gregscott

Rich: what a great title! That's so funny. It helps sharpen it into a satire on superficial religiosity, perhaps.

 

By the way, for anybody offended by the "sacriligious" portrayal of a frat-buddy Jesus, I see this character as satirical. I imagine that the person who built this marvelous costume is

probably quite irreligious, but I think that the protrayal is a great challange to people to want to "use" religion to get affirmation without appreciating the greater cost required to gain that affirmation. This is true both "inside" and "outside" the faith.

 

Part of the great thing (and great irony) about being created in God's image is that everybody can have something creative to contribute, without necessarily having to believe in God, regardless of their relationship with him. Sometimes athiests are the most clear-seeing prophets in our times, except for the central blind spot. (Like Macular Degeneration!)

 

Of course, the flip side of this is that Jesus IS our "buddy". If we are to see God as Daddy (Abba) then Jesus is our adoptive brother, or in "southern", our "bubba"! And the "Thumbs up" we achieve under His grace is absolutely complete.

Not intending to preach, but to me, much of art is conceptual, not just visual. So my personal reactions to this imagery are meaningful. Some artists percieve their art in terms of its ability to evoke a reaction, emotional or intellectual, or even physical. This photo can certainly cause strong reactions with it's implicit satire/mockery.

I thought this photo would draw some comment and higher scores. I think that the subject is extremely photogenic, and that his intense look matches his projected persona perfectly. He's a singer, though I have forgotten his musical style. I believe that it's "angst" filled music, but that's only a vague impression... Taken at Dragon*Con in Atlanta. Any comments on why this photo doesn't cut it would be appreciated. I like it, so it's puzzling why the reaction is so lukewarm.

While the composition is good, the unsupported/unbalanced pose is intriguing. The lack of a head an the right arm is "mysterious"? I wish I could make out the form of the "tatoo" more clearly. Is it representational? It reminds me of a flower/vine, or perhaps a chinese dragon, but I don't really recognize a clear form at this size. Anyway, it's a beautiful photo.

I don't quite get it. Blind justice is usually comparing something (usually lacking) to some weighty (heavier) standard. Here you have two equivilant substances of equal import. I can't guess the title, since my knowledge of latin/romance languages is too miniscule. But I'm assuming that this is an allusion to blind justice.

 

I like the shapes in the stucco/brick wall background. To me the shapes suggest continents, and perhaps some sort of political connotation. Perhaps you could chip the walls in your studio, or your neighbor's building to create a stronger suggestion of the global map...

I like the model's pose, but think that smaller "scales" and the assymetry of a high side and a low side might improve the composition with a suitably posed model. Where's the sword?

 

I don't like the lampshades as substitute scales, but perhaps you could work with that concept: in your composition, the substance being weighed looks like sawdust or something opaque and non-lumiscent. Using a light source in the scale "pans" might add something new to an old metaphor: now we see that justice Illuminates some truths.

 

That could also be interesting, photographically.

 

My main appreciation of this photo is the concept of using a nude justice as an intrinsic part of the scales of justice: Truth is necessary to achieve justice, and sometimes this truth is intimate and personal, or perhaps shameful, or perhaps beautiful.

 

I also like the chunks of plaster/stucco on the floor. This adds interest and ties the background and the foreground together conceptually.

 

Perhaps the shapes in the plaster are intended to suggest angelic wings, but the shape is not stereotypical of that form.

 

Anyway, the photo obviously evoked a lot of interesting impressions, at least interesting to me.

 

I'd think very hard about what ought to be on the scales.

Candid taken at a Sci-Fi/Fantasy convention. Please

critique/comment/rate. Thanks.

God Moves in Mysterious Ways...

perhaps more ambiguous...

Taken at Dragon*Con Atlanta. Casual/Documentary portrait. Please

critique/rate in that context.

The subject posed herself, but this is often unavoidable at a costume

event. Sometimes the poses work, and this seemed "natural".

Background is a digital painting, meant to provide complementary "cool

fire". The original background was rotten.

I may be wrong, but I think that you have to take what you can get in terms of the light. I've waited for hours in such a situation to get light in the foreground and the background in situations such as this, without it happening. One might think, with scattered clouds that eventually you'll get sun in both places. What I finally decided in one spot was that clouds were forming continually to keep my foreground in shadow, where the background was perhaps 50% in sunshine. So I've got to give the photographer some credit here. There is some direct light on the sheep on the right, and so, perhaps that's the best he got. What makes this picture astounding, and amusing to me, at the same time, is the perspective, and the fact that you DON'T notice the foreground sheep right off. Then suddenly, they leap out at you, pouncing in a most un-sheepish way, (perceptually pounce, I mean, visually they do look very sheepish.) Anyway, I wonder if you could even crop out even more of the foreground. The woods in the nearest background are mistaken for a mere hedge. Anyway, cropping out the foreground altogether would make a very nice photograph. With the foreground, it's a startling visual prank, at least.

Please critique - Thanks

I really like the detail. I thought it was a Tempest in a Teacup... Anyway, the glass IS warped 1/4 way from the top. This makes it stronger.

Outstanding, particularly detail, sharpness, color, composition, and other stuff like that there.

Seriously, I see few bird photos with this kind of sharpness, and with a great model like this it's hard to miss. (Except for me.)

Great capture. Just my untrained opinion, but quality should be evident to anybody, and here it is.

A powerful flower, sharp enough to cut your finger! (Wierd image) I like the color on this, also, the color combination is particularly pleasing.

This is two wonderful photographs.

The light in each is outstanding.

Having them both in a single photograph, and capturing it so well is a great accomplishment.

7/7

I'd like to see this with a less tight crop.

I'd rather see "native" environment and food.

Otherwise, I enjoy the peanut in the wide-open mouth, particularly.

Most folks aren't permitted to take such a photo. Lucky you...

That said, I think you're cheating to "bank" the plane by tilting the horizon. I'm not sure I'd want to be flying under circumstances where a pilot had to bank this heavily in this plane, particularly during landing...

 

That preposterous quibble asside, it's an excellent photo.

the shape of the wing is georgeous... GREAT shot

I miss the story on these photos, generally, and I feel the same about this one. I'm intrigued by the hearts on the center girl's scarf. I wonder where they're going. Is the person in the background carrying a bundle on his head. What is ethnicity, religion of the girls? What are the round objects in their hands?

 

The photo stands on its own merit, artisticly, and as a documentary record, but I feel that the story would add much more. This criticism applies to many of the photos in this forum. Personally, to me it feels like something's missing. Perhaps if I looked at your portfolio, the photos together would tell enough of a story that I wouldn't feel the same sense of missing out.

This guy's parents were dressed as other Matrix characters at a SciFi

convention.

Any comments would be appreciated.

I really need a caption for this.

Dragon*Con is a SciFi convention, and I think maybe she was tired.

Maybe she didn't want her photo taken and thought that the expression

would ruin the shot! Little did she know!

My wife had beautiful glasses like this when she was a child, but they were not sunglasses... The car adds a lot.

Sounds like my Friday nights.

Commants appreciated. These are candids, so a better pose is NOT

feasable. It's too crowded, and people are busy with their own agenda.

Besides, I like candids better, for whatever reason... You can comment

on that, too, if you like...