Desolated on the inside (4CJE)
by justamistere

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

This is a shot that is wonderfully tought out in it's composition and feel as stated from your comments. I love the desolated feeling, it worked and fit perfectly in the challenge.

Two things though jumped out at me right away that bothered me a bit though. First was the lines, wonderful lines, leading me in and around and very intresting but they all seem a bit tilte to the right. A slight rotation to balance them out might not give me the slight feeling of vertigo I feel when I do look at it for too long.

Second was the brightness of the shot. You mention that you cropped out some of the brighter areas, maybe by switching this to b/w or sepia and a bit of burning to take some of the edge of the windows on the left would really bring out the desolate feeling in this shot. Or even adjusting the levels in the color version to help darken some of the areas.

If you rework this shot or try anything else with it I would love to see the results, it's got great potential!

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

Deannda

...It's all gone...All alone...
by lifternessjt

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

What a beautiful shot, I immediately got the feeling of lonliness and sadness which translate very well to desolation when I first glanced at this shot.

Your model did a very well in that aspect and seeing your comments below I understand how. A few things jumped out at me though. First was the pink/blue sky. Very upbeat and contrasting to the mood you seem to be trying to set and what is accomplished or conveyed. Perhaps if this was taken to a sepia or b/w tone to remove the colors or even adjust just the reds/blues to make them moodier or to better help convey the feeling.

I like the overall composition of the shot, the model in the third right and the way the line of the horizon comes down to her and then starts to rise again behind her. Very nicely done.

Sharpness was mentioned in the earlier comments and it is a small issue here in that with your model just out of focus but the rest in, it takes away from the overall feel again.

And one more tiny thing that is bothering me, is the pocket line on her skirt. That line where the wind has pushed the skirt against her body and outlines the pocket underneath. I think it's a pocket line, can't really tell but the color difference between it and the rest of the garment is a bit distracting, a tiny thing but something I noticed.

Again, wonderful work, good luck in future challenges! Hope my comments help!

Deannda

criss-cross_reflect.jpg
by wavelength

Comment:
This is a wonderful picture in that when you glance at the thumbnail you get the feeling that it will be a sharp as a tack shot but when you open the file it's got the impressionist feel as well as the sharpness, but not to sharp in the grass on the left.

The framing and composition on this is very nice with the intersection of the branches happening in the center but not quite dead center. The petals from the flowers make it look like the tree is still budding and adds a very surreal feel to the whole shot.

The refelcting branch or leaves in the upper off center right is a bit distracting though. It keeps wanting me to look up there but I would rather focus on the intersecting branches and petals.

The grassy bank in the upper left ands the touch of reality that works very well with this shot, it's clear but still has a soft feel to it so it's not fighting with the water reflection for attention. It draws you in to follow the branches and back out the lower right.

Overall, very nice, if I were to vote on this it would get an 8 from me, 9 or 10 if the dark branch was cloned out. :)

Deannda

DSC_9013.jpg
by wavelength

Comment:
Okay, this is extremely interesting in that I can't quite figure out what it is, LOL :)

In the thumbnail I thought it was a pig snout and now I'm still not sure! It almost looks like a skull with no nose or mouth but yet still has the pig snout aura going for it. But it's fasinating all the same! I love the water droplets on it and the DOF is wonderful.

DSC_7839.jpg
by wavelength

Comment:
OH and is that red on the tree form some parasite they are having trouble with? I like the color it adds to the trees but sadly it's killing them :(

DSC_7839.jpg
by wavelength

Comment:
Okay, this one caught my eye in the thumbnails because of the leaning trees, I'm guessing a fisheye now that I see it closer?

I love the colors and the overall composition of the shot but the curve in the middle, by the rocks is a bit disconcerting, is that a word? It makes me a touch dizzy, LOL :) The shadow in the middle is also a bit distracting, maybe dodge it just a touch so it's not so dark? But otherwise, this is a wonderful shot! :)

T h e D r o u g h t
by SDW

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Hello Sir! Are we about ready for the WPL 2? I know my team is, LOL!

But this is about this stunning shot here. I love this. I didn't get a chance to vote in this challenge but had I this would have easily gotten an 8 from me. But I see it finished around a 5.8? What is wrong with these people?

Well, upon further investigation and looking three things jump out at me and really talk to me.

One is the noise in the lower right corner, not sure if it's the texture of the rock in that area or what but it looks very noise in there and that is a bit of a distraction.

Second was the dark area in the upper left corner. Almost looks like it started being a vingette but then stopped. Can't tell if it's the sky or burning in the PP. Again, a bit distrating.

And third was the over sharpening of the tree outline to the sky. It looks almost cut and pasted, not sure exactly why.

I think you succeeded in the Ansel Adams style of photography with the exception of the three little things I mentioned. Again. Great shot!

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

Deannda

"Will Work 4 Challenge Points!"
by 777STAN

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Hello! I love this idea, very funny and unique. Those challenge points can be hard to get though as you are finding out.

Reading your notes, you were right in that for what you were going for in ideal was right on but as you also know the DPC Voter can be an unforgiving mistress and a cruel one at the same time. Looking over your profile and some of your other shots it would seem to me that your biggest obsticale or thing to work on is framing/composition and lighting. Both can be very hard to do at times.

On this particular shot, the idea is there but the feeling of desolation doesn't really come across, in that you don't look desperate in either appearance or surroundings. I know you were going for the laugh here and you did succeed in that sense but if you want to start going for more than just the laugh you need to consider all the elements of the shot, the way it's set up, does it draw the viewer in, will it keep their attention and does it tell a story all at the same time? Hard things to do and not always accomplished in every shot, just look at some of my stuff!

And the lighting, you were going for a mood and you could have still captured that mood with just a touch more contrast, muted colors are fine in some shots but with something like this where you have so many things competing for my attention, the muted colors really just make it all blend in together in the end and nothing holds my attention in the end.

Again, great idea and if you ever reshoot it I would love to see it, or even play with this one some more. Try some different cropping and post processing maybe.

Good luck in future challenges and I hope my comments help.

Deannda

I'm serious, Eye was framed
by jdannels

Comment:
For the life of me I can't find the original on this one. I remember it and I know this one is much better but I like comparing them if possible. This is very well done and I would love to know how you did it. I'm guessing mirror? An 8 to start but bumping to a 9 because I know it's a really nice improvement over the original :)

Nikor Mud Cut (no grass) lens cap contest
by Kronus

Comment:
Kronus, Hahaha, no grass, dang and here I wanted to get high! Just kidding. Okay, found the original in the Lens Cap Challenge and without a doubth is is an improvement but I think you cropped in just a bit too tight this time. No grass is very good but I would have liked to seen a little more tire tread and also the Nikon tilted the other way, not sure why but it's probably just me, LOL The original got a 6, this one gets an 8 :)