The Candidate
by zeuszen

Comment by BAMartin:
This is my choice for the blue ribbon. Very well done.

The Candidate
by zeuszen

Comment by e301:
I;ve had to by-pass this shot twice while voting - I just can't make up my mind about it. Technically obviously completely accomplished. Artistically and compositionally ... hell, I don't know. I like the railings, the criss-cross patterns on the concrete beyond, the foreground brickwork, the very 'square' composition and the way it's broken up by those lines. Don't like the lighting much - whilst I guess it has helped the cleanness of those compositional lines, it's killed texture in any of those areas (I guess that is deliberate) and in the figure's suit. Like the pose, but it bothers me a lot that he's looking out of frame on the short side - ie why not have him looking right? This gives the idea to me that there is something going on that way that's deliberately excluded - I'd have placed him either to the right of the frame, or looking the other way. One more thing is the reflections in the top right corner/edge - they introduce an much more organis form into the image, and it doesn't seem quite in place.

Blimey, this has gone on a bit. really intersting shot, but there's something I don't like about it, and I'm clutching at straws. I'd love to know what the thought processes were.

The Candidate
by zeuszen

Comment by wingy:
Good choice with the black and white.. the patterns and lines in this shot come out from all over and create a very slick scene. The water adds the perfect touch to the shot by mixing up the patterns and structure. 9

The Candidate
by zeuszen

Comment by Allen:
nice idea i like the balck and white idea to this picture it was done very nicely good work

The Candidate
by zeuszen

Comment by LeahStephen:
Wow, that guy is a dead ringer for an agent. I absolutely LOVE how the cement in front of him makes X's, and has water on it... and how the fence makes V's. Very good photo, I hope it makes it to the top 3!

The Candidate
by zeuszen

Comment by bluegoose:
nice photo, a bit weak on theme though.

The Candidate
by zeuszen

Comment by basia03:
great graphic quality in this picture! 8

Diligence
by zeuszen

Comment by zeuszen:
It's funny to see how conflicting takes of identical elements congregate here (and elsewhere). Obviously, there's little consensus. Apparently, when it comes to elements of composition, great sensitive critical facility can follow righteous inability.

What I want to point out here, that there may well be definite rules of composition demanded by the work itself. These are often variants of what we know already, if only it were so easy to see what we know.

Of course, I'm thankful for all the comments, but if a picture like this 'lacks interest', I would really like to know why, so I may find out, if it was my failure as a photographer or something indicative of a failure of feeling or perception on part of the writer or his/her social environment.
I also could not find out, why one should 'bring the subject closer' and to what purpose. A crude 'next time crop the bottom' also does absolutely nothing except take up virtual real estate, which could be occupied by some interest in the matter at hand.

DennisF, frisca, and robbieh actually 'looked at the picture', and when they were done, had something useful to say.

Cupola
by zeuszen

Comment by zeuszen:
Thanks to all who commented, no matter how minimally, irreverently and illerately - just kidding. When no comment was in after 110 votes, I was beginning to feel the chill. :-)

Cupola
by zeuszen

Comment by jmsetzler:
= 6