:
I like this idea and the angle you're shooting at. I do have an issue with the sun being in the image. I feel the shot would be much more dramatic if the landform were silhouetted against the sun rather than having the sun full light in the image. Just my 2 cents, I hope it helps.

Quadrajet

neckline
by miss parker

Comment:
Nice composition and exposure, I can see how a person would percieve this as a subject for the contest.

The lighting seems rather flat, as if she is almost 2 dimensional. Was she illuminated by an on camera flash? If so, I might suggest picking up an optical slave (if you don't already own a slave) to help provide some key lighting for highlights in future images. Another (off camera) light source would add a whole new dimension to this image.

Dance of the Cirrus Clouds
by silverleaf

Comment:
Nice choice for the definition of grace since clouds, of course, are graceful. I like how there is just a hint of land at the bottom right, very creative compsition!

Did you use a polarizing filter when you took this shot? If not, that would have helped bring out the blue in the sky a bit more. Maybe a slight levels and saturation adjustment could bring the blue out even more making this image even more dramatic.

1:19 AM
by Quadrajet

Comment:
I kept the shutter open by using Canon's RS-80N3, it's a remote shutter release that you can lock indefinitely. You can see what I'm talking about HERE.

I've found that the 10-D doesn't suffer from the long exposure grain that other digital cameras do.

1:19 AM
by Quadrajet

Comment:
Well, I should probably explain this image a bit more huh?

Canon 10-D
ISO 100
175 second exposure
16mm Zenitar fisheye lens (f/5.6)

I was at a local park at 1:19 in the morning. I positioned the camera so the moon was behind the outhouse (yes an outhouse). The specs in the sky are stars with their short star trails. The light in the sky is produced by clouds passing in front of the moon.

The light on AND inside the building was produced by myself waving a flashlight around. The moon, flashlight and stars were the only light sources.

Thanks for all your comments and votes!
Quadrajet

the waiting is the hardest part
by Ambrose007

Comment:
I like the fact that you're using black and white as well as silhouetting the subject. The exposure is just right for a shot like this one.

I guess the angle the camera is tilted at is something I'm curious about. Why is it tilted that way, is there a reason for it or is it simply that way "just because"?

I know the window is giving the best light for a silhouette, but the building in the background seems a bit distracting since it's clearly visible and fairly well exposed. I think that closing the window would help obscure the building and keep the attention on the subject rather than what's behind him. Either that or using a smaller f/stop (larger aperture) to create a shallow depth of field which would in turn blur pretty much anything outside the window.

I hope this helps,
Quadrajet

Lonely Mallard
by shareinnc

Comment:
Shots of ducks are pretty tough to make into something unique. This shot does convey the aloneness theme, but seems to suffer a bit from an everyday sort of angle and a few blades of grass in the way. This is the view most people see of a duck from the shore, there really isn't anything unique about it.

I'm not exactly sure how you could have shot this differently, other than grabbing a long lens and laying on the edge of the shore a few meters down the shore and taking a shot at eye level across the water.

I do have to say that the colors, clarity and exposure in this shot are top notch.

I hope this helps.
Quadrajet

In the corner
by kinks

Comment:
Wow, completely on theme, both visually and emotionally. Although I like this image as it is, I wonder if being a bit darker would help the overall mood of the image? Eh, just thinking out loud. Very nice shot, keep up the good work!

Quadrajet

Feeling like fall
by pcody

Comment:
I think the thing that appeals to me most about this image is the color. For some reason, the play of the color through the glass, the liquid and reflected off the...umm thing the glass is on is wonderful. The second most appealing aspect of this image is the symmetry that's occuring throughout the whole image...of course that doesn't need explaining. My only critique would be the fact that the image seems cropped a bit tighter on the right side than on the left. Other than that, this image is simple, elegant and beautiful.