C U @ The Sand Bar
by muur88

Comment:

Originally posted by pawdrix: I need to get my head out of my butt ans start looking a little more.

Don't be so hard on yourself...i believe you need more photographs providing more incentive to do so first...some of my other work included :(

Message edited by author 2009-01-12 14:50:54.

Schoolgirl Reflections-Chinatown, 2008
by pawdrix

Comment:
the girl on the lefts apparent scowl makes the shot for me.

Amber Fort Keeper
by nancydrew81

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Lucky or not you are my first critique so I hope I do a good job for you.

My initial impression of your image was that it was excellent for the challenge because it had the added benefit of being something you wouldn't normally see without actually being in Asia. I like how you have his vibrant colors juxtaposed against the rather dreariness of the buildings and hillside behind him. Though I'm not familiar with Amber Ft Keeper...I assumed it was in India. Your image makes me think of how even though India struggles with poverty, it's people over come and are quite happy with their daily lives, lives filled with celebration and costume.

Technicals:
I think your choice of settings works quite well for the image. The harsh sun is handled well as the shadows aren't overpowering. I'm very curious if you did any post processing on this image. Perhaps if you ask for another critique you could fully list any post processing or state it's from the camera. I generally find images from my canon 20D require sharpening and a bit of a saturation boost. I would say this image as well would have benefited from both in moderation. More sharpening as the man isn't quite as crisp as he could be. Your lens and aperture listing confuses me as you list a max 4.0 aperture lens and a 2.8 setting. This image does have the feel of a large zoom so perhaps that effected some of the focus.

Composition:
As I mentioned before, you have done well to capture the man in his environment. I am left wondering how interesting the image would have been if you panned out a bit and caught more of his garb and his full gesture. As it stands for me, I kind of feel left in a no man's land between too little and too much detail. I think from a fine art perspective the composition might have benefited from showing more of the necklace and full arm as it would help the eye move around the image rather than just be drawn to the edges. Obviously, the situation and surroundings would dictate whether this was even possible.

Message:
I like that I get an emotional response from your image. So many photos on this site are simply for the eye candy benefit.

DPC Score Boost:
I'm no expert on this but I think a controlled sharpening of this image would have moved you much close to a 6.

If you have any questions or want to discuss your image any more with me, please feel free to PM me.

Thanks for listening, hope it helped.
-MT

California Dreamin'
by Hipychik

Comment:
this is quite nice

Evening Falls
by boyd2000

Comment:
great tones. i wish i had a more sweeping view of the area...perhaps there was a strip mall just to the right ;)

Enough surfing for today
by Pelle

Comment:
great positioning...great light.

Ynys Llanddwyn Rising
by Caravela

Comment:
wow...what a beautiful composition. the way some of the rocks mimic the clouds...and some mimic the shoreline to counter balance the flow.

le sposi
by rinac

Comment:
for a moment we were all swept up together and transported to another world.

Luv Of Coffee
by Crafty

Comment:
perplexing...you allude to the love of coffee, but then show an adbandoned cafe...

Basket Man - KR Market, Bangalore, India
by choltmeier

Comment:
technically i'm awful...but if you're going to get good at this shot i would think you need not worry about over exposing the background and shoot for his face. perhaps getting it great is just impossible with that much ambient light and not being able to use a light meter on him. feels like you overdid the mid range level boost in post processing to try to improve his under exposure.