Look, I Can Use a Spoonby
karmatComment by emorgan49: Hello - Greetings from the critique club. Funny thing, I usually draw a few pictures at a time so I can mull them over for a day or so. One week I got all train station pictures and this week I have all baby pictures. Good thing I like babies more than I like trains.
First, I have to ask. What is that stuff??? It really doesn't look edible to me!!
Usually, as I look at a picture over and over again, I like it better and better, Unfortunately this is one I like less. It just doesn't have any spark to it. I know your work and I know you can do much better with lighting and composition. This is the same fellow with the sparkle in his eye in the "Spoon Fed" picture so I know that he is much cuter than this.
What's wrong? Okay it's funny...and it's messy..and it's cute. So why isn't it wonderful? Maybe because no one looks happy? A happy baby is absolutely contagious and I don't get that feeling here. I wonder if you added a tiny highlight to his eye if it might make all the difference in the world? Everything seems sort of flat. His expression is flat. The colors are sort of dull. The soft focus, though very well done adds to the dullness.
Your composition is nice at first glance. The hand on the left, balances the kid on the right and the spoon connects the two weighted areas. The hand is great and in it's "thirds" position but the complimentary spot should be the eye, that lack-luster eye. So instead my viewers eye travels down to the ear which is the second most interesting thing in the picture but seems irrrelevent to the story.
Technically (this is my weak point) it is lovely, The soft focus is lovely but seems unsuited for the occasion, it would be nice if he were sleeping or cuddling. I like that the kid is soft and the goo is sharp. Is it too sharp? around his mouth it looks like cement. The use of the uncluttered background in nice. And the choice to leave out any distractions, like tray or bowl or Mom is nice. Would it have looked better in black and white? Maybe the white balance is wrong, maybe that;s why the colors seem so uninteresting.
I'm so sorry to be so harsh because I'm hitting below the belt twice, critisizing your photography AND your baby. Yikes! I should be banned from the site. The problem is that I think you can do much better.
Message edited by author 2003-01-21 11:59:14. 
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