The Tunnel
by pla2

Comment by PurpleK:
This is really really neat... and really brave it looks like too!

The Tunnel
by pla2

Comment by SandyP:
Oh yeah! This is an awesome grainy poto! What a cool tunnel, and the grain adds so much! Fantastic job.

The Tunnel
by pla2

Comment by sevilduvarci:
very nice perspective.

The Tunnel
by pla2

Comment by Nowhere_Man:
Really grabs my attention. Whatever this looked like in color, I bet it didn't look as good as this.

The noise kinda ties all these patterns together. Well done!

The Tunnel
by pla2

Comment by Strikeslip:
Very cool shot! Look out behind you!

The Tunnel
by pla2

Comment by Valdo:
How on earth did you get in the tracks?? quite scary

spin!
by pla2

Comment by SwirlingInsecurity:
thats cool

Ice Factory
by pla2

Comment by catethrine:
The man seems like the main focus in this shot, not the ice. Point of view could've easily changed that.

Jean's hate face
by pla2

Comment by KaDi:
Greetings from the Critique Club. The following comments are in response to your request for a critique on your challenge submission. Please feel free to send me a PM concerning my comments.

First, welcome to DPChallenge and congratulations on entering your first image! I hope you'll consider entering more as it seems you have a pleasingly different way of approaching your subject.

My first impression was that the image really screams at the viewer. I've seen children so angry they nearly turn that color pink with rage. Red is definitely the color of anger and hate for me.

Your commenters clearly expressed that they thought you went a bit too far with your color choice. I find it fun and reminiscent of Andy Warhol poster portraits. The only way to take it farther in the Warhol direction would be to apply filters to heighten the graphic quality of the image...which, of course, is not legal in Basic Editing challenges. I think if I were to suggest a change to the coloring it would be to tone down the red in the hair and shadows a bit more toward the fuscia range--the combination is perhaps a bit too jarring and unnecessary given the great expression on the girl's face.

This image certainly has impact! I feel her angry stare. The composition clearly focuses on the face as the hair and other elements frame this portrait. There's nothing un-wanted within the frame that would distract me from its message.

If this were simply a full-color portrait, then I'd have to agree with one commenter that the highlights on the face are blown out and lacking detail that we usually like to see. But I feel you made this choice intentionally and that it adds to idea behind the shot. Even the blur around her neck and shoulders helps make it feel like she has just quickly turned her head adding a bit of dramatic motion to the image. And her expression is priceless with the little wrinkles above her nose!

Overall, I can't find much wrong with this other than it's obviously not the kind of image the voters responded well to. So the only advice I can offer is don't always believe the voters and keep shooting!

--Kadi
(By the way, I'd love to see it again if you try a different post-process on it...please post it in the forums if you do.)

Ice Factory
by pla2

Comment by faery:
This is such a good idea for a location. I just thing you let yourself down a bit. The blackness on the left top corner is very heavy. Would they not have looked up at you if you called out to them to catch their eyes?