Screen Door Portraiture
by greenem2

Comment by Azrifel:
~~~~Critique Club Comment~~~~

Composition (content)
The screen door adds a very interesting touch to this photo. It makes it look like a painting on a very rough kind of canvas. Therefore it is a bit of a shame that it is ripped, that gives away that it is a screen.
Good pose and frame positioning for a full frontal portrait.
The grey toning works very well and the stripes on the shirt match with the hair/face tones and the frame. All grey would have been a bit boring, making the torso an unnecassary element.
Nice lighting, only improvement could be a reflector beneath to fill in the area under the chin. On the other hand the way it is now it is in balance with the facial expression.

Background
Dark and empty, doesn't take the attention from the foreground and gives enough contrast for the subject.

Camera Work (Technical)
Good exposure and use of aperture. A wider aperture might have blurred either the screen or the background or cause a focus problem.
Screen adds pleasent softness.

Digital Processing (technical)
Good grey toning.

My opinion
Very good.

Specks and the Universe
by greenem2

Comment by andrewm:
I feel quite small when I see this--strong sky--good texture in the sand and a lovely overexposure coming from the right-the focus of attention is the children--well placed--a lovely composition.

Specks and the Universe
by greenem2

Comment by smellyfish1002:
I like your take on perspective and this is a great image. I would have cropped it midway through the sand on the bottom. I think this photo would have better balance with the horizon at the bottom third of the photo. I don't thinkyou would loose the expansive feel of the image with respect to the children, even corpped tighter on the bottom.

Specks and the Universe
by greenem2

Comment by GeneralE:
Nice job covering multiple interpretations with one image.

Specks and the Universe
by greenem2

Comment by tfarrell23:
To Sandy...

Specks and the Universe
by greenem2

Comment by Konador:
This is an excellent photo. Because it is so good, the only things i'll say in this comment are small nit-picky things.

I think the children should be centred. I think this would help the composition more than them being slightly to the right. I'm also not so keen on the washed out white area on the right.

I think overall this needs just a little more contrast throughout the photo, to add to the high dramatic feeling this photo already gives.

Changing these small things would get you an 11 if such a thing were available, but have a 10 for now.

Specks and the Universe
by greenem2

Comment by darrenmeisel:
awesome picture!

Specks and the Universe
by greenem2

Comment by dimitrii:
One of the best composition I've seen on this site in a number of months that I've been a member, great tonal range, the sky is perfect. Too bad we have to comply with the current size limits. Great job, congrats!

Specks and the Universe
by greenem2

Comment by KarenB:
I love this photo. emotive. even tones to set the scene of tranquility.. awesome work! you should be proud.

Edit: My daughter's (9 yrs old) interpretation... I like the sky. It looks like a time portal that is opening for the children.

Specks and the Universe
by greenem2

Comment by ChrisW123:
Very nice. It's mystical and really inspiring to me. I'd give it a 10 if I could vote. :)