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DPChallenge Forums >> Challenge Results >> Now for the real reason........
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Showing posts 1 - 11 of 11, (reverse)
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04/26/2004 10:34:15 AM · #1


This was my comeback shot, I really enjoyed taking it and so did Ellie.

The 9 comments I got were all positive but the score and placing tell me I missed something, some mark, some detail that caused the majority of votes to be a 5, average to me. Comments, ideas, help?

Deannda
What could/can I do to really make this shot POP and score higher?
04/26/2004 10:42:51 AM · #2
I liked this photo and gave it a 6. I think making it larger might have helped. The horse is fairly small in the photo, a common problem when limited to no more then 640 pixels on a side but made worse when you don’t use all the pixels that you can. In truth I did not really notice the size when I voted on this but I would like to see that it looks like redone to be 640 pixels high.
04/26/2004 10:45:41 AM · #3
LIke much of your work, Deannda, this one is so good at telling a story. I suspect that many voters wanted a more solid silhouette? Also, your framing/cropping of the subject is well done and effective. Perhaps one suggestion would be to match the mood of the subject better to the story. This image is very contrasty and 'gritty' with dark darks and light lights right next to each other, while the story it tells is nostalgic and warm and fuzzy, so many of us might be expecting more of a softer, gentler image.

Of course, your title suggests that she faces a contrasty, gritty challenge, but I still feel that a small girl looking at a horse invites a certain mood and may trump your story in a way.

Does that make sense?
04/26/2004 11:11:53 AM · #4
Deannda,

I really liked this shot and gave it a 7 (one of my highest scores this go round). I agree with dsidwell that people may not have liked the 'detail' in the silhouette, even though the theme specifically mentioned that there could be... I liked it BECAUSE of the detail.

Yours
TC
04/26/2004 11:34:06 AM · #5
As I look at your position in the challenge compared to the shots around yours, I would say your placement (64th) is just about right. In fact, you beat out a few well deserving shots.

Your shot is more high-contrast than silhouette. There is still a lot of detail in the figure of the foreground. But with the low-end, consumer quality equipment you have, which I also use, I would say you did a great job on your photo and placed comparatively well in this challenge.

I don't know about you, but after 8 months with this camera, I am getting frustrated at the lack of control I have in my photo's. I am at the mercy of it's AF/AE, which often means I don't get the shot I envisioned. It then takes too much post-processing to alter the shot. The learning curve was shorter than I expected and I am ready to go DSLR, but I don't have $1100 for a Canon d300 Rebel.

(Sorry to hijack your thread with my rant!)
04/26/2004 11:57:13 AM · #6
I think this is one of thous images that looks alright, are technically fine and are difficult to critisise but lack´s some life and orginality. Please don´t get offended, you asked for a comment and I´m trying to be honest.
04/26/2004 12:56:45 PM · #7
Two possible suggestions:
1) Crop out about half of the negative space to the left of her arm, about at the fencepost way in the back, I think it will tighten things up, add "tension" to the situation, and make it look not quite so small -- I think it's at an odd aspect ratio that makes it look squat. With a strong foreground-to-background element in the composition and story, I think a taller, skinnier crop would work better.
2) Try burning in some of the highlights on the top of her hair and left shoulder, leaving a very thin edge of light instead of the broader patches you have now. I use repeated applications with a light setting, and always work on a duplicate layer.
04/26/2004 01:06:21 PM · #8
Originally posted by EL-ROI:

...CUT...

The learning curve was shorter than I expected and I am ready to go DSLR, but I don't have $1100 for a Canon d300 Rebel.

(Sorry to hijack your thread with my rant!)


Your quote seems a bit much. You can get the 300d from B&H (with a lens) for $929. Click here
04/26/2004 01:08:34 PM · #9
Generally, I like the shot. I think perhaps if it was cropped closer to the girl on the left, like GeneralE said. Also, I think if she was turned just slightly to the right it might add some "depth" to the shot and it would seem quite so flat.
04/26/2004 02:20:55 PM · #10
Thank you everyone for your ideas, suggestions and compliments. If I get a chance I will be reshooting this one again. AJ has been being put out in another pasture for now instead of the round pen so I have to be patient.

I'll play with this one some more when I have some free time and like you EL-ROI, the settings can be a bit fustrating but I'm not going to complain since the camera was a gift from a wonderful fellow DPC'er and it's much better than what I used to have! :)

Deannda
Learning to work with what I have
04/28/2004 09:25:59 AM · #11
This was my favourite shot of the entire comp. But Art is subjective, and if the majority think that is an average shot, then so be it. My current photo for proportion is sitting around the 5 mark and i was hoping for more. But it is all in the eye of the beholder.
Well done on your shot. I love it.
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