A Male Ruby Throat Hummingbird
by GolferDDS

Comment:
Beautifully captured though the all black background feels kind of strange - don't they feed only in the day? Still, a beautiful shot and that effortless flight does convey independence to me. 8

Breaking the Binds
by Prime_Time

Comment:
Stunning, absolutely stunning.
Whilst one could argue that this photo is all about oppression I choose to interpret it as someone breaking free of that oppression and gaining their independence.
The way the lower expanse of sky merges blackly into the lower area of the silhouette is very clever. So too is the echo between the red of the sun, backed by black and the red of the sky. A very clever use of colour processing.
Wonderful composition - the off-centred arms and sun couldn't be better positioned within the frame and to each other.
TOP SHOT!
10!

Protected?
by aznym

Comment:
Wow! What a stunning image. Beautifully toned, superbly framed, wonderful range of tones and textures. Despite that anthropomorphic smile this is a sad image for me as it emphasises the drab confined life of a zoo elephant compared to a wild one...

Breaking Free
by L1

Comment:
I gave this a 7. I like the black and white nature and the extreme shallow DOF. Just because I'm fortunate enough not to have been through this I can still understand how aspects of the psychological rollercoaster of relationship breakdown can feel like regaining an independence of sorts. I think it's a brave and personal picture and a very valid interpretation.

Too young for independence!
by suemack

Comment:
Surely if it's too young for independence it's conveying the exact opposite of independence, no?

Retired
by tfaust

Comment:
B/W Mentor Group.

I think textures and shapes such as these are ideal for black and white which really highlights form so well. The lighting is fairly even in the lower two thirds of the image but the top third suffers (in my opinion) from overly harsh light. I imagine this is outdoors so it's just the position of the sunlight.

Cactus Jack
by tfaust

Comment:
B/W Mentor Group.

I think the subject matter here is great. The toned black and white goes well with the subject matter too. Exposure wise, I think it's a shame that the very strong light makes his shirt more of a focal point than his face, hidden in shadow, which is what I'd like to see more of. I appreciate this is probably a quick grab shot (after asking) so you could hardly spend time asking him to turn this way and that depending on position of the sun nor use a reflector to get more light to his face.

Asian Lily
by admart01

Comment:
B/w Mentor Group.

A lovely object to photograph and has a striking enough form to work well in black and white. Though I do like high contrast black and whites I am not sure that treatment enhances this photograph and the larger very white areas add a harshness rather than a softness, for me.

Message edited by author 2005-07-11 16:12:37.

Mother and Daughter
by admart01

Comment:
B/W Mentor Group.

This is such a beautiful study, very intimate and full of emotion. I love the high contrast black and white - it works well to really show the textures in the younger and older skin and I like the way the lighting really brings out every contour. I am not really sure about the large empty area to the right - it doesn't strike me as an image that benefits from that negative space. I'm also not keen on the selective desaturation here as it puts the focus on the ring rather than the relationship between the owners of the two hands (since it's fairly clear the ring isn't about the bond between these two individuals).

It just breaks your heart....
by Truegsht

Comment:
B/W Mentor Group.

Here are my observations in no particular order:

- Focus is on the wooden pole infront of the child rather than on the child. This is a big point for me and definitely is the one thing thta stands out most strongly.
- Does the pole have significance to the image contents? If not I'd suggest excluding it.
- The image overall is quite dark though you do have some natural highlights so it's not wrongly exposed - I don't know if this darkness is deliberate but it doesn't draw me in - perhaps throwing a touch more light onto the child's face might make it more attention grabbing?
- Eye contact is good - that provides a connection between subject and viewer.