Overture
by Trumpeteer4

Comment:
I wish I had your patience and intimate knowledge of lighting!

(Disclaimer: This comment was left by a photographer with no formal training, questionable taste, and a modicum of skill. Any constructive commentary should be taken with a grain of salt, followed closely by an eyedropper of Tequila!) ;)

Music
by SEG

Comment:
Sorry, the life was sucked out of me by a DPC rule which deleted my entire previous comment, complete with play on words (lyrics) :( Suffice it to say I found your entry Mondo Cool...

(Disclaimer: This comment was left by a photographer with no formal training, questionable taste, and a modicum of skill. Any constructive commentary should be taken with a grain of salt, followed closely by an eyedropper of Tequila!) ;)

Different Tastes
by gadion

Comment:
I like the contrasts...What is the second spice? Looks too coarse for pepper...

(Disclaimer: This comment was left by a photographer with no formal training, questionable taste, and a modicum of skill. Any constructive commentary should be taken with a grain of salt, followed closely by an eyedropper of Tequila!) ;)

Eclipse
by Budya

Comment:
Begs the question.... "How he do dat?" I will wait for you to reveal...

(Disclaimer: This comment was left by a photographer with no formal training, questionable taste, and a modicum of skill. Any constructive commentary should be taken with a grain of salt, followed closely by an eyedropper of Tequila!) ;)

salt and pepper
by klkitchens

Comment:
I admire the adherence to the theme in the selection of subject matter. Oh yeah, the photo is cool too! People don't appreciate what a pain in the ass Pepper can be!

Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour On The Bedpost Overnight?
by PetRock

Comment:
Art evokes emotion. Double check. Adheres to the Challenge theme. Check. Interesting color palate, interesting textures, details continue emerging if you examine the image for any length of time. Check, check, check. Original, unique composition, use of precious early evening sunlight, similar subject matter rarely found...

I am a newbie, and will probably never score in the top 20. For every perceived strength of the image that I list above I am sure two weaknesses could be found, but not one was mentioned in comments.

I guess with this crowd, if no other, I was expecting to get beyond ewww, ick, and gross to some of the technical merit or shortcomings. When I submit junk I expect junk, but this was a disappointing result for me.

Rafa Sheds a Tear
by PetRock

Comment:

Originally posted by blad: this is definitely about the tattoos...the complementary background, even though sharp, gives dimension...the tilt and what is going on above his head could be distracting...you have captured a bewildering expression and still connects regardless of being off camera. 7

I received a variety of suggestions regarding expression and background. I have several shots of Rafa (He later asked that I refer to him by his street name Huero), who is a Tattoo artist both before and during his incarceration, and yes, the Tattoos were what drew me to him as a subject, but the powerful symbology of the Tear under his eye was not captured in most of my shots. He chose to wear a cap for many, and it was mid day in downtown Los Angeles when I shot him, so the shade that the store fronts afforded was my only refuge from the harsh light of the mid-day sun.

I asked Huero specifically about the Teardrop, so although in all all the other shots of him he is directly addressing the camera, this pose was meant to highlight that one tiny but powerful bit of symbology. Is the background distracting? Yes, but beter than the unedited image I think, and to bring out the detail in the Tattoos it was necessary to bring out some detail in the beads. I played with cropping the tilt, but it seemed to intensify rather than diminish the effect, so I left it alone.

All in all it was one of my favorite challenges, I took some better portraits I think, but I think Huero had the most interesting back story.

And the sea exacts its toll
by menele

Comment:
Love the composition!

Super 49'er
by Yo_Spiff

Comment:
Great find!

Cat Interrupts Shoot, Go with it
by PetRock

Comment:

Originally posted by DJWoodward: Challenge Relevance:6 Impact/Emotion/Mood:4 Technicals:5 Processing:5 Creativity:5

I appreciate you taking the time for the feedback :)