LiveStrong
by CalliopeKel

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

The most striking part of this image is , of course, the composition. I think you did a terrific job here capturing an exuberant feel. Taken as a whole I think this image has good appeal.

My main criticism would be that I find the processing a little on the heavy side though. The blues and greens shift pretty dramatically in the background. They don't seem to blend well. Maybe consider burning in the shadow of the girl instead of using levels to make that happen, and then adjust the background afterwards? Just a thought.

I like the image a lot though. Keep up the good work!

Rich.

"A Jump in Time"
by Dimy

Comment:
Warm regards from the Critique Club.

It looks like you got hammered on this one by the "does not meet the challenge" factor, but don't feel too bad. Trying to think outside of the box, even if it does not work out, is a good exercise, so I commend you for that.

As far as the image goes, I think you did a fine job. The sepia tone fits well, and I really like the way the lines of the boat in the foreground lead into the boat in the background at contrasting angles. Good work, that. Maybe play around with boosting the contrast even more since this is such a texture oriended, low color shot.

I look forward to seeing more of your work, I like what I see here.

Rich.

Windsurfing
by Konador

Comment:
Warm regards from the Critique Club!

Great shot Ben. I happen to like selective desat quite a bit, so you are not really going to hear anything negative from me on that. In fact, this is a seriously good time to use that technique - the trees add some clutter aound his legs that are much more muted with this technique, so good usage in my book.

I like the composition - he is getting some serious air, and the optical illusion is that he is actually jumping higher than a tree from the angle you chose. The structure on the left adds something as well to the image, I think with the selective desat you can get away with something that would otherwise potentially look cluttered, but instead adds interesting textures when desaturated and add to the shot.

I don't really have a lot of suggestions on what I would do differently with this shot. Perhaps the only thing I would try is a lower angle, to add even more visual impact in terms of adding suggested height to the jump. Well done Ben. I always enjoy your work.

Rich.

Would rather be jumping rope
by timfythetoo

Comment:
Regards from the Critique Club,

This is a neat image - I always like it when someone takes an unusual and creative approach to a challenge topic. I like the use of selective desat, I think that adds some pop to the image. Having the cable lead into the image works well.

The composition is good, but could I suggest a different composition by having the hand and red jumper cable a little farther apart? All of the contrasty parts of the image (Jumper, hand, distributor cap) feel sort of bunched to the upper left. It feels like the lower right half of the image just does not have anything much in it, the battery is featureless enough to act as sort of negative space. Not always bad of course, it just does not feel like it is doing much here. Maybe play with the angles with this in mind and see what you think.

I like the image overall; it is creative, and technically very good as well. Looking forward to seeing future images by you.

Rich.

A Night At The Ballet
by hotpasta

Comment:
Greetings from the critique club,

Get prepared to let the compliments wash over you. This is the first time I have lucked into a ribbon winner to critique.

I am not sure that this shot could be improved - especially as a sports shot. It fits the challenge perfectly. The expression on the leaping player's face is terrific, really lends something to the image.

The one thing missing is what everyone is looking at. The ball. And the more I think about it the more I think that may even be a good thing, it lends some angst to viewing the image. But the lack of the ball would likely keep it from making it to a sports pub I would think.

In closing, a terrific shot that obviously met the challenge and met it well. Congrats on your ribbon.

-Rich

Jump to the Sky
by Sunshine86

Comment:
Greetings from the critique club,

My first impressions of this shot were favorable - I know you already received some negative comments concerning the color shifting of the sky and the horizon line, and while I agree that the they could be toned down a little (the blue horizontal line is a little strong), I don't have a problem with the effect. I rather like it.

For the challenge in question, or even on its own, I think the model could stand some more drama in pose - they way she is standing there with her arms hanging, seems to make that part of the image feel kind of limp. The wings don't stand out much because of it either. If her arms had been outstretched for example, and maybe facing you or facing completely away might be an option. Experimenting with that would be fun.

Overall I think this is a good image with a surreal or fantasy edge to it. I look forward to seeing more of your work.

Amber: Jewel of Nature
by maguero

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

This is an interesting shot - I like the warm colors in front of the cool, monochromatic background.

The image does not really stand out or pop very much though. I think part of this is the lack of significant texture in the bottom part of the amber. I am not sure if this image could have benefitted from a deeper depth of field, or maybe simply a tighter crop on the upper part of the amber. With your particular camera, I am not sure if you could have done that. But what I see is a lot of the texture of the amber being lost in the bottom section, which is a bit of a shame since the texture is the overall theme. I hope this helps, and that I did not sound too critical - overall I do like the shot.

-Rich

Mind the gap please...
by Anders

Comment:
Terrific find. I like the composition.

Finch
by owen

Comment:
Excellent shot - the sharpness is stunning and you got a good catchlight in the eye.

You can do anything if you just have faith
by json

Comment:
Great concept and execution.