Process of Learning
by dogmaND

Comment by jrdawson:
Great capture! I'm surprised it didn't do better. My guess is that a little post processing could have gone a long way in making the DPC crowd like this image more.
What I would have done:

Never crop the image down below a size of 640 pixels. Yours is 511x340. If you are having problems keeping the image size small enough to submit, remember that you can save the jpg at a lower quality but still keep it at 640 pixels. Most software gives you the option to save the jpg at a lower quality (if yours doesn't, find another one that does... and you should be able to find a free one). Lowering the quality actually doesn't make much visible difference to the image. Odds are, all the top placing images in this contest are saved at lower quality. At 640 pixels, you just can't tell the difference

Learn about color correction. I don't know what post-processing tool you use, but start playing around with it. In this photo, your niece's skin has a green tint to it. That can be corrected back to normal skin color. I use photoshop and would apply a color filter on the image to get rid of the tint.

Lastly, your image isn't as sharp at it could be. I can't tell if you already applied any sharpening, but my guess is that you could have gone a bit stronger with it and you'd still be okay.

My guess is that those changes would have changed your score from 5.2 to 5.6 or 5.7.

PM me if I wasn't clear or you have more questions about post-processing.

Process of Learning
by dogmaND

Comment by Noel_ZH:
nice pp, 6

Process of Learning
by dogmaND

Comment by liberty:
Very nice lighting, and the colors are great, 6.

Process of Learning
by dogmaND

Comment by lowonenergy:
ah cute photo, composition is pretty nice too bad of the piece left of the ear..

Process of Learning
by dogmaND

Comment by escapetooz:
Interesting shot. I like the depth of field. Is her hand pressed against glass? What bothers me is the top of her head seemes a little muddied by the green light or something... I dunno.

It's me
by dogmaND

Comment by quiche:
Not sharp enough, but interesting shadow effect, and I like the colors and geometry of this shot.

It's me
by dogmaND

Comment by chungeez:
nice catch.

In to Trance
by dogmaND

Comment by PaulE:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

Hi Rath,

Welcome to DPC, and congratulations on your first submission. I hope you are not too discouraged from your first showing, and stay involved with the site - it really is the best place to learn.

I think you have had a lot of useful feedback already. Many people didn't feel that you had met the challenge (in their eyes at any rate). I cannot over-emphasise how important it is on this site to clearly meet the challenge. Many also found the image too out of focus. one of the reasons for this is the difficult lighting that you were working under - it would have been much easier with more light.

Please do take the time to mark the helpful comments you have recieved as helpful, to show your appreciation to the commenters.

It is my hope that these insights are helpful and constructive. Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions regarding this critique. And please remember to mark it "Helpful" if you found it so. Good luck with future challenges.

Cheers
Paul

In to Trance
by dogmaND

Comment by Anand:
Sorry cannot get it

In to Trance
by dogmaND

Comment by gdub1189:
out of focus and whats the point? cultural events.... enough said.