Congratulations steveOBhave!
(Please email me your chosen theme when ready.)
And all who entered an excellent turn out to the final round of the season.
Critique;
acccc
I know it's taken with a camera phone, but I can't say I'm blown away - there's just no real focus to the image. There's also a yellow colour cast to the photo that wouldn't take a moment to correct in post processing.
I like the idea of this one, but there's nothing in particular that draws me to the photo. It's potentially an interesting subject, but I feel a little more technique in the composition and processing could have gone a long way to improve the impact.
It is lacking in focus and processing with an odd colour cast, this is no doubt due to it being a quick snap on a camera. The most impacting thing going for it is a good advert for not dropping litter.
Arsey
A nice photo with a good impact. I'd have been tempted to have increased the contrast a tad, but it could definitely do with an USM.
A really nice photo. The colours are good as is the contrast between the main subject and the foreground. I think my main criticism would be that the distance of the subject means the impact score is not as high as it could be. Otherwise, a good shot.
The focal point of the shot is just to far away to bring any real subject to the shot, causing the grey mass of clouds to just take over and distract the eye.
benjo
A lovely photo. It looks like you've thought out the composition well and it's exposed and shot well - the colours are fantastic. What I would say is that it's a bit soft - run it through a sharpening filter to give it a bit of a kick.
A very well composed and captured picture, with excellent vivid cold colour tones.
A great range of colour is here, and this has been captured well. The foreground detail and the background subjects are both captured well. My two criticisms would be that the shadows are a little underexposed and that there seems to be a bit too much room at the top of the image. It feels like it might work a little better in a landscape orientation.
blastman
There's just not much going on and as a result I can't score it highly in terms of impact. Technically it's also got a blue colour cast.
The reflection of the red car and person just distract from this shot and just destroy any composure that was planned to be captured.
It's difficult to see this image as anything other than a snapshot. There's certainly interest in capturing the reflection of the sky and the trees against the paint texture, but there are just too many other distractions (people, the top right fold in the surface. etc) which mean this effect isn't really pulled off.
Cokebottles
I think my main thought is that it's underexposed. It's a difficult scene to expose properly without some ND grads, though you could have played with some dodging and burning or better with selectively merging two separate exposures (or even HDR). As it is, I'm afraid it lacks the impact it could have.
A good take on an often clichéd image. The colours and composition are generally good, but the impact is lessened by the slightly distracting foreground.
An unflattering angle of a popularly shot and a little under exposed, but the perfect time of day to attempt this.
Collister
A really nice bit of processing here. The colour effect works well and the texture is really brought out. If anything, the heavy texture of the grass means that the image lacks some depth - some DOF would have been useful here.
I like cross processing, but I feel this one's a little over the top. As an image, I don't think it's that striking in terms of composition and in taking it, you've clipped both the blacks and the whites.
A wonderful concept, with some clear post processing skills, but the composition is a little confusing is it the detail of the wooden fence or the landscape that is the proposed focal point?
Derek W
The photo suffers a bit from a bland sky, which can't be recovered in post processing. The scene has high dynamic range, and probably the simplest way of properly exposing the scene would be to take two separate exposures and selectively merged them.
An interesting tree formation but the composure and unfortunate day lighting make for a bland capture, could do with a bright day and maybe some right out to capture some foliage in a portrait image.
A potentially interesting subject which could greatly benefit from better composition and exposure. There's huge potential interest in the texture of the tree and the general arrangment, but there seems to have been no thought put into how the subject sits in the frame and this seriously detracts from any impact.
Electric ant
In terms of composition, I don't think it's too bad and I can see why you took the shot. It's probably a factor of the weather as much as anything, but it just looks a bit flat. In my opinion, it could really do with some curves and contrast work to give it some punch.
The background of this image appears like a painting almost, such is the combination of the blurring and the colours. Technically a good picture, not wonderfully interesting though and the composition takes a knock from the building jarring it's way into the bottom left.
It is a little washed out and could do with some contrast to bring it back, the composition is spoilt by the roof top creeping into the frame.
famas
Verging more on digital art than photography per se, but it's certainly very effective. Your black and white processing is always behind these shots and is a great strength - I can't help but feel I'd just prefer it without the photoshop.
A very strong indication of where your skills lie even thought it is a photoshop it has been pieced together very well, with an exquisite black and white shot holding it all together.
