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10 Days Old
10 Days Old
dizneewench


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: The Number 10 (Advanced Editing IV)
Camera: Pentax *ist D
Lens: Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF
Location: Hanford, California
Date: Jul 8, 2006
Aperture: F5.6
ISO: 3200
Shutter: 1/60
Galleries: Animals, Black and White
Date Uploaded: Jul 9, 2006

This was taken at the Kings County Fair Grounds! The chick really IS 10 days old! lol.. In photoshop -

Resized
Cropped
Converted to B&W
Increased contrast

Statistics
Place: 151 out of 219
Avg (all users): 5.0950
Avg (commenters): 5.5000
Avg (participants): 4.7391
Avg (non-participants): 5.3981
Views since voting: 753
Views during voting: 263
Votes: 200
Comments: 7
Favorites: 0


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AuthorThread
07/20/2006 05:54:50 PM
Hello from the Critique Club!

Subject Matter:

I think the 10 day old chick is an adorable and unique subject for the challenge but at the same time, it probably lowered your score with some voters. Looking only at the picture, it isn't clear what the central subject, the bird, has to do with the challenge topic. It's only until you see the title that the connection is made. Using the title in this way is acceptable by me but it could be a stretch for some viewers who prefer to let the image stand on its own. In any case, I commend you for thinking outside of the box.

Composition:

The centered composition works well with the chick naturally framed by the darker hands. Only thing I'd suggest is opening up the crop a little more to include the entirety of the hands.

Camera Work:

Lens seems to be a little out of focus making the subject blurry which probably lost points with DPC viewers who expect tack-sharp images. I assume the lighting was a little difficult to work with since you're cranked up to iso 3200 and still only getting 1/60 on your shutter speed. This, combined with the somewhat uniform lighting on the chick could have made it difficult for the camera to autofocus correctly. Next time, you could try to focus manually and take a series of shots so you can choose the sharpest one out of them later.

Postprocessing:

I think the choice to go B&W was a great one that reduced the distracting effect of high noise levels and increased emphasis on the main subject. I like the B&W on the hands which have a nice range from dark to light. I like how the lightness of the bird draws attention to it in comparison to the darker hands. However, the bird seems to be a little too bright in places and loses detail on the wings and back. The rest of the bird looks good.

Summary:

Overall, I think this photo has a good subject and B&W processing that works well to draw attention to it. However, the blurriness and need for a title to connect it to the challenge probably lowered your final score. The crop should be a little wider too.

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

- David
 Comments Made During the Challenge
07/13/2006 08:06:05 PM
What can I say.... So cute :o)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/11/2006 01:39:28 AM
Lighting could have been better but overall a very adorable shot. :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/10/2006 09:45:04 PM
And 10 fingers to cover your bases for the dnmc police, right? :) I love this photo!!! It's as sweet a 10 as I ever saw!!!!! Good luck!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/10/2006 01:36:21 PM
how adorable!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/10/2006 10:11:09 AM
so sweet! hope you do better than i did, (had a similar image few challenges back) 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/10/2006 08:59:11 AM
I love the idea of this, the ten fingers and the ten days old but I wish we were more on the same plane as the bird instead of looking down on him. The crop seems a tad tight. With the right lighting and a dark background, I think it might have been more impactful. Hope this is helpful. ;~D
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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