Fade To Black
by Photonurd

Comment by rlinn3:
Outstanding photo in a challenge that is sadly lacking any. Bravo! 10

Fade To Black
by Photonurd

Comment by yourbuddyjhawk:
Great, all the values are great.

Fade To Black
by Photonurd

Comment by ericwoo:
Nice low-key shot, but the composition is a bit too centered. I do get an ominous feeling from the positioning of the subject, so I think that it meets the challenge well.

Fade To Black
by Photonurd

Comment by amandalore:
10

Fade To Black
by Photonurd

Comment by BrianR:
Trying to tell a strong story,IMO did not make it....5

Fade To Black
by Photonurd

Comment by jibanez:
Love this picture!

Fade To Black
by Photonurd

Comment by albc28:
Great image...Great use of contrast. One thing I notice is that his arm looks like it may be going up so that his hand is on his forehead. If you could have kept his arm visible with his hand on his forehead, that would have really got your objective across.

Fade To Black
by Photonurd

Comment by no__1__here:
Love it. Excellent modd lighting.

Fade To Black
by Photonurd

Comment by Plachoochi:
Nice dramatic lighting. Well done.

Best Friend
by Photonurd

Comment by Artyste:
Hello, and greetings from the Critique Club. What follows is my best attempt to Critique this photo from a DPC voter's point of view. I'll do my best, but please excuse any comments that may be unintentionally rude or insulting.

Initial Thoughts

Certainly a different take on the challenge, very bold.

Composition/Content

The composition is quite strong in my view, and the leading look of the dog makes you wonder just what has his attention. The model is very nice, complementing the black background and is almost.. sad, in a way. Like he's getting old, knows it, but fights on.

Background

Simple black background works, but the tight crop might have voters voting you a bit lower for the lack of any real studio environment.

Camera Work/Technical

Good use of DOF, really brings out the eyes, which are an amazing color. I don't know if they are artificially colored or not, but they really add strength to the black tones. I've certainly not seen color like this in a dog's eyes before, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. However it is, they're lovely.

Digital Processing

From the processing you mention, it seems everything was done pretty well. Maybe some slight over-sharpening in the eyebrow region, but nothing too distracting. The border is nice, but I, (and most voters from what I've noticed), tend to prefer even sides on a border all-around.

Fits the Challenge

It fits the challenge technically, but as in other photos I've seen and commented on, the close-up takes away from the "studio" feel, and some voters probably knocked you for that.

My Opinion of the Photo

A wonderful close up, showing great emotion in the animal and has a strong feel to it. Still lacks that elusive DPC "punch" that is often so important, but an image to be proud of nonetheless.