Goodbye Train Whistle Blues
by Hipychik

Comment:
Positives:
Framing, perspective and interest are the strength of this composition. What does this image mean is the question every viewer will ask. What is the little girl thinking?

Technicals:
General technicals are OK. It has no serious defects. That is always a good thing. The perspective using the tracks, though cliche, is very good.

Don't know if you did anything special in post processing to make the tracks look more interesting, but they do. Color, light... something.

Sharpness is not overdone. Outside the tracks the color is just OK; color and detail needs better definition in those areas. Sky neither hurts nor helps the composition.

The Challenge:
Ya know, it meets the challenge well but some voters will probably still fault you for lack of creativity anyway. Not a lot but some.

Your near 5.9 score is very good by DPC standards and was .4 above the average given in this particular challenge. DPCers like this picture!

I gave your image a "7". That means I think it was average. I faulted it mostly for technical and artistic reasons. The artistic reason was center framing your model. The most important position in THIS image is the foreground. You gave that to the tracks, not to your model. I felt your model should have occupied that space and the tracks subsidiary to that. I think it would have supported the challenge topic better as well.

I know, you are gonna wonder about me for this, but it hit me that this image lacks detail and appealing color in the vegetation on either side of the tracks. Outside your model, I was immediately drawn to that. Its lack of color and detail is a viewer disappointment.

Suggestions:
Frame your model lower and in the foreground for greater impact. She will also occupy more space which will be good to. Use post processing to bring out better greens and more detail in the vegetation on either side of the tracks.

Lush
by krnodil

Comment:
Positives:
A very nicely conceived and executed image. The interplay of light and shadow is its best feature.

Technicals:
Sharpness, color, tonality and arrangement(for those of us that like abstracts) all are very good. Red always seems to be an eye appealing color.

The center is a little dark.

The Challenge:
Your image scored almost 5.7; good by general DPC standards and above the 5.48 average for the challenge. Basically DPCers are trying to tell you that the image was above average but not super good. My speculation is they liked it but thought it weak in the challenge topic area. They probably thought it lacked "wow" factor to.

I scored your image 9. I like abstracts, feel it meets the challenge nicely and think it is very good technically. When I can't find a lot to fault an image for I give them decent scores. I see no reason to change my thinking on this image.

Suggestions:
Perhaps you might consider lightening the center with a little "vivid light" painting on a 50% greyscale layer using a white brush to bring out more central detail in an eye appealing way.

Message edited by author 2007-05-25 13:36:19.

Smooth Move
by basssman7

Comment:
Great job and nice capture. I noticed that 5 of the top 10 images in this challenge were water flow shots. Yours is an excellent water flow capture processed just right. It is one of only two of that type I scored 10. My son and I both went together and took water flow pictures for this challenge. I was dissatisfied with mine after post processing so did not enter but my son entered one of his and it placed 6th overall. His was the other 10 I gave to a water flow picture and I felt yours was the only other one that could have beaten his.

Silky Soft Ears
by dewdodesign

Comment:
What an amazing capture. Beautiful in every way. A fine technical achievement as well. It may have scored only 5.8 but if I could capture and process an image as good as this I'd be thrilled. Obviously you got a 10 from me.

Message edited by author 2007-05-23 01:04:04.

Silky Flowers
by Kathe

Comment:
One of the most technically perfect natural floral images I've seen in a long time. I gave it a 10 and would anytime. Simply gorgious. Great job!

Message edited by author 2007-05-23 00:54:04.

Smooth n Sweet
by blade122

Comment:
A technically excellent image... background is super supportive to the composition... got a 10 from me.

Elusive
by gaurawa

Comment:
Congrats on another ribbon! Knew this was yours... nobody else does smoke as good as this.

blueberry milk shake
by IreneM

Comment:
A fabulous capture of a technically demanding subject. It is as good as the pros!

Sinful Silky Smooth Chocolate with Ripe Strawberry
by Buckeye_Fan

Comment:
This is a tremendous image and I'm proud to say I was one of the folks to score it a 10! It gives the viewer plenty to think silky smooth about.

Pequest Mansion Falls
by skewsme

Comment:
Congrats on the top 10 finish!