Gone to Seed
by mpreslar

Comment by talj:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Hi Marty,

First of all congratulations on your highest scoring shot to date :o)

Composition:

I like the placement of the thistle to one side of the frame and the angle of the stem helps lead the viewer to the 'seeds'. I would agree with one of the comments below, the light patches in the background are a little distracting, particularly in the top left. Maybe getting a very slight higher angle and tilting the camera down a little would have enabled you to lose the white parts and just have the greens in the background?

I also think the thistle head on the right would look better if is was completely in the frame, as it is at the moment it leaves me wishing I could see the rest of it.

Technicals:

Excellent DOF, the blurred dark greens really help the white of the 'seeds' stand out. You have captured some lovely detail and textures in the stem and thistle heads but I do think it could do with being sharpened a little.

Hope this helps.

If you've got any questions about this critique, please feel free to contact me via the PM system.

- Natalya :o)

Royal Purple
by mpreslar

Comment by SandyP:
I like this alot. It's so nice and clean and sharp. And the contrast between the fresh, pretty purple flowers and the harsh prickly stems adds just the touch of drama that makes the photo unique and interesting.

Royal Purple
by mpreslar

Comment by justine:
This picture is really nice in every way but one. The composition-the main subject is cut off to the right.
I'm not sure I understand the crop but I'm guessing this is all you had to work with. Too bad because the color and focus are outstanding. Nice but with a slight flaw.

Night Baseball
by mpreslar

Comment by spistole:
It seems as though you are trying to put more of the buildings in the shot than the subject (baseball field). Maybe cropping out some of the sky would put more focus on the subject. Otherwise, great clarity for a night shot. 6 Overall.

Night Baseball
by mpreslar

Comment by hopnjohn:
Wow! Talk about a powerful on camera flash. You can see the flash in the Arch. :-) Seriously, nice night shot of Busch Stadium. Well composed and well exposed.

Night Baseball
by mpreslar

Comment by kristat123:
I like this photo.

Night Baseball
by mpreslar

Comment by talj:
I am struggling to 'see' the electricity in this shot. I am not sure if its supposed to be the electric atmosphere of the crowd or the electricity of the lights. Either way neither of these stand out in this shot. Ignoring the challenge title I do like the buildings in the background, really interesting :o)

Night Baseball
by mpreslar

Comment by cogerox:
Love the richness in all the dark tones. Nothing is lost in total darkness. And your highlights are wonderful accents to the whole. Really well done.

Gone to Seed
by mpreslar

Comment by whitewolf:
Nice photo -

Gone to Seed
by mpreslar

Comment by photoslik1967:
Amazing capture. I enjoyed this photograph.