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!

The November Plus Photo Critiques are open. Photos can be submitted via the ON1 Plus Photo Critiques Upload page.

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.