Fourty
by Jib

Comment:
The vignetting works... but I'd suggest lowering the opacity so you can still see some details around the corner. This image appears to lack contast, even though I can see clear highlights and shadows. I'm wondering if maybe it just needs a boost in sharpness... when you res down an image you'll lose sharpenss (always happens).. the best tool is unsharp mask in Photoshop or any kind of sharpening tool you can find.

Impressions of tail wagging happiness
by Kelli

Comment:
Unfortunatley this is too blurry. I'd suggest using shutter priority instead of regular "P" or "A" - set shutter to a minimum of 125th sec with a moving object or higher. Turn up the ISO if needed and sacrifice grain for sharpness. Also, thre is not enough interst in the side of the dog or the tail... I'd suggest waiting to snap when the dog is facing the camera or only take a pcture from the side/tail view if something extremely interesting is going on back there. The best wildlife/nature/animal/human shots have the eyes as a main interest... again, unless something else is going on. If you want intentional blur, then practice a technique called panning. Slow your shutter and follow/track the animal with your lens so the animal almost appears in focus, while the background is out of focus/shows the blur.

I'm Watching You
by Moatz

Comment:
This is a beautiful shot, but the vignette needs a bit more opactity - right now it's so dark that my eye goes to the vignette instead of the centre where the deer's eyes are. Also, I think it needs a boost in contrast - it's a bit muddy. One thing for all DP Challenges, since the size 640 pixels means you have to size down your image you're going to lose sharpening. This alwys happens when you size down... If you're using PHotoshop, the best tool is unsharp mask. However, any kind of overall sharpening would help a little. I'm finding the highlights in this need a bit of a boost as well.

In The Land Of Sticks
by SherwinJames

Comment:
Incredible. My crystal ball predits a blue ribbon!!

Bare trees
by maxxumg

Comment:
Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a point of interest or something to bring my eye into the scene. A leaf in the front, a tree branch or something to frame the picture. Scenery shots work without framing with something in the front, but only if there are reflections, symmetry, etc. to balance the scene out.

Mellow Yellow
by EstimatedEyes

Comment:
Beautiful DOF... but my eye wants just a tiny bit more of the petal in focus to be more in view. Macro photography/lenses mean you have to dial the aperture to a lower number to get the same effect as with a wider view - so if you'd normally shoot at 2.8 then you'd have to shoot at 5.6 to get the same effect with a macro lens.

Watching
by Stiger

Comment:
I love this picture but have a small suggestion for future animal portraits - there is a rule of thumb about cropping off arms and legs. If you're going to show past the shoulder then you show the entire leg to the foot or arm to the hands... I'd suggest cropping around the shoulder area and not showing part of the leg b/c the eye expects to see the rest. It's a small thing for an otherwise beautiful image. Gorgeous light!

....follow the crystal snowflakes that twinkle and light the way.
by njsabs

Comment:
I think you have a winner here! One thing just for future... ther'es a rule of thumb that you should cut off subjects just above joints. If you're going to show below the knees then you ahve to show the feet. If you're going to show below the elbow then you have to show to the ends of the fingers. If you're going to crop a person, crop at the shoulders, hips, etc. I do find I'm looking for the feet - the opposite crop would be just below the hips to make it work. 9

Thumbelina, Helplessly Marooned on a Lily Pad at Night
by MaryO

Comment:
What a shame. This looks like a well-executed exposure and the reflections are beautiful. However, unfortunately, it is very blurry. If your shutter speed was under 1/60 of a second you may have hand-shake in which case it's best to put your camera on a tripod. On the other hand, if you did have it on a tripod but the boat moved, I'd suggest increasing shutter speed to at least 1/125 to freeze the action and dial up the aperture accordingly.

Hopelessness High
by arkym

Comment:
I predict this will score high - a ribbon in your future!! Beautifully done!