In all simplicity.
by DrJOnes

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!...

COMPOSITION... You've chosen a unique angle that brings added interest to the shot. By using a high perspective it really makes you feel like you carry a lot of weight, a sense of confidence and "solidness" of character I suppose...just trying to grasp the emotive quality of the shot that is imparted by use of this particular angle.. A very nice gradient background really makes you stand out.,,

TECHNIQUE... What can I say about this either? Every thing in the photo is in focus, the lighting is just excellent, from the highlights in the hair, to the subtle gradient in the background. Hardly any shadows to detract from the image...

OVERALL... Easily among the top of the challenge entries. Conservative voting may have been the only reason you didn't place top 10...

Vocalist
by Konador

Comment:
Absolutely fantastic!! Congrats on your ribbon!!

Scooter (Detail Study)
by SharQ

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!...

COMPOSITION... What you did manage to do well is choose an interesting and unique angle from which to compose your subject. Not to say no one has ever shot a motorcycle like this before, but the angle you chose accentuates the motorcycles natural curves, and the viewer can easily see that.

What I think was miss, foremost, was your choice of location... the motorcycle does get lost between the trees and the sky... the sky is so white it bleeds into the motorcycle's highlights, and the foliage is sharp and clear, competing for my attention, especially with a lamp post sticking out of the seat :)

Before clicking the shutter, make sure you stop, and check the periphery of the viewfinder, and as silly as it sounds, not focus on the subject... check to see if there can be any extraneous objects that can detract the viewer from the focal point of the image. Its very easy to miss this since our brain is constantly filtering unimportant things out of our own vision..

Was there an angle that would allow the foliage to take up the entire frame? A location with a large solid color, such as a brick wall, to shoot against... you're basically looking for some background that makes your cycle stand out and arrest the viewer's attention.

TECHNIQUE... Metal is one of the hardest surfaces to shoot, and all things considered, you did a good job. The biggest problem with metal is the fact that it is so reflective, the photographer usually winds up in the picture... It happened in your photo but fortunately its very small... The two techniques that photographers use to avoid their reflections is by either...

creating an environment around the metal object, with fabric, paper, whatnot,,, and then a hole is cut for the camera lens to fit through... definitely something hard to do with large objects such as motorcycles or

fitting the photographer's reflection in an area of the object that is not recognizable in the final object, such as a sharp curve in the surface, so that the reflection is so distorted that the photographer and his equipment is not recognizable anymore...

OVERALL... A decent attempt which shows you have an eye for interesting angles... I hope my critique has given you some ideas to make your next shots even better :)

MILESTONES... Most likely the longest critique I've ever written :)

Timeless Youth
by dodobird

Comment:
I'm sure you've already comments stating the photo is too dark, or to some monitors, appears to have nothing there at all... I did a levels adjustment in Photoshop to be able to see the image, and I find it a really compelling portrait that could have done well - if only it could be seen.

Aura
by csoka

Comment:
Very original idea, lighting very good, a little too much on the red side, but some way should have been found to avoid seeing wires and weird lines in the fabric.

Our State -- North Carolina
by karmat

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!...

COMPOSITION... A very smooth, clean composition... the image horizon formed by the clouds and distant mountains both fall on lines that are 1/3 into the frame... I really like the effect caused by the haze, causing veer muted colors in the distance but brighter colors as you approach the camera... also the fact that the sky looks overcast but just as you reach the top of the frame, it suddenly breaks and a clear blue sky is showing! My only wish would be to have a slightly more interesting foreground, mainly because you have such a strong and compelling background... don't really know what, a bright flower that would be up close? The silhouette of someone looking into the valley? Just some foreground element basically that would add interest to the immediate foreground...

TECHNIQUE...Foreground foliage is a little too dark... if spot editing was allowed you can make two separate exposures for the background/sky and the foliage and then combine them in PS. Apart from that, I think you obtained an excellent exposure in the mountains and sky. (small section of the clouds are a little blown out).. but if you needed that exposure anyway so that some detail of your foreground foliage would show up... excellent focus as well...

MILESTONES... As an aside, your critique is officially the 200th comment I've made since I've joined the site in October!! I know its a small milestone compared to other users but it is one nonetheless! :)

Message edited by author 2003-06-18 22:59:05.

The Old Bridge and the New
by Mitonski

Comment:
Really nice landscape shot of the Millenium bidge - good range of tones and interesting angle.

Kissed by a Rose
by StevePax

Comment:
Really neat photo, great mood! Love the subdued colour, I just think the contrast is a little too low with a little too much negative space (ie crop a little more closer to rose while still maintining its off-centeredness)

Schism
by Konador

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!...

FIRST REMARKS... Wow, your prediction is so accurate! I think you are the person I've critiqued the most, this being the third critique done, and every time, your own comments are pretty on the mark :)

COMPOSITION... This abstract appeals to me also, but not with the screwdriver inside the shot... its just so dark that it looks like an unecessary or obtrusive object in the photo. Perhaps you could have shone a small light onto it. Maybe if the screwdriver was more discernable as one, then it would convey the feeling of sound more strongly. Adding slight motion blur with the screwdriver as it strikes the ice can also help with that feeling of "sound" while still maintaining the photo's abstract qualities.

TECHNIQUE...Excellent exposure, with a good range of tones from the highlights to the shadows, niceley saturated blues. The light seems to be coming from behind the ice, always an interesting way to light things :) Of course, ice will always appear "messy".. I wish I knew of a way to make it smooth and flowing, since i'm not crazy about all the specks and other obtrusions in the ice...

OVERALL... I do agree its a nice abstract but the fact that it doesn't covey the feeling of sound as much as other entrys is what ultimately hurt your score.

In Her Room
by progersct

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!...

COMPOSITION...Overall I think you've managed to achieve a very effective portrait for several reasons: The figure has a very intent and relaxed looking expression for one. An expression that's a bit enigmatic which causes me to look at the photo longer than I habitually would. Duotones and background isolate and emphasize the subject. There are just some elements in the background that distract a bit... the black piece in the bottom left and what looks like a bevelled edge on the far right. A bit of her bracelet is also visible - all can be eliminated by cropping a little closer to the face, but still maintaining space for her elbows.. This also results in a less square frame and more of a portrait one... which also works nicely

TECHNIQUE... Very well exposed... Though the highlights on the background and a bit of her shirt are blown out, her face, skin, etc. are almost perfectly exposed.. On my calibrated monitor, the shadows on her hair seem just a little light and I would darken those a bit using a levels adjustment... Its nice getting those catch-lights in the eyes also :)