The Shape of Me...
by mian3010

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

The Dr. Seuss book actually used silhouettes, not shadows, but this is close enough. And the distortion caused by the low angled light does make it rather "Seussesque". So it certainly meets the challenge for me (although voters who never read that book may disagree).

I do wish the shadow was darker, with sharper edges and with advanced editing this would not have been difficult. And I agree with cpanaioti that a vertical format would have been better. I do like the textures and lines in the field. The way they arc around the shadow is very nice, framing the subject rather than distracting from it.

But frankly, the shadow just isn't that interesting. Arms and hands (perhaps from an assistant standing behind you) and distinct legs would have helped. Spiky hair would have been great, but tough to pull off in a shadow. A second person's shadow would also have added interest, although that would have made an entirely different photo.

Overall, a great idea here; it just needs a little more fun!

Pi-Positive
by menele

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

An interesting take on the challenge. The colors work great; they grab attention and work well together. The diagonal lines make it really dynamic. And the depth of field is great; the different levels of focus add interest, and it helps direct attention to the left intersection, making it a good anchor.

Lighting isn't bad, but it isn't that interesting either. The reflections do, I think, contribute to the photo, but I think a round or square light would have been better. Or what would have been really impressive is a pi-shaped gobo, so all the light reflections would have a pi shape!

I'm surprised this photo didn't score better. I rather like it!

Lil Boy Blue
by Karalew

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

What a cute kid! A great pose; he looks really natural and happy. I love the way he is peeking out from behind something. It's a delightful portrait.

Unfortunately, the flash is too bright and has washed out his face. There's probably a way to set the intensity, although doing so quickly for a candid shot isn't always feasible. A simple trick is to keep a plain white handkerchief handy to cover the flash when shooting at close range with just a moment's notice. There's probably no easy to recover from this in Photoshop (although you might try the Darken Shadows setting in the Shadows/Highlights tool).

The black background works very well. It would be nicer if it was completely black, something easily done in most any photo editor. I'd also crop a bit off the bottom; there's a bit too much space down there. (I personally think making the proportions 5x7 is about right.)

Still, for a candid shot this turned out really well. I'm sure it's a photo you'll cherish for years.

Regal
by tosk

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

A lot of rich, warm color here! The oranges, greens, and browns complement each other well, and give the photo a relaxing, inviting feel. The landscape format and mostly horizontal and vertical lines enhance this mood. In contrast, the cat itself is on edge, it's body language warning you it doesn't want to be bothered. (This message comes through even without reading your comments!) It's this tension between the seeming relaxing photo of an unrelaxed subject that makes this photo work.

The lighting is great, giving a few subtle shadows (nothing harsh) and putting a catchlight in the cat's eyes. Exposure is perfect (or at least well compensated in the raw conversion). Focus is on the foreground grass rather than the subject, to the detriment of the photo.

I really like the depth of this photo. It has a definite foreground, midground, and background, which gives it a nice 3-dimensional look. This is due in large part to the distinct green/orange/brown colors at the different locations that separate them well. But also to the shallow depth of field; using a smaller aperture (like f/10) would have put the cat in acceptable focus even though the camera picked the grass to focus on, but would have also decreased the depth.

I personally think the composition would be improved by cropping off about 20% off the right side and 10% off the bottom. Seems to me to give the photo better balance. I would also increase the midtone contrast a bit (a standard "S-curve" in curves) to highlight the face more and make the photo "pop".

I'm undecided about the purple flower. It does add a nice splash of contrasting color, but I don't think that color really fits with the rest of the colors. (But then, I'm color blind, so take that opinion for what it's worth!)

My wife just walked by, so I asked her opinion. She loves the purple accent, which is desaturated enough it doesn't clash. She also prefers your crop to my more drastic suggestion! Goes to show you can't please everyone. (Especially with a cat!)

One note can spin the world.
by brayburn

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

You can almost hear that note! You've really made this photo come to life. The combination of the strong diagonal of the clarinet and the radial blur make this photo really dynamic. And the overall darkness gives a nice mood. It captures an exciting night life moment.

The exposure is perfect, capturing the subtle contrast between the dark skin and darker instrument and the black background. The lighting plays a big part here, and it works well.

The radial motion blur is exceptionally well done here. There is no blur on the performer's face (good, since that's the focal point here), very subtle blur on the end of the clarinet (gives just a hint that it's moving), and lots of blur on the non-subjects (but not so much that their identies are lost). The more I look at it, the more I am convinced that the shutter speed was really closer to 1/25 instead of 1/125 and the blur was a result of radial panning. So if the radial blur really was added in Photoshop, it's very realistic! Either way, great job with it.

The shallow depth of field augments the motion blur of the background sign and foreground guitarist to focus attention on the subject. Good focus, and the sharpness is just right.

Unfortunately, the composition is a bit weak. First, the white structures right behind the subject are very distracting, both to the subject and to the overall mood. Of course, there isn't anything you can really do about that! This is a street shot, and you don't have the control you'd have in a studio. Perhaps a different position would help, but not likely (and probably not possible). Nevertheless, that's probably a major factor to this photo's mediocre score.

