I can see you're in a very dark place and you have portrayed a message in a very powerful way.

I've pondered over the image for some time without using the F11 button I can't see it in its entirety and without other distractions such as text. Somehow once I was able to see it this way it became much more intense and as this is the way you saw it when you were working on it it's important to give it that space in order to relate to it.

I guess wessyfiesta was just expressing a valid opinion not making a value judgement. We can't expect everybody to have the same depth of insight as the photographer since we do not have that deep emotional attachment that comes with working with it and experiencing the associated catharsis.

It is very strong and it will continue to haunt me for a very long time.

This is certainly a lovely spot.
I know you don't always see colours as other do but for me the colour of the sky is a bit OTT and the waterfall does appear to have a blue cast. (Maybe this is the effect of the stopper, which I've never used..... so I'm not qualified to comment, perhaps you can tell me
I love the effect of the water coming straight at me & the slight movement in the flowers too.
Did you do any others to show the difference? I'd be interested in seeng them.

I'm not sure that IR is the best for this shot, the background trees & hills all blend in together. Also I think the clouds look a little odd. What it does capture is the feeling of souls.
I've done a quick B/W conversion for comparison. Doesn't really work on the clouds but does bring the depth out a little more.
Comments?

(Crit Group Comment)
Fergus has that cheeky look about him that you've captured well giving the impression that he's peeping round at you.
It's let down a bit by the point of focus, the hairs between his nose & eye are sharp but that's about all. If you wanted that look where only one thing is in sharp focus go for the eye or the nose. I would prefer both to be sharp but that is just a personal thing.
Penny

A good shot Sarah, the foreground rock frames the yacht quite nicely.
The horizon is sloping just a little but that is easily fixed. The foreground so sharp the yacht is a little soft but not enough to spoil the effect
It looks like an idyllic place, the water is crystal clear, where did you take it?
Penny

A bit late to join the party your last guest has just arrived
(I'm deliberately going in cold without reading the other crits there might be repetition.)

Taking this place in the rain at twilight has given us the opportunity to have a flavour of what it must be like to drive there.

I like the use of a small aperture to give the starburst effect and the light trails give a good impression of the cars on their way once the lights changed.

I think I would have cloned out the flare & maybe straightened it up a bit. I'm not sure whether it was possible to get the whole traffic light in as well as the sign post. Although not a pictorial image I think it feels a bit odd to have the traffic light in that position in the frame with its top chopped off. I do appreciate that you might well have been in the only safe place to stand.

Although it made your life difficult the wet road has worked in your favour here to liven up the tarmac.

I've never met one of these roundabouts so it's been good to read your explanation and mouse-over the versions.
Penny

Beardies do pose well and you have made the most of it with the low viewpoint.
As everything was under was under your control I think the odd bits of straw could have been removed as they don't look quite right.
I've done a little mod taking the straw out digitally, (not the ideal solution) and I've also made the statue in the background a little bit more like water.
Penny

True to the original even down to the holes in the scarf. Maybe just a little more of a direct gaze into the lens, as her eyes are so important to the image.

HAppy belated birthday wishes. Haven't joined a group yet as I've been bogged down with other things, but I guess you'll let me join in.
I needed to look at it large to appreciate the detail and texture you've used with some care, not too little nor too much.
The pose is good and does give that feeling of reflecting on the year that has gone while trying to remember the more recent past. The background is good, I think I might have muted down the patch of brightness just to the side of your face. I like the crop and presentation.
Penny

Although this has its faults and they have already been identified, it does have the unmeasurable quality of memorability. Looking up into the mouth is such an unusual angle and that bit of fluff on the bill make it one that works at that level.

I can imagine the bird having a go at you and focusing must have been incredibly difficult, let alone composition and lighting. You have taken this in RAW and I'm sure it would be possible to show more detail in the eye than the black hole that is there at the moment. While your doing it I think you could show more detail and fluffiness in the down.

I agree that it would be improved by a bit more attention to the background .

