scott_esposito

Cute.

That's a nice shot. Well frames. My one problem is your exposure wasn't short enough to stop action and there's some noticable blur on the horse's hoofs.

Things look a little dark on the bottom. I'd burn in the ice on the fish a little, too.

The child gives us a nice sense of the size of the building. I would have shot it under different lighting circumstances, though.

Thoughts?

Aesthetic.

John,

 

Good call on the color/B&W issue. In my opinion the yellow color of the building is extremely striking and draws a viewer in at first glance. In B&W the yellow area is a dull grey and the photo would have to have far more contrast (in B&W) to achieve a similar impact.

 

Thus, I prefer the color (even though I generally prefer to shoot in B&W).

I like this shot a great deal. It has a quiet contemplation of atrocity that reminds me of Sebastao Salgado. Like Salgado's work, this photograph doesn't take pains to impose words or thoughts upon the viewer -- rather you are drawn in by the color and simplicity and slowly new things are noticed. The pockmarks from gunfire, the few marks in the door (random or evidence of something more sinister?), the odd stairway (what sort of a building has an entrance like that?), the green grass. To me these things suggest an undeniably non-military building, something that could hold no interest for combatants. In other words this building is another victim of collateral damage.

 

Truly an image that is suggestive, but one that lets the viewer tell her own story.

 

Scott

I remember seeing this image long before it was selected POW. It first struck me as a very arresting image, and really drew my attention from the other photos up around it. As I looked more closely at it I found that, while the photo has undeniable aesthetic appeal, the hidden face caught my imagination. We are given several clues at to the subject's identity -- the clothes and the body most notably -- but that face is kept hidden. There are many places this line of reasoning can lead to: the objectification of women, certain strands of Orientalism, or more simply, a feeling of mystery that the photograph engenders. Because the photo is so crisp and precise I would argue that this photo comments on objectification of women (for the other two thoughts I would prefer to have seen a less polished image).

 

There is also the idea that a photo is always of something, but in this case the thing that the photo is of is denied us. Or is it? Do we need to see the woman's face to know her identity?

 

Excellent shot. Truly a deep and thoughful image.

 

Scott

This is a nice, peaceful image. I think that a little less water and sky would make this a better image. Also you might want to wait for a slightly different time of day (I do like the dusk setting, though) so that there's a bit more color in the sky.

I love the colors and the lighting. I am less enamored of the crop and the expression. I get what you're going for, "the look", but I think you're a little off the mark; she looks a little vacant, lifeless. It's a good shot, though.

Nice shot. In my opinion the blurred water looks a little out of place, but otherwise I like the composition. Did you wait around and take other poses of the bird? It might be interesting to have seen the bird drinking, or performing some action.

Nice choice in images.

For me the inclusion of the people makes this image stand out. Without them this would just be another abstract shot with no sense of scale. But with the people wandering around it starts to look like some weird human beehive. A very interesting shot.

The colors in this shot work really well.

This is a nice shot! I like the smaller version a little better because on the larger image things look out of focus due to the spheres thrown up by the lights. You might want to try using a filter (80A blue, I think) next time so that things aren't so orange.

That's a beautiful shot. Is it me, or is it a little pixelated?

This is a real nice studio image. I especially like the shadows; they kind of waft up out of the plant. The colors and background are nice too. I think the upper left is a little too white, but that's only a minor flaw in this great shot.

Great shot. Like everyone else I find the texture and colors beautiful.

I think the clouds and that water work well in conjunction here. This is a pretty image. I'd crop that stuff in front; it seems out of place to me. Also all that stuff on the perimeter of the photo should go.

This is a really nice example of minimalism. I like the way the straight lines and the curve up at the top are situated. Also the colors have a nice feel.

I dislike the stip of greyscale on the left. Otherwise, a ver interesting shot.

Needs better focus. Either too little DOF or too long an exposure.

Those swirls on the left are nice, but I think this picture is rather unoriginal.

Wow, that must be a tall building. I'd take it again during another time of day. I think the shadows obscure a lot of important detail. Good idea, though!