Eyeing The Competition
by WonderDude

Comment by RussianMasterPhotographer:
A majestic horse!

Hidden Slide
by WonderDude

Comment by sidpixel:
Hello from the Critique Club

An interesting image that meets the challenge.

Yep, there's certainly no mistaking that is well and truly a diagonal! I would concur with your commenters remarks. Although the slide dominates all too clearly the background is also rather too busy. Given the wide angle lens you are using a shallow DOF is not really possible in which case a different viewpoint would have been more effective. I think given the lovely sky I would have gone for a lower viewpoint isolating the slide against the sky and removing the ground level background distractions completely, this would have given it more impact. As it is it is really a family snapshot recording a day out with the kids on a slide, you need more than that to make an impact here.

Thanks for your submission, Sid

Focus on the Fly
by WonderDude

Comment by sidpixel:
Hello from the Critique Club

An appealing image that is deemed to meet the challenge

Another well executed macro with good composition and repetition through the use of a soft focus background. My own perception of bokeh has always been much more clearly identified with specular highlights as opposed to soft or OOF areas which is where I would place your entry. The challenge brief would also seem to veer more towards the soft focus rendering than my own interpretation so feel free to ignore my comments.

Your composition works well in placing the fly on one of the RoT hotspots, I particularly like the soft focus flower in the background it adds a lot to the end result. You have captured the fly's iridescence well, an essential element of the image. I'm pleased to see you have invested in good software you will eventually reap the benefit as you learn to get the best from it.

I look forward to your continuing contributions, Sid

Looking for an late afternoon snack
by WonderDude

Comment by sidpixel:
Hello from the Critique Club

An appealing image that contributes well to the open challenge

What a lovely colourful butterfly you've captured here in a profile that shows off his remarkable colouring well. You've quickly adapted and learnt an important lesson of macro photography, to set your lens to the focussing distance you want and move the camera its by far the most effective technique to use, well done. It's a fairly minor point but I would prefer it if your composition was more to the right, as it is I feel the left hand edge is a bit close to the main subject, the butterfly, with space to spare on the right of the flower.

Given the very soft focus background I think you would have been better to use a smaller aperture that would have got the whole of the butterfly in good sharp focus with a little more, though still not distracting, detail in the background. I like your placement of the insects head and the flower head in the brighter part of the background. All in all, its a very competent macro that has the essential elements in good detail.

Thank you for your entry, Sid

Pondering at the Ponderosa
by WonderDude

Comment by sidpixel:
Hello from the Critique Club

A portrait that meets the challenge

A quite straightforward portrait made more distinctive through the use of selective desat which although it separates the subject from the background very effectively I am not personally a fan of this technique. Without your comments and given his clothing I would take him for a cowboy as opposed to a musician especially against the background with the sheriff’s star symbol. It would be more representative of his profession if he was holding an instrument he uses.

The DOF, focus and exposure are all good and whilst your image is perfectly acceptable and competently done it lacks the sort of impact needed to elevate it to the front page but it has been respectably received here so well done.

Thanks for your submission, Sid

Hidden Slide
by WonderDude

Comment by MichaelC:
Certainly in your face diagonal which I feel could have benefited from better light (earlier or later in the day) and a shallower DoF.

Piped Graffiti
by WonderDude

Comment by sidpixel:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique club*

A failed attempt that does not meet the challenge.

Although the challenge brief does not specifically state low contrast with or without post processing the essence of the challenge is to find in your surroundings a scene that exhibits low contrast characteristics. To take an initially high contrast scene, desaturate it and reduce the contrast is not, in my opinion what this challenge is about and I think that is reflected in your voters reaction too.

I find it interesting that you have chosen to include the drainpipe as an important element within your composition but I am unsure why you have done it. I would imagine the original artistry was very impressive and would have made a good study on its own, its not apparent to me how the pipe adds to the overall end result in any beneficial way.

Well done for trying and do keep on contributing and learning, Sid

Being Green
by WonderDude

Comment by sidpixel:
*Hello from Sid and the Critique club*

An interesting image that meets the challenge

Power is clearly conveyed through your choice of the solar panels and their inferred generation of electrical power. I like that your father is positioned to allow the rest of the image to be filled with the solar panels but I am not so happy that he is wearing one of 'em! I think it would have worked better if you had him a little more to the right obscuring the building in the background and looking in to the scene towards the panels.

The colour saturation is bordering on being a little too much for my preference but still reasonably acceptable. What is much less desirable are the blown highlights in the clouds they are detrimental to the end result. I don't think you should be too concerned about your high ISO modern cameras such as yours have continued to make significant improvements in the sensor's ability to handle ISO well and at these levels this really shouldn't be an issue.

Thank you for your entry, Sid

Being Green
by WonderDude

Comment by tvsometime:
I'm grinning. Should I be?

Pondering at the Ponderosa
by WonderDude

Comment by stevieian:
I like your use of selective desat