Devils Plague Calls by
Rainbow-Coloured-SoulComment by snaffles: Greetings from the Critique Club!
*scratching head* compression artifacts? Where, Spiffy? *ahem* now on with the critique...
Initial impression: Very simple, powerful image. Less is more and it definitely works here. I voted quickly, which is probably why I only gave it a 6. Now, looking at it more, it warrants a 7.
Technical: Great setting, great thirds, nice murky image which offsets the flat blackness of the bulk of the figure...as has been noted already, as though a human has been cut out of the image. Deliberate or not, it works very well. Surprised at your settings - very shallow DOF, very high ISO and shutter speed. But it works.
Artistic: The note in hand makes me wonder if it is a summons of sorts. Wow, there really is a Loch Lomond?! I thought it was just a fictitous brand of whisky drunk by Captain Haddock in the Tintin series :-) And yes, the effective negative space does draw the eye to the person. Didn't even notice the not-perfectly level horizon until it was pointed out, which may help add to an unsettling feel.
Overall: Very well done image, quiet but menacing at the same time. What will the note tell the person to do?
Feel free to PM me with any questions,
Susan