* Wednesday C&C "No Theme" Thread #925 / Revived #145 on 2026 01 07*

Welcome to the Wednesday Comments and Critique (No Theme & No Brand) thread!

We are dedicated to continuing the great tradition of this C&C thread because we are convinced that looking at, and talking about images is vital for better photography.

Our tried and tested concept (almost 17 years and running!) is a weekly "peer-to-peer" photo comments & critique encounter, in which you GIVE and RECEIVE.

The idea is simple: you post a photo or photo-based image that you have made and get critique on it. And in return you give other people your honest but constructive opinion of their images.

Any Theme, Any Camera, Any Style, Any Subject.

We are still figuring out how to create the convenience of threaded view on this new forum.
For now, let us agree that you post an image or essay with a title and short explanation, and that all comments include the image as a quote.
Replies to comments may or may not include quotes.

THREAD GUIDELINES – THE SHORT & SWEET VERSION
• This thread does not care about brands. It’s not about the tool, but the image.
• Post one image or essay that you have made and would like to get comments on.
An entry can either be a single image or a short essay. With an essay we mean not a collection of random images without any connection, seeking C&C on more than one of them. We mean instead a limited number (3 to 10) of connected images that together try to tell a story, create a fuller picture of a situation, event or location, etc.
• Add a clear title to your post to distinguish your entry.
• Look at the other images/essays and give your comments on at least one of those.
• For comments, try to go beyond a simple pat on the back or a short dismissal.
• Do you like an image (or essay) ? Try to explain WHY it appeals to you.
• Negative or critical feedback is OK (we all want to learn), but be polite and constructive. Try to explain why the image (or essay) does not appeal to you and how it might be improved.
• Please stay on topic, i.e. concentrate on the image and the photographic comments, without getting into politics or other distractions. No non-photographic arguments.

The critique you give is vital.
What was your first impression? What catches your eye about an image? Why?
What do you like, and what distracts you? What would you change?

Fiddle with the image in your head - composition, perspective, color balance, exposure.

PLEASE NOTE CLEARLY:
Unless the original poster specifically states (for every individual posting offered for C&C) that they do not want their image(s) to be downloaded, altered or reposted, it is understood that within the context of this thread, other participants are free to download and alter the posted image and repost it in a reply for C&C purposes. That reposted image may remain permanently within the week's thread, or you may remove it after a short period of time if you prefer. The downloaded and altered images are not to be used for any other purposes nor uploaded anywhere else than within the context of the C&C in this thread. No copyright disputes here!

Encourage - it is a scary business putting your work up for other people to judge!

More general feedback is also welcome.
Do you know something about taking the same sort of image that would make matters easier - share your own as an example in your reply.

Have fun, be respectful and let’s stick together!

RIAD CAT

Welcome one and all to the first Wednesday C&C thread of a brand new year!
One of my new year's resolutions is to keep this thread going and thriving for another year, so this is the start of that.

For my first image of this year I will have to resort once again to an Iphone image because I want to continue showing you very recent images, and while I am travelling there is even less time to select and process "real camera images" than when I am home.

We are still in Morocco, currently in Marrakech after having visited Casablanca, Rabat, Moulay Idriss Zahroun and the nearby Roman Ruins of Volubilis, then Fès and Meknès (and a hairy car drive throught the Middle Atlas on two rain-soaked and stormy days.

Here is an image from Fès, where our guide showed us not only the big sights (Mosque, Tanneries, Medersa, etc.) but also the courtyards of a few Riads and Dars that are gems to be discovered behind blank walls and sometimes quite nondescript doors.

And while I am not a cat lover (at all!) and thus not prone to making or showing cat images, I could not resist getting this specimen in my viewfinder to include him/her in the view of the Riad Courtyard:

Abu Simbal.
Scale.

Mike,
I think your image is not fully uploaded.

The lower Pearl in fog this morning.

Thanks. I've redone it.

Reflections — Nuremberg

Paradise

I know our fearless leader (RH) likes stories.

Sugar Beach in Toronto, Canada is a popular man-made urban beach park known for its soft sand, pink umbrellas, white Muskoka chairs, and views of Lake Ontario and the skyline, located near the Redpath Sugar Refinery in the East Bayfront area. Ships from Caribbean come here to dock with supply of sugar for processing .

Blissful, majestic, mysterious, captivating.
Should I say more...?!

Great mirror images, colours...- very captivating.

Well, it's involved, complicated, colorful, intriguing. Full of colours and foreign environments. Cat is a prime subject, but the rest is really a fab background.

One has to search and seek for "scale" of subjects and once discovered it's truly incredible. The background for me is absolutely outstanding. Well seen and captured.

Such a beautiful and elegant image! Very well seen and perfectly captured. Would work great as art for an LP/album or a big print.

I created two images for a weekly theme on flickr, which was "Medications". It was a fun theme, but I was torn on which one to use:

Spaced out by simple.joy, on Flickr

Pill-bored? by simple.joy, on Flickr

I am a true cat person and look for cats to include in photos whenever I travel so your Moroccan fur subject is very appealing to me, particularly set upon a poolside chair in front of a glorious backdrop of color and architectural detail. The cat's expression remains inscrutable, as is common with cats, who never tell you outright whether they are rich or poor, elite or commoners, or even whether they are hungry or not.

Love the image.

There tiny men atop three very large men, divided from within by similar spaces. Good catch. Wonderful subject.

Well taken photo of a lovely city on a lovely day. Nicely composed and captured. The reflection is quite eye catching.

Intriguing shot that for some reason reminds me of pink water lilies. The simplified shapes and limited color palette give it a very graphical look. There is something a little surreal about it but I like it. A lot. Well done.

You can make interesting projects out of the unlikeliest subject matter! Pill packs? I'd never have thought of it. The blue bokeh ball in the first one emphasizes the round shapes. Clever image set!