Obviously the clay mask is a bit cliche. However, I have a very unphotogenic face and this sort of thing is necessary. I really do wish I had more to work with, but what can I say, we are who we are. This ugly mug is a major reason why I started photographing nature all those years ago. I just didn't feel good about my photography when I did self portrait work.
I'm slightly ashamed to admit it, but I didn't specifically go out and buy a clay mask. I already have a clay mask, and I wear it at least twice a week. Part of an I'm-getting-old skin care regiment that I've been on for about six months. I've never had good skin, so every little bit helps. I did apply some face paint to my lips here to brighten them up from their usual pasty bland tone.
Ah yes, I'm a pretty one...
Post Challenge - I got a bit heavy-handed with my eyes here. Otherwise I'm happy with my shot and certainly with the final score and placement.
If you voted 4 or lower, please explain.
For everyone else, thank you so much for your great and sometimes interesting comments.
Statistics
Place: 37 out of 193 Avg (all users): 6.3055 Avg (commenters): 7.5333 Avg (participants): 6.2743 Avg (non-participants): 6.3272 Views since voting: 1636 Views during voting: 536 Votes: 275 Comments: 20 Favorites: 1 (view)
Well, hopefully this won't reinforce your earlier impression of me heheh.
I voted 4 or lower so here comes my opinion:
- the eyes are pretty whacked out. Particularly the right one where the whiting out has given your iris some straight edges.
- the composition. Given that those white eyes are the real poppers in this shot against all the darkness, I thought they could have been placed for much better effect. Maybe you were going for a different sort of look here and that's cool, but to me it looked like you were just slightly out of frame when you took the shot.
- the negative space. this is part of the composition, but it's worth addressing separately. far too much pointless deadspace above your head that doesn't add anything to the photo. I liked the band of lighter gray (black?) to the right of your face and I think were you centered in the frame that would have added a nice highlight around you and given the darkness above and below some impact.
- the concept. My own submission was pretty cliche, so I didn't specifically ding this one for being another painted face shot. However it does keep one from getting really psyched about the image when the first thing that comes to mind is 'another xyz shot'.
Anyway, I just bitched about wishing people who voted 4's on my shot would have left a note so turnabout is fair play. Also, having obviously read your write-up for the shot, I'm betting what's under the mask would make for an interesting shot. Hard as it might be to put it out there, seeing something unusual in a challenge full of average looking mugs might just work in your favor.
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