Sing Out! ( http://www.singout.org/ )
by eloise

Comment by hawkida:
The main subject looks unhappy and the movement has made the focus poor. The arm at the left of the picture is distracting and the man on the right is mostly obscured. I think it's too busy and not sharp enough to be a magazine cover, and it's also lacking any "wow" appeal.

Sing Out! ( http://www.singout.org/ )
by eloise

Comment by Koriyama:
overall, a bit too dark

Inadvertent Collage
by eloise

Comment by EJ:
AT LAST ART in the Office. GREAT!

Blue Jewel
by eloise

Comment by ScottK:
Not sure what this is, but it only maybe looks vaguely liquidy, but not convincingly. The focus is pretty soft, the lighting is pretty dar, and the background isn't too appealing. 2

Down-Home Patriotism
by eloise

Comment by Kavey:
Sorry, I didn't read the other comments before making the critique so didn't realise the blue cast had already been mentioned. Didn't intend to repeat what had already been pointed out!

Down-Home Patriotism
by eloise

Comment by Kavey:
Critique Club


Initial thoughts
Poor composition and colour balance.

Composition/ Content/ Background
I̢۪m not American, so the American flag doesn̢۪t touch me in the way it does many Americans, but I̢۪m also not someone who votes down American flag photos because I̢۪m fed up of them. If I see a good example, I can appreciate it for what it is. Iff the image is strong in it̢۪s own right, I vote it that way.
In this case I find the image very weak for a number of reasons.
The flag itself is hanging in such a way that too much of it is in shadow for my liking – I’d consider shooting the image at a time of day when the natural light is less harsh and coming from a different angle.
The flag is also hanging so limply that it doesn’t have a strong form – it just doesn’t communicate patriotism, as per your title, to me.
I find composition weak - the positioning of the flag within the frame seems random - more like a snapshot than a well planned photograph. Why has it been placed where it has within the frame? Is it because you felt that the angles and shapes were strongest using this composition or because you were intent on getting the flag into frame and excluding other elements in the area?
The background contributes a lot to my feelings about the composition - the building may have significance to you but the part of it included here is a mix of surfaces, the reflections in the windows are so bright that they draw the eye away from the flag, the perspective lines means the building appears to be leaning backwards and overall, I find the building detracts instead of supports the flag. Yet it still appears to be an incidental element in a picture of a flag rather than being the point of interest, for a home sweet home photo.
In this image there isn’t a key point of focus for me – it should be the flag but the busy building keeps pulling my eyes away and all over.

Camera Work - Technical
Focus seems fine, poorly composed, lighting not ideal.

Digital Processing - Technical
This has a very blue cast to me – I have not encountered that with other images, so I am fairly certain it’s not my monitor.

Fits The Challenge
Yes.

My Opinion On The Photo
Visually not a strong image. Content not engaging.

Inadvertent Collage
by eloise

Comment by ChrisW123:
Pretty nice... I've seen "cubes" at work that look like homes away from home, with plants, decorations, personal artifacts, really amazing how people decorate their office space.

Blue Jewel
by eloise

Comment by wewillexplore:
What's the liquid?

Modern Colonnade
by eloise

Comment by karmat:
CRITIQUE CLUB CRITIQUE
by karmat

I think this was an excellent choice for duotones. The bw gives it an impersonal feeling to me, and helps to convey emotion. I also like that you have captured people "unaware" of you, as this gives it a "slice of life" feeling. It has a good perspective that draws you into the shot.

The flag doesn't stand out to me that much, but the sign does for some reason. It also feels very tight with the narrow vertical framing. Perhaps a wider framing would have opened it up some, and helped to eliminate the "leaning" effect of the pillars on the right side. The lack of symmetry is probably the weakest element of the shot, and it can be difficult to achieve unless you line up parts of the shot while you shoot. Even then, it can be tricky. emorgan49 has given much better "advice' than I could on this topic.

Good work, and best to you in future challenges.
karmat

Blue Jewel
by eloise

Comment by clues56:
The colors are very pretty, but everything is so out of focus, that you really can't appreciate the colors.