Silence
by Rino63

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

Hi Gennaro,

This is, as others have previously commented, a lovely still simple shot. There is no doubt that you met the challenge. In addition there is nothing technically wrong. The question therefore is why didn't this do better.

I can think of two potential reasons. The first is the colour tones - these are a little bit flat across the image. The surface of the water allow very little scope for texture and depth. The second is that the composition, although simple, is not easy on the eyes. Nothing draws the eye in. the kink where the pole meets its reflection is somehow jarring to the eye.

I hope my comments help and Good Luck in future Challenges!

Cheers
Paul

Meditation on Sand Dollar
by nheilweil

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

Hi Nicholas,

First up, let me say that I think this is a fantastic shot. Whether you had entered it in Black and White in Clor or Zen Photography I would have voted it a minimum of a seven. That of course just means that it is to my taste.

This is to me an absolutely suberb composition. I l9oev your use of negative space and shadows to give real depth to the shot. I also love the detail on the shell surface. The lines and flow of the Sand Dollar really draw my eye in. Congratulations on compiling such n effective shot. Technically there is nothing fundamentally wrong with this shot. The focus on the top edge of the shell is a little soft. I personally would have liked to see the dimples on the sheel in sharper relief, perhaps through the use of USM.

You've done very well with this shot, so much so that I'm not really sure what you could have done differently to do better. The voting distribution is weighted heavily towards 6s. I imagine you needed a little more 'pop' to turn some of those into 7s. Would more contrast and USM have added or taken away from the over all impact?

I hope my comments help and Good Luck in future Challenges!

Cheers
Paul

My Life As A Rose
by Schuff

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

Hi Jason,

I agree with Enzo (hotpasta) below that this image does have a zen quality through it's simplicity. Not sure if all the voters agreed, but you don't seem to have bene too badly hit by the DNMC challenge crowd.

Regarding composition. Is it as I have said nice and simple. I think you would have done well to further simplify it by removing the OOF twig in the background, or at least making sure that it did not overlap with the thorns. Unfortunately this prevents the thorns from standing out in crisp focus, and really drawing the eye in. The background is not the best choice (as you yourself have indicated). I think a simple shot like this calls for a simple background, probably either black or white.

Regarding technical details. These are very good. Personally I would have liked to see a great depth of focus with more of the lower left twig in focus. The thorns and water-droplets definitely should 'pop' out in focus and contrast - which I don't think they do (although this may be a factor of the background).

I hope my comments help and Good Luck in future Challenges!

Cheers
Paul

Reflections on the quietness
by alexgarcia

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

Hi Alex,

Reading your Photographer's Comments I have to say it seems you've managed to make a beautiful picture out of an ugly scene - good eye for a shot.

This submission seems to have met with varied reactions - some like the bottom two-thirds and some like the top two-thirds. Looking at it I think the problem is that it does seem to be telling two stories that don't really go together - the reflection at the top and the rock at the bottom don't go together; perhaps because the reflection is so soft and gentle and the rock is so sharp and harsh.

I think the scene as a whole would have worked better if the rock hadn't been quiet so over-sharpened. This would have lent the whole image the soft diffused feel that the first comment refers to.

I hope my comments help and Good Luck in future Challenges!

Cheers
Paul

A handful of serenity in the city
by copykat

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

Hi Kat,

This is a natural and lovely idea for the challenge. I especially like the way you have captured the statue in the hand of the other one.

Regarding the composition. There are certian elements that are un-Zen-like, and really dp detract from the overall impression that your picture makes. The branch and leaves from near-by trees add a business that is not serene; this is especially the case where the leaves overlap with the statue.

Regarding the post-processing. I\'m not sure the colouring is that peaceful. Niether black nor yellow are particularly soothing colours.
I think (although I\'d have to see the original to be sure) that you lost a lot of detail in your post-processing. It would have been lovely to see more definition on the statue, especially around the hands.

I hope my comments help and Good Luck in future Challenges!

Cheers
Paul

Dolphin
by kaidaehnke

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

Hi Kai,

This is an absolutely fantastic capture. Right time and right place, with the right timing. This is a classic case of using the camera to cature something the eye could never quiet see. You you have caught the arc of the dolphin perfectly. Your crop is well balanced. My only complaint with the asthetics is that you have over-sharpened the water - I think it looks a little too unnatural.

So, if it is so good why have you scored below 5. Well, many of the voters feel that you did not meet the challenge. If you want to do well on DPC it is essential to convince the voters that you have taken the challenge topic into account. I am confident that if ou had submitted this shot into more appropriate challeneg you would have got around 6.

I hope my comments help and Good Luck in future Challenges!

Cheers
Paul

Lines and Forks
by levyj413

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

Hi Jeffery,

Congratulations on your progress in the last few challenges. Your four most recent shots occupy four out of your five highest scores. What I really like is how you are obviously experimenting; looking at what has worked for others and applying it. keep pushing your personal boundaries. It was a brave choice to submit such a 'done' theme and I'm sure some voters took you down a little for that.

You have already noted in the Photographer's Comments section all that is wrong with the shot. I'm pretty sure that if you were to redo it right away and resubmit to the same challenge you would manage to clear 6 by a fair bit. Accepting that you have already learnt loads from the experience of producing this shot I won't comment further.

I hope my comments help and Good Luck in future Challenges!

Cheers
Paul

cypress fireweed
by option

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

Hi Andrew,

Welcome to DPC. Congratulations on your first challenge entry.

To sumarise the comments below the shot is over-exposed. This means that the combination of your aperture, shutter-speed and ISO let too much light in. As a result the subject as a whole is too bright, and parts of it are blown-out (the bits on the leaves where it is so white that you can't make out the detail). In order to deal with this you need to control and limit the light that is allowed through to your sensor. A higher aperature number would mean a smaller hole for the light to pass through, a faster shutter-speed would mean less time for the light to pass through, and a lower ISO would mean the sensor needs to be exposed to the same light longer. Using these three variables you can control the exposure of your shot better. The Canon tutorial on the following website explains how these work together:
//web.canon.jp/Imaging/enjoydslr/

I hope my comments help and Good Luck in future Challenges!

Cheers
Paul

Slither
by Rissa

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

Hi Marissa,

I love the composition of this shot. You must have taken so many shots to get this. In particuler I like the way the curve of the body lead the eye into the depth of the shot. to my eye this is well balanced. I personally would have like the forground to be in crisp focus. Maybe its just a matter of taste but I think this would have been more effective if the whole subject was in focus (with a longer DOF maybe) or that the foreground was in focus with the head a little soft.

So why is the score not higher (not that you've done badly)? Seems the DNMC crowd have for some reason chosen to strike at you. Personally I think it is a testament to all that is good about this shot that they can be so discriminating about the off-white shade.

I hope my comments help and Good Luck in future Challenges!

Cheers
Paul

Double rainbow
by Lionsitaly

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

Hi Marco,

this looks as if it was a beautiful image when you first took it (even with the dirt on your sensor).

Looking at the comments you have received it is clear that you have been marked down for two reasons.
The first is that many voters feel you did not meet the challenge of Colour on Colour. This is feedback that you should take very seriously. If you want to do well on DPC it is important to make sure that it is clear that have met the challenge.
The second is that the image is too grainy and the contrast is too heavy. Their problem is that the picture does not look natural. You have not listed your post-processing steps so I cannot comment directly on what you have done. I am inclined to agree that too much contrast has been applied.

I hope my comments help and Good Luck in future Challenges!

Cheers
Paul