2 Squaredby
boyte1Comment: Hello from the Critique Club - I apologize for being tardy - I am having a terrible time with computer freeze ups. I am rewriting this for the third time.
Funny story first: I was reading a thread on DPC about how to choose a
perfect photo to submit and one tip read something like this: 6% of
males are color blind so your "study in green" may become a study in
greys. Then I drew this photo from the pile and, guess what? The
comment was wrong. Whether this is a study in green and yellow or a
study in grey and yellow, everyone agreed that it is a great photo!
I have to admit I'm a little out of my element here - Techinique is my
weak point, both in and out of the camera (ie pre and post
processing). So I'll do the best I can and concentrate on the design.
First: the colors...Unusual color combination and therefore all the
more striking. Green and yellow is not a cliche or a favorite by
anyones standards. This different combo catches my attention much more
than, say, blue and green glass would. The yellow and green of the
glass cubes is the same in tone and saturation. The yellow is repeated
in the green cube and the background is a paler shade of yellow. Just
the two colors, Nice. I also suspect that yellow is hard to do because of the
white balance problems with artificial lights.
On to exquisite lighting. This photo is ALL about light. I haven't a clue how
you achieved this but, as a viewer, it doesn't matter. You might want
to diagram your set up for the sake of the photographers. The most
interesting thing about your image is that, while it is about light,
it has no shadows at all. The squares cast no shadows on the back ground. The backgroud itself has no shadows, just some subtle shading. Instead of shadow, the shapes are defined by high lights. The Green box has highlights in yellow and the yellow box has high lights in white. Amazing.
As one commenter said "Gorgeous, nice simple composition". and another
"very simple and elegant design". Look at the design elements. You've
hit on most of them. Texture - The smooth hard glass contrasts with the rough scratchy background. But in a further contrast, the glass looks fluid, it's lines imply movement while the background is static and hard and unmoving. Lines - the lines are lovely. The squares are made up of curved lines. the lines bow inwards and the perspective also takes the viewer into the boxes, but because they are transparent, we are led right through and out again. How about mass, weight, and balance? Yep, you've got them too.
Another thing that I especially like is that there are no visual clues as
to the scale in your image. These cubes could be inches or meters
high, the background could be a dishtowel or a concrete mass. I can't
tell if I am looking into the boxes or through the backsides. This bit
of unreality contributes to the overall design. The photo is both
abstract and representational at the same time.
I'm glad this picture placed so highly in the DPC voting. You deserved it!
Only the disclaimer left to get in before I lose it all in a fourth
computer crash: Please remember that tis is only my opinion and I am
not an expert by any means.
Message edited by author 2003-02-11 22:46:07. 
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