The Great Escapeby
anzComment by emorgan49: I love this picture - gave it a 9 originally. Now I'm back to review it a little more for the critique club.
Here's a picture that tells the story that the title suggests. Probably we would get it without the title but I love the title as a hint. The cage is open, the dog is gone and the upper dog is thinking "Where'd he go." Great humor. The fact that they are bulldogs and look like frogs adds an extra humorous element.
Composition wise, this is also a treasure. The rule of thirds Rules here. Three dogs, (counting the missing one) are each placed in a pyramid at the one third lines vertically and horizontally. The fourth cage disturbs the balance just enough to keep it from being tooo formula. The eye is drawn in a perfect progression from the forward facing dog who makes eye contact with the viewer, up to the brown dog, and following his gaze, down the empty cage and off the frame via the wheel well. Nice.
The colors are all perfectly balanced also. All the rusty colors make on think tat this is a shabby place that the dog should indeed escape from. Rust colored cages, rust colored truck, rust colored dogs. Then the green floor mat with it's grooves leading out of the truck suggesting something better (greener) on the outside, See, there is green through the front windshield too, it IS greener outside. But bleak and rusty inside for the dogs.
Would I change anything? Nope. Oh, maybe put a dog in the upper left cage? but it would have to be another bulldog..how about a white one? Some people didn't like the "blown out" white window but I think the bars reflected in it add to the feeling of confinement and the sense that the world is brighter in freedom. A lot to like in this picture! You wanted suggestions? Sorry I don't have any except frame this one and keep it up.
