"Aw geez, give us a kiss, will ya?" (If still life could speak...)by
Joy MooreComment by Artyste: Greetings from the Critique Club. My critiques are generally geared towards trying to help you improve your score within DPC, and not on any true "artistic" merit of the photograph itself, unless it relates to DPC voters and scoring. Please keep that in mind as you read this.
Initial Thoughts
Not very striking, and not really "still life" in the classic sense.
Composition/Content
Compositionally, you've probably done the best job with your chosen subject matter that I can personally think of. However, the best composition in the world won't make up for content that doesn't resonate with the viewer. Especially for DPC, your subject doesn't present any of the qualities that makes for a well-scored photo. No great colors, no strong impact, nothing to really make the viewer stand up and take notice. The pale colors and the fact that it's "just a strand of asparagus" will guarantee that the voters just passed this one by pretty quickly.
Background
For me, the pale blue is simply *too* pale. A nice gradient would have done wonders, to darken and give more presence.
Camera Work/Technical
Lighting is good, but you lack tonal range. Contrast could be better, as the image is pretty flat. Your focus looks good, although the quality of your camera starts to become a little noticeable when shooting this close.
Digital Processing
You didn't enter any information about your processing, so whatever I say is conjecture. However, it seems that you've over-sharpened slightly, and the lack of any processing to give this photo a little more punch has hurt you. Working with colors and contrast more might give you a little more interest, but there's only so much one can do with a plain stick of asparagus I think.
Fits the Challenge
This is where I believe you got hit the most. A still life, as one commenter put it, is generally "an arranged group of objects" I think many people were looking for studio arrangements of multiple objects, and those photos that didn't meet that criteria weren't recieved very well. I myself don't really have a lot of experience doing or studying still life, but I agree that this photo isn't really "still life" as classically defined. A little more research on the challenge subject before entering can sometimes really help. Especially if you're looking for a higher score.
My Opinion of the Photo
A flat, uninteresting photo with no appeal within the challenge it was entered. I appreciate out-of-the-box thinking, but this probably was just a little *too* out there.
Good luck with future challenges.
Message edited by author 2006-05-29 04:13:56. 
