First critique request ...have mercy...

Sash[DSL] · Aug 7, 2004

Taken with a Pentax MZ10+35-80mm 4-5.6 lens+ Fuji SuperHQ film and then scanned. I was mostly testing the film out that time, but I think this picture deserves being considered a candidate for a keeper.
I was passing by a stable in a park late afternoon, saw this pony/horse and it looked so SADLY at me. Like an innocent man that is to be exectuted tomorrow. And then started blindly tapping the fence with its nose, it probably expected me to give something to eat but I noticed the park handyman watching me from a distance and didnt dare to.

Sash[DSL] · Aug 7, 2004

oh and it doesnt look much like this on the actual print - it is brighter and warmer, but this is the best I could do with my crappy Hp4470 scanner.

molested_cow · Aug 7, 2004

What about focus? It's weird, cus the photo seems to be blur. I assume it's because of your scanner.

So what is your subject? The pillar in the middle? My eyes are drawn to the pillar more than the horse, which is basically insignificant because the most attention drawing element of any animal-- the eyes, are hidden. If you can't get a good angle, then you have to reconsider taking that shot. Of course, there is no harm trying.

Sash[DSL] · Aug 7, 2004

yes the pic is soft because of the scanner - I had to do TONS of tweaking with colour/sharpness it PS. The fact that the eyes of the horse arent seen and are blocked by the pillar is to show that the horse is all boxed up in the stable. I thought it was interesting that the pillar and the horizontal ramps cross where its eyes should be.

jadin · Aug 8, 2004

I've read that to ruin (unwanted) advertising, (advertising is out of hand in some opinions) the way to do it is to simply black out the faces of the people in the ad. This removes any connection viewers might have had. Apparently we all connect with photos of others, and removing that connection makes us lose interest.

To me that's what's happening in your photo. While you're putting meaning behind hiding the horses eyes, it just makes the photo disconnected for me.

doodlebug · Aug 8, 2004

molested_cow said:
My eyes are drawn to the pillar more than the horse, which is basically insignificant because the most attention drawing element of any animal-- the eyes, are hidden.

Ive gotta second that! Eyes ARE the MOST important point of any animal shot, youve gotta get them in the shot, and uve gotta get them pin-sharp if your image is gonna be effective.

If i would have been you, i would have jumped out of the car, and gone for a close up of the horse.

Click to expand...

StvShoop · Aug 8, 2004

Sash[DSL said:
]The fact that the eyes of the horse arent seen and are blocked by the pillar is to show that the horse is all boxed up in the stable.

i guess i agree with what other people are saying. if this was your goal, then the eyes were rather necessary. the whole "the eyes are the windows to the soul" thing is a silly bias, but most people believe it (me too).

blocking the eyes has a different effect, i think. it kind of makes the horse seem like a part of the fence or having some metaphysical/emotional connection with the fence. rather interesting.
i'm not a fan of the colors. more color, or more contrast would help the shot i think.

jadin, when/where is advertising ruined like that? ads in public places?

mentos_007 · Aug 8, 2004

you all are too deep for me

my pony is better (find a topic: "Yay a Pony") huh... kidding I don't like the composition here, maybe because I don't understand your photo

Alison · Aug 8, 2004

I've got to agree with the others, it was the horses eyes that drew you in, I think for this photos to be effective to a wide audience we need to see them too. But, it has special meaning to you, you know what you were feeling and that makes it special to you

jadin · Aug 8, 2004

I read about it in adbusters http://www.adbusters.org. I think they were talking about bus stop billboards, though not limited to just that.

Sash[DSL] · Aug 8, 2004

Thank you everybody for replying. I guess I still have a lot to work on

Like I said - I am surpised to see that noone sees what I saw in this picture, it is probably just what AlisonS said - it has a special meaning to me that isnt obvious to everyone. Also, what I will do later toninight is scan the image from the print so I have less colour correction to do, this might end up being more accurate.