Hope my daughter deosnt idolize this doll too much. =Oby
Jaded_HousewifeComment: Okay, now that I'm done being a dink in the forums, I'll leave you a comment. I didn't vote in this challenge but if I had, I probably would have given you a 4. A few things..
1. You're right, the challenge title didn't say "classic" anywhere in it. However, the challenge description says "This is a classic subject for many forms of art. Be creative and have fun!" Whenever you're going to compete against 300+ other people, especially with backgrounds as varying as DPC voters, you really need to choose the moderate view of a challenge topic. That's not to say that you can't be creative within that topic, but you really do need to hit it dead on. Technically, your shot is of two inanimate things but they don't fit the definition of a "typical" still life. Not only that but they are posed in an action scene which seems to contradict the idea of still life.
2. The lighting is harsh and not in a way that's complements the shot. The glare in her hair is especially hard on the eyes and the whole shot gives off a feeling of being under a giant spotlight, which isn't typically where you are when you're riding the porcelain bus. (You hope!)
3. To borrow a few lines from Scalvert, "Toys usually fail because they scream "amateur." Look at past entries that scored in the 3.5-4.5 range and you'll find them filled with whatever objects the photographer found handy around the house. Voters recognize a lack of effort and the punishment is severe." I wouldn't necessarily say there was a lack of effort here but it's still pretty difficult to score well with toys.
4. The title is somewhat weak, has a typo and ends in an emoticon which denotes a lack of care and seriousness. If you want others to care about your work, take time to proofread and spellcheck your titles.
Now then, these are just my opinions. I suspect a few other voters shared them but who can know for sure? Hopefully this helps a little.
Photographer found comment helpful.
