Still Walking By by kaybee

Almost works for me... i'd be tempted to have the flower clip the frame too... would really make the viewer work and ask questions in that case. also she's looking down, although we cant see her eyes, ours follow her head direction, and that gives it a very particular feel, if that's what you wanted then cool It's always worth remembering that even if your models are half hidden we can still see (assume) a lot from their pose.

Running Man by Tonyd3

Ok, I'm with Smackmyfish, normally i'd go with the sh*t sandwich, but due to a bread shortage, you'll have to make do with it on toast, sorry.

Compositionally good, nice balance, it's a little tight and compressed but overall works well and has enough to keep your eye interested and moving.

Now, on to the technical side, sorry but this is some poor PS work, there are plenty of Halos from your masking, where you have blurred the background, but not masked you posts effectively are the most obvious.. for example several of your posts have bad halos around them and also weirdly blurred tops and oddly non blurred bit between them where you have added the fire in. Also smoke does not blur out dark objects like you have it here.... light kinda does do that, but not dark objects. On the subject of posts, you have badly masked the lower right post at the bottom (near his right hand) as you can see it and the burning straw merging together when one should obscure the other.

The guys right arm, the back edge of it is blurred when it should not be, again to bad masking most likely, as almost all of him is sharp, and if it was movement on his part the other edge of his arm would be blurred too.

Overall the blurring of the background is badly done in PS ie it's obvious it is done in PS rather than being soft billowy smoke, far too smooth and uniform, no texture or noise to it at all. And finally if you are to add in fire to an image make sure that the one at the back is not seemingly impervious to the wind that is flattening the other two bits of fire. Good effort, but much more work is needed.

All By Myself... by rowarrior

This is very, very good work. It's a photo of contrasts, the thin willowy single 'shroom set in a lot of nice negative space, matched with the well lit cap and stem set against a dark background. This really sets it off, and gives you an emotional response to the struggle for growth. Keeping the colour at the top and the bottom also works, giving a nice border and edge to the scene.

One to be proud of and print it up.


Quote: While everyone else was getting lovely landscapes

Everyone? not quite