The Garden Keeper
by patio127

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

First impressions are that I have one like this in my garden!

Technically this is good. Composition is ok, DOF good, background nice, exposure good.

Artistically this is ok but a little blah. It's really a garden statue and nothing else so it's hard to get artistic. I do find the gazing ball reflection slightly distracting.

In summary an ok shot, scored what it deserved, hard to improve other than a tighter crop to focus us on the detail in the statue rather than the statue in situ.

Feel free to PM me if you have any queries.
Gerry

langham lights
by alexgurley

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

First impressions are that that shot is too small in size and too busy.

Technically this could be improved. Always use the 800 pixels available to you for an entry - make sure the longest side is that size otherwise your shot looks small and voters will get a negative impression right away. Given the fountain is the focal point composition is slightly off as it is centered vertically in the frame (cropping off some at the bottom would have removed some distracting flowers and solved this). Exposure is difficult in these situations and you can see the fountain seem slightly overexposed while most of the garden is underexposed.

Artistically this has little for the DPC voter to like. It comes across as a "snapshot" and DPC doesn't vote them high. Perhaps if you had made the fountain more prominent in the frame, used a tripod (maybe you did?), and used a slower shutter speed to get a "dreamy" feel to the flowing water.

In summary an ok attempt at night photography but it is a hard thing to master. Keep submitting, don't let negative comments get you down, and keep the composition simple :)

Feel free to PM me if you have any queries.
Gerry

Hot N Cold
by garfield

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

First impressions are "oh, some old chilli peppers".

Technically this is ok. Composition is good with the stalk being a good line to lead our eye along the chillis. The background is not distracting. DOF seems to be used well.

Artistically is where this shot falls down. The snow background is not isolated from the subject much so we find ourselves looking at that a lot. The chillis lack a certain something to make us go "wow, cool" - maybe it's the lack of "pop" in colour as one commenter suggested but maybe it's that they are dead but the overall shot doesn't show us the drama and emotion to go with that. Perhaps if you could have got a different background or some dramatic lighting/processing?

In summary an ok shot that wasn't far off a 5. Some good elements to build on for future entries. BTW, congrats on your first entry - learn and you'll be improving soon!

Feel free to PM me if you have any queries.
Gerry

We like to be out, in the real garden
by amateurboi

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

First impressions are that this is a picture of a flower which is opposite of what the challenge asked for.

Technically this seems to be soft with no area in sharpness. This may be on purpose to give the "through the window" look you were going for? Other than that it's not bad technically, composition is good with great lines to guide us from flower to flower. Exposure is good with the bright areas just being held back from being overly bright.

Artistically this is very good. Nicely processed to give a "dreamy" feel and the use of the softness heightens this.

In summary this is a nice shot that would have scored quite well if it hadn't been totally against what the challenge wanted :(

Feel free to PM me if you have any queries.
Gerry

Femmina
by Rino63

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

First impressions are that this has a great style to it.

Technically this is good. The lighting is good, composition is great, DOF is used well.

Artistically I have to agree with many of the commenter's that the nail polish bottle is more of a distraction than an asset here. If it weren't in the frame then we'd have a great line being formed with the legs and the shoes but we now have an "L" shape for our eyes to follow. The shot tells a great story, or at least it let's our minds create a story and that's what you want from a shot, something that engages the viewer.

In summary a great shot that has potential to be even better.

Feel free to PM me if you have any queries.
Gerry

Into my dad's shoes
by sekarmalathy

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

First impressions are that this rocks - it'd make a great poster!

Technically this is well done. Composition and POV are great to provide enough emphasis on the shoe while not allowing it to overwhelm the shot. Your lighting is superb (I wish I could master lighting like this) and the unnatural processing works here. Viewing this with the watermark is a shame as it does detract from the shot but them's the breaks.

Artistically this is great. The POV used gives a great sense of drama and scale. There are some distractions that I'd have cloned out. Just below his right eye is something (from the glasses?) that makes me think he's got boogers! Also, the reflection in the left lens is a huge distraction from both the subject of the shot (the shoe) and the overall feel of the shot.

In summary a great shot that was worthy top 10 material.

Feel free to PM me if you have any queries.
Gerry

The Vase.
by chazoe

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

First impressions are of the nice vivid flowers

Technically this is not bad. The lighting on the flowers is a little harsh in places. The colours in the flowers really pop off the screen. Composition is good. DOF is good if you want us to focus on the flowers.

Artistically this is a great idea - it's unique, it's executed well.

In summary there is only one major issue with this shot. It doesn't meet the challenge very well. Yes there is a shoe/boot in the shot but your POV and DOF combined make it a secondary element to the shot. We see the flowers and go "nice flower shot". I suspect that's why you got most of those 4 votes.

Feel free to PM me if you have any queries.
Gerry

Squishing a Bug
by MinsoPhoto

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

First impressions are of a great sense of scale.

Technically this is ok. There are a few areas that show the lighting could be a bit softer - the front of the car and up near the shoelaces - I see you used a softbox though - hmmm. The show has cast quite a big shadow that cuts right through the car. Composition is good and the DOF seems excellent.

Artistically this is good. Humor is often not rewarded at DPC. As commenters have mentioned, the POV could be adjusted to add a sense of drama too - maybe lower and more front on to the car?

In summary a good solid shot that I'd have rated a bit closer to 6 than it scored.

Feel free to PM me if you have any queries.
Gerry

The Great Tsunami of 2010
by rinac

Comment:
Ooohhh, scary!

Oh Boy I Love this Snow!!!
by danculwell

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

First impressions are that this is a great shot of your dog, lot's of fun.

Technically the centered composition works and the DOF is great. You've done well to expose this nicely given all that snow. As one commenter noted, a little flash would have been good as his eyes are just black voids, and it is the eyes that often makes these photos.

Artistically it's ok but that's it. This doesn't say much more than "here is a shot of my dog in the snow".

In summary an ok shot that meets the challenge. Lacks anything to make it more than "a shot of a dog doing nothing" and that is reflected in the score.

Feel free to PM me if you have any queries.
Gerry