The grapes are still green
by Mister

Comment by Ammie:
Great picture and nice catch but the leaf on the left is stealing the focus. There are two subjects in this so I'll go for the leaf not the grapes! 7

Party is over
by Mister

Comment by snaffles:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

I like this as it's a very straightforward idea but well executed. Candles are a great metaphor in this case as parties start off lively and interesting but by the end, well...they're burnt out. The tinsel(?) in the bg is a good touch, adds dof and atmoshpere. Composition isn't mind-blowing but doesn't need to be for a shot like this, and as you're new, I wouldn't blame you for playing it safe here the first few entries. A 5.4 is not bad at all for a first entry here and you finished in the top 50%, so you're already doing quite well :-)

So technically it looks like you know at least the basics, now push things a little more in the creative realm. This site can be very daunting if you take the challenges too seriously; think of it more as gym, a place to come and develop various aspects of your photography, and the challenges as a test of what you can do.

Feel free to PM me with any questions,

Susan

Party is over
by Mister

Comment by Mister:
Thanks for your comments and notes !
My first idea was actually to blew them out, but I did a first try... and there was almost no smoke ! :-(
This is why I let them burn until they blew out, shooting a few photos meanwhile, and chose this one where most flames were still on. Shortly after, the light on the blew out candles was not interesting.

Party is over
by Mister

Comment by petehall:
Nice idea... if you'd blown them out and caught the smoke I think I'd have scored you a 10.

Party is over
by Mister

Comment by tanguera:
The party ain't over till the candles burn out....

Party is over
by Mister

Comment by giantmike:
Cute idea. I think the A being burned out really does add to the "after" the party part.