the line of beauty
by posthumous

Comment by Ja-9:
that duck/goose looks dead...such a shame, needs clearer focus IMO

the line of beauty
by posthumous

Comment by hesitant:
dramatic but sad

the line of beauty
by posthumous

Comment by justine:
Oh, sad. Emotional capture. I love the pov you used.

Self Styled
by posthumous

Comment by jasonlprice:
Greetings from the Critique Club

My first reaction to seeing this photo is love of the great b/w tones. I am a big fan of well processed b/w photos no matter what the subject and this one is certainly well done. The curves adjustment and usm are perfectly applied for my taste.

I also love the bold shapes that you have included in your composition, but before I delve into those let me first talk about the story.

With photos that I critique I like to start by breaking down the story of the photo into its parts. Your main subject is yourself and your style (physically and photographically). You have created good separation between your main subject (you) and the supporting elements. The boldness of the wide black and white window frame on the right side does distract somewhat, but I like the shape so it is a nice element for my taste. When I view this portrait I do not see "clutter" (with the exception of the very bright window on the left) because the tonal value of your main subject, the placement in the center, and the framing help define it. The supporting elements of this portrait help tell the story of "you" and are also well used. I enjoy looking at all the "stuff" on the window ledge, the houses in the background, and the snow drifts. All of these items are in harmony with the subject and do not overpower it.

Now as far as the shapes that support the composition, I really love the overall “verticleness” of the composition with the bold window panes, your stance, and the trees in the background. The lines across the top and dark window ledge at the bottom provide anchors to keep you focused on the subject. Again the boldness of the right pane does attempt to steal the show here, but not successfully. I mentioned that the bright window on the left is “clutter” and what I mean is that it upsets the balance somewhat and is the only thing that tonally is not in harmony with the story. I think an 800x600 crop keeping your form in the center would cut out enough of that light to be more balanced.

I must say it has been a pleasure doing a critique where I didn’t have to worry about giving pointers as to how to score better! I really enjoyed getting deeper into your photo and "soaking" it up.

the line of beauty
by posthumous

Comment by mgarsteck:
so sad... :(

the line of beauty
by posthumous

Comment by Jutilda:
AWW. Sad. I can hear Swan Lake playing in the background.

the line of beauty
by posthumous

Comment by cpanaioti:
To me, the white area at the bottom of this image adds nothing to the composition. Cropping most of it out I think would strengthen this picture.

My Window
by posthumous

Comment by snaffles:
Greetings from the Critique Club! *waving* hello noble leader! ;-)

Initial impression: A bit busy, but interesting.

Technical: Ah-ha, the askew/leaning house IS indeed the tipoff to a wide-angle lens having been used! Lighting a little harsh with the glare on the right, composition a wee bit on the random side. But for me it culminates at the house, so eventually it leads somewhere :-) The multiple reflections are interesting and keep you looking for more inside them, like a Gordian knot that needs cutting. 400 seems to be a pretty high ISO, as does 1/320...but who am I to argue?

Artistic: Wide angle glass is fun to play with, innit? I might have suggested pushing it even more to emphasize the bordering-on-funhouse feel.

Overall: Some time ago my parents gave me a sweater for Xmas with a completely haphazard design on it, in colours that suit me. My mum explained it by saying 'It reminded us of you, dear, slightly crazy but nice.' Sooo...yep, guess that says it all about this pic. Slightly crazy but nice.

Feel free to pm me with any questions,

Susan

sometimes we get to see what we've lost
by posthumous

Comment by Digipixer:
Cropping off two-thirds of the left side would have been more interesting---and creepier.

sometimes we get to see what we've lost
by posthumous

Comment by Ja-9:
don't get this at all and I don't see how it meets the challenge...sorry