In My Father's Shoes
by byshen

Comment by RonBeam:
Cute kid!

In My Father's Shoes
by byshen

Comment by Caine:
AWWWWW!!!!!! *heart melts*

Strong composition, the generous space above accentuates the littleness of your wee tyke. And yes I do know how difficult this would be, considering the model, but some interaction either between the baby and the boots, or the baby and the viewer would have really added a lot. As it is, he looks kind of nervous or umm, wistful.

Also, I may be wrong, but did you catch your own shadow in the shot?

In My Father's Shoes
by byshen

Comment by ArpeggioAngel:
I love this picture! Good composition, lighting, colors etc...one of my favorites in this challenger.

In My Father's Shoes
by byshen

Comment by maralomar:
nice one, i like it

In My Father's Shoes
by byshen

Comment by pix-al:
Man - what size are those monsters!!!!

Nice!

Man's Last Friend
by byshen

Comment by alien2thisworld:
Greetings from the Critique Club :)

-General comments
I really like how you hid most of the face of the man so he is much more anonymous. I think that lets the subject of "dog and man" ("man" in a broad sense) shine through. The postures of both subjects are good. I see the dog as looking very strong, and standing by his weary friend, the man. The eye-spots on the dog really help give it life and character. Good strong message in title and photo. My following comments presume this is a setup shot.

-Lighting
I think the lighting is pretty good, though the sign might be a little too white, so it appears relatively clean. Maybe a darker piece of cardboard would leave a tiny bit more focus on the dog and man.

-Focus/DOF
This comment sounds a little strange to me, but I think that a little more grungy looking photo could help the mood and message. The very deep DOF keeps everything quite sharp, though maybe a medium sharpness and some grain/noise could contribute.
(yeah, i know.. "your shot is too well focused" is pretty weird)

-Composition
I think the clothes are fairly convincing (based on some road-side sign holders in Denver CO) though the fence looks pristine. If I could create any background for this shot, I picture him leaning back on a cement wall that might have a splash of grifiti on it. A "weary" looking building might enhance the "weary" man.

One thing I notice is his position looks uncomfortable to hold for very long periods of time (unless he is sitting on something I can't see). Maybe if he was in a position that could be easily held all day he would look more accustomed to being homeless.

-Color
I think the slight blue tint is interesting, and I also think that plain black and white would be good too. The general desaturation of color is what seems to help the dreary feel of the shot.

Very solid entry and great message with relation to the challenge. Good work :)

Message edited by author 2005-01-03 07:07:39.

Man's Last Friend
by byshen

Comment by Rgarcia:
I thought this one would do better, was one of my favorites.
I love how you convey strong messages through your images.
By the way, great to have you back!!

Message edited by author 2004-12-29 01:56:14.

Man's Last Friend
by byshen

Comment by graphicfunk:
Congratulations on your 14th finish.

Man's Last Friend
by byshen

Comment by graphicfunk:
Certain to get a helping hand. I am not crazy with the tones but the comp is good. 6

Man's Last Friend
by byshen

Comment by Holtw:
I think that this would have worked better without the sign. Even though looks like a winner. Great composition.