A Dreamy Afternoonby
dseablomComment by srdanz: Greetings from Critique Club!
.. and welcome to DPC. Well, you did not come in dead last, but it was somewhat of the below-average showing.
My first impression (when I first saw this image, I did not look at the challenge topic nor I have seen your score) was that the image is lacking technical quality to achieve the above 5.5 rating at DPC. The colors are hazy, either because of the sloppy post-processing, or, more likely, by slightly overexposed shot. The second impression was that there isn't a readily identifiable subject in this photo, (by now I've seen the challenge topic), and while it does not necessarily fail to meet the challenge description, it fails to wow the viewer with unique attractive scenery.
Therefore, you ended up with a relatively uninteresting shot of the woods, which is less than perfect technically.
I would recommend for the future avoiding ISO400 for the daytime photos. It only increases the noise and does not contribute to the image. Since you were going for a dreamy look, f/8 was probably not necessary, too.
It'd be interesting to see you get better - follow the forums (individual photo discussion is exceptional) and ask questions on your own photos. However, this is a small part of the photo world - make sure you always remember that DPC and the opinions of DPC members does not necessarily represent the true value of your photography; it just gives you an insight into what one category of people think about it.
So, keep shooting and keep submitting to challenges and participate in forums. Giving someone else a critique may get you to look at your own photos with different eyes.
I hope this helps!
best of luck,
-Serge
Photographer found comment helpful.
