Got The Nuts?
by pamelasue

Comment:
Positives:
As a B&W image on gambling taken by a USA photographer that makes this is a 'good' image. It is an expression of USA pop culture.

Technicals:
It looks like a nice B&W image with a full range of tones from pure black(0,0,0) to pure white(255, 255, 255). I could be wrong. The forearm is slightly overexposed. Composition is generally good but not exceptionally well with a centered composition. Other technicals are good.

The Challenge:
This meets the challenge very well for an American audience but not so well for a non-American audience which will affect it's score slightly. Non-American audiences would score it lower.

Suggestions:
Offset the main subject slightly from center positioning is the only way to photographically improve this image. Subject matter and other photographic qualities changes are different issues.

A Loving Home
by jasonlprice

Comment:
Positives:
This is a touching image capturing a 'life' moment. That is what makes this image good. It is hard to capture this in photographic imaging but done very well in this one.

Technicals:
Lighting, exposure and composition are very good. Composition supports the image exceptionally well.

The Challenge:
Obvious appears to be taken at night so therefore meets the challenge. Not only that, but because of the composition does it better than other images in the challenge.

Suggestions:
There is little technically to suggest to improve this image.

Message edited by author 2007-04-18 16:01:39.

DON'T WANDER
by HighNooner

Comment:
As an American and photographer I am always interested in both your photography and your outlook as a Jordanian from the Middle East because of the current political suituation betweeen Christian Americans and Moslem Jordanians. I find it interesting that your subject demanded both pay and additionl work from you to take the picture. I've paid homeless people in the USA to take their photographs before to and understand. :)

Positives:
Overall the image is good, particularly your capture of sparks. Your image and capture well displays what you are trying to convey regarding your subject. You relate to your subject and that comes out in the composition.

Technicals:
Your subject is slightly oversharpened as shown in the digital 'hash' marks in his glasses on MY monitor. Your main subject's face looks underexposed and and red color casted to me. :(

The Challenge:
Your image meets the challenge. Technical photographic issues affected this image and it's score negatively moreso than anything else.

Suggestions:
Adjust for the red color cast, specifically as related to your subject's face. Overall your image is slightly underexposed and that should be corrected. These small details can make all the difference in the world in how a DPC image is scored.

Message edited by author 2007-04-18 15:32:42.

Getting rusty
by alexgarcia

Comment:
Positives:
Certain technical features work well with this image. The diagonal composition, general color and depth of field are good.

Technicals:
As I said... DOF, color and diagonal composition are good. It is slightly oversharpened and that negatively affected voting. That is a critical feature of this particular image.

The Challenge:
Yes, it meets the challenge and the coloring on the chain also works well, but viewers sometimes want more in a 'chain' composition than what they see in yours and the sharpening issue affected their evaluation.

Suggestions:
Back off on the overall sharpening of the image, but not a lot... whatever that means. :) In technical terms if you duplicate a flattened image layer and apply sharpening to the duplicated layer and then adjust the opacity of the sharpening layer to make it 'correct' is a good approach to take. Outside chosing a different composition or subject, that is about the only thing you can do to improve this composition.

Sunday morning
by Melethia

Comment:
Positives:
Photography, as an art form, captures the mundane and presents it in a more interesting perspective. That is the strength of this image.

Technicals:
You mention the use of tone mapping of a RAW image etc. in the comments. These are things near and dear to my heart and generally contribute greatly to the overall quality of an image, but has NOTHING to do with whether or not an image is 'good'. What looks 'good' is 'good' regardless how it is achieved through technical means. What is 'bad' is 'bad' regardless what technical process was applied.

Generally speaking yours is a well done and technically 'good' image. Center composition works with the crop. Exposure is good, it has no over/under exposed areas. Lighting is OK but nothing special. Tonality is very good, sharpness OK.

The challenge:
Obviously meets the challenge. HOW something meets the challenge is more important than meeting it if scoring higher is your goal. You've composed the bike well, but maybe voters want more, like someone on the bike. Who knows?

Suggestions:
For me everything about this image, as conceived and composed, is good except sharpness. Sharpening more would be better, but that may be just me. Additions to make this image more interest to the average voter might be a consideration for a higher DPC score.

Message edited by author 2007-04-18 14:12:57.

A flock of seagulls
by silverscreen

Comment:
Positives:
Including the single flying seagull and the ship are the best additions to the composition in support of the birds flocked on the rock. It has a minimalist feeling because of the framing.

Technicals:
Technicals are OK but not great. Generally speaking, the image feels a little flat contrast wise because of the large grey sky even though contrast is technically correct. It is oversharpened slightly on the flying bird and the post. The rest of the sharpening is very good. General lighting and exposure seem OK.

