Discontentby
desertdocComment by ergo: Hi there from the Critique Club!
I think this was a good entry in the moods challenge. The model's facial expression and general body attitude fits quite well with the title, and I think the lighting could be improved upon, but could have also worked. The skull reflection gives more insight into the mood that's being portrayed as well as the set up process required to achieve it.
There are a few things that I think could be changed to make this a more effective image. First, and I think most importantly, the focus is soft, and the theme of discontent might have been really effective with not only a sharp focus but perhaps even a hypersharp one. Second, the jaw line could have received better definition, and perhaps a lighting shift or a bit of dodge and burn work to emphasize it would have yielded a positive contribution to the image. Third, there are a number of distraction points that could have been shopped out either with cloning or dodge and burn: a) white specks on the hair right above the center part of the sunnies (perhaps they're side effects from the lighting process), b) a shadow that's shaped like a 3 on the forehead, c) a patch of light by the model's right shoulder (to make that area blend better with the rest of the shirt. The same treatment could also be applied to the writing on the shirt), d) another flash of white on the right border near the top, and finally e) a hint of reflective white below the model's left ear. Advanced edit rules allow selective editing, and this image could benefit a lot from such techniques.
I like the crop a lot, showing enough of the body to strengthen the attitude of the model, and this is a large positive contribution to the overall image.
I hope this comment has been constructive, and good luck on the next challenges you enter. See you around.
Photographer found comment helpful.