It's fairly obvious that a large amount of processing has produced this result, but this is not a negative point. The impact is certainly present, with the contrast between the coloured and b/w sections and a similar levels contrast between these areas making a big difference. Looking into the details reveals a really good level of sharpness in the hand and just the correct exposure.
Gaffer
An excellent capture and great impact. In terms of processing, I think it could do with some contrast/shadows tweaks and some sharpening just to bring the fur out a bit.
A lovely picture, but it is lacking in impact a little soft and could do with some punch with
A simple idea very well executed. The image has been composed well, there's interest in the lighting contrast across the image, and the colours and sharpness are both spot on. I think a slightly wider DOF would have helped just bring some of the details into focus, but apart from that this works really well contrast.
greengiant
Lovely shot. I like the use of DoF to get the whole head sharp and the lighting is very good. Not much else to say, really - I can't really find fault with it.
A nice snap shot well composed and captured.
A nice photo. Another simple idea executed well. The sharpness is good, the framing works well and the lighting is also good. I think that perhaps some experimentation in processing could bring a little benefit. There isn't a huge colour variety to this image, so it appears to be on the fence between a well-saturated image and a more stark less saturated one.
InvaderGIR
It's a picture of a 360. Apart from as a test for a lens and playing with DoF, I can't say it has much obvious appeal or technical merit.
A dull subject that probably most people can identify without the aid of a picture, I don’t believe this to be your best?
A simple DOF exercise with a nice bit of reflection. It's reasonably well done, but I can't help feel that the subject could be a little more interesting. Technically good, but perhaps some more experimentation with angles on this particular subject could have provided a bit more impact.
kei
Looks like quite a heavy crop, but it's still very impressive considering the size of the subject. My main thought is that it's very warm on my screen - something that can be simply corrected.
A little bright I think the harsh light blows out the shot a little but other than that which can be easily tweaked a well composed shot.
A nice wildlife shot. Not much wrong with the photographic side – I think that the processing could be improved a little, specifically the white balance which feels a little warm. Playing around with this in PS, just the smallest tweak in the colour balance really brings this image to life.
KittyKat
Lovely bird! It's a nice capture, although it's a bit softer than I might expect - it may have IS, but shooting at 1/50s @ 400mm might explain this. There's also a slight blue colour cast.
I know capturing birds is difficult, which you have succeeded here in doing but by sacrificing other elements with a soft image and very dull colour tones.
A nice capture. The subject is certainly interesting, the lighting is good and I like the de saturated effect. The two main complaints I'd have would be that the noise is little intrusive and the cropping could be a little tighter. Other than that, a good shot.
Mr Jones
A fun interpretation of a title of an open theme! If you drew the treble clef backwards, then you get extra kudos, but I'm guessing you reversed the image (I would have, anyway). It makes the notes stand out well, but perhaps the scene is a bit too dark.
A creative image telling a nice story, could imagine your in a karaoke bar! Just needs a bit more lighting.
An amusing picture, which is a little difficult to initially figure out. There's a slightly disjoint feeling of slightly random subjects. It's a little underexposed, but the framing is good. I just think it's missing something and doesn't have a great impact because of it.
Oxygen
Very sinister! Not much there to find issue with really - shot and processed well, in my opinion.
A simple subject but has a great impact, well composed and captured.
A very nice image. There's a great variation in texture which has been captured well. The perspective and composition is interesting and the colour use really goes a long way to adding a mood to the picture. This is really nit-picking but, I think the shadow (of another person) in the top left of the image detracts every so slightly, but that's probably my biggest criticism
pabloB
Whilst photography doesn't always need to be serious, I can't find much to the image apart from 'aim the centre focus point and shoot'. I can't really see clearly, but your subject appears a bit soft and as this is unlikely to be down to the shutter speed in this case, I'm guessing it's the wide aperture and she's moved a bit before you shot.
It appears a little soft, but the remainder of the shot is well captured.
A fairly straightforward image. It's well composed, but the biggest problem with this picture is the light. What's obviously quite a low bright sun is causing quite distracting highlights on the subject and creates quite an uneven look. Playing around in PS, there's a number of ways this could have been countered, for example converting to b/w with a blue filter reduces the highlight effect and really makes the subject stand out from the background.
peterattheboro
Nice shot. There isn't much to say here, as technically it's fine. I suppose I could say that you could shoot with a CP to reduce the glare on the glass a bit, but it's swings and roundabouts.
