1987by
joansuzyComment by KiwiShotz: ::: Critique Club :::
Well, this takes us back a bit doesn't it. Yes, by definition a slide is made with transparency film. What a hassle it used to be getting out the viewer and/or the projector just to admire your work.
First Impression - the most important one:
The first impression for those who've been there is a nice bit of nostalgia. For those that aren't familiar with slides, it would be a bit puzzling. The image doesn't have a dramatic impact, more of an editorial interest. There's not a hook of some sough there to draw you into the picture a little more.
Composition:
This composition of piles of slides certainly conveys the volume of slides that we acccumulate and also how hard they were to view. Such a busy layout poses a problem for the viewer - they don't know where to look. All thse composition rules might sound silly but they are about the way in which people react to an image, any image. So using the 'rules' of Thirds and Leading Lines can and do make a difference. Google them, there's lots of good informationa and discussions on the net.
Subject:
You are spot on the challenge subject, in fact more so than 90% of the entries because you have found a literal transparency and shown it well. So it's probably a surprise that so many voters didn't get it.
The apparent subject in this image as presented is busy nostalgia when in reality though, the story you wanted to convey was about the transpaerncy film as a genre. So what's needed to do that? I would think less slides probably, a layout that was part of the story and a way in which you can see the film's transparent properties.
Technical (Colour and light):
It's sharp and perfectly exposed but the lighting is where it could have really shone but didn't. You need backlight. As the commenters said too, just some light coming through the film would make all the difference. You have the perfect subject but it needs backlight to show it off.
Ok, how do you do that? Someone mentioned a 'light table'. Now most homes don't have such a thing. Why would you, but you can make one. If you have a piece of glass anywhere in the house, you've got a light table. There's glass in the most unlikely places like a china cabinet. Lift a door or shelf out and lie it flat on a few books to give you some space under it, put tissue or paper under it with a light = light table.
To get a Ribbon?:
Drama and impact get votes. Anything that generates an emotive reaction will attract people to spend a little longer looking at the image. If it makes them smile, gasp or cringe doesn't matter - any of those are better than no reaction at all.
Summary:
I think you have a very very strong idea here and its a pity that for technical reasons it didn't come off as well as you hoped.
It's hard to know what the wow factor could have been without experimanting. Certainly the lighting is important but over and above that it would need something else. That might be in the selection of the slides and some of the slly images they have on them. Perhaps it might have been just one slide with a poignant image in it and very soft gold light just illuminating the cardboard slide frame.
Such puzzles are certainly the fun of the challenges and I see that you have entered many with really good ideas. Looking at your portfolio I would suggest working on three areas - simplicity (less is more), composition and low angle lighting. See how you go, look forward to seeing the results :)
Brett
Photographer found comment helpful.