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05/26/2009 04:08:52 PM |
i'm so sorry pat for your loss .. but i see this pic and i imagine zeke watching over you from that doggy heaven .. he's probably looking forward to when you two are together again .. i really do believe that when we die we are reunited with our loved ones whether they were human or animal .. its comforting ..
he must'v gone fairly recently .. like a month or two ??. i'm sending you a great big hug pat and a prayer for zeke as well .. :):)xx |
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03/17/2009 07:52:01 PM |
i'm laughing .. you did your own critique .. !!!
wotever .. i just love his beautiful look .. it evokes so much emotion .. just lovely .. :) |
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02/18/2009 05:30:34 PM |
thanks so much everyone from me &MY friend Zeke !
Message edited by author 2009-02-18 17:32:07. |
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02/18/2009 04:47:16 PM |
Can't add much onto what has already been said, as they hit most of the points.
I don;t like the crop, there is a lack of space to the Left where the dog is looking. I feel it is too tight there.
Not sure about the angle and pose you have used. Would have preferred the dog to be looking at the camera more. With a Lab, I would love to have seen the dog lying down, head resting forward on its paws and looking up with the big Sad Eyes. I think that would have portrayed devotion more strongly.
The Top 9 Images are all exceptionally good. Their lighting is great, the poses are great, and the crops work. Have a detailed look at those as well to see what they did that maybe you could try or improve on. Why not use some of the advice here and do a reshoot, and post the new and imroved shot for us then to comment on as well.......
As others have said, lighting, colours, the shadows and flares.......agree with them and can't add much more. |
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02/18/2009 02:58:00 PM |
Zeke is as sweet as can be, and strangely I would have liked to have seen him cropped even closer, but square. I think it is the head space above that throws me off the most because of the direction it was taken. The focus on his eye is great and this photo can be saved!
Natural light would be wonderful, and would give him that warmth that I am sure he radiates. |
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02/18/2009 02:56:38 PM |
| Hi, I didn't vote on this challenge but if I had I would have given this a 4 I think. The main issue with it IMO is the crop and composition. It feels really tight and uncomfortable around the bottom right where I would like more room from the nose to breath. The lighting is very harsh (I would guess on camera flash) and that kills the mood in what could have been a much softer shot with some nice bounced flash or natural light. It does have a snapshot feel to it rather then a portrait again IMO. Your squirrel and bird shots are MUCH better in terms of composition and general "feel". Hope that helps :0) |
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02/18/2009 02:43:00 PM |
First, thing you did right that is usually an error made when shooting our long nosed friends - got the nose in focus as well as (well, pretty damn close) the eyes.
Technical things you can correct for next time:
- Great expression on the dog, give the composition some room to breathe. Compose so the dog is looking into the frame and leave some space on the other side of his head. Also because we (westerners) are slaves to our subconscious, you'll find a photo tends to resonate better when composed so that the eyes follow the same motion as they do when reading a book. Left to right, top to bottom. Dog on the left, eyes at top, nose at bottom, dead air on the right.
- Lighting. It's an investment, and a necessary one if you do not want to be completely reliant on natural light. Assuming you don't want to spend money on a flash or two (read strobist.com), then your next best option is to wait for daylight and shoot your friend next to a window. The natural light coming at him from the side will do a great job of providing both detail and contour and give your photo a nice 3D look. Assuming an accommodating pooch, you can rotate him around and see what 'pose' works best with the light at hand. This will also solve your whitebalance issue pretty much on its own, or at least remove the yellow cast introduced by indoor lights.
I am guessing some of the very low votes are 'snapshot' votes, as even the most facist of voters would have to consider this a portrait and not dnmc. That's probably entirely due to the lighting so easy enough to work around next time.
Good looking dog, and you did get the expression you were after so good job on that. |
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02/18/2009 02:41:16 PM |
Love the emotion, you succeeded from that view point. I agree with Deb in that composition and white balance are the main issues. Lighting is OK at best, and by that I mean that it is not adding anything interesting to that lovely face, and there is a harsh shadow along his jaw/ear. I like photographing my dog near a window for some soft, morning, side light, give that a try and forget the single flash (I think you used a single flash based on the catch light and shadow, I may be wrong). I do believe you captured the emotion well, as I can feel it by looking at him.
Unfortunately we all get the low the votes without comments, but we also get high votes without comments! ;) |
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02/18/2009 02:10:33 PM |
| I don't see any distractions, but the crop is awkward, kinda, rather than just "tight." You have his one eye almost dead center of the photograph (most likely because that's how you focused and composed the picture) when it would be a bit more dynamic with the eye NOT in the center. Look at the 9th place finisher - similar kinda dog but a much more "dynamic" view. Also, as with most portraits, eye contact with your subject increases viewer participation. Here the dog is looking away, making us look over to where he's looking, but there's nothing there. Finally, there's a bit of an "indoor" yellow cast to the color. This can be tweaked in basic with the use of selective color, or if you shot in RAW, by turning the temperature of the light "down". And I do think you've conveyed the sweetness of the dog very well. Hope this helps! |
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02/18/2009 08:51:38 AM |
Since no voter critiqued my image - I'll do it myself.
Too tight a crop, too harsh light, left corner blown & distracts.... |
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Comments Made During the Challenge  |
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02/14/2009 05:02:16 PM |
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02/11/2009 10:45:12 PM |
He/She looks sad..
Nice dog I am sure. |
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02/11/2009 11:10:34 AM |
| Awwwww...makes me want to give a treat. Lovely softer focus and fits the mood well. |
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02/11/2009 09:14:05 AM |
| Fantastic image of your handsome sweet boy!! |
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