Second, the subject is centered, and that rarely makes for an interesting photo. Cropping off the guitarist would put the performer at the magical rule of thirds position, but would also eliminate most of the cool radial blur, so I don't recommend that. But a less drastic crop, removing the guitarist's back but leaving the arm and head, would shift the subject out of dead center yet retain much of the blur that makes this photo so interesting.

Overall, I think this is a great debut entry, and I've really enjoyed studying it. Again, I think it captures the moment very well. Don't let the disappointing score or lack of comments discourage you! I look forward to seeing more of your photos here on DPChallenge.

Fallen Angel
by lowonenergy

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

This is an expressive photo, underappreciated by the voters. A bit disturbing; I assume that's intended, but it's also one reason for the disappointing score. The low key and sepia color create a somber mood, which is enhanced by the model's position. The composition is simple and effective, especially the negative space at the top that encourages the viewer to consider where the angel was before falling. The lighting is great, nicely showing the form of the body and gently illuminating the wings.

But although the low key is appropriate for this photo, I think it's a bit overdone. The highlights should be just a bit brighter, and I'd like to be able to distinguish the head, which gets lost right now. Perhaps that was intended, but I find it a bit disturbing; he almost looks decapitated.

Overall, great job. The photo conveys a strong feeling, even if it isn't a pleasant one.

Nautical Directions
by Someamateur

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

A directional sign out in the ocean is a promising idea that could result in an interesting surreal image. But here, although technically well done, the sign is just so large in proportion to the rest of the photo that it looks like what it is: a photo of a sign pasted on an ocean scene. To me, anyway, it doesn't really convey any special meaning.

Even without that issue, the composition is rather weak. The nearly centered horizon line is rather boring, and the large expanse of beach in the foreground is rather distracting from the idea here. I suggest cropping off the bottom third, putting the horizon on a "rule-of-thirds" line and focusing the viewer's attention more on the sea. The sky isn't bad, but it would be nicer if the clouds were brighter. And I think that this might work better in a horizontal format.

Overall, a worthy experiment for an Expert Editing Free Study. It's not really ribbon quality, but it does certainly show off your creativity, which is a big part of the appeal of DPChallenge.

Rorschach 's Baby
by Blue Moon

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

A creative idea, executed quite well. The composition is ambiguous. The melange of hands in the center wants to be the focal point since it's lighter and framed by shadow, but it's out of focus and dead center, so the noses compete with it (and each other) for being the focal point. This leaves the viewer somewhat confused, which would be very bad for most photos but works very well here. The ambiguity gives it the "interesting/disturbing" feeling that caught your attention and makes the photo work.

The very subtle tint and the nice gradations are not what one would expect in an inkblot, which is strictly black and white. But this isn't an inkblot; it's just a photo suggestive of one, and these elements bring it to life. Well done.

I don't think the white top and bottom only frame works very well. At least make it go all the way around, but I'd rather not see a frame at all here. And the sleeve is so bright it's distracting; a light gray would be better, and something with a subtle texture would be a plus.

There is a fuzziness around the eyelashes that looks like jpeg artifacts, although it could be a side effect of one of the other filters you used. It isn't really noticable, and I only bring it up because of your question about what caused the lines on the nose; it may have been the same thing. Ideally, jpeg should only be used by the camera (be sure to use the highest quality) and for the final product; always use a non-lossy format for all intermediate steps, such as transferring to/from neatimage. (And if you're using the free demo version of neatimage, that's probably the problem; it only supports low quality jpeg output.)

But intriguing as this photo is when first exploring it, it doesn't have the appeal to attract viewers again and again (although I can really only speak for myself here). But it was fun to critique it, and I'm glad I had that opportunity.

Winter's Last Remark
by shamer

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

This is a stunning photograph. The details of the snowflakes is astounding, and the arrangement is artful. But it's the color that really sets the mood; it's perfect. And the vignette tops it off nicely.

I love the composition; I doubt you could have arranged the snowflakes better if you'd been able to. Besides the 3 flakes, the oval vignette acts as a subtle fourth element that is gradated and positioned just right to balance the photo. The overall similarities between the flakes unify the photo and the obvious differences and imperfections engage the viewer, inviting closer examination.

The lighting is just right to show off the snowflakes. Exposure and focus are perfect. The soft focus fits the subject well; snowflakes are supposed to be soft! Although a sharper focus would bring out more details, it would detract from the mood and perhaps make the snowflakes look fake.

I wish you had described your postprocessing steps; you did a great job. It has the feel of a duotone, but whether you actually used that technique or not is irrelevant. You've succeeded in bringing out and enhancing the natural beauty here.

Whisked Away
by eqsite

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

A nice photo. The contrast with the black background really catches the eye. I agree with your assessment, not terribly exciting, but technically well done.

Compositionally, I think it needs more space at the bottom; the negative space would add some drama. And I'd also crop off half of the hand; it doesn't really add anything to the photo. I think the tall, narrow format works very well here, as does the strong diagonal and overall simplicity.