Navajo Princess
by idnic

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

This is a wonderful studio shot. Well lit, composition is well done, color is there. So why didn't it do better? Good question! I'm guessing simply because while it's a beautiful technically well done shot, there is nothing that really stands out and yells, "LOOK AT ME!" The color certainly grabs my attention but that is about all that holds my attention. I agree with the one comment about cloning out the lettering inside the shoe, it is a bit distracting and pulls your attention away from the beautiful shoe itself.

Also, maybe just a slightly different set up could really bring this shot out, take the back shoe, set it upright and put the front shoe inside so it's taller and really stands out, arrange them so you have a V shape or something to that effect, the toe of the shoe on the left bringing you in, following the line all the way to the heel of the other other, to the top of the other shoe and then follow that same line out the other side. Just a thought that crossed my mind.

Again, great shot overall. Good luck in future challenges!

Deannda

Transition
by Anastasia

Comment:
About darn time! LOL!

Excellent capture! Congratulations! Glad the voters finally woke up!

Deannda

Coming Home
by jaxsond

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Hello! This is a very interesting shot in that it makes me look twice to make sure there isn't a mirror there reflecting one side. At first glance the two sides are almost identical but upon closer inspection you see the lines on the bottom right and the different landscape outline.

As mentioned in one of the comments you receved during the challenge you can't really tell what this is until you read your explaination or unless you are from that area.

I do like the idea behind the shot but the actual execution left something to be desired. Including both sides of the bridge, like I said before almost creates a mirror image which could work in you favor with maybe a bit more cropping to bring the sides in so they are on the edges of the lines, leading you in one side, up over the top, through the other side and back out the other side. The space on each side is slightly off and leaves me with a slightly unbalanced feeling.

Also the spacing on the top and bottom also leaves me wanting. The rule of thirds isn't really in place on any of the points of the bridge and the negative space in this case, to me, does not accent the shot but detracts from it overall. Maybe a slightly tighter crop on the bottom to bring the bottom of the bridge to the bottom third line?

I see the shutter speed was 36 seconds, wow, long time to have it open, even with a tripod. Any wind shake is visable at that long an exposure and as a result your light are just a touch blurry. But yet, the lights aren't overexposed at that long an exposure, it must have been very very dark and the bridge very far away. Not sure what I could offer in way of taking care of the slight blur unless you possibly set the camera inside a protected area from wind while taking the shot. Just some thoughts.

I do like the composition, the mirror image idea and the lights make me think of runways, airports and coming home too so you did hit the nail on the head in that aspect.

I hope my comments help and good luck in future challenges!

Deannda

Couple of Skiing Geese, Now thats Odd
by brens29

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Hello! I loved this shot when I first saw it, my first thought was, "WOW! Nice catch!"

As for meeting the challenge, as I see you have heard, it was a stretch. But let's talk about the picture.

I like the subject and the idea behind it but the crop seems off to me for some reason. Using my magic envelopes (these are famous you know) if you were to crop this more at the bottom, bringing the line up to the other water trail of the bird closest to you it creates lines that lead you right in and the birds, in their flight mode take you out the other side. All the water on the bottom of the shot does nothing for me personally. If you could add that space to the top instead, giving them room to take flight so to speak it would be of better use there.

Next, the colors are a bit dull, a slight adjustment in curves could really make this stand out, making the water a bit darker, the birds really stand out.

Great potential and great capture in the end though. Hope my comments help and Good Luck in future Challenges!

Deannda

man and nature
by tomzinho

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Hello! This photo is interesting in several aspects to me but also bothers me in others. Let's see if I can explain myself in words here, LOL :)

I like the idea, man and nature, an odd coupling to be sure in this respect. So it certainly fits the challenge as they say. I like the stark trees in the background, it adds to the idea of how man might effect nature in ways.

