truro-motels-IMG_1577.jpg
by Bear_Music

Comment:
Bear, I am reminded of the winter marsh cabin. Same elegance through understatement. But this one is even better because the cabins form a gentle parody of a suburban street. The cheerful uniformity, the hint of anthropomorphism hidden in the facades, and the immaculately groomed "grounds", completes the illusion of an idealised suburbia. All of this prepares the restless viewer to sooner or later begin to wonder about the rock at front right. The only significant organic form in sight ... its presence must speak of a quiet non-conformist residing at Number 1. As for the big chevron of fresh asphalt, I don't know what it might mean, but I've tried to visualise the scene without it, and my conclusion is that I'm glad that it's there. It establishes a theatrical feel that I like. The light is sublime, naturally. I'm guessing this is the old Nikon ... it has a whiff of that lens.

two
by whiteroom

Comment:
Sizzle! That's HOT!
It is Juju in you, I just know it.

Edit to add a more serious reaction ... The remarkable presence of the leading lady here is so strong that it is easy to overlook (well, I did at first) the wonderful supporting contribution from the person behind her. The juxtaposition of the direct, supremely confident gaze in the foreground with the shy and uncertain demeanor of the girl in the background elevates this well above a merely terrific portrait. It adds in a level of wit and charm that is seen in only the most enduring of classic portraits. I'd have held it for best of 2006 ... no one is likely to do any better.

Message edited by author 2006-01-13 23:20:03.

one
by whiteroom

Comment:
Well, you're probably right, Lesley .. she does look like One, just a little bit.

Covered Market Creatures
by jjbeguin

Comment:

Originally posted by JPR: ... I like this photograph in that it seems just as much about the photographer as the subjects in a way in that they are looking at you as the odd market creature doing whatever you had to do to get this fine angle.

I love JPR comments! You've had plenty of complimentary comments, JJ, but I suppose it still pleases you when you get insightful & original reactions such as this one? So much better than "Oh wow, cool shot, dude!" Of course, this one does happen to actually be a very 'cool shot'.

Daily Routine
by ecameron

Comment:
Hello Eric, from the bowels of the renowned Critique Club.

You must have been disappointed with the reception given to this image by the voters. If many of the commenters were apparently not prepared to give the meaning of your photograph any serious thought, just imagine what the level of indifference was among those who didn't even comment! Presumably, from the tone of most of the comments, they'd have wanted you to make it pretty, unambiguous and not 'distracting'; rather like a typical ribbon winner. Fortunately, you knew what you were doing.

It's a very interesting street photograph for lots of reasons, not the least of which is that your 'life' is simulated. If you study some of the really good street photographers, as presumably you have, you see that many of their best images involve paradox, irony or whimsy ... just like this image. I think yours is particularly witty because of the bicycle. It literally doubles the viewer's pleasure because it becomes a joke-within-a-joke; the people are fake, but one of them came by bicycle! Another lovely touch is the 'halo' of light above the bicyclist's head. It's like italics - it tells the viewer where in the image the emphasis lies, and differentiates him from the lesser, hopelessly inanimate statues on the other bench.

By the way, it's interesting that you did get an appreciative comment and a good score from Pawdrix ... interesting because he is one of DPC's best exponents of street photography.

It's traditional in these critiques to blather on about focus and depth of field and perspective and all that technical guff. I'll spare you that, for two reasons. First because I don't think those matters are particularly relevant to the worth of this image. And second because if you'd wanted advice about that stuff I doubt that you'd have taken this picture at all.

Cheers,
Paul.

Soon
by Shan2112

Comment:
Hello Shannon, it's me from the Critique Club again!
(I'm not stalking you; these critique allocations are quite random, so the fact I did one on an image of yours just a week ago is just an absurd coincidence.)
I like this one a little less, as it happens. Technically it seems OK, especially the raking light, which I think came from a window. The desaturation has made the light look a little cold, especially on the hands - it was probably a little 'warmer' than that in the original image. On the other hand, the desaturation has been used with a purpose, and a purpose that is consistent with your aim for the image. I personally don't care for desaturation too much, but at least you've had a reason for doing it (most people don't seem to). The composition and crop is not too interesting ... I know you didn't want to show Sarah's face here, but this alternative does rob the image of much of its potential meaning. The hands do their best, but it's faces, and specifically eyes, that tell the story of the kind of emotion you are after here.
There are some compression artifacts visible, especially on the curve of the near chair arm. I think you'll eliminate that if you save your files for DPC to the permitted maximum of 150KB (yours is only 55KB).
Here's a link to a tutorial that will help you to size and save your images to best advantage on DPC.
Nice to see you again! Best wishes to Sarah ... a baby on Valentine's Day, that's pretty memorable.
Paul

Mom Sees The Lights!
by 777STAN

Comment:
G'day Stan, from deep within the Critique Club,
She does look like a nice mother, although a little self-conscious for the camera. Mine's the same.
The photo is a success in the sense that it conveys something of the apparent character of the subject; something very nice, in fact. I think that's important; to say something about your subject.
Where it struggles a bit is in the technical, or execution, details. The on-camera flash has a pretty harsh effect, and tends to make the subject look a little flat and the focus soft. It has done so here, although if you wanted a photo of this moment, you probably had little choice in the lighting. The starburst is, I think, not an added effect, but is just a reflected artifact of your flash. At least I hope it is, because the photo would have looked better without it. Overall, I can't offer much more, because the necessity of using the flash has severely limited the options for both of us. I'll look forward to seeing another shot of your Mom taken in natural light, if you can find an opportunity to submit one!
Cheers,
Paul

around the bend
by messerschmitt

Comment:
Man, this is a beautiful photograph. One of those rare occasions in this type of work where the inclusion of a human figure would have detracted from the impact. It's a very instructive lesson in effective composition, too, the first step of which was to stand in exactly the right place. It seems to me that the elements of this photograph work together like the elements of a good piece of music ... it's so satisfyingly harmonious and integrated. There's not a bad note in it!

Promontory
by zeuszen

Comment:
This is a spare, flinty sort of image. Distilled. This is what Annie Proulx does to rural stories; strips them down to bedrock. What remains, remains true. It's no small accomplishment (hers and yours).

Memories
by I Enjoy Ham

Comment:
I like this one, Dan. You know why, I think ... Shapes II.