Here's one to chew on I didn't submit for the WA:

Nice, interesting effect on the bulb part.

Like the bulb also. On this laptop there's a good bit of haloing around the reflector and crook.

Bob

LOve it. This would be a beautiful candidate for a texture.

Mannequin, reading your refrain on all the images you commented on leads me to believe that you lack imagination. It is not the subject matter.

PS. Altough I like some of your Flickr images.

Yes, Kaden. I like what you did with it, particularly the second.

In the original I liked the sky, but the street light was off. I "turned it on" by dodging. Didn't like it well enough to submit to the WA, but I like the idea of using it for composite images.

You are waaay too much and painfully so Mannequin.

Not all images need to have a point. I suggest you get
educated, because we are having a deaf conversation.

Hey guys, lets get the tone down a bit. This should be a friendly, helpful place with positive feedback mixed with suggestions, impressions, individualistic reactions.

As for my thoughts:
It's a simple image and I like it. A bit of a fringe of color along the pole could be corrected.
I like the first two re-works, Kaden.

Scott

Wow angry. Isnt there room for dissent in this forum?

Curious behavior. You show up out of nowhere and post four sniping shots on this single forum.

Have you perhaps sewn button eyes on a sock?

I am at a loss for what is going
on here.

Some people need to ease up a bit. My personal motto on FM is that if I can't say something constructive I don't say anything at all. Not everything I shoot is for a particular reason. Sometimes I take a shot simply because it pleases me to do so. Usually when that happens though I walk away with garbage that not worth anything, but it still takes up space on my hard drive just in case I get better at Photoshop.

Auntipode, I find these images intruiging. Not the subject matter per se, but because you have combined a mundane subject with a good background. I think compositionally, it is excellent, and I really like Kaden's take on it. I wish I could do Photoshop one tenth as well as you two.

Thanks for sharing people,
Mark

Well said, Mark.

Thanks, Mark!

Very interesting image! Personally I think that light would go great with a more ominous cloud setting. Have you considered trying some selective colouring with the background and image B&W and just the light in colour?

I have a strong feeling I will be playing in PS shortly to figure out how you did it

Thanks! One hint: The street light was turned off at the time.

Mannequin was offering his/her critique when criticism was specifically asked for. Go back and read Mannequin's first post - it was blunt, but by no means rude. It was certainly not a personal attack. You guys proceeded with the lame ad hominem BS. Kudos.

How about we keep this forum from being tuned into a mindless praise-fest, and welcome the (perceived) negative criticism. Do we really want to banish negative criticism at the expense of becoming a better photographer?

By the way, I also think that this is a weak image: overprocessed, poor composition, lots of CA, haloing everywhere. Maybe a shot with a WA more upright to the pole, while still including the lamp, would produce a more profound image. Also, I think if the sky is going to be that clipped, maybe the pole could be strobed to compensate. That's my opinion; get all negative about it, or do something positive with it - your choice

Cheeba you managed to crack me up. Mannequin made a variety of abusive comments
on this forum. Many which were clearly uncalled for. My responses here are based on a
variety of his comments and in no way I intend to apologize.

Btw, I consider myself in general mild mannered and reasonable.

Also, the intent of AuntiPode here was to spoof, and to allow us to play more than get
posters all serious and pompous on their great know how. Go on if you must and schpill
yourself silly.

At least AuntiPode is a known and respected quantity on this forum.

PS. Post a link to your work. I would be interested in learning.

Cheeba, Kaden's comments were based upon a pattern of Mannequin's posts to the forum, not simply to reply to his first post on this thread. Although I like the compo, the image didn't make the grade with me. That's why I didn't bother to re-do the processing to nix the small halo. However, I found aspects of in interesting and offered it here for folks to "chew on". Negative critique is fine with me. I could give my own for it. As Kaden said, it was also offered playfully - for folks to manipulate and see if they can make something of it that pleased or amused them.

The regulars here do critique, although you needn't agree with our critique. You are welcome to offer constructive critique here as well. If I offer an image here, you may critique it or modify it to show what you think it ought to be. This forum is hardly a "praise-fest", although many images deserve praise. Praise is, after all, a legitimate part of critique. So is taking an offered image and modifying it to express or illustrate artistic options. No one should say critique shouldn't be fun.