Until Dawnby
eyperryComment by e301: from the
Critique Club
and I suppose I should say welcome to DPC, as this is your first entry. A nicely assured piece of blacka nd white photography too, and from the reactions you've certainly hit the mark with a few voters here: that may well be the way to move forward here - it depends how you find the experience. There's no qualification for commenting, so you're as likely to get sophisticatede analysis as dumb comments from those who misunderstand, and ribbons tend to be all to most members, I think.
I like this - I don't go mad for it, but I like the assurance it shows. Great light, nice exposure, intersting 'twist', so to speak. I don't know that I'd change a thing - the crop works well for the stylised presentation, the hints at other worlds, both before and after one realises that it's simply a 90 degree rotate of a straightforward shot, are interesting. What I don't like about it is entirely to do with the manner of it, the rather self-regarding feel I get from it; I have little interest in most self-portraits, and those that get through do so usually because of some exterior element. I think there's too much navel-gazing masquerading as art anyhow, and I'm not certain that this is adding anything to my experience. But that is, of course, a purely personal view.
As a judgment, there are of course many angles to take. The personal one is above, but then this is also a first DPC entry, and as someone with considerable experience of this place I hope my view of how it stands relative to other such entries might be useful (and also I want to encourage a distinct artistic vision to remain with us). A brief excursion around the ribbon winners should give a clear idea of how tha place works: but there is something to be said for making your own vision fit with the elements that work well here. A little more stylistic trickery, a little more blatant moodiness, perhaps less firmly pure black and white, and I think you could hit a style the punters would love: now
that might make an interesting educational trip. I hope we get to see more from you.
Ed
