Destiny and Legacyby
MPRPROComment by MPRPRO: Damon had some good points in his post about this image, I thought I would share with all of you what I wrote him. Thank you everyone for your comments.
Hello Damon,
First let me say thanks for commenting on my image of Merlin the Magician in the D&L Challenge. I am sorry this took so long but I have been really busy lately and that is a good thing. (Getting paid to photograph people.)
You mention in your critique on my image âyou should leave room for your subject's gaze in a picture like this without a strong overriding reason for doing otherwise.â I completely agree. See the strong overriding reason for Merlin to be looking out to the right like that had to do with the title of the image.
My D&L was Destiny and Legacy. If you are familiar with the story of Merlin, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, you know that before Arthur the land was dead and after he came the land thrived. So notice in the image all the dark to the left, that was my idea of the dark and dismal past before Arthur and as your eyes move to the right it brightens up until you see Merlin who knows the future (you donât) so Merlin is forcing you to wonder what comes next. As Merlin is the only person looking outside the image he also is the only person who can predict the future. The Destiny of the kingdom.
I did that shot just like that; it was not cropped or shifted in anyway to make him be looking out of the frame to what we can only guess about. Maybe it is too much to ask to force a reaction from people by doing that. What can I say? I know very well of the rule you are talking about, if you noticed my âGod Save the Queen image I did just what you are talking about.
Thanks again and never fear commenting on my images I like yours as well and you said many nice things about my work. Love sharing thatâs why I joined. Be well.
Message edited by author 2005-09-29 20:19:48. 
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