Greetings from the Critique Club!
Hello Daniel, I'm Susan and I'll be your CC member today :-) I know how tough chefs have to be (I work in a fine-dining restaurant) so I know you can take criticism.
Interesting take on the challenge. I think you may have tried to do a little too much here; the plastic in or around the Coke bottles isn't really necessary. The Coke bottles are different shapes and each already has its own frame, so wondering why the red drawstring/handle draping down? It could be to draw attention to the middle bottle which looks to be the most interesting, as you can read the label and see the design. But as it stands, it's ambiguous and a little on the messy side.
It's not unlike plating a dish, you want just the right amount of side and veggies to enhance and complement the entree, not compete with it. Think of your subject as the entree, then your comp and lighting as the side and veg, and the background is your plate. And as with most creative endeavours, less is definitely more.
Here's a trick I recommend to help you see for yourself what works. Choose a challenge, then go through all the entries...but start at the very last page, and work your way up to the ribbon winners. As you do this you will notice the comp and lighting improving and getting tighter, and depending on the challenge, the level of editing getting more skillful.
Hope this critique has been of help, and do feel free to PM me with any questions or comments.
bye for now and welcome to the madhouse! :-)
Susan |