Shadows III
by duffloop

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club:

First impression and overall look:
My first impression of this photo is one of confusion. I had to look a few times before I realised what I saw. This is both a pro and a con, as it makes for an interesting shot that you want to come back to, but a con because the eye does not have anything to rest on. The first thing you look at is the shadow, as that is the dominant part of the image, but the eye tends to drift to the dog because there is more detail to be found there. Then the two parts of the image contend for dominance, making it an uneasy picture.

Technical and post processing:
Technically, this shot is done well. Everything is in focus and the lighting is well distributed. I do think the contrast could be a bit higher, making the shadows a bit darker. I would also crop a bit tighter on the right side, although that is a point of debate. With this crop you have the shadow centered in the image, but the dog looks a bit shoved aside. With a tighter crop, the dog would be centered, but your shadow might be off balance. This is also again because of the two parts of the image that fight for the eye's attention.

Meeting the challenge:
It does. There is definitely a shadow there. :)

How to raise your score:
Having a better balance in composition might help.

Still Life With Bottle
by melismatica

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club

First impression and overall look:
My first impression on this photo is that it is very classical, composition wise. You used the rule of thirds well on the vertical axis, and the weight of the image is nicely distributed. There is a good balance between the heavy part on the left, and the quiet part on the right, although I'm not sure if you should have left the bit of wood on the right in.
On the horizontal exis, I feel that the weight of the image is slightly downwards and I think you could have included more of the ground. As it is now, the dark part of the ground is not adding anything to the image and maybe you should have included a bit more of it.
I like the texture on the wall, and the sepia tones are a good choice for this image. It sets the mood well.

Technical and post processing:
Not much to say here. Technically it all seems well in order. You didn't go overboard in post processing, which adds to the nonstalgic feel to the image. Personally I would choose either a black or white border. Having them both there does not add anyting.

Meeting the challenge:
Well, it's a shadow, so nothing to say here.

How to raise your score:
There isn't much of a wow factor in this image. Although it's technically all fine, there isn't anything that makes you come back to this photo to have another look. I realise that's the whole idea, but it doesn't make the voters of DPC give you a high score.

Street Lane
by nhaliza

Comment:
Everything is sharp in this picture. Not much bokeh going on. Image is also too small, so can't really comment on the rest of the photo.

Fun With Lights and Glass
by freakin_hilarious

Comment:
It wouldn't be a bad idea to have at least something in focus, or recognizable.

Friendship
by btuck

Comment:
Nice, although a bit too much contrast for my liking.

Silver spoonlet
by levyj413

Comment:
I'm sorry, but this is not a very good rendition of the well known technique. You might want to add a few more drops and the flash distracts from the shot. The spoon reflections in the drops are not very clear and the colors are boring. This would be better if you had a colored backdrop to put the spoon on, and if you took the photo with a longer exposure in stead of flash.

On the Window-pane
by mannjudit

Comment:
Man, you need NeatImage bad!

Indulgence - Sunday paper and no children around!!!
by Judi

Comment:
The cropped tree at the bottom bothers the composition a bit. Would be stronger if you panned a bit lower. Still, IR shots are always nice.

I, Me, Mine
by gsal

Comment:
Too bad for the DQ, but you can still be proud of a picture worthy of a place on the wall.

Shattered
by snaffles

Comment:
Sad, certainly, and probably very desolate, but the photo is very flat and uninteresting. Also, with a shot like this you would want your main subject to be in crisp focus, but it appears the focus is here a few centimeters off. Giving it a more interestin crop could've helped immensely, you don't really need so much dirt arounf the wings.