September 12, 2001by
GeneralEComment: It strikes me that this photo and the story behind it demonstrate precisely the difference between DPC scores and artistic greatness.
DPC is all about a 2-second look, and for many people, a mental checklist: sharp? subject on a thirds line? lit perfectly? Every hair on every head perfectly in place? That's what the voting format and the need for voting on hundreds of photos creates.
In contrast, a photo hanging in a museum is almost exactly the opposite. It's an invitation to intimately examine not only the photo, but the feelings the photo generates within you. You get a chance to breathe, to soak in the title, read the story, and consider how it relates to your own life.
Two radically different ways of experiencing photos. Neither is intrinsically better or worse than the other.
But while this is going straight into my favorites list, I can see why it scored low on DPC.
Thanks very much for sharing the photo and the story!
Photographer found comment helpful.
