Signs of the times by the roadside.by
cvhs99Comment by ClubJuggle: *Critique Club*
FIRST IMPRESSION: I was surprised that you submitted such a small photograph. The Nikon D1 is a fairly capable camera at 2.6 megapixels, and you would do yourself a service to move in as close as possible on your subject so you can submit a photograph that is close to the full 640 pixel limit.
CHALLENGE: I think this photograph "sort-of" meets the challenge, albeit in an unexpected way. I'm sure some photographers marked you down for not meeting the challenge in the way they expected (a flag isn't "really" a sign), but I personally don't mind a bit of creative license with the challenge topic.
COMPOSITION: Probably the most disturbing aspect of the composition ot me is that your main subject (the flags and boxes) is centered in the frame. You may have been able to improve your shot by utilizing the rule of thirds in your composition (there is an excellent
tutorial on the rule of thirds on this site. While the Rule of Thirds is not a hard and fast rule that works for every photograph, it can, in most cases, strengthen a composition.
It is also worth noting that there are a lot of distractions in this photograph. If you had cut out more non-subject material (try cropping just below the boxes and just above the flags, and just to the left/right of the boxes) this may have been a stronger entry overall.
TECHNICAL: Focus, depth of field, color, etc, all seem good, but to be honest it is difficult to assess those factors at this size.
CONCLUSION: i think this subject had a bit more potential, and was certainly a creative idea. I think next time letting the viewer see more of your subject (and less of what isn't your subject) may help you in the future.
Thanks for sharing and good luck in future challenges!