A nice motor sport photography example. Leaving very little to critique.
A good photo – the subject is interesting, it's been framed well and the colours are good. The rotation really helps to bring out the impact. I think this may have beneffited by a slightly closer crop as the background is a little distracting, but that's probably the only point.
Phate
A simple shot but fairly well executed. As an exercise in showing the watch off, it's a bit dark, though and the strong directional lighting is casting some nasty shadows.
A bit to dark distracting from the subject by over shadowing it.
The annoying thing about this image is that there's really good potential here, but it's been detracted from by the really harsh lighting. There's some really nice texture detail on the metal, but the highlights are just overexposed and you lose the effect. Similarly, the shadows are underexposed and the whole image feels very harsh. Some better lighting would have really helped as the composition and colours are rather good otherwise.
PinkFloyd
I'm afraid this is an example of when I wouldn't use HDR. Processing has done some strange things to that tree in the next hedgerow and I can't say I understand the use of the aperture here.
A nice landscape and good winter capture I find there are a few too many harsh shadows and there is no true focal point.
A classic sunset scene. Everything here is right except for two points: the image leans slightly to the right which is a bit disconcerting and the sun is perhaps a little too intrusive. Perhaps a lower exposure level would have helped slightly, without detracting from the silhouette of the tree.
Punt
ICE? The ruination of a bourbon. That said, I like the photo - well thought out and executed. The DoF works well.
A nicely composed and captured studio shot with well controlled lighting just lacking in subject matter.
This is a good example of a very simple idea put together very well. There's so many nice details here, from the reflection of the bottle, to just the right focal length to get the correct amount of blurring on the bottle text, to the detail on the condensation on the glass. The lighting and the colours are just right. The only negative is that the glass feels a little bit like it's floating as the reflection isn't particularly prominent.
Random_Reks
I'm finding it hard to see what's going on there, really. At first I thought due to the position of the bottom three lights, that they might have been reflections, but on closer inspection they're just in the next tree. It's just a bit to dark and confusing for me, I'm afraid.
There is not enough light to truly show off the detail of the trees branches with the twinkling lights so all you get is what appears to be an under exposed accident.
A photo that does a good job of making a simple scene slightly abstract. The shape made by the lights seems a little random, but the effect of the lights themselves and the way they illuminate the tree is captured well.
rghjones
It's a fun image and whilst it might be very 'now', I can't really see the reason for fractals here. Am I missing something? Apart from that, the photography is fine.
Even with the addition of the light trails the under pinning picture isn’t a great subject matter even if it is well captured.
An interesting photo of light trails in an already illuminated area. The main problem with this is that it's overexposed, so use of an ND filter or a smaller aperture would have really helped the exposure. This is a bit of a shame, because apart from that this is a really nice image, with good colours and lighting, and the light trails really add a lot of interest.
sid
Can't say it stands out for me, really. I'm having trouble deciding exactly what the intention was - the focus on the flower is right down at the bottom of the frame and the lighting (or processed darkness?) is very strange.
The focus is in the wrong position drawing the eye away from the picture with no real composure or subject, I really don’t see this as being your best work?
This photo seems to have suffered a bit from camera-shake, with a 1/30s shutter speed at 70mm. The part of the image most in focus is still quite blurry, and it's not clear what the subject of the photo should actually be. The colour variation is interesting, but overall it's let down by the blurriness.
Steeps
Lovely shot. There's not that much more to say than that, really. I think the border is very effective here, though it might not be everyone's cup of tea.
A simple and effective image but the subject matter of the sun I find distracting from the more detailed and interesting silhouette of the tree.
I really like this, as although it's a take on a common subject (tree in sunset), it's composed in a strikingly effective way. The relative positions of the sun and tree are just right, and the level of exposure is perfect. The only downside for me is the diagonal white line on the right of the image, which could possibly have been cloned out.
SteveOBHave
Another nice image - colours, DoF exposure are spot on. The idea and execution are very good, though it's a shame that one person is still on the ground!
This is a fantastic shot. Everything works well, the colours, the lighting and the subjects are all really effective. Very little to find fault with here.
An excellent shot. No real critique of the technique behind it, just a tighter crop and get the lazy one off the floor!
This is a fantastic shot. Everything works well, the colours, the lighting and the subjects are all really effective. Very little to find fault with here.
