windy flameby
greslizzzComment by Bear_Music: ***CRITIQUE CLUB RESPONSE***
Greslizz,
You've noticed this iamge has drawn very few responses. Why? because nothing about it stands out, really, as compelling a return visit to the image or a comment. It's basically a plain-vanilla shot of a candle flame. Appealing enough, but nothing to get our juices flowing.
On the plus side, your framing of the shot is pretty good; there's a basic dynamic to the composition that works decently. However, the background is, to me eyes, a disaster; it adds nothing to the candle/flame subject, and in fact detracts from it. If the background were toned down a couple stops that might work a little better, but this would be kind of hard to do within the basic editing rules.
What's really working against you here is the blown-out highlight of the flame. If the flame were properly exposed, it woudl have nuances of color and separation that would bring life to the image. This, most likely, would require supplemental lighting to bring up the candlestub itself. So while you're dealing with this lighting issue, you can also light the background in such a way that both the stub and the flame "pop" out from a more subdued, but still visibly-grained, horizontal wooden backdrop.
I hope this has been helpful. If you try to remake this image, as an exercise, please let me know and I'll look at the new version too.
(robt)
Photographer found comment helpful.