Your thoughts... PLEASE!!!

theheater · Jun 23, 2007

This is a photo of my friends daughter... I absolutely love it... it was composed this way on purpose, and the hands are cut out of the shot on purpose... does the photo work???

Leigh · Jun 23, 2007

I like it.
Not sure why - been looking at it for 10 mins and cant figure it out but I DO like it.

The_Traveler · Jun 23, 2007

WHAT FOLLOWS IS MY OPINION - so if you don't want to read it, this is the time to stop.

If you like the picture, that might be enough.

It doesn't work for me at all.
Whatever the idea you are expressing here, its not coming across to me.
The face in the shadows is too dark for me to really see anything in the face beyond just the features, the hat is the brightest part of the image.
Yet there isn't anything to make me interested in the content or the composition. Doing something, like truncating the arms of a child, should have some relation to the overall composition - I just don't get it.

What was your purpose in this exposure and crop?

Kyuss · Jun 24, 2007

I keep wanting to look more to the right.

theheater · Jun 24, 2007

Thanks for the replys so far... I am by no means a proffesional, but I took this photo, tweeked it a bit in photoshop, and fell in love with it... I think the composition is bang on, the hands not being in the photo certainly go against the grain of the "rules" of a good photo, but I doubt the art of photography would evolve any further without people testing the rules. The reasons why you don't like it Travellor are exactly the reasons why I do (your critisims are appreciated as everyones are... I really enjoy learning and developing). All other critiques are welcome... keep them comming...

The_Traveler · Jun 24, 2007

theheater said:
Thanks for the replys so far... I am by no means a proffesional, but I took this photo, tweeked it a bit in photoshop, and fell in love with it... I think the composition is bang on, the hands not being in the photo certainly go against the grain of the "rules" of a good photo, but I doubt the art of photography would evolve any further without people testing the rules. The reasons why you don't like it Travellor are exactly the reasons why I do (your critisims are appreciated as everyones are... I really enjoy learning and developing). All other critiques are welcome... keep them comming...

My response had nothing to do with rules.

I understand that you 'love' it, but, since we spent time looking at your picture, now its your turn to tell us what you see in it and why. what are you trying to say or show?

I just don't get it.

JenR · Jun 24, 2007

You posted the photo here and asked for opinions, so here is mine....

I agree with The_Traveler 100%. It is difficult to focus on her sweet face when it is so dark and her hat is so very bright. Her chopped off limbs are driving me crazy (especially with so much space on the left).

I am genuinely curious and I would really like to hear more about your thinking on this one. Why did you compose it this way? Are you telling a story or making some kind of point?