Critiques

CliffW (2310) 2009-02-24 21:59

This is the first critique I have written on TE in some time. And I am sorry it is on a photo posted so long ago. But the fact that this has been viewed 700+ times and has so few comments is exactly why I hardly ever comment or post photos here. This photo is, frankly and sincerely, a masterpiece moment. Not necessarily in perfect post-processed presentation... (I did a rather unimportant ws to demo some ideas on that bit)

I mean what is important here is in the subject and the moment. Look at the combination of beauty and emotion and underlying message. The girl on the left, wistful and seemingly lost in thought. She's stunningly beautiful in a true painting sort of way. She's disengaged from you. The center girl, with her pearls and blue dress could be on her way to a nice picnic. You can tell from her eyes her day will not be so easy and we will not be a part of what her day will be. Her eyes - she's not letting you in, full stop. The girl with the jug on the right, she's hazier, yet more representative of what's outside the frame. A clue to the world they live in. The world we don't want to think about when we look at those beautiful faces, but who can't be ignored.

Really, really well done. A favorite.

CliffW (2310) 2008-04-24 4:25

First, I like that you caught a moment of art being redefined/deconstructed while you yourself were in a moment of pure creation. As to his work, I find his interpretation of Michelangelo's Pieta interesting. Maybe more self-affirming or perhaps more politically than artistically challenging. Not sure how how feel about that. Honestly, I hope the intent was more about inter-connectedness. Either way...

Looking at your work, I appreciate your timing - the unfinished nature of the arms and legs in prominent views fits right in with his deconstruction of a master work. His eventually completed work can't hide the secrets captured in your shot. I like the tones, the darker shadows complimenting the hiding of a work until it's ready for unveiling. One thing I think I'd like to see is for him to have been caught a bit more engaged with his work. Line of the eye thing. I do understand that the message was teaching, but with the prominance of the controversial work filling the majority of the screen, I feel we're drawn to it while he isn't. A bit of a bystander in his own scene. Still, for your work moreso than his, I give all the credit. It's very good Kev.

CliffW (2310) 2007-10-12 15:00

His expression and your capture of the movement of the bow is excellent. He looks like a kind man, which is something that pops off the frame. I agree that the mural/photo next to him seems a little cut off, but not badly. I wanted to say though that I *love* the workshop photo!

CliffW (2310) 2007-09-20 9:37

Hi Shelly. It's actually kind of interesting to see a shot of nighborhood kids from this part of the world, after seeing so many engaging shots of kids from all over the world.

It's a good group and a good subject. Nice exposure and management. I actually think two things - one sort of immediate and one more sort of a bigger compositional thought. On the first, I think it would be better to have left a bit more room all the way around: above the tallest girls head, at the handlebars on the left, and on the ground near the tire. It feels just a little crowded.

The bigger "picture" (sorry, I enjoy bad puns) was the message you may have been able to enhance, even in jest, of the tough gang image by picking another angle. Say, if you wanted to convey just how tongue-in-cheek you were being, you might have stood over them, making them a bit smaller. Or if you were going to really go for the imposing image, to get low and let them tower over your lens. Hope that makes sense?

CliffW (2310) 2007-08-09 23:38

Beautiful view, well exposed from top to bottom. Of course, a very famous sight and excellently captured for maximum impact of the reflection. Not sure if it would be allowed or possible, but I'd have loved to see the effect if you were to have stepped up on the wall so that it didn't block any of the reflection.

CliffW (2310) 2007-08-09 23:14

Fine detail of a beautiful place. Like the swirl of birds, of course, the architecture as well. My favorite part though is the warmth of light on the second tower and the color change you caught as it warms up towards the horizon. This explains the coming of night far better than a note and sets a mood for the prayer time one would imagine here on a warm late evening.

CliffW (2310) 2007-08-06 4:20

How completely inspired to use that narrow band of light on the top of the hill to frame these women and backlight the nets at the same time. The dark clouds set the mood and close the photo at the top without interferring at all. In fact, they mirror the dark band of land at the bottom. To top it off, a well chosen resistance to pushing the photo over the edge in post process. Just brilliant, from both a technical aspect (I don't mind the grain) and subject. Great one!

CliffW (2310) 2007-07-29 21:10

It's obviously a mix of scenes in a theme and you've done a great job of playing off the same "tone" to make sure they work well together as a group. That said, of the three, I definitely prefer the upper left shot. The woman popping out the door makes a very good projection of the viewers (us). The eyes of the horn player in that shot, and the puffed cheeks, have a lot of magic there. Most definitely a sincere street moment captured.

I do like the right hand shot too, with the outstretched hat and the visual connection with the window watchers. He's got great posture with the arched back and the trumpet "at rest" - very showmanlike. For some reason, the half door and partial window on either edge bug me a little, but not too bad. Worth a mention, but as I don't have any good logic to apply to why, I'll leave it as thus, with 99% good thoughts and appreciation.

CliffW (2310) 2007-07-29 21:01

That's some view, S. The band of flat light across the middle does a very nice job of filling in from the dark of the closest area to the wide fade out up ahead in the morning light. The leading lines straight ahead. The shot even has a sound (in my head), and thats the sound of a wind lightly whistling past. It's a pretty powerful projection of a moment that does more to the senses, in my opinion, than just the visual.

CliffW (2310) 2007-07-26 4:22

Luis, this is one of the best shots I've seen of the aqueduct. I like the wide open apeture to get a sharp horizon intersecting with the nearest archways and the crisp view of the town and pedestrians.