Playing It Straight
by pixelpal

Comment:
In portraits, it's typical that the attention of the viewer should be focused upon the person depicted. Here your subject has been subverted by the hat in numerous ways. It is brighter, more vibrant, and his eyes are somewhat shaded/shielded by the hat as well.

A Bright Spot in the Storm
by sjhuls

Comment:
I like this shot, it's really got a pleasant mix of elements. But, I'm left feeling like the focal point is subverted by the composition. The overwhelmingly bright mountains and sky pull the viewer there instinctively, and the lines of the field pull us away from your subject as well. To me, very few things bring us toward the person, with their relative darkness (their white is subdued, the colors are darker and, though nicely saturated, are not particularly bright or eye catching to me).

Chris_001
by matt_d_uk

Comment:
If you wanted to keep the black jacket, a rim light from behind is a must. He gets swallowed, and not necessarily in a good way. You noted the lights, I would prefer to have them in front of him, so have him facing camera left so that the lights move us towards his face. The light feels very on axis for this, which isn't always bad but feels very matter-of-fact (meaning... it wasn't designed light). The location is interesting, but you might have slowed your shutter a little to let it become a little more a part of the scene. I second Louis and his suggestion of a portrait orientation for this. You said he posed himself, but always be careful of what people do with their chins. By pulling his chin in, he's scrunched up his neck in a weird way, whereas you'd normally want to use the shadow under the jawline to create shape. Changing your shooting position relative to the model is always something to consider- eye level shots tend to feel very static and unnaturally normal, if you follow, because they're exactly what we always see walking around (the world from eye level).

Distant Memories of Fall
by MargaretNet

Comment:
I really like this. You've downplayed the urban very effectively, while still keeping a nice depiction of nature and in a much more interesting way than many other entries. Well done.

urban murder
by Moncrieff

Comment:
All I could think of....
Rubber

stormy tether
by skewsme

Comment:
Somewhat peculiar shot. I like the composition, the bench in the water opposing the tree, and the tetherball forming a triangle.

A tree above
by redpanda

Comment:
The sign works wonderfully to subvert the tree as a subject even more than it already is. Great find.

Thing
by freakin_hilarious

Comment:
Cancerous trilobite spawned from the sewers of gloom.

That, or a tribble. Be careful in any case.

solo
by bspurgeon

Comment:
The detail on the wings and body, coupled with that awesome catchlight, add a lot of life to this. Nice use of light and dark to create a composition.

free
by jmritz

Comment:
Interesting juxtaposition of free and the weight of gloom impending doom and sky. Makes me think of smoke filled and soot drenched industrializing London. Nice. I like the dark take.