Untitled
by Tiberius

Comment:
Rubbish! And I mean that in a complimentary way. I like this image as much for its terrific shapes, tones and textures, and for its uncompromising composition, as I do for its challenge theme qualities. 8

Falling
by JPR

Comment:
This is wonderful. The soiled and partly 'buried' body recalls organic decomposition; the ultimate 'dead end'. But that's not all ... there's at least one other whole level of meaning to explore; the deep drift of autumn leaves provides another kind of 'dead end'. And then there's the clever title, which seems to be a sly reference to both of these interpretations of the image; the body falling to dust, and the fall leaves. Brilliantly conceived and superbly executed - it's original, thoughtful and technically excellent, and it's awfully rare to get all three of those together here! 10.

"I feel the autumn fail, all that slow fire..."
by Bear_Music

Comment:
Photograph ... 7, metaphor ... 10!

End of Days
by L1

Comment:
I never imagined I'd say this about a picture of a dead mouse, but this is very good! Maybe it's because the deceased has his eyes covered by a leaf, but there something touching and very nearly human about it. I was thinking that you should have used more contrast, but on second thought your presumably deliberately flat & lifeless processing of it is pretty appropriate! 8

Shallow End
by Cutter

Comment:
I don't understand the sculpture, but I do like the clever titular interpretation of it you've made for this challenge theme (unless that's really its title?). It's an arresting image. It combines an intriguing subject, a challenging point-of-view and a stylish composition. Its most impressive quality, however, is the depth, richness and range of tone you've achieved. Initially I had it lumped together with a dozen other worthy entries in a 'first pass' group (all B&W, as it happens). When I returned for more detailed consideration, and saw it among that group of thumbnails, its superiority of tone and texture was striking. 10.

Up Against the Wall
by TooCool

Comment:
I like everything about it except for the staged graffiti. I suppose you felt that unless you spelled it out in short words and big letters, most voters would say 'Huh? Where's the Dead End, dude?" Sadly, you're correct.
Anyway, the wall, the guy, the window, the title, the composition and the technical aspects are terrific. Delete the words and it's 10. This way, 7.

Alleycat
by puzzled

Comment:
That's a very fine black & white! And one of the best shots of a cat I've seen here.

Dainty Murano Glass
by magnus

Comment:
Hello Magnus, from the Critique Club.
This is an instructive critique for me, because I normally have no interest in 'studio' photographs, especially of inanimate subjects such as this. So, I've learned quite a bit as a result of being forced to take a more measured look. The quality of your photography is superb, especially as the lighting setup you describe is relatively simple. The subject(s) are beautifully lit for maximum impact, and I'm sure the unicorn was a difficult little critter to light effectively. The shadow is also terrific. I cannot agree with the commentator who suggested cropping differently; your composition/crop seems to me entirely appropriate ... it complements the fragility and elegance of this little work of art, and is therefore nicely chosen for the 'Delicate' theme. So, while it's not my cup of tea, but I do recognise the technical skill involved in your creating this image. The other attraction of this photograph for me was that it led me to your portfolio, which contains a delightfully eclectic collection of very fine photographs. I hope these few comments may lead others there as well.
Best wishes,
Paul Martin

Delicate or delicacy?
by Longreach

Comment:

Originally posted by Cutter: this is just weird. what is the background? water? either way it looks like it is really penetrating the skin and that can't feel good.

What? A nice example of having absolutely nothing to say ... and saying it.

Edit to clarify: I'm referring to the comment, not the photograph. I like the photograph.

Message edited by author 2005-11-02 03:11:42.

Silent
by Tiberius

Comment:
Interesting photograph. It encourages the viewer to think for a moment, about the man's enraptured expression, and the add positioning of his arms ... is he just bathing, or is something more meaningful going on? I like images that stimulate thought and speculation. The use of grain is probably incidental to the impact, however. 7