Faithful John
by Scoman

Comment by BrianR:
The back ground is distracting...

Safe Laborers
by Scoman

Comment by rjkstesch:
Mark,

I don't think the score reflects the potential of this shot. While the subject matter didn't have the kind of "hook" it takes to score the big numbers, it fits the challenge well enough to have scored higher. Usually you must have a great subject and solid technicals to score very well. Here, your subject was stronger than the technicals, yet both were okay.

Technicals: The composition is strong. The placement of your workers, their position and the way they fill the space work well overall. It feels just a bit too tight, especially on the top and right. We often see the eyes on the 1/2 to 1/3 line, so when the eyes are higher on your main subject, it feels off.
The DOF didn't quite work. On the men, it is a bit too shallow, with the hands soft and the main subject's eyes soft. Yet, on the trees, it is a bit too deep. This is a place where using the telephoto could make a difference as you get further from your subjects and place more space between them and the background.
As mentioned in the comments, you have some hot spots on your subjects' faces which indicated overexposure. The bright spot near the white hardhat also draws my eyes out to the intended subject.
The glare in the glasses distracts. Put the glasses at an angle to the camera to eliminate them as much as possible, either up, down or to the side.

Subject:I believe you could have had a stronger subject by changing the background to something that screamed, "Keep me safe!" such as road construction, near demo work or around heavy equipement. The generic trees didn't give you the added umph this subject could use. Without it, this image says workers to me, but not safety.
I like the colors and contrast betweeen the blue and orange. I'm not crazy about the dark hardhat as I'm not sure what the logo says/means and I feel like I'm missing something important in that.

It is good to see you get back to photography. Do not let this site get to you, as you have some very interesting shots. These small details can really make a difference in a shot and can often mean the difference of a full point or 2.

Thanks for sharing your image with us. I'm sure it will be appreciated on your publication.

Becky

Safe Laborers
by Scoman

Comment by beckydi:
This picture seems overexposed, but only slightly. I like the framing and angle of the photo!

Safe Laborers
by Scoman

Comment by stevewlk:
=]

Safe Laborers
by Scoman

Comment by Melethia:
I LOVE their smiles!

Safe Laborers
by Scoman

Comment by M_Jayne:
Good portrayal of safety. I think the eyes in the front person are a bit out of focus, I think the auto focus went to the goggles instead of the eyes.

Safe Laborers
by Scoman

Comment by LiamD2005:
Good lighting and strong colours. I like the way the image is composed also.
8/10

Safe Laborers
by Scoman

Comment by tootsweet:
Love the orange against the blue. My eyes are really drawn to the safety vests. Thanks for taking a shot that actually fits the challenge without some cutsey title to make it fit.

Safe Laborers
by Scoman

Comment by jomari:
Good idea. I like the color arrangement. Perhaps the focus and exposure could be improved a little.

Safe Laborers
by Scoman

Comment by Blackbox:
What, no flashing neon lights? Geez - safe indeed! Just kidding, nice find...