Sunlistix
Well technically it's a fine image, I just don't think there's that much interest in the scene. The HDR is nice and subtle but I don't necessarily think the vignette adds anything to the image.
Technically a well captured shot with enough detail to keep the viewer interested in a fairly mundane subject. The colours are just a little flat.
This photo is well composed with an interesting subject. The lighting coming from the side also adds some good shadows. The main improvement I'd suggest would be to play around with the contrast to make more use of the sky gradient and to help bring out the sign.
TheAlex
It's difficult at first to see what this is an image of, but when you see that the camera is shooting downwards it makes a bit more sense. A reasonable colour-selected image, my main critisicm is that it lacks meaning - there's no real connection between the subjects and feels a bit haphazard.
Well it's different! I'm afriad I just can't really see the point of the image - what's the significance of the chocolate bars and the dog? Is the dog meant to have eaten the second down? As I can't understand the image, it can't score highly in terms of impact ...
A truly random picture, as a shot it has no real faults but no instant meaning or clear impact. It is just a snap.
Toekiller
Nice image - simple and working well because of it. My only thought would really be that I don't think the top half of the shot adds much - I'd probably have cropped to have the sun higher in the frame.
A little to simple for its own good, but captured well with good technique.
Another sunset scene. Again, a simple idea which has been reasonably well executed. There's good detail in the forground with the water and the colours work well. It's slightly offputting that the photo isn't level (leans to the right), and with such an often-photographed subject, I think I'd like to see a bit more experimentation on commonly seen scenes.
V-spec
Didn't actually realise you'd switched from the seal until I came to marking! An excellent capture of a brilliant scene, really. Exposure, DoF ... It's all there.
A great photo. Some good work done in getting the dynamic range just right, but also including the misty effect on the rocks and keeping the light realistic. Also very well framed and exposed.
A fantastic shot by someone who really knows there way around the camera, its not an instant subject most people would want to shoot but it works very well.
vertica
A nice photo of one of the most shot buildings in the country. I don't think it really jumps out at me, though and doesn't score that highly in terms of impact. You could either have got rid of the tree from the frame or made more of it, but as it is, it's neither here nor there and I'm finding it a bit distracting.
It is lacking punch with very flat grey tones, give it the boost it requires in photoshop and you will have a very nice shot.
Some good composition here, with the trees nicely framing the shot. The main issue with this image is that I'm not sure it benefits from being in b/w as it feels that the contrast is a little flat. The colour version could have have some good variation between the sky, the green of the trees and the building.
whitecrook
Not really getting this one, I'm afraid. I can't take my eyes away from the massively blown sun and the effect it's had on the contrast of the rest of the scene.
I think I can see what you where trying to capture but the sun has really stolen the show, you were just a little to early in trying to capture it let the sun die down a little more.
The initial reaction to this is that the sun has been hugely blown out, but then you see the rest of the image and start to get it. I really like the idea here, and I think on the whole it's been done quite well. I think a good way of somehow masking the sun is needed though.
willis
Touching image. The focus, DoF and black and white conversion are spot on. An excellent entry.
This works very well the lighting really adds to the shot creapong across the pew towards the captured moment.
A good photo that really conveys some meaning. Aside from the well captured subject, there's also little highlights in how the texture of the wood has been captured that really adds to the overall effect. The highlights are probably a little harsh and there is some distraction in the top right, but other than that it's a good image.
Xerohour
A good use of sunlight here. The colours are really good on this image and the composition is also very effective. The only tiny point is that the vignetting is slightly uneven, with the top right being quite a lot darker than the top left.
If only we could fly! The wing of the plane really takes away from a breath taking shot, but none the less with it there it is still impressive and well captured with no impact from the window.
Spectacular scene. It's a good photo, but I'm finding the sky a bit over powering. The whites are quite warm, though I suppose it's more accurate to the scene as it is.
yantorsen
Technically it's a great photo, but I'm just feeling that the composition is a bit lacking. I might have made a bit more of the boat in the immediate foreground. It's half in and half out of the frame as it is, which looks a bit odd.
A really nice harbour scene. The colours have been captured really well and the reflections add an almost painting-like effect to the whole image. The boat on the right feels slightly awkward, and I'd probably have either included it completely or taken it out alltogether, but that' probably the only drawback.
A very nice scene, captured at the right time of day with a nice glow from the horizon. It is technically well captured but could be improved on in the composition.
great idea
