"Das Boot" -- ("The Boat")
by Bear_Music

Comment by notbiscuit:
subtle. I like that it isn't cluttered.

Flotsam in the Mist
by Bear_Music

Comment by Gauti:
Very nice image, very nice graduation in the blue. There seem to be some whitish spots in the upper frame, esp to the R.
Less is more.
Very nice compsition, I'd like a wider crop though, not much, just two dozens of px if possible, just to compare.

Bleak Bokeh
by Bear_Music

Comment by Gallatin:
Excellent

Bleak Bokeh
by Bear_Music

Comment by strangeghost:
Love the earth tones. The background is perfectly indistinct, but complements and strengthens your subject perfectly. This is what I think of when I visualize "good bokeh." Very well done image. Hope you finish high!

Bleak Bokeh
by Bear_Music

Comment by charmayne:
beautiful. great use of bokeh to make your subject a wonderful image

No Indoor Plumbing
by Bear_Music

Comment by emorgan49:
Hey - if the Wonderdog needs a new vet, my sister is in Brewster - Dr. Morgan.

Bleak Bokeh
by Bear_Music

Comment by LevT:
Very nice bokeh. the front leaf is just a tad too soft and a bit noisy. 7

Bleak Bokeh
by Bear_Music

Comment by Sweetlips:
Beautiful!

Snip & Press
by Bear_Music

Comment by Kavey:
Critique Club

Initial thoughts
Composition lacks coherence, background conflicts with main content.

Composition/ Content
The content itself seems a strange choice. I like the idea of showing the garlic press and the garlic together but can't quite fathom where the scissors come in. Together they seem a little too random and unconnected.
Compositionally, the layout doesn't feel balanced. There's no flow in terms of natural eye movement around the image; my focus is stuck on the reflection on the garlic press; the lower right area of the frame feels oddly empty even though that corner is no different to the other corners. I think that's all down to the rather random layout.
Whilst I often find it works to crop part of the contents out of the frame it doesn't seem to work here ΓΆ€“ perhaps because it's only happening to one item and only at one edge of the image.
Coming back to content, I think it's important not only to find subject matter that fits the challenge theme but also to present it in such a way that it's aesthetically appealing or intellectually interesting.

Background
The wooden chopping board that you have used as your background seems at odds with the main content not only in colour but also in texture and in the shapes it provides. I find the strong parallel lines too overpowering for the contents placed on top of them.

Camera Work - Technical
Lighting and focus look OK but there is a patch of the garlic bulb that seems blown out.

Fits The Challenge
Yes.

My Opinion On The Photo
Too much concentration on meeting the challenge and not as much on producing an image that's appealing in it's own right.

EDIT: Corrected typo!

Message edited by author 2005-01-10 13:12:35.

Bleak Bokeh
by Bear_Music

Comment by Kavey:
I really like the pattern of the bokeh area on this and the way it sits in a zig zag area between the leaf edges. The abstract pattern of the colours and shapes in that background are quite fascinating. What lets this down for me is the lighting on those leaves - too much shadow for my tastes. If the leaf on the left were lit to show colour as the ones on the right show I think it would balance the composition more strongly. Overall I find the colours a touch too muted though perhaps if there weren't so much shadow that would not be an issue. I voted this a 6.