Hey there from the Critique Club
Camera Work/Technical: I think that you started with a strong idea, but the end execution of the shot just never fell into place. I understand wanting a nice, shallow depth of field to lose some of the background's distraction, but your primary focal plane fell onto an area of the image with very little interest. It seems that the focus of the image is the black tie wrap at the bottom of the flag. It is the natural tendency of the viewer's eye to stop at the focal point. It is the job of the photographer to place that focal point at a strong point of interest. I think that I would have closed that aperture down a bit and tried to catch more of the tattered flag in focus.
Lighting: Your lighting created some very interesting shadows, but the tones look a bit flat to me. I think if you had added a curves adjustment to this capture you would have seen a dramatic increase in your score even with the less than perfect composition. I shot this one into PS and added a curves layer, a warming filter, and a small border. Here is what I came up with in just a minutes time:
I think that these simple adjustments add a great deal of a dramatic feeling to the image. I have this one stored in my workshop, thus no one will just run across it while browsing. Let me know if you want me to pull it out as I realize that some photographers are more protective than others with their copyrighted works.
Composition/Content: Terrific point of view, but, as Denis mentioned, the background is very, very distracting. Against the sky, I think that you have an entirely different capture. Even with the shallow depth of field, the background competes very hard for my eye's attention. Add to that the leading lines of the background and my eye is led right out of the frame no matter where I try to look.
My Opinion: This is a first entry. Those are often the toughest. Voters here like bright shiny things that meet the challenges without the need for a title. Political statements can often be detrimental to the image no matter what statement is being made. I like the idea, I just think that the execution needed more attention. As it is, I think that 4.79 is about right for this image.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide a critique on your entry,
Eric
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