I found this bird in the fireplace.

very nice, the only change would be the background which is very active and distracts from the subject.

i agree...background is a little distracting

Thank you for all the comments and critiques, and for my first Feature. :-D I was pleasantly surprised at how this one turned out. I took bunches of shots with different lightings and backgrounds. It's a clear glass bowl with clear clean water. The colour of this photos is not altered or enhanced. The sparkles are natural as well, air bubbles on the sides of the bowl. :-)

I love it! Perfect :-)

I gree, stunnig. Worthy of using for something like an advertisement of CD. Very nice. Great clarity.

The light is coming from right. How about light fully falling on the face by changing the direction of the shot

Gives me a sense of freedom. I agree with the straight on lighting. This is a very nicely composed shot. Great emotion!

such a fan of jumping photos! super!

great shot, well captred, great expression and captre of movement

Is it analogous? I like the processing!

I agree that there should be more focus, but I really like the way you've framed the shot.

I like this pic a lot. I would've liked it better if more of the tree was in focus though.

Not!!! THE FOCUS is what makes this...very creative.
Congrat's

great idea and nice colours...like it

I really love this shot - it's different than the typical "looking up at a tree" picture. I feel like I'm hugging it looking at this. Yes, I'm a tree hugger, and proud of it! :)

in your face...and very cute! looks like that wind is causing a "bad hair day" for the dog :)

I'm not usually a fan of pet pictures, but this is pretty good. Caught my eye for sure. I really enjoy the colors in this. Nice job

Great capture. I love the emphasis on the blues.

I love this picture. Great job!

I like how the focus is on the sand, not the dog. Good colours too.

Tammy,did you notice the swirl on the marble(?)
is like the swirl on the snail.
What an amazing composition here!

Hi mysight, no I hadn't noticed! Cool Beans. :-D Thanks.

Thank you everyone for all your comments and critiques.

Hi Paulforrester...Yes it's set up. I had fun taking this photo. Got the snails from my garden, gave them a little rinse, used a small 6 inch high pedestal and for the background it just a white tea tray turned on it's side. Natural diffused light coming in through the conservatory.

Hi ikol22, do you still have your Canon AE1? Oh and I'm learning all the time! Thanks for your comments.

Awesome job! Very creative and nice idea. Great job! Nice shadow too.

Wow this photo is really impressive. Did you have to coach the snail? It's amazing. The only criticism I have is that the tip of the antennae crosses the shadow in a slightly distracting way. Very well done!

a star is born...

The bright sign on the left is a bit distracting. It's an interesting picture though. :)

I agree that the bright sign is the first thing my eye went to ..but otherwise this is a interesting and unique photo.. great!

I like the concept. I agree about the sign and you should have braced your self or the camera a bit more to reduce the camera shake.

I actually like slow shutter on these type of shots as it conveys the "business" of a train station. The blur just gives the impression of a bad snapshot.

I like that you caught the energy and sense of urgency that train stations have about them.

like the movement smuge...one step to the left would have got rid of the distracting sign and kept the girl in shot...great busy image though

Ok, I messed around with it:

blizzart.org/images/squirrel-1.jpg

As soon as I opened this I absolutely laughed out loud. The look on that squirrels face with the nuts in such nice reach of the delighteful treats.... I Love it!!!! Keep shooting Carl, you're getting better every time I see you post.

Lol, not the technical perfect pic, but so cute and nice to look at.

squirrels are nature's ninjas!

It's an awesome pic.. just a bit too bright on the left side, but I'm sure you knew this :-p

Flat lighting. Try to use the reflector of some kind to put some depth on the face. The model has nice eyes that must be accentuated. Good luck.

Haunting eyed hippie girl.
This is a great portrait!

Thank you for your comments. As soon as I get a free moment I'm going to try again. :-)

I think her eyes could use some makeup, to make 'em look more expressive.

great great B&W tones, I love it

Great picture, love the composition, draws you into the picture. Love the dof.

Really like the composition, its perfect. The only change I would be to the left road behind the tree in the foreground. It seems a little washed out, maybe if it is a little darker it would make the picture stand out. But then maybe not.

It feels a bit washed out to me.

Great picture. Could maybe use a bit more contrast.