Parking - 30 Minutes Only
by mcrael

Comment by Alecia:
CC

hehehe, i bet that car isnt going anywhere in 3 days, much less 30 minutes! first of all, i have to say that i like your choice of converting to negative for this shot! it reminds me of the intro to the old TV show, the Outer Limits! i have stared at it forever, trying to imagine what it would have looked like otherwise, and have decided that it has a wonderful dreamlike quality that makes you want to take a second look!
i enjoy the composition of this photo for what it is--it makes me astounded (and slightly jealous!) that you get so much snow! you did a fabulous job in capturing that (as i am sure was your intention) with your angle. i can totally imagine a car under that mound! also, i really like the tilt to the framing. technically, it looks great--it is really only the post processing that i want to talk about! :)

the rest of this critique is only my opinion--i know that we, the viewers, have no real idea of why a photographer cropped a certain way, or chose certain lighting or any other aspect of a particular picture-- we only know what we might like to see! now, i know virtually nothing about IR type photography, so i could be way off base--but i assume that it turns the darker aspects of your picture lighter and vice versa, right? so in this case, one of the most intriguing aspects of the photo are the trees, since, being the lightest thing in the frame, are what my eyes are drawn to first. basically, i find myself straining my neck to look over the snow to see more of them! i think would like to see perhaps a broader framing—as if you had stepped back a few feet to capture not only the irony of the huge amount of snow against the sign, but more of the fascinating background as well—to break up the smoothness of the snow and sky, and to give more depth to the picture. I just think that in converting this photo to a negative, the snow is relegated to a less interesting part of the picture, due to its murky color. And since the snow takes up a good portion of the frame, it winds up almost detracting from the photo as a whole. ican imagine that the original really enhanced the snow/parking sign with the bright white against the green (?) of the sign---but the switch to negative has a fascinating eerie quality that i am definitely drawn to.
all in all, this is a great photo—you have given me a new appreciation for negative photography! :)

The Spirit Within
by mcrael

Comment by camelotnorth:
great capture of the "spirit"...very crisp and I like the high lights on the ashtray.

The Spirit Within
by mcrael

Comment by PTLParsons:
It's a shame the background was not completely black. How many tme have you heard that by now? But it's a real good idea. Other than the background I can't help you any more.

The Spirit Within
by mcrael

Comment by MattW:
Nice photograph. I especially like the reflection in the center.

The Spirit Within
by mcrael

Comment by tiff:
This is a very colorful and nice image. it looks really cool. good job

The Spirit Within
by mcrael

Comment by Cub:
Nice shot. Good composition and lighting!! Cub

The Spirit Within
by mcrael

Comment by Chuckie:
Good Picture, i like how the glass distorts it.Is there a face behind the glass.

The Spirit Within
by mcrael

Comment by ChrisW123:
Good title but it's not an interesting picture. :(

Shore View of Lake Couchiching
by mcrael

Comment by DougPaz:
Linda, Greetings from the Critique Club };-)

Initial thoughts
Nice composition, meets the challenge, nice feel to it.

Composition/ Content

I think this should have scored even better than it did. I like the composition, although it would have been better without the "sign" or whatever to the left. I think if you had cropped it out, you would have ruined your perspective. Perhaps you could have moved it before the shot. In actuality, because the flow of the shot moves from the top right through the trees it points right to this sign.

Background
Because this is a near monochromatic shot, I would like it even more if the trees in the distance were lightened enough not to show at all. They are very light now and it works but I like the lonely feel of the trees in the cold.

Camera Work - Technical
Focus seems good and you did a pretty good job in the tough contrasty area of a snow shot.

Digital Processing - Technical
I think I would have cropped up just a bit to just above where the tracks are in the snow. I may have moved the top a little bit higher above the tallest tree as well. I know some folks commented that they would like to see it brighter but I like this feel. It may look good as well in B & W but once again I think this color matches the shot nicely.

Fits The Challenge
Definitely fits the challenge well.

My Opinion On The Photo
I originally scored this shot a six and almost a seven. I think that it meets the challenge well but was up against some unbelievable competition this challenge. Sometimes a shot with less color may be just as good if not better than others but doesn't score quite as well here. Don't let that bother you! Really good job, and keep up the good work.


I would be happy to talk further about this shot if you would like to contact me.
DougPaz

Parking - 30 Minutes Only
by mcrael

Comment by johnny_justjohnny:
surreal.