craig_nieder

I like this. It stopped me on the home page. Clearly, this is shot in a fashion-influenced style. It is technically on-target. I'm not sure how much "soul" this image is trying to achieve. It feels less like it's trying to tell a story and more like it's trying to create a world, a mood, an emotion. Despite the technical perfection, something is odd, off, quirky. And that's what is striking to me. Where is she from? When is she from? What kind of clothes are these? Where on earth could she wear this transparent dress? What sort of expression is she emoting? How old is she? Is that hair an old style or a new one? There is a give and take between traditionalism and modernism that is satisfying. It helps offer a timeless feel that you often get when looking at a portrait painting. Above all, it all feels intentional. And I feel you got the most out of this face.

Terrific. Loaded with symbolism, but open enough to be engaging. Good choice cropping out the distracting type.

Nice patterns and composition. Waiting for the people to walk by is the obvious choice, but waiting fro the RIGHT people---the dark suit and the leopard coat and bag---makes the photo.

B/W works best for me, as 1) I don't think the color adds anything to the photo, 2) the composition and contrast are strong, and 3) it makes the scene just a bit more abstract than the color version. This slight abstraction helps this become better than the average puddle pic. As I saw the image, I quickly thought "Is that heavy foreground texture leather? Rough plaster? Photoshopped edges?" Very quickly I realized it was asphalt, but that slight delay in discovery contributed to my liking the shot. Upside down orientation tips the reader off to this being a puddle pic much more quickly, leaving nothing for the viewer to figure out, which is half the fun of puddle pics!