Flowers In Reverse
by jwillerton

Comment by GIS_boy:
Wow, black/blue flowers. Really like the brown/gold background, great example of a negative image.

Remembrance
by jwillerton

Comment by TooCool:
From the Critique Club:

There is very little about this shot that I don't like. So let's quickly go over what I do like in detail. First off, I love the fact that you left your models freckles and skin texture in the shot. There was really way to much neat image used in many of the shots entered into this challenge. Women (and men) really do have freckles, moles, birthmarks, pores and hair... Why do we as photographers insist on smudging them out of our images? Your focus here is spot on! Everything that needs to be in focus is acceptably in focus and your soft where a women is soft! Personally I like the fact that you chose to change this to b/w. B/W is a wonderful medium for the human form.

There are a couple of things that I don't like about this image. I'm not to sure about the crop. I think that it either needs to have more of her face included or less... I'm not sure which. I would need to see outtakes to truly decide on this matter. I don't think the choice of selective desat was the best one for this shot. I know that it has meaning to your and yours but to the world around you it's confusing. Why do you want me to look at your models necklace? Your model has an impression that goes around her neck. It looks like she was recently wearing a very tight necked blouse or t-shirt just before this shot. With the focal point of the shot (necklace) being so close to this crease in her skin it draws the eye to it. Cloning this out would have improved the shot or better yet, giving her time to let this impression smooth itself out would have been even better.

Why didn't it score better? I think you have gotten the answer already. You entered a basically black and white shot in a color themed challenge. You entered a portrait challenge with a shot that doesn't show your model's face. I know now and you know there is a story there, but it's not obvious to the voters. Because of these factors, a very nice shot got voted low. Believe me, it happens to all of us.

Very nice shot all around!
TC

Flowers In Reverse
by jwillerton

Comment by OBreaux1:
Nice composition and DOF. I like it.

Flowers In Reverse
by jwillerton

Comment by arronrod:
I think more contrast would make this more striking

Flowers In Reverse
by jwillerton

Comment by sherpet:
This works for me.....

Remembrance
by jwillerton

Comment by jwillerton:
The title is actually referring to the necklace. I bought the necklace for my girlfriend in New Mexico from a Navajo artist in Santa Fe. She is very attached to the Southwest and we had a wonderful time. The remembrance title is referring to her remembering our trip when she sees and wears the necklace.

The title actually was her idea...It obviously has too much "inside" meaning that the typical viewer would never be able to get from the image itself. I suppose a different title would have been more appropriate for a public challenge such as this.

What would you title this photo?

Message edited by author 2006-04-24 12:27:06.

Remembrance
by jwillerton

Comment by eschelar:
I think it's beautiful. The way DOF has been used looks very decisive and adeptly controlled. You're a lucky dude, dude!

I'm still not quite sure what the remembrance is all about? Maybe you could post it in the photo description?

Is she getting older and missing her more youthful 'girls'? I was looking for a possible mastectomy or something medical. Sorry, but it is indeed a bit confusing.

IMG_7821.jpg
by jwillerton

Comment by hopelessoptimist:
I've got a black Z...just waiting for the right location to shoot!

Remembrance
by jwillerton

Comment by smyk:
portraits involve faces don't they?

Remembrance
by jwillerton

Comment by yanko:
Nice photo but it's not a portrait IMO (i.e. no face).