tonmestrom

Fine piece of work. Done before but original nevertheless. Something like Arno Minkkinen meets Andy Goldsworthy
Don't know how you can describe this as being dark and flat Francesco. For me it's perfect as is. Outstanding b&w totally in tune with it's subject aimed at bringing the best of to the surface. Succesfully.

a great opportunity and a great way of capturing it. I like the limited DOF which works out nicely here. Both his posture and his closed eyes tell of a man who really is into his music and that conveys nicely. His skin tones seem a bit reddish to me btw.

 

As for b&w that of corse is a matter of personal preference although I'm sure you could render an impressive b&w version of this one. As for you second upload the effrect is a bit passe I think ;-)

that's a real nice thing to say Shawn. I appreciate it.

thanks Shawn. No big mystery really. I've been very critical of the rating system and all it's sordid side effects in the last year but while I long since started uploading my photos for critique only it could seem a bit hypocritical to leave that rather high average (although it says nothing about the quality of any photographer) in place. So I decided to get rid of that. I've made screenshots of the comments though and kept them because a lot of people made a effort in providing them.

that's some great light you found here. By the looks of it the lady is looking for what could be chestnuts or something like that and collecting them in that red bag which catches the light excuisitly. I don't agree with Alex, neither with his crop nor with his comment. He fails to explain why his crop would be "better" which I think it wouldn't. I think you've got a well balanced composition here while the darker parts have retained all the necessaary detail. Cropping it would undermine that.

to be honest I'm less enthousiastic. This is way too easy and when you really had wanted to make somthing worthwhile of it you should have done a lot better. There are lighting problems as in being too light, there are focus problems as in lacking sharpness and there are perspective problems. Simply put, you bodged this one. It could have worked but it doesn't.

 

 

 

given the limited amount of information that the background provides it looks like he´s waiting, where or what he´s waiting for we don´t know. If he is he has probably been waiting for some time because it looks like he pulled his coat over him to stay warm. His empty stare seems not only consistent with all that but is what really is impressive about this photo. Minimalism at it´s very best.The way you have used light and make it worke here for you is very effective and appealing. Dzift therefore is a very appropiate title.

far more important than what I or anyone else think is how you feel about it. I for one welcome what you did. The beautiful light together with that nice summers atmosphere conveys very nicely. Good work.

why obviously Meir? I think I've been clear enough on your prowess in the past. It can be challenging but if you know your stuff, as we both do, it's merely something to take into account.

yes, they can be, unless you know your stuff.

you're not boring anyone here because although it's beaten to death as a subject there seems to be a tendency to look down on technical prowess as not being overly important. Of course, you've got to be able to SEE in the first place to make an outstanding photograph but I think that although technique should never be a goal in itself it is absolutely necessary to master. This photo is obvious proof you have and then it becomes a great tool as it is supposed to be.

given the camera you took this with I'm surprised that you got this much out of it. Rich on atmosphere thanks to that beautiful light. Still, I wonder why you didn't correct that perspective slant because it doesn't do your photo much good. Also I think there is more detail to be had from that now slightly overexposed background. And while it's definetly a matter of choice and personal taste I myself wouldn't hesitate to convert this into a b&w.

it's not often that I visit the critique forum because it's rather hard to find some real good work there but every now and then soemthing appealing passes by such as this one. I like how you framed this because it makes for a slightly more dynamic shot and while your lighting is good it certainly isn't perfect but its just these imperfections that make it appealing to me.

it's a good idea worked out well although I think your original does look far better than this compressed version. What I see now is a skin color that is way too red and some notable compression artefacts. If there isn't a good reason for it, like having to put text in, I would prefer a completely square crop myself.

or "Erin Go Bragh" if memory serves. What's there to say? God's own country and while this may seem a fairly straightforward snap you've captured a very recognisable and appealing part of it, at least for those who have been there. Sadly those heavy dark clouds are a fitting metaphor for its current situation. Still, Ireland posesses something that will keep me going back. But then, I'm a hopeless romantic ;-)

Rajat gave you some realy nice feedback but it's not just the atmosphere that is so appealing more is it it's technical prowess per se that makes this into a fantastic photo. It's all combined. There is a timelessness here that lifts it far above what we normally see here. Frankly this would fit in nicely with the best the "French School" of old had to offer. I'm thinking, Doisneau, Brassai and the whole lot of them. Neither of them would be ashamed, I'm sure of it, to have called this one of their own. In my book this is a terrific photo, Narratively, atmospheric and technically very strong. That slightly stooped and burdened posture suggests a lot. Great work Wieslaw, once again.

it looks quite powerful. Presenting it as "raw" as this is a matter of choice. It surely will not be everybody's cup of tea but I rather like it. Personally however I'm not too fond of that kind of toning. The connotation it has for you is highly personal and not something I or anyone else can comment on. Since it doesn;t convey that to me I take it at face value.

I'm drawn to the atmosphere here which conveys nicely. The gaze from the guy on the left and his attention on the right guy make it somewhat interesting together with that familiar background. It sll looks rather harsh though and while that in itself doesn;t have to be a problem I think you printed it a bit too hard (at least it seems to be a scanned print).

the light and the way you worked this one provide the right kind of foreboding.

Art is right, you did not only well but great. It's all about bringing the atmosphere across and that you did. Brassai once did a series on nighttime Paris. This reminds me of his impressive series.

Thanks for any constructive comments

pro advert shot. Styling and make-up are pro as well. Nice

you're right, this is the real deal as real life portraits are concerned. It's a straightforward powerful and honest portrait that benefits from strong contrast. I like strong contrasts. Only problem, I think you took it too far. As already mentioned the eyewhites are overcooked while there seems to be lots of detail but also the rest is too hard for my taste. I really think you could achieve the exact if not better same atmosphere with a slightly less hard treatment and consequently more detail. I think it's worht to revisit this one, I would, especially as it looks oversharpened as well. There's a difference between a artistic choice and a technical flaw and from where I'm sitting it's the latter.

 

On a sidenote: as ratings go this, as a portrait, is better than 4/4 for me as well but it may well be that people don't like your treatment. On the upside, ratings are worse than useless, they tell you noting of value so nothing to get upset about. I got out of it. That's why I didn't rate your photo.

you sure a no stranger to light so much is certain. Some people could well take this to be a poetic kind of selfportrait because including that closed door against that bright but veiled window seems to suggest a symbolic connotation. Who knows, maybe it is.

 

 

"In the beginning there was nothing. God said "Let there be light!" And there was light. There was still nothing, but you could see it a lot better."

 

Ellen DeGeneres