The Caretaker
by librodo

Comment by boysetsfire:
you have made some great decisions here, we usally see images similar to this in b&w but your colours are wonderful and also waiting for him to step into the shodow so he becomes just a silhouette.
excellent photography 10
nick

The Caretaker
by librodo

Comment by dagaleaa:
I like the exposure here...

The Caretaker
by librodo

Comment by dewdodesign:
i like the silhouette effect on the man but i find the fact that you can see detail on the right hand side and not the left a bit distracting, it should be either one or the other IMHO.

The Caretaker
by librodo

Comment by BrianR:
The lighting has added depth to the photo, would like to have seen more in the foreground....5

The Caretaker
by librodo

Comment by Jutilda:
Very cool. I love the contre jour. All of the continuity of the statues adds to the shape of the monk. The complementary green/red works well with the pop of gold. Nice light and shadow play too. Maybe clone out that "blob" in the lower left corner.

Deceitful Passion of Captivity
by librodo

Comment by Yousif-Alnasser:
wow...very powerful pic. i like it

DSC_9122.JPG
by librodo

Comment by crayon:
holy cow! you're a household name now :)

The Gothic Chain
by librodo

Comment by purpleflutterby13:
Greetings from the Critique Club.

I think this is a fantastic shot (I gave it a 7 during voting).

I have a certain personal connection to the subject matter. I spent a number of my teenage years wearing black, spikes, fishnets and heavy eye make-up, and going to school every morning with almost exactly that particular defiant look. I love the fact that this photo manages to capture the entire complex goth culture attitude in a single image - it's that angry, misunderstood, but also confident look, the determination to defend your own choices. The simple red pattern and the pale face work very well for this too - the image has that kind of harsh but appealing aesthetic that a lot of beautiful goths have.

My objection to the composition would be that I'd prefer the girl at the back to be slightly further to the left of the picture - as it is, they're sort of blending together, and there's a bit too much empty space to the left. Otherwise, the distance is just right, the DOF works well, and both the girls' expressions are perfect.

The presence of the other girl is interesting, and sort of unexplained. It could be a friendship, where they both belong to the same underground culture. It could almost be a master/slave thing, but the photo doesn't really have that vibe to it. I think my favourite interpretation is this one:
The girl at the back is a sort of possible world variant of the girl at the front. If she did her hair differently, dressed differently, conformed more to society's images of what she ought to be, she could be that girl. But she's not. And the image could thus be expressing defiance, with the girl saying: look what I could be. I could be what you want me to be, but instead this is the way I am. I've made my choice - I've chosen to be me.

There's all sorts of possibilities you can come up with actually...

But anyway, I think this is a great image. And it's nice to see that you're experimenting. (you know your usual style works. it's good to try new things for a bit instead)

Well done, and PM me if you have any questions.

Jelena

The Gothic Chain
by librodo

Comment by Simms:
Damn, if I was asked whose shot this was I would never of guessed. Obviously not upto your usual standard, but nice to see you doing something completely different. should of placed higher regardless of who took it.

The Gothic Chain
by librodo

Comment by trnqlty:
I'd say you're exactly right about no one recognizing you. A cool shot though for sure. I gave it a 7