CHAT - Weekend Competition 9-11th December

[DigiDiva]

Congratulations Mark, a very nice crisp, and very appropriate for you, shot, with awesome PP'ing. It didn't get my vote as I didn't (personally) feel it matched the brief. Oherwise it would have received my vote. Sorry me old mate. I was so pleased to see an entry from you again and look forward to the next theme.

Ups - Jeff's 'The Zipper' - Got my vote, felt it met the brief perfectly, a small thing that we can't get by without, but don't really think about (until it breaks or you have a 'mam' accident)!!!!Great colours, angles, textures and D of F.

Downs - 2 Beers 'Charger' - Again, didn't rally feel this met the brief as a charger isn't really that small and anyone who isn't a photographer wouldn't need one! A different angle or a shallower d of f may have made this a little more appealing. However, it is pin sharp and the black against the purple is a great contrast and makes the charger stand out.

Mine - I felt it met the brief to perfection, but I was not feeling very arty or imaginative last weekend and couldn't for the life of me think of a single way to make it interesting. It didn't really deserve the 2 votes it got, but thanks for the votes TwinnieE and Dan123. Much appreciated and saved the airing of the nillie t shirt. Of course, once the enrty deadline had passed, I came up with a really good idea to make my photo more interesting.

[Cutter]

First of all thank you to all who voted for me, my vote went to Wodem, A Tacky one, sharp as a tack and met the brief spot on.

DD your right I was also concerned it didnt meet the brief however its only a small brush and it has meant alot to me within my work, Iwas taking a shot of staples untill deena put her photo in (great minds and all that).

Anyway hope you dont mind me voicing my opinnions on you entries this week!

Kerbside: Zipper. A great take on the theme and made me laugh. love the composition and the sharpness of the shot, if I had a small crit I would have liked to have seen a bit more contrast to give a bit more punch to the shot.

DD The fuse: This was a contender, the shot was spot on theme and the focus was superb, I love how you used a background to reflect the fuse: Not sure about the composition I felt that you could have given a bit more space top left with a bit more of an angle so both ends could have been in the thirds. I would have used a new fuse and cloned out the peice of fibre on the Right of the fuse.

2Beers Charger: Just seems to have a lot of noise in this picture and perhaps could have been a bit more creative in the angle that you shot the charger.

Deena: simply binding: Great shot love how the focus runs from the left corner to the middle of the staples, great composition and nice lighting. Perhaps a differnt background colour could have made them jump out and be a bit more interesting to look at.

Twinnie: Lipstick love: I adore this image I love the composition and the entire setup, perhaps you were thinking of me when you were doing it LOLI.
I guess it didnt get my vote cos it wasnt deep red , may Fav

Ogrst: Fallen Angel: Nice image although you clipped the wing and the hand. Think you could have made more of this image with the backround perhaps being darker and the odd twinkle starburst. also it looks like you have a few dust spots on your sensor.

Wavemachine Tightley bound. still dont know what this image is!! a shoe! a bag perhaps, however nice focus and nicely processed.

SieSmith – Pixels make pictures Really clever idea of making the pixels the theme, but i guess the picture wasnt interesting enough to get a vote. I dont know how you did it but i think it was a clever idea.

wodm – A Tacky One Checked the focus and it was as sharp as a tack, nice bright colour to catch my eye. Perhaps a few less drawing pins and a little more attention to composition may have drawn a few more votes.

These are only my observations and even if you dissagree with what i have said you have at least had another view on your image.

DD and kerbside I have notice a great improvement on your images and i can honestley say I think its down to you enetring these comps.

One last word , I have noticed there has not been much bumping to get the poll to vote on the first page, I think this is bad for the comp because seeing it there makes new members want to have a look and who knows even enter.

Will post my theme when I can think of one.

[kerbside]

Firstly Mark, pleasure to see you enter and again it would be great to get more people to get involved with this as i for 1 think that in the year i have been on here i look at a lot of things in a different light.
Ok that said
Up - Chris - The Fuse
Totally on the button with the brief, sharp shot, love the reflection, agree with mark about the hair or whatever it is on RH Side of fuse. Awkward object to make look good and i tghink that you did a great job.

Downs as it were - wodm - A Tacky One
Again fitted the brief perfectly, good take on the subject and can't fault the shot, just did not like the bit of box in the picture, but hey thatt's my opinion.

My vote went to deena thought this was a good close up shot, think that there were a couple off brief.

As for my ZIPPER, i tried more contrast on this but it just did not do it for me Mark, so hence left it like this, may play with it again when i have time.

Thanks to all who voted for me and to those that participated.

Over to you Mark.

[Reinardina]

Jeff, congratulations on getting Mark involved again!

[TwinnieE]

Hello everyone,

Well done Cutter on your winning entry.

Big thank you to donoreo, jimmyosram, SieSmith for my votes, much appreciated.

My vote went to DigiDiva - The Fuse as I thought it met the brief perfectly, small things we couldn't live without!
Great focus and reflection. 10/10 for me.

Up deena Simply Binding
Excellent macro, super focus and dof.

Down Cutter The Brush Off
Well done Marky.
A wonderful image with your trademark water reflection thingy!
If the theme had been "things we use at work" you would have had my vote!!!

Mark I tried red lipstick at first but as I drew the heart it snapped off! So I had to use poncho pink instead! I wasn't thinking of anyone!! lol

orgist Fallen Angel
Thanks, this made me smile!

Why not join my fun group on flickr.
Best pics wins a prize.
This month's theme is 'Simply Christmas"
http://www.flickr.com/groups/competition_corner/

TwinnieE

[wavemachine]

Well done Mark on a great win, it got my vote and I thought it was bang on theme, great to see an entry from you this week and what a cracker to.

Thank you as well for taking the time and trouble to crit all the pictures it really is appreciated, for the record mine was of a shoe and the idea was the lace being the small thing that keeps the shoe on your feet I don't think I quite achieved what I was trying to put across but hey it was fun and I now know how to photograph a walking shoe well at least I think so Ianpinion liked it as he voted for me thank's Ian

I did an alternative bit of processing on my pic which I will post if I get time, really nice effect which realy brings out the texture.

Up - ogrist - Fallen Angel

Very festive idea and what a cute little angel, guess it is the small thing that completes the christmas tress, nice lighting and detail think though a cleaner plain back ground would have lifted the subject more.

Down - SieSmith - Pixels make pictures

Great idea, really nicely executed and bang on theme TBH it hurt my eyes if I looked at it to long though ouch

I have to say I agree with Mark regarding DD and Kerbside. Kerbside it is a great shot, dead sharp and loads of detail you have done really well lately in the monthly comp and weekly comp one day I hope to achieve that. DD I think the standard of your entries has really improved, the fuse shot was no exception, I agree with Mark about the hair (I noticed it) there is a spot healing tool in Photoshop Elements that woul have sorted that out quickly and easily for you (have a play). Also remember Mark had a hair on his golf ball shot a few months back

Looking forward to the next challenge Mark

[DigiDiva]

Mark, I actually had an entry like you described, in the top rh third but I thought i looked lost in the frame (and it didnt show the thread or hair you mentioned that I thought was part of the fuse lo)l.

Thanks for your comments and Mark/Jeff/Twinnie. Always look forward to my crit.