Archery In Repose
by Akartica42

Comment by mesmeraj:
G'day from the critiques club :)
I see a welcoming is in order - as this was your first entry on DPC, so welcome! This is my first comment as a CC, so we can learn together. DPC is a great learning tool for photographers, and there are a heapin' helpin' of wise and wonderful people in the forums always happy to help out - i hope you stick around for the ride.

The first thing i noticed about this photo was the cool blue sky and changing leaves. The change must come early in CT.
I can understand wanting to include this beautiful contrast in colours in the image, but i feel you needed to choose between colours or a soild silhouette.
As the picture was taken, with the sun behind the tree, it looks more like a silhouette of the tree (which is what i initially thought the photo was of, until i read the title) than of an archer.

Sometimes the best of both worlds compete too strongly with each other.
If you were to reshoot the image, please consider the following;
A backlit image - choose a location in which the trees are still a little more full with leaves - this way you would have the rich blues and brown-orange colours but not so much light is directly behind the archer that you lose all details, or that the outline blends into the outline of the trees.
A true silhouette - Have the model move to an area where there is no distracting background at all, with the sun directly behind the model for a true silhouette. Having a clear background is important in a silhouette, as the only details we have to understand the image are the outlines - so it is necessary for them to be strong and distinct.

The slight upwards angle of the photographer to camera, is interesting, but i feel you could have used it more to your advantage, particularly as a silhouette. The upper body is the "important" part of a archers body, so exagerating it with a worms eye view (getting low to the ground and angling the camera up at the model) could compliment your theme.
Right now, we see very little of the archer and a lot of extra "stuff" in the background - that does not add to the completed composition. I would have prefered to see more of the archers body, less of the scenery - a portrait orientation perhaps.

I hope you have found my comments helpful, please feel free to PM me if you have any questions - and WELCOME TO DPC :D

Elli

Archery In Repose
by Akartica42

Comment by Younger:
This is a nice tree and sky shot. It is difficult to make out the archer.
Try again...

Archery In Repose
by Akartica42

Comment by loriprophoto:
Great concept, would have been much better if there were not so many branches competing in the background, maybe a slightly different angle and lower vantage point would have worked better

Archery In Repose
by Akartica42

Comment by surfdabbler:
Subject is very hidden by the tree. I like the idea of deliberately camouflaging the subject, but somehow it doesn't come off for a good photo.

Archery In Repose
by Akartica42

Comment by HighwayFlower:
A bit to much shadow.

Archery In Repose
by Akartica42

Comment by ddng:
IMO the tree really takes away from the subject when the foreground lighting is so poor.

Archery In Repose
by Akartica42

Comment by cpanaioti:
Interesting idea however separation between the tree and the figure would produce a stronger image.

Archery In Repose
by Akartica42

Comment by DrAchoo:
subject too dark or not sillouetted enough.

Archery In Repose
by Akartica42

Comment by ClickNSee:
I love archery, and I'm so glad someone included an archery shot in this challenge. I love the autumn colors in the background, which is where archers most naturally seem to fit. My only problem with this shot is that to me, IMHO, this is an image that is relying on the background to carry it. Although the near-silhouette of the archer is nice, it does not occupy enough of the image to be interesting. My eye is very quickly drawn away from the archer, no, let me correct that, my eye struggles to be pulled away from the background to see the archer. This would have been a wonderful shot, had the background not been so powerful. Good luck, I hope you do well with this image. <5>

Archery In Repose
by Akartica42

Comment by tommyd65:
This picture seems a little too dark. Without the title, I'd have a hard time determining it was an archer.