Drama & Lyricsby
rjksteschComment by Artyste: Hello, and greetings from the Critique Club. I am Artyste, your critiquer for today, and you know you'll get an honest critique from me, because I don't go for the ladies :) So.. without further ado..
Initial Thoughts
Interesting, I wish I had access to cool performance shots.
Composition / Content
Not much I can say here, very dramatic. The smoke/fog/mist seems to move on its own, and the model strikes a very dynamic pose. If there's one thing I can say, it's that I, myself, generally like to see more negative space in the area that a model is looking toward, or moving toward. Having it behind the focus of the model tends to throw me off a bit, unless there's a specific reason for it. Here I suspect it's because the area in front of the model was probably filled with the crowd, equipment, or superfluous stage props.
Background
The darkness and mist combined with the lit sign really ground this image as a stage performance. A good choice, IMHO.
Camera Work / Technical
Perhaps a little too much shadow on the model, but I don't know how avoidable that was. That one shadow on her face is really distracting. Other than that, it seems that exposure and focus are dead on.
Digital Processing
The smooth look was one of the first things I noticed, but I also notice that you were using ISO 1600. Having the *ist Ds (which shares the same sensor as the D70), I'm aware that 1600, while pretty good in good light, can really start to fall apart in darker instances, so the smoothing is understandable. I'm still not fully keen on the over-all "sci-fi" look, personally. Your other PP work looks pretty good, alhough the dodging/burning in the mist is a little strong.
Fits the Challenge
This is one of the weaker links. I feel that your title both works for and against the natural connection to the challenge that your shot seems to be saying on its own. Dark & Light, Dancing Lady, Dance & Light.. are all things that jump to mind. Drama and Lyrics, however, don't seem to have much of a connection.. especially "lyrics".. at least in my mind. This probably worked against you.
My Opinion of the Photo
An interesting and fun shot, but a little over-processed in areas, and that one shadow on her face really bugs me. The negative space being on the back side puts me off to, but I understand it if it had to be used.
Good image, and one to be proud of on a personal level.
Good luck in future challenges.
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