The Challenge:
In a free study the attention by voters is paid to the image itself moreso then anything else. DNMC issues, thank goodness, are minimized in free studies. Things like lighting, perspective, composition, depth of field, etcetera take on added value. They should in every challenge but in other types of challenges DNMC issues overshadow that.

The things in this image that DPC voters look for in a free study that it lacks is unique or specialize lighting, an eye catching topic or unique situation, or high drama and/or emotion. Voters do not know what they are looking for and could not find something strongly attractive that they could be attracted to in this particular image and that affected score.

Suggestions:
The sky is almost slat grey. Because of that making this image high key B&W where the sky becomes pure white is worth consideration. That makes sense both because of the content and the lighting. Color adds nothing to the composition. Because, as is, the sky adds very little of interest for viewers to like then low key B&W might be the way to go for added interest.

All The Fun Of The Fair
by cirus

Comment:
Positives:
Colorful composition that conveys a sense of a fair. Technicals are good.

Technicals:
Colors are vibrant, the very deep blue sky background is very nice. Well composed image. It does not have any distracting digital artifacts but might be very slightly soft focused, but that might just be me because I like ultrasharpened images. The angle on the sign is a little to 'edge on' making it unreadable and on the busy side. Almost looks overexposed on the white neon. It may not be but the image is bright in that area.

The Challenge:
Meets the challenge but that is never enough at DPC. An image needs something special to set it apart from the rest.

It scored about .2 below the DPC average. I gave it a 7 but that is the score I give an average DPC image. So basically, both the voters and I agree, we just express it a little differently.

Suggestions:
Try a slightly different angle further to the right of the sign so voters can better distinguish the neon lettering detail. Might not make it look so bright either.

A fair needs people and/or fairway action to provide a full effect and the lack of either in the composition might have subconciously contributed to giving it an average score. Something you could try is a taking long timed exposure when the background wheel is in motion to show a lot of rotation.

Off Road, In River Biking
by jonfrommk

Comment:
Positives:
Very nicely done naturally impressionistic photograph. Unique and very interesting perspective. Great idea. Good technicals.

Technicals:
The composition is well balanced with the inclusion of the tall greenery in the background. Color, exposure and composition are all good. Reflections make good subjects for photographic studies.

The Challenge:
There are probably two factors that combined to hold this image below 6. One is the strong attachment of DPC voters toward sharply focused images. Though there are numerous notable exceptions the norm for this type image is to score lower. Though you have smartly included the bike tires in the water, it is not immediately apparent to quick voters what that is and many may have voted without understanding that. The guy in the center is NOT on a bicycle and the bicycles of the other two are small and that might have contributed to a slight DNMC reaction by some voters.

Suggestions:
For this challenge you should have either not included the one guy or had him on a bike, maybe yours. :) Though having the front tires and splash in the frame is a great idea it does not have as dramatic an effect as it might. Perhaps including more tire within the frame would increase its effect by making it more apparent to the viewer exactly what it is. Have the kids closer to the water to make their bikes more apparent to the casual voter would help to.

I do like this image a lot!

Monte de Espuma
by thegrandwazoo

Comment:
Erick... congrats on a great blue ribbon victory with a great Arizona landmark vista!

Memorial Union
by fas-ligand

Comment:
Ahhhh... Oregon State! You realize, of course, that all U of O grads will give this a 1, don't you? LOL!!! Nicely captured and framed.

Positives:
Lighting and tonality are both very good. The buiding is a worthy photographic subject with a lot of interesting detail.

Technicals:
Composition is nice, particularly that you took care to frame the foregound walkways balanced in the image. Center framing is right for this picture.

It is a bit confusing for the viewer as to whether this image is intended to be full color, muted color or sepia toned. The rest is fine.

The Challenge:
Meets the challenge withouty doubt. Being well toned and meeting the challenge is not enough. DPCers want some thing spectacular in the images they see. You have to include 'added value' to set your composition apart from the rest for a higher score. DPCers are harsh voters.

Suggestions:
I would review the color/duotone nature of this image and make a concious decision to exaggerate it to be unmistakably one way or another. Make it plainly a sepia, B&W or more vibrantly colored.

I don't know your settings but taking a longer exposed image at a large f-number like f/22 will create more exaggerated star patterns around the lights that are popular at DPC. Those can be 'enhanced' in RAW and/or post processing for more effect.

For added viewer interest you might consider including some students walking toward the the bulding on the sidewalks.. maybe a solidary student with a pack full of books on one walkway and a couple arm in arm on the other.

You might consider experimenting with other perspectives on the building, including this same one except clipping off part of the wings to make a larger framing of the building center. That would allow a more traditional aspect ratio for the composition and include more detail from the building itself.