Phototropic
by zeuszen

Comment:
this makes me think of the book of nature. each leaf(?) looks like a closed book. I like that idea of a unity composed of many. and I like the sharp dark edges, hinting of danger.

the strugatski effect
by tase

Comment:
Roadside Picnic?

Master
by militarygirl10

Comment:
I hope you have a version of this beautiful portrait that isn't all skewed to fit "rule of thirds" 6

Three Faces of Dad
by JuliBoc

Comment:
this is beautiful and wild. changing the order of photos, as catherine suggests, would balance it too much, make it too safe.

Vase Flowers 1
by Salo8899

Comment:
I like it unpopped.

Burning rose
by purpleflutterby13

Comment:
you (or somebody) must suffer for art!

The only problem with this photo is that the rose is so purply pink (and veiny) it reminds me of something that I don't want to imagine burning. A color adjustment would improve this tremendously.

IMG_2402ecrop.jpg
by Ben

Comment:
This is creepy. Particularly creepy is the fact that I can see part of the right eye but not the left eye. That is very disconcerting, and adds interest to the shot. In fact, that's my favorite thing about the shot, the most original thing.

Not quite as blindingly original, but still great, are the shadows which you leave good and dark. They form interesting shapes which really add to the composition, and subtly work against the symmetry (which is dull. symmetry must always be fought against).

Also creepy is the smooth, oily way the narrow DOF works. The subject seems to slide out of focus in an oozy way.

I sense potentially dangerous insanity rather than malice. The one-eye effect keeps me from imagining a peaceful resolution to his thoughts.

As Life Goes By
by Liehsc

Comment:
that's not fair. someone told you I was a sucker for window reflection shots! the worst thing about this shot is just that there are so many like it, but let's see what you do to stand out of the crowd:

-a tight crop that cuts off the top of his head and renders the stuff behind his head unrecognizable. good!

-lots of big mysterious shadows. My favorite shadow is the one all around his left eye. Interestingly, I only notice it in the reflection. Anything to break up the symmetry inherent to a shot like this! This reminds me of bucket in that the excess of darkness makes the light parts seem particularly ethereal and luminescent.

-the child and his reflection are both looking out of frame, which makes it seem like they're looking at the same place. When a reflected model is NOT looking out of frame, the reflection seems to be looking through the glass in our general direction, and the model seems to be looking away from us. The look out of frame leads our eyes out of frame, which adds a dynamism to the photo, and the fact that they're both looking out of frame makes it even more interesting. Ah, the mystery of what they're looking at! That plus the darkness gives this shot plenty of mystery, which is what you need when you are on the verge of having a "genre" shot.

-you managed to get a genuine yet understated expression from the child. Not always an easy thing!

In sum, good photo. I like it more the more I write about it. :)

"Insert witty cat related title here"
by PhotoDave

Comment:
my reaction: relief that you didn't think of a joke! that could have ruined this for me. The cats are indeed quite personified, they seem old and dignified and jowly. Having one face parallel and another perpendicular creates energy in the photo. I would consider cropping off some of the left so that the line between the two faces is dead center, or crop it even more than that. Seems like some dead space on the left, and the rest of your composition is quite strong. You've got a strong diagonal from lower left to upper right and simply a nice cascade of shapes. The lioness looking directly at me involves me in the photo. She even seems to be expecting something from me, or at least curious as to what I'll do next. Both lions are just terrific characters. I expect them to be in the pages of a children's book.

phone
by sevilduvarci

Comment:
this is a particularly voyeuristic image. in other words, it is extremely candid (is that like very pregnant?). just to contradict myself, everyone has posed perfectly for you. but that is why it seems so candid! everyone is mid-gesture. and of course the person who most fascinates us is the one behind the phone. The phone acts as a stand-in, reminding us that none of these people are really here with us, they have all been replaced by stand-ins that we create with our minds.

but to get back to the voyeurism, this piece seems to have these openings into light and color, a rhythm of overlapping peepholes into a vivid world. A tighter crop showing just the right half would be a very different picture. We would be forced to invent a story about the man and woman on either side of the phone, even though we know they are not "together." But leaving 7 people in the picture is too complicated to suggest a single story. The mind is freer to roam through a book of stories, it scintillates. Either way works fine.

Also, there are some strong diagonals in both directions that give the composition a lot of energy.