Pier Pressure
by PleasantDreams

Comment by electina:
I know that people will think this is too dark, but it really works for me.

Pier Pressure
by PleasantDreams

Comment by carisakD70:
Very pretty...like the perspective

Pier Pressure
by PleasantDreams

Comment by eschelar:
? Is that a thumb print on the top left corner?

I like the colors here... needs a bit of something to bring out the detail in the pier itself... Is it a Pier or just a bridge? Hard to tell..

Cry Baby Cry
by PleasantDreams

Comment by HBunch:
*Critique Club*

Well, it fits the challenge, but that's about it. The image doesn't appeal to me personally.
The majority of the photo is oof, which is ok, to some extent, but having SO much out of focus, kind of makes this hard to look at.
The hand to the right is out of control. It covers some of the baby's face which really is the visual focus of the photo and adds a serious distraction.
Focus is good on the baby's eyes.
Snot coming out of anyone's nose is simply repulsive to me. Yeah, it happens, but that doesn't make me want to see it.
The dark blue thing (edge of car seat?) in the bottom left is much darker than the rest of the photo, making it a distraction from the baby as well.
Lighting is very harsh. While it does't get to the point of washing away details, it creates some harsh bright spots on her face, which again, is suposed to be the main attraction here. The shadow also hurts the photo.
There are so many negative things working against this photo that it's hard really to suggest improvements.
First, I would have taken the photo NOT in the lighting conditions you chose here. Maybe indoors, or in a shaded area with some fill flash or something.
Next, I would have made sure other people's hands were out of the photo.
Clean off her nose. It's 'Cry Baby Cry', not 'Look at the nasty snot Ma'.
THEN try to take a shot. She's a baby, I find it hard to believe that this was the only time she cried all week.
Overall it seems snapshottish.
~Heather~

Cry Baby Cry
by PleasantDreams

Comment by Lucky:
a bit out of focus,composition somewhat distracting

Marine Success
by PleasantDreams

Comment by Bear_Music:
*** C R I T I Q U E C L U B C O M M E N T ***

This very straightforward image certainly addresses the concept of "success" in a way that we can all relate to. so you fulfilled the challenge, definitely.

Photographically, it's rather dull, and the score you received shows that. Specific suggestions for improvement:

1. It's cropped very tight, it feels "crowded". More breathing room on all 4 sides would be good, especially on the bottom where it would be nice to see the pocket flap completed.

2. There's a lot of "glare" here, and it is robbing saturation from the ribbons. Did you shoot it with a flash? A light from the side would have worked better, I think.

3. There's an overall sense it's not critically sharp, which is a definite flaw in a shot of this sort.

4. In a more general sense, you could have made this work better by providing more context. Exactly what that would be I don't know, but possibly just to have someone WEARING the jacket so it is "modeled", has dimension, maybe a trace of jawline, let the ribbons and badges be the FOCUS of the image but not the WHOLE of the image, you know?

In any case, thanks for serving! I admire marines :-) My uncle was one...

Cry Baby Cry
by PleasantDreams

Comment by TooCool:
I think too things when I see this... 'Damn that's harsh lighting' and 'Ooooh, boogers'...
TC

Cry Baby Cry
by PleasantDreams

Comment by Gatorguy:
Meets the challenge, but the picture is hard for me to look at. The stuff in the child's nose is nasty. The blurred hands on the right are a major distraction. 5

Cry Baby Cry
by PleasantDreams

Comment by BrianR:
Cry baby cry
Make your mother sigh
She's old enough to know better
So cry baby cry.

Good timing...7

Marine Success
by PleasantDreams

Comment by jerryc12:
I would like to see a little more sharpness.