PAD B&W Day 2 Untitled
by noraneko

Comment by Alicia:
I love this photo and it stand well on its own. So I feel that the grain is a distraction from the great angle and the lighting.

PAD B&W Day 2 Untitled
by noraneko

Comment by roz:
i read artyste's comment ... its interesting the way different ppl perceive different art ... the things that are apparently wrong with the photograph are some of the very things that i like .. i like the grain, & the sort'v messy look, especially on his shirt, i just love his expression, and altho his eye's would probably have benefited if they had been more in focus, they fit with the rest of the image ... this works so well in black & white ...
edit after another look .. i just love the shadows of his hair just about popping on his shirt and i love the contrasts going on ... the frizz of his hair especially at the very top of the image is just about cute !! :) ... i've just got to add that his expression is amazing .. and in some ways the white shirt, buttoned up to the top, doesnt live with the look .. they seem opposed in some way, which just adds to the appeal of this photograph ..

Message edited by author 2007-05-02 18:00:47.

IMG_Day1Mr.Orange.jpg
by noraneko

Comment by Alicia:
Wowee! Intense image. Love the white background - the eyes are amazing, of course.

PAD B&W Day 2 Untitled
by noraneko

Comment by Artyste:
I don't think the grain really works to effect here. What it does for me is makes it seem like some over-compensation has been done for a lack of inherent sharpness. If you note the eyes, they look "scrambled" almost, lack detail, and the grain makes them look artificially over-sharpened.

One thing that I've noticed over the last little while is the 'tone-map' effect in B&W images. I don't feel that it works very well, as the conversions tend to *really* highlight halos in greyscale, and help to increase the overall feel of non-reality, or hyper-reality. While this can work in an artistic way, and is more a matter of personal taste, I think when it's applied to a piece that begs for a more traditional application, such as this portrait, it's the wrong way to go. (I'm not saying tone-mapping *was* used, but this definitely has the look and feel of some kind of tone-mapped/shadows-highlights work). Just something to look for. The haloing around the hair especially shows this.

I think this also begs more for a rectangular crop, but that's *definitely* a matter of personal preference.

Having said all of the above.. what I do really like about this is the pose and expression. A candid moment, an almost angry, wistful look on the face. We're left wondering what this child is thinking and feeling, and why they are looking off where they are. What is over there..

A good step.

PAD B&W Day 2 Untitled
by noraneko

Comment by jonfrommk:
OK for me if I am being completely honest the grain does not work, it makes a lovely portrait composition appear as if it has been taken on a very high zoom, the effect on the shirt is not that pleasing to the eye. It may be that you are caught between two stools here and you would have really needed to crank up the noise to clearly show that it was intentional (which I appreciate from your description it was)

Not a huge fan of graduated borders either

Please please understand this is probably being uber critical (as requested) the subject composition is great and you have got a lovely un-posed portrait feel to this

IMG_Day1Mr.Orange.jpg
by noraneko

Comment by jonfrommk:
Very nice piercing eyes, excellent capture

PAD B&W Day 2 Untitled
by noraneko

Comment by MAK:
Like this, some distortion going on around the subject but tha's all good too, well done

Lost at Sea
by noraneko

Comment by graphicfunk:
Lovely composition. Congratulations on your top twenty finish.

IMG_Day1Mr.Orange.jpg
by noraneko

Comment by CapeSail:
Novice or not, this looks very nice. The DOF really works for his face.

IMG_Day1Mr.Orange.jpg
by noraneko

Comment by Jutilda:
Excellent focus. I like this alot. You know what I'd do though? I'd use the sharpen tool at about 5 pixels and "paint" the whiskers. I"ve done that with some of my cat and dog shots and you'd be amazed at how it makes them stand out without looking fake. I'd set the opacity to about 15-20 % Might be fun to play with it. ;~D