But what bothers me about the shot is the composition. Yes, the lamp is centered and straight but the trees aren't and while it may add to the odd element, it, personally bothers me in that the shot looks crooked but not looks crooked. I guess this can be a good thing in that it made me look at it longer during the challenge to try to figure out what about it that bothered me. It was mentioned in one of the earlier comments that the lamp has the potential with the curves and such to really make this shot work and I'm thinking the same thing. Use the rule of thirds, take the lamp to either side and change your point of view in that you come more from one side or the other, using the curves to help with the continuation of the leaning tree branches, leaving a more subtle line for the viewer to follow rather than the rigid straight line of the pole.

Also if you could get the pole to stand out just a bit more, the color, really show the contrast and oddity of man to nature, colorful to dull type contrast.

If you go back and reshoot this I would love to see the results.

Hope my comments help and good luck in future challenges.

Deannda

My precious Odd-eyed
by Majanka

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Hi! Okay, first let me get this out of the way.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwww!! He's so cute!

Okay, now to the critique. From the comments you wrote you already knew this probably wouldn't do well because of the subject. I think it might have done rather well if you had come in from a diffrent angle than you did. The DOF is well done and the paws leading you into the shot is nice but you are trying to isolate the eyes, so the oddness of the colors to each other. The tilt of the head is wonderful and the lighting is also okay, but the eyes get lost in the overall picture and there isn't enough here to make most people stop and really try to find the oddity of the one eye.

If you could get him to look at the camera, head on and really focus on the eyes I know this would have done much better. I love the shot you have of him in your portfolio, made it a favorite. :)

Hope my comments help and good luck in future challenges!

Deannda

The odd combination of old and new
by abuck

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Hello! I see this is your third entry to the challenges! Welcome!

This is a perfect example of the Odd Couple, your idea was perfect. So why didn't you win a ribbon? Well, as most of the comments said, the lighting is a bit off. I thought the same thing when I first saw this. If there was a way you could have put a white backdrop over the record player and really bumped up the lights on this and sharpened the focus just a touch this could have blown the others out of the water. If you ever try to redo this shot I would love to see the results.

Hope my comments help and good luck in future challenges!

Deannda

... And the dish ran away with the spoon
by shanksware

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Hello! Now honestly, what am I supposed to add to a red ribbon? LOL! :)

I loved the idea, the concept and the colors, the execution of the idea. All very well done. The only thing that bothered me about this shot personally was the angle of the table, it does work for this shot but it was a bit too steep for my personal taste but then again, the voters have spoken and my taste didn't count, LOL :)

Congrats!

Deannda

Inter-Aviary Relationship
by LVE

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Hello! This is a great shot in the idea and it certainly meets the challenge, you don't get a much odder coupling that this! LOL!

As you already saw in the challenge comments, it looks underexposed, reading your notes you were going for that look of an evening or early morning shot. On my screen it didnt' quite come off that way and it just looks like if you had added a touch more contrast it might have worked. But also there appears to be a halo around the larger bird's head and it's so bright compared to the rest of the shot it tends to be a bit distracting in the end. I think this shot would have done much better if it was a bit brighter, adding a sense of sharpness and clarity to it. Right not it tends to look a bit muddy.

And the building in the reflection of the water, another distraction to me personally. If you could have changed your angle so the building was not being reflected perhaps? The overall composition is well done if you could just change the direction of the shot so you have a clear background or clone the building out. I don't think that would have counted as a major element myself but then I'm not on Site Council either, LOL :)

Again, great shot, love your animal shots in your profile! Hope my comments help and good luck in future challenges!

Deannda

Windowpain
by jaykayd

Comment:
Greeetings from the Critique Club!

First, Welcome to DPChallenge! I see this is your first entry and what an entry! I love this shot and I love the composition. Very nice lines leading me in, taking me up the arm and through the body. And a nice body, ;-) ;)

So what went wrong? Well, as said in earlier comments, the high contrast is a bit much for this to me and I like high contrast shots most of the time. But there are too many hot spots where all detail gets washed out. If there was a way to leave the contrast and high lights on the blinds but soften the body somehow I think this shot would just WOW everyone. Being a basic challenge that is very difficult but now outside the challenge maybe, if you want to work it a bit more and see what you could do I would love to see the results.

Hope my comments help and good luck in future challenges!

Deannda