One to enjoy for what it is, a picture to illustrate a rare opportunity to see something most of us have never seen.
Penny

I love the deep blue and the oh so sharp spikes but not too keen on the bit of white top right.
I've done a quick mod, a slight crop and white streak removed. (Not enough attention to detail but it does show the difference when the white bit isn't there.)
Penny

You did so much better than I did tring to get a picture of a bee when the wind is blowing.
I gave up!

I like the way it comes into its own when seen large and the bee appears to be wiping pollen grains off its eye.

Not too keen on the bright area top left but that might redeemable if you rework the RAW file and just tone it down a little.

There is a pleasing combination of colours and for a first attempt with extension tubes I think you can be quite pleased with yourself as there always was going to be limited depth of field.
Penny

The display of pottery is the main subject but I feel it is a bit lost against the background.
If you had moved slightly to the left and turned the camera to a vertical format you could have framed the stand against the darker doorway, lost the jumble of the shop front and included that intriguing shelving on the right.
Including the sign above gives a context to the image, I guess there are some other shots to be had there but interiors are always difficult as lighting is very tricky.
Penny

This is my stomping ground Akif, we have a couple of the little huts just near to where you toook this picture.
I like the picture but I think you've spoilt it with the heavy vignette at the top, it's just a bit too obvious. Also as Dougie says the lighting looks wrong.
Having said that I do like the water on the boulders.
Penny

A very difficult lighting situation in a lovely location..
I think I would have arranged the dress a little more carefully to show the detail and I would prefer her to be separated from the tree on the left. I find the dark shadows areas a bit heavy for the subject but brightened up I'm sureit would be lovely and still atmospheric.
Penny

This appeals to me very much. I love the high key treatment with the minimalist chair counterbalanced by the distant rectangle and the triangle completed by the clock on the wall.
It is also very well finished and looks good against the background colour.

Another shot with a tranquil feel, I've never been to Hawaii but somehow this isn't what I expect it to look like.
The flare from shooting into the sun has softened the image, you could have reduced this by trying to position the sun behind the thick bit of the palm frond. This would also have been a useful frame for the sky and interesting bit of sea movement and distant hills on the right hand side. I know it's difficult to get into the right position and you have done well to introduce the palm tree on the left.
I hope you're enjoying the site so far.
Penny

Hi Aidan, Welcome to epz and thanks for biting the bullet and uploading a shot on your first day.
I notice that you are a beginner and as you have asked for a critique I'll try to help.
As the others have mentioned this has a lovely tranquil feel to it and you have captured some of the atmosphere in your photo. Shooting directly into the sun is never easy and you have done well to retain detail without underexposing.
It appears a little bit soft as if it as been taken without using a tripod, and shooting into the light has produced flare that has degraded the image a bit.
I've done a quick mod to bring back a bit of the colour by adjusting the levels in curves and sharpened it to try and minimise the camerashake.
If possible a few more details about your equipment, software and the effect you're trying to achieve would help us to give you the advice you've asked for.
I also framed the image although this might not show up in the mod.
Penny

You have posed her well and she is giving you such a lovely smile.
I like the way you've tried something different, I think it would work even better if the grass was a bit more blurry and not obscuring her face quite so much. I also think that if you cropped off the sky at the top you would have a better picture as those four bits of grass against the sky don't help the picture.
I particularly like the foreground clover that provides a good base to the picture.
Penny

Welcome to epz Chiara.
You have created an air of mystery but as Conrad said because nothing at all is sharp it doesn't quite come offand a longer shutter speed would have been better.

I find the baskets in the bottom left a little distracting, if she was just walking towards those dark figures I think it would have worked much better.

I like the way you have darkened the edges of the image and everything being a contrast to the white dress of the bride.

When I look closely I'm not sure whether there is a figure just in front of her, possibly the groom walking just ahead of her. If so it does give a different impression and I think I would have tried to lose it by just darkening the area that could be the side of a face just in front of hers.

It is never easy to do these grab shots because nothing is arranged for us and the clutter of daily life is everywhere. I think it was a good try to do something very different from the usual bride shots.
Penny