The last breath
by Rino63

Comment:
I love this image - with more editing. I took the image into photoshop and adjusted the curves after picking a black point. How amazing! The title is perfect - it all makes so much sense! If you ever do a re-edit of this, please let me know.

Alice doesn't live here anymore
by pepperspray

Comment:
Didn't forget, just got distracted... This is an interesting image. The hues are unexpected - purple and orange - and in some ways that enhances the image for me and in other ways it doesn't. But colorful typically does well on DPC. Now, lets get right down to it. Would I hang this picture on my wall? Honestly, no. For me, by my tastes, the image is too close - I feel claustrophobic looking at it. While there are many images that require being close, for me, this is not one of them. Or, the image needs to be closer to attach itself to some part of the structure. I really can't decide. But, in this challenge, I would go further away to give a better sense of space, of desolation.
My favorite part of this image is the textures. They are rendered so magnificently that I can see that may be what attracted you in the first place. Absolutely beautiful. My favorite is the corrugated metal in the bottom left - you could create an image just out of that. At least for me you could. The colors for me are at odds with the theme. Bright orange and purple are not colors that come to mind when thinking desolation. Blacks, greys, muted earthy colors all seem to work towards creating a mood. An image, a good image, is not just the replication of an object. There must be a story told by the use of lighting, color, POV, anything that gives us a sense of the object. Here, I am fascinated by your object but I don't get a sense of desolation. Desolation is much more apparent in your background - excellent moody tones BTW. I honestly can't tell you how to photograph this location to bring out its story. I have been working on a similar (though much larger) space and I'm just now getting a real sense of the place. But I could see a study completed here, if only a study of the textures. And the colors are great, I just don't think they lend themselves to the theme of desolation.

I have now rambled for a while. Hope it makes sense. I like your image but I feel it is waiting, for lack of a better word. What would be completely fascinating, to me, would be a study where you took shots of pieces of this place - the fence in one, the side in one, the window in one, etc. and put it all together allowing the viewer to see that it is pieces. Does that make sense? The building screams out to me that it is parts but not a whole. I think a treatment photographically would be amazing if similiar. This is not something I have tried - I have not found a place that would lend itself to that.

Technically I think you did a great job. Lighting good, DOF good, colors good. But, for the challenge of desolation I think it missed its mark due to the colors. Good luck in the challenge and let me know if I haven't explained myself correctly - I tend to do that when I ramble...

One year later - "Why is daddy still gone?"
by timfythetoo

Comment:
I saw this in my pass through the voting and decided not to vote on it. Technically, this image is great. Every detail down to the watch is well thought out and executed. But (don't you hate that?) Desolation for me implies a sense of space and time. This image gives me neither in anything except the title. I understand the connection with lonely and wanting but its not the same in desolation. See, that's why I stopped voting. :) Disconsolate, lonely, sad, much better challenge topic for this. At any rate, I was going to give you a six - 4 for techs, 2 for emotion, 0 for challenge topic. In another challenge, at least 7 or 8. As I said before, the technicals are excellent. The only thing I can figure is you are getting hit by people who believe, like I do, that desolation requires a sense of time and space. Let me know if that made sense or if you have any questions. I decided to vote on this challenge. Your image has been given a 7. I added 1 for challenge topic as there are more than a few whom met the challenge topic less well than this. Hope that made sense. :)

Imported Full Size SUV, V8, Fully Loaded, All time 4WD
by BlackNewfs

Comment:
I like the B&W conversion. I think the DOF works perfectly. Not a landrover fan but this image gives me more than just steel.

The First Turn
by coolhar

Comment:
I thought I commented on this before but I want to tell you how much I love it. I love horse racing in general but your technicals here are perfect for what you are shooting. No post processing needed to add in anything neccesary. Do you photograph for Pimlico? You should. Gotta love the mud!

Message edited by author 2006-06-20 11:24:44.

End of the world
by Kelli

Comment:
Okay, here goes. I gave you a 7 (one of the few I did rate). And I was going to comment but I had to eat. I so love the surrealness of this image. And I love that, while its in black and white, it doesn't look like a black and white image. I don't know how to explain that but trust me.

Why it isn't scoring well? You have to ask? DPC craves the bright and shiny. This is neither - lose 2 points for that. DPC prefers simple - this isn't that - lose another point. DPC likes vibrant color - none here - there goes another point. DPC wants a vision that requires no interpretation and if it does require one that it doesn't detract from the feel good moment - minus one for missing that. Where are we at? 5? Add in the number of people that are scoring you down for does not meet challenge and your score should reside between 4.3 and 5.3. Am I close?

So, why did I give you a 7 and not anything higher? My scoring allows 2 for meet challenge, 4 for technicals, 4 for emotion. I gave you 4 for emotion, 1 for meeting challenge, 2 for technicals. The contrast isn't as high as I'd like it and the point of view and focus are slightly off and the cars look a little bit fake. But its a really cool image. :)

Alone
by banmorn

Comment:
A very beautiful image but I am hard pressed to consider it desolate/desolation. There is so much blur that I can't tell if it is alone. And honestly, flowers can not 'feel' lonely. At any rate, I love the images - the focus, the rendering, the DOF and the tones and hues I just think it doesn't quite fit the challenge well. 6

Adrift in a Sea of Sandstone
by DigitalVita

Comment:
This image is desolate in the broad sense of the word. My problem with it is that there is nothing that engages my interest. I look at the center and see a tennis ball type object, but nothing that would use it. The weight of the top of the image is overbearing. Your colors and focus are very good I just think you need a better subject. 5

I Want My Mommy Back!!!
by smilebig4me1x

Comment:
this says disconsolate to me more than desolation. No matter - unless its really far from the challenge topic I am not deducting points. Its an interesting image but I'm not pleased with the background or the strength of the blue. I also believe you could crop the top to the flas and not miss anything but that it would create a much more intimate image. Right now I just fly out of the top... 6

Fog, lights
by Melethia

Comment:
I've glanced at all the thumb nails and this one jumps out at me. Both a mental and a physical place. Most people, coming up on this scene, would have walked right by searching for a 'lone tree' or a person to put in the image. This 'empty' scene says so much more. thank you. 10