Hello From the Critique Club-
I have been holding your photo hostage for a week. I don't really know what to add to the comments you recieved.
Obviously, your two biggest problems with the voters were not necessarily problems with your photos. #1 In this day of photo manipulation and super models I think many (myself included, unfortuneately) are uncomfortable looking at less-than-perfect skin. How sad. #2 this sunglass thing has been done here before and many people bring that to their vote rather than looking at it as a fresh image (at least it wasn't a splash).
So, let's pretend that neo has perfect skin and that I have never seen a photo with sunglasses reflecting a scene. Going down the checklist of technical aspects of a photo, you have exquisite lighting, no unwanted shadows or glare, precise focus, depth of field to include every part of the subject, lovely duotone, and a crisp border. What more could a voter want? Technically flawless.
Okay, now for the checklist of compositonal elements. Here is a photo that makes great use of the negative space. Your Neo looks to the right so the photo reads left to right which is, according to the textbooks, the dymanic direction. Also we read dark to light and your image reads left to right in that respect also. So there is an implied action in the direction he is looking. Also it is inferred from the reflection in his glasses - the matrix code. There is tension here, he is not just a passive observer. Contrast is nice, the white negative space, the low key face and the very dark glasses and code. I think I agree with the commenter who wanted more of the frame filled with the dark numbers. Oh, and to make it perfect mabe the numbers could have been in reverse so they show up right way around in the reflection, that would be cool. Texture: The human quality of the skin contrasted with the shiney synthetic of the sunglasses hints at the central conflict of the movie. Lines? Lovely. just two simple lines form the face and the nose. The lines of the sunglasses create an interesting pattern which draws the viewer back into and around them, counteracting the unvisible line that follows Neo's gaze out of the frame to the right. Balance - yep, the amount of white empty space is just right t balance the dark sunglasses - Light/dark tension- white is good = human, dark is sinister = non human metal, plastis, glass and code. Rules of thirds? Got that one covered too. Composition is stellar, what more could a viewer want?
Good job. Clear, simple image. Technically and compositionally perfect. Right on challenge theme. However, I only gave it an 8. What more could have given it that DPC wow? Beats me.
Now the disclaimer: remember that this is only my opinion and I am just one person who is not an expert. |
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