We just posted the video for the March Plus Photo Critiques, which you can view by clicking on the thumbnail above. As always, we try to pull a cross section of submitted photos, both to showcase great work and to provide some constructive criticism on photos that are close, but could use some help.

Based on some feedback last month, we decided to critique more photos in March than we normally do. To keep the video from getting too long, you might find that we were a bit quick in our assessment on some photos. Hudson and I will also do our best to comment on a few more images in the gallery over the next week. Please note that we can’t critique every image submitted; we try to balance critiques from month to month, so that we’re not leaving folks out. It’s our belief that the critiques aren’t just about us critiquing your photos, they’re a great way for us all to see what makes up a good photo, and what small things we can do to improve our own photos.

We had some great (and unique) submissions for 2020’s first Plus critiques session. The video has been posted and can be viewed by clicking on the thumbnail above.

Photos of the month

Our friends at Lume Cube donated three of their new Lume Cube 2.0 LED lights (which Hudson and I love, and are part of our essential kit) as prizes for January’s critiques. We chose our two favorite photos from the group, shown below, and drew one random name from the list of all contributors this month. Let’s take a look:

Flowing Lights, by Christian Riedl

Christian Riedl has shown some beautiful work in the Plus galleries, and this month he wowed us with an unusual — and mesmerizing — handheld, long-exposure shot taken on a moving escalator. This is one of those photos that just captivates the viewer. At first glance, there’s a bit of “how did he do that?”, but that lessens when you start studying the composition, with its strong lines, ghostly subject (reflected not once, but twice!), and stark coloring. It is not a conventional shot in the least, which makes it all the more impressive. Excellent work, Christian.

We’re back on track with the monthly critiques, and our December session is now live — click on the thumbnail above to view the video.

We saw a lot of great photos this month, and we wish we could write about every one we mention in the video. That said, here are a few of the photos Hudson and I felt deserving of an extra mention this time around:

Tent Building at Night, by DPlockard

This photo jumped out to us as a superlative nighttime reflection shot. The color of the tent building, reflected almost perfectly in the pool, adds a beautiful glow to the overall scene. The edges of the frame have enough detail and light to provide a bit more balance overall, and the tips of the building are nestled inside the frame, as they should be. Hudson noticed immediately that the sign, visible in the facade, is missing in the reflection, which offsets slightly the symmetry of the scene, making it even more powerful. Magnificent work.

The November Plus Critiques video has been posted; you can watch all of the critiques by clicking on the video at the top of the screen.

We had a great group of photos submitted, and Hudson and I chose more than 20 photos that we felt were worthy of discussion, from new Plus members and old hands. We appreciate you taking the time to show us your work.

Here are a few of our favorites this month.

Hudson and I finally got caught up last week on October’s Plus Critiques submissions. Since we’re overdue, and are just about to move on to recording the November critiques, I’ll get right into it.

Dance on a Volcano, by Christian Reidl

Christian’s photo was one of the most thoughtful and beautiful images we saw this month. The processing was understated and spot on, and the composition quite good, with the presence of the hiker giving the photo a perfect sense of place (and an anchor to the overall frame). We might back off a hair on the vignetting, but that’s a small nit to pick. Nice work, Christian!

Folks have really been stepping up in the critiques lately. We’re seeing a bunch of new faces, and some regulars whose work is showing great leaps forward in creativity, composition, and post-production work.