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TiberiusComment by SJCarter: * Greetings from the Critique Club *
First Impression:
Well, I scored this a 6 during the challenge. My first impression was that it certainly met the challenge theme well and had strong emotional appeal.
That being said and upon closer inspection (and after reading the other comments given), I will do my best to provide some constructive feedback. [Next time it might help the CC if you also left some photographer comments regarding your intentions, post-processing steps, etc. - Thanks!]
Composition:
Some slightly mixed messages from commenters on your composition here. I think it is one of the stronger points of the image. You managed to really emphasize your subject, despite a very busy scene. You also did a remarkably good job of ensuring that the surrounding elements (other children) added to the image, rather than distracted from it IMHO. I do wonder, however, whether a slightly different crop might have worked a bit better for you. The bottom two children are oddly chopped off and the top left child is as well. These abrupt edges are a bit distracting from the overall impression & mood of the image.
Subject:
The subject matter was right on topic and relevant to the challenge theme. I don't think there was any question regarding this matter. I do think that if you had added a title to the shot, it would have helped your score a little (some people need to have that focus point).
Technical (Color, focus, and light):
There were some differences of opinion again with regard to some of the technical aspects of the shot. Personally, I think that the lighting (time of day) was probably a stumbling block here. Because of the bright sunshine, some of the lighter areas have taken on a glare. I think it's a good use of B/W though - it probably helped this aspect. It looks like your focus and DOF were quite good, although several commenters suggested a shallower DOF to bring out your subject more.
To grow its vote?:
I think if you had been able to control the lighting a bit better while shooting (or during post-processing), added a title, and perhaps made a few minor changes in your editing choices (crop & perhaps DOF, although I like it the way it is personally), you might have scored a bit higher with this image. But 5.862 and 29th place ain't too shabby!
Summary:
From reviewing your profile & portfolio, I'm not telling you anything that you don't already know... You're an accomplished photographer already and have a great eye for composition and obviously have the technical savvy to pull off a winning shot (and have the ribbons to prove it). I think it's just a matter of getting everything to click at the the right time in the right place. :-)
Just my 2 cents...
Jimmy
Photographer found comment helpful.