Smithing For Fun & Profit
by Jak

Comment by deckyon:
Thanks for the email. I am glad I can vote on the techincal more accurately. I still think you should try opening aperture more and decrease shutter speed as you could catch movement of arm that way as well...

Summer Rose I
by Jak

Comment by CLarson557:
Hi Jak,

Greetings from the Critique Club:


Challenge: With the rose being off-center in this picture, you definately met the challenge criteria. However, I would like to add that you did well with the positioning besides just putting it to the side of the picture to meet challenge. Which takes me to the next section of my critique.

Composition: I like how you kept the leaves of the rose in focus and a part of the composition. It frames the picture nicely and adds to the total depth of the shot. It also gives it a feeling of completness. I was thinking this rose was from your own garden, but in any event, the rose is nicely formed and you chose a nice one to put in your photo.

Technical: The colors are very nice. The only thing that I might suggest is pushing up the saturation just a bit. It would help the colors pop out just a little more. The lighting is appropriate as there is no annoying glare or "hot" spots. You focus and DOF is absolutely wonderful. I would not change a thing in that area. I especially appreciate seeing the detail in the rose, such as the veins in the petals and leaves. As I mentioned above, I like how you kept the leaves in focus. I do agree with one comment...about the white spot at the top left. Too bad about that, but after the challenge, you can clone that out.

Overall: I was looking through some of the other photos that you have put in for challenges and I do believe that, in my opinion, that this is the best one for you. This rose is beautifully done. I do believe that you could have scored higher with this picture, however, it is considered a cliche shot on DPC and I find that voters keep the scores down for such shots. 20 out of the 124 votes that you got scored you a 4 or lower. No way did this deserve these lower scores since it meets challenge and is technically well done.

Keep up the good work!
Connie

Country Life 1850
by Jak

Comment by pncowley:
I think this shot could have been improved by getting a bit closer and losing the ten overhead. Wish lighting was a bit stronger. Nice subject, though.

Smithing For Fun & Profit
by Jak

Comment by DennisF:
I like the bright shirt against the muted background. The detail in the backgoruns is maintained well. A different composition could have added interest - maybe more of an angle rather than straight on and centered.

Smithing For Fun & Profit
by Jak

Comment by fleenk:
I think the box in the front is a bit distracting from the main subject, consider cropping it out for greater impact.

Smithing For Fun & Profit
by Jak

Comment by FranziskaLang:
Great subject for this challenge. I really like how the background is dark and the guy is wearing a white shirt, that sets him apart nicely. I can still recognize the items in the background which add a nice context. The lighting is fine even though you have some highlights from the flash on the hammers in the bottom left, but that's not a big deal. The biggest single area of possible improvement would be in my mind to heed the lessons learned from the off-center challenge. The guy is almost right in the middle of the photo, I would have preferred a crop on either the left or right side (probably on the right just to the right of the fireplace, or a portrait crop to eliminate a lot more of the background.

Smithing For Fun & Profit
by Jak

Comment by draney4:
love your entry here, good over-all shot, would of liked to of seen just a tad more of his face, being the background is abit dark. and he would be your focal point.

Summer Rose I
by Jak

Comment by mzanoni:
Beautiful rose photograph. I was wishing for less detail in the background, but what you captured in the rose's petals is amazing. Well done.

Summer Rose I
by Jak

Comment by Shadow Eagle:
very nicely done , lighing beautiful but off center does not add to picture 6

International Glass Review
by Jak

Comment by tfarrell23:
Cool