this picture has a lot of good things going for it :). i thnk it would have been more effective with either a much shallower DOF, or a much deeper one. part of the reason is that the objects in the background are not fully iconic enough to be recognizable blurry so they either need to be really clearly idntifiable or so blurry that they become a sort of kaleidoscope of color and texture without distracting as much from the candles and cake.
i think the bg and in particular the ribbons on the purple package is/are competing with what should really be the focus of the image: the candles. i would rearrange the pic so that the candles are all against a homogenous surface and there isnt anything too close to them to 'steal their thunder'.
i wish the cake itself was more sharp :) . i love cake.
i like the pinkish color cast but i also wonder what it would have looked like with the white balance set manually to compensate?
And I'm sure you tried this but curious about other angles that bring out the 3 dimensionality of the cake? :)
Very nice picture evokes mood well of very young girl's birthday.. from the looks of it in this case, a young ballerina? the elements are all there, just need a little more rearranging for optimal presentation :) mag99
Maybe making the background a little more blurred would have made it look more like it was supposed to be out of focus, and also would have helped the cake stand out a little better as the focal point.
This shot really impresses me, though I could not say for certain why. I like the colors and the focus you have used. The composition is awesome. karmat
Great shot... My only suggestion here would have been to get closer in on that wonderful cake… Use of DOF is great, lighting is very good – too much would have killed the candle flames – and the idea is good. I think the overall picture smacks of fun. (8) I would have scored it ten if I had gotten more of that cake :) Good luck…
Beautiful colors and wonderful idea! The cake is a little bit lost by the busy background elements (maybe a different angle on the cake would be more effective?)
I like this idea a lot, and the DOF is very nice... I'm afraid the cake gets a little lost in the background, though. I think this could have worked a little better with maybe a white bear and other light-colored items in the background so that the cake would stand out a little better. Still a nice shot.
Pretty cool work - so colorful. Oh, just wish that the whole image was in focus....haha JUST KIDDING - Really, I like the choice of dof. Good angle too. Nice work all around 9 from me! Ruthann
I like the composition and colours. Candles have come out really well. About focus - I'd like the secondary items (everything but the cake) to be either right in focus or much more out of focus. :) 5, Kavey
Very nice arrangement, in my opinion, the best in this challenge for depicting childhood. The photo is soft, which seems to suite the scene, but it may be just a tad too soft, though not to the point that it is a serious impediment. Overall, very good job on this image it is my favorite for this challenge.
The idea definitely works (to meet the theme). The focus seems a bit blurred (I've looked at it on more than one monitor) and the colors a bit washed out. Take this into Photoshop (or whatever you use) and then sharpen and saturate.
Very nice. I really like the angle of this. Almost like I'm getting ready to blow out the candles myself. Beautiful focus on the cake and softer focus on the background. can still tell what it is, but it's almost like the background could be the "wishes" Lighting is beautiful. There is a small glare on the purple balloon in the back, but it does not distract from the photo, and i don't know if it could be avoided. Great framing. The curly ribbon on the right goes right along the side of the photo. Overall great photo. Congrats and good luck in the challenge.
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