francis smith

it's a neat photo-- very filmic. I'd crop just the right 10% or so-- leave a little space to the right of the last visible leaf at top-- but just a little little space-- 2mm maybe.

a usually bland subject executed to look a bit surreal. I like it. but then again, I love cats. it reminds me of a lewis carroll cat.

i second Bob, but add that i think this is better than #2-- the over composition has more integrity. however, it still feels messy and overly contrived. remember function of space, both visually and physically. allow the space to work some, and your photo will improve. let us glimpse your world via these objects.

because of contrast problem, each object lacks structural integrity. photo itself lacks structural integrity. imagine that you have a space, and that you must make that space function even with all this stuff in it. from there decontruct, looking at overall pattern as it plays out across the camera view. look at the greatest still life painter of all time-- Chardin. His work retains some sense of function, tht what we see here is a glimpse into a private world. Let someone glimpse your private world in action-- that will make a good still life. the world we see here would not function at all. it is in the process of being moved from one room to another. it doesn't "work".

Very lovely.

 

I feel the highlights in the clouds need to be toned down just a bit. the bright cloud on the left is so in contrast to the very effective dark mass on the right-- the strong contrast is such that it sort of drowns out those handsome clear peaks in the middle. toning down that left white cloud would allow the eye to wander over the image more.

I thought this was a photo of a cat in the hallway of some home that has Chinese paintings on the wall.

 

But, I really like it-- it's really good. The filter may be a bit much-- but only a bit. I tend to dislike filter effects-- heartily. I feel here, though, it adds a gravity which keeps us focused-- the eye doesn't wander out into the sky.

you have an issue called "trapped white space". The side of that building on the hill side is just too much of a definite white shape that the eye goes right to it. in play with the figures on the table, the contrast between the white and black makes the trapped white space particularly jarring. ways you could have dealt with this would have been to let the hillside burn out more-- that's one way, but problematic in terms of other values in the image. the figures wouldn't have been silhouettes-- a problem. if you had moved toward your right, the branch could have eclipsed the house-- the other houses would not have been as problematic.

It's a sweet photo of the child, but the palm only detracts. It would seem though, that you had a good enough distance from Hanna to allow her to open up a bit, and that you used the right lense.

I feel this one has more compositional interest. However, the depth of field issue and reed intruding on duck bill makes it feel haphazard. Most people would not chose to photograph ducks in muck-- but beauty can be found there. It's great that you're looking there!

I like that you're looing at the not obvious. However, this photo lacks compositional cohesion. The lighting is wanting. However, keep looking. This subject is amuzing and bizarre at the same time. You are definitely onto something.

this is really a lovely photo. the dark background is a bit distracting-- but you captured some real adolescent stuff w/ these girls/ young women. I can easily imagine a better incarnation of this-- w/ better background-- but I do like what you've caught.

a good start. I feel it needs more of a center of attention, or maybe some sort of angling to give it more juice.

this is an amusing photo.

I'm troubled by the black beach, but otherwise find it very interesting-- I'd like to see it blown up real big.

the tones are lovely. the whole conceit of the photo is handsome-- the tiles, the rain or snow, the figure crossing the space, the lane in the distance. I feel that cropping on the left would add to the motion of the figure. I believe the highlight of the lane should be just right of center-- this will add tension, and the cowled figure will become more important. The static figures would become less important-- they would be more static, thus emphasizing the motion of the other. space to the left of the static figures creates a space for our eyes to wander-- thus creating motion which distracts us from cowled figure's motion. I'd crop right behind the far left guy, or there abouts.