"let me out of here"
by Lelez

Comment:
"Let me out of here!"

While they are sleeping... R.I.P
by keriboi

Comment:
*** CRITIQUE CLUB RESPONSE ***

Regarding the challenge topic ("Death"), the image obviously meets the challenge. In fact, from a scoring point of view, it meets the challenge TOO obviously, it comes across as too predictable a solution. There are no surprises, there's nothing that elevates this image above the other cemetery shots, and the middle-of-the pack finish seems about right for this one.

Aside from having taken a different approach altogether to the challenge (in other words, an image that's not-a-cemetery), how might this have been improved?

One thing that comes to mind is that well over half of the image area is given to stuff that's really basically irrelevant to the emotional loading you want the image to carry. Or in any case, nearly half of it... The grass is basically useless for contextualizing here, while the trees, at least arguably, offer some "shadow of death" overtoning that's appropriate.

But basically what's happening here is that you're shooting from eye level and you've been seduced, in the small viewfinder, with the apparent power of that strong diagonal; it's an easy thing to have happen. But the diagonal isn't helping the image at all, it's not leading us anywhere we need to go, because the *actual* potential interest of the image is found in the progression down through the field of graves, and *that* is a left-to-right diagonal, not the right-to-left one you've established which is effectively walling us off from penetrating the graveyard. I'd have been looking at getting closer to the stones and filling more of the foreground with them, and trying to generate a leading-line type flow INTO the graveyard, not across-and-out of it.

Another thing that strikes me, reading your notes, is that this is apparently a night shot (presumably illuminated by lighting within the graveyard?) but it doesn't give that sense at all, and that's too bad; after all, "night" and "graveyard" are a classic pairing, and it would be nice if you'd managed to capture some of that dark, eerie mood.

Hopefully, this feedback will give you something to digest and apply the *next* time you shoot a graveyard, jejeje™

R.

Clark Squared
by Blackbox

Comment:
You're a glutton for punishment, Blackbox :-) I( doubt this one will fare much better than the "portrait", but I doubt it will get the brown either :-) Why won't it fare better? Because in this entire image there isn't anything that is actually "square", that's why, and the voters (as you have discovered) can be incredibly anal about stuff like that.

More's the pity... The "squarishness" of this is very appealing to me, just as was the visible "anger" in the other shot.

In case you're inter5ested, here's a link to my original self-portrait entry from way back; read the comments on the image and my photographer's notes. I think to some level we are kindred spirits...

Memorial
by delin

Comment:
That's great that you got your ribbon! Shoulda' had one in the Ansel challenge IMO, but anyway here ya go!

Double-Take
by Germaine

Comment:
Awesome! Well-seen/noticed! Great presentation...

Poison Ivy (poisonivy)
by whiterook

Comment:
Unbelievable! First place and last place in this challenge separated by only 5 miles or so of Rte 28 :-)

lighthouse
by jdannels

Comment:
Well heck Joe, I'm sorry for your troubles...

stormy
by blad

Comment:
Outstanding, I saw this and assumed you were visiting Deb in Germany... :-)

Cyclist on Stearns Wharf
by Germaine

Comment:
That's outstandingly weird. I have had a few oddball encounters on Stearns Wharf myself, over the years. Now, on gthe Cape, I can go tio Provincetown and get even weirder at "Commercial Wharf" in the middle of town...

IMG_0712.JPG
by judojoe

Comment:
This is a fantastic depiction of the wings under load, the arch of them. I like it very much.