Challenge:Home Sweet Home (Classic Editing) Camera:Sony DSC-P7 Location: Taylor Street, Chicago, IL Date: May 23, 2003 Aperture: 1:5.6 ISO: 100 Shutter: 1/320 Date Uploaded: May 27, 2003
Yeah, yeah, a flag shot, but nothing else I shot this week seemed to work at all, really, so here we are. That's the front of my home behind it, so it works on several levels.
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Sorry, I didn't read the other comments before making the critique so didn't realise the blue cast had already been mentioned. Didn't intend to repeat what had already been pointed out!
Initial thoughts Poor composition and colour balance.
Composition/ Content/ Background I̢۪m not American, so the American flag doesn̢۪t touch me in the way it does many Americans, but I̢۪m also not someone who votes down American flag photos because I̢۪m fed up of them. If I see a good example, I can appreciate it for what it is. Iff the image is strong in it̢۪s own right, I vote it that way.
In this case I find the image very weak for a number of reasons.
The flag itself is hanging in such a way that too much of it is in shadow for my liking – I’d consider shooting the image at a time of day when the natural light is less harsh and coming from a different angle.
The flag is also hanging so limply that it doesn’t have a strong form – it just doesn’t communicate patriotism, as per your title, to me.
I find composition weak - the positioning of the flag within the frame seems random - more like a snapshot than a well planned photograph. Why has it been placed where it has within the frame? Is it because you felt that the angles and shapes were strongest using this composition or because you were intent on getting the flag into frame and excluding other elements in the area?
The background contributes a lot to my feelings about the composition - the building may have significance to you but the part of it included here is a mix of surfaces, the reflections in the windows are so bright that they draw the eye away from the flag, the perspective lines means the building appears to be leaning backwards and overall, I find the building detracts instead of supports the flag. Yet it still appears to be an incidental element in a picture of a flag rather than being the point of interest, for a home sweet home photo.
In this image there isn’t a key point of focus for me – it should be the flag but the busy building keeps pulling my eyes away and all over.
Camera Work - Technical Focus seems fine, poorly composed, lighting not ideal.
Digital Processing - Technical This has a very blue cast to me – I have not encountered that with other images, so I am fairly certain it’s not my monitor.
Fits The Challenge Yes.
My Opinion On The Photo Visually not a strong image. Content not engaging.
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