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LalliSigComment by ubique: Originally posted by bigskyeye:
... I'd like to round up the 8 people that gave it between 1 & 3 and hear a reason why, but we know why don't we ... |
I will be the dissenting voice you're looking for I guess, but I know the photographer won̢۪t mind that because he was generous enough to explain with detailed comments his own low votes on quite a few entries in the Best Of 2011 challenge.
I won̢۪t say that this picture is painfully kitsch, because that would be a subjective judgement, or at least a matter of good taste.
I won’t say that it is a cliché because that would also be unfair: if for example the viewer is either new to photography or is a naturally undiscriminating and credulous soul then this may well be seen as an extremely impressive picture.
I won̢۪t say that this depiction of a fellow human being is artless, cheesy, tacky and unsympathetic, because there̢۪s an eager audience for that sort of thing and who am I to spoil their simple and presumably solitary pleasures?
I will say that I gave it a 3 because:
(a) I never give less than 3, and
(b) the picture has left absolutely nothing for me to contribute to it â€Â¦ it’s closed, finished, complete, shut, and leaves nothing to the viewer’s imagination. Nothing at all. There's no opportunity for
engagement with it on any level other than the clinical/technical. It̢۪s superficially pretty, but beyond that it̢۪s really quite barren.
I mean no disrespect of course, and I acknowledge that my view is in the minority, but I hope the photographer and his many ardent fans will be pleased to hear even minority views on such an important picture.
Message edited by author 2012-02-24 12:36:50. 
Photographer found comment helpful.