Behind the Screen
by Paige

Comment by LindaLee:
I really like this! The moment I saw it, it made me laugh. Makes me think of me and brothers when we were small. Love the duotoning that you chose, and LOVE that you shot through the screen - it gives the shot a very "painterly" and "old" feeling that I like very much. No doubt you will get some negative comments for this, but I hope that you are proud of this shot!

Behind the Screen
by Paige

Comment by wewillexplore:
THe kids are exposed very differently - and the screen just seems to be a distraction to the shot. The composition seems a bit too tight - you've cut the girl's arm and hair off and half the kid's face.

Behind the Screen
by Paige

Comment by dsidwell:
Very unique choice to have these kids behind a screen. And it works well. You avoid sentimentality, give the photo a gritty, journalistic feel, and generally keep the tones interesting. It adds interest, too. Nice work. 10

Behind the Screen
by Paige

Comment by OneSweetSin:
Very nice concept. Has a feeling of a day goneby.

Behind the Screen
by Paige

Comment by David Ey:
to me the screen adds to the aged look...nice touch...7

Behind the Screen
by Paige

Comment by Morgan:
Nice image. Very well done and a good example of duotone. 8 Morgan

Behind the Screen
by Paige

Comment by moodville:
The expression on her face is good and the skintones are complimentary. I'm not a fan of the screen, at least not with the white flecks that show up in it. Because the boy's face is slightly cropped out it makes it more of a distraction to me, as does her arm. My eyes are drawn naturally to the little girl, and also wondering at what they are looking at. Either having both faces completely in the shot or just the girl's (and not the screen) would have had a better impact in my opinion.

Behind the Screen
by Paige

Comment by peggy:
I haven't made up my mind whether I like the screen or not.

Fill it up
by Paige

Comment by dan-o:
love the sharp grayscale, a little over exposed as seen with the edge of the glass mixing with the white backgroup. nice shot

Hitching a Ride
by Paige

Comment by ursula:
From the Critique Club

Hi, Paige,

First impression: From the title I thought you meant the little Barbie in the top right corner was trying to hitch a ride? It looks like a setup (but I read your note that it isn't). It's really neat how you "caught a moment" in this picture.

Composition: B/W is a good choice. The picture is put together quite nicely. I very much like the inclusion of the sidewalk line (the diagonal line); it adds movement to the picture. The thin black border complements the picture well. The grease spots are somewhat distracting. I'm wondering about the choice of running the left handlebar into the top left corner of the picture - makes my eyes go away rather than into the picture. Maybe a slightly different crop? Something to try.

Focus: Very good, with the exception of the Barbie doll - she is slightly out of focus, and, during the challenge, I remember thinking, "If she is hitching the ride, she should be in focus".

Lighting: Very good. The star on the shiny handlebar is beautiful, my favourite part of the picture. I wish Barbie wouldn't have such a prominent shadow though.

Challenge: No problem meeting the challenge.

I've been looking at the other photos in your portfolio - you take some excellent pictures, I especially like your B/W work. This picture's a good addition to that. Is your little girl (she's beautiful!) getting tired of having her picture taken (my kids are)?

Keep up the good work!

Ursula A