Critique requested.

I spent part of last weekend up near Glenwood and had a chance to do a little shooting in South Canyon. Past fires and some recent snow made for some interesting abstracts. I am officially requesting any and all critique, so don't hold back.
These were all shot with a tripod mounted G10. I have to say I'm pretty impressed with this little camera.
Thanks,
Paul

#2

#3

#2 Gets my vote.

Oh, I like #2 a lot, and #3 is good, #1 I don't care for. I like the grass and the burned limbs, but the ones on the top lead me off the frame.

I'm with Morris--#1 doesn't have any center of attention. #2 is somewhat better that way, although I find the light-colored branches between the burnt ones slightly distracting.
I like #3, maybe with a little vignette or something, so the center is plenty forceful.
I like the "point of view" for #2 especially--it's really pretty nice.

These are very subjective comments! ...but since you asked!

I'm with Linnet here.
Perhaps a boost in contrast might help both #1 & #2. #2 in particular, as it's the more interesting of the two.
#3 is most interesting to me, and I agree that a slight vignette would work well here.

Agree with #3 being the strongest and with comments about no center of attention in #s 1&2.
In #3 you might consider tightening up the crop even further and darkening the rocks and soil underneath the brush to optimize the image a little more.As you critique these images, consider these comments by George Lepp: Is there a Center of Interest?; Is there a Pattern or Texture?; Does the image have a strong Color Element?; Is the image for Documentation or is it Strong enough for Show Quality?

Bill Brennan

I really like #2 and think it's the strongest of the group. Like Linnet, the light branches first bothered me a little, but the "opening" that they leave in the scene provides some depth and a very beneficial resting place for the eye. I think if those branches were like the others, the image would feel every bit the 2-dimensional scene that it is.

#1 is next on my list - I think you did a better job here of bringing some structure to the chaos via the repeating diagonals, but overall, it's not as dynamic a shot as #2. The lower left area is lacking any strong subject matter, and that weakens the overall impact, imo.

#3 is the one I connect with the least. I get the concept and see potential, but the comp feels very very tight. That, combined with the size and positioning of the tree, keeps me pinned right there in the middle. To me, it's not abstract enough to be an abstract, and there's not enough of the surrounding scene to let it work as an intimate scenic shot.

That G10 is a great little camera. So much so that I haven't pulled out my D2X in months. It obviously doesn't replace an SLR, but for the size, weight and image quality... it's my go-to camera for dayhikes and weekend getaways. I do wish it had the swiveling LCD like earlier G-series cameras, but that's my only significant nit. Fun little camera!

Thanks to all who commented. I appreciate you taking the time and this is exactly what I was looking for. I'm with Rick on the G10. I'm having so much fun with it lately, that I've been leaving the dslr at home. The G10 feels a whole lot lighter in my backpack!

#2 is so awesome - big impact out of chaos. I do think that the red leaves provide a lead-in for #1, but not enough to hold my interest. #3 has nice lines, but nothing like 2.

2 and 3 get my vote. The first one doesn't seem to be complete. The trees across the entire image hold #2 together; it feels more like a painting. #3 is more photographic than the others; a nice intimate scene of a snowy landscape. Well done

I like #2 best. I also think the tree trunks unify the scene.

The upper left corner in #3 seems to detract from the unity of the scene, for me. The suggested vignette would probably help.

I think a lot of appeal to these images lies in the details which are just lost on the web.