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ctfchallenge | all galleries >> Challenge #7: Portraits In Black and White (or Sepia) >> Critique Gallery > Not submitted
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4/3/02 Jim Burkstrand

Not submitted

Minneapolis

One of the first ones I took - something, and not the gray hair, just doesn't look right to me.
B&W created in PS using the channels command (40-30-30)

Canon PowerShot G2
Shutter speed: 1/13 sec
Aperture: 3.5
Exposure mode: Av
AEB shot: 3
AEB compensation: +1/3
Flash: Off full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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ctfchallenge11-Apr-2002 12:59
I think this is too monochromatic - the very neutral grey background matches the quite grey (after processing I'm sure!) shirt, which blends with your skin tones.

The camera is too far away/ you don't fill the frame. You could fix this with some cropping, or retaking the shot to better fill the frame.

Another more general comment is your pose : What is it trying to convey ? What are you thinking about ? Does this give a window into your personality, or a window into you when you are posing for a camera ?

Other than that, technically it is well done, everything is in focus, no camera shake, etc. Hope that helps
cgesteland 11-Apr-2002 08:27
I find that some of the most interesting photographs are also daring. By this I mean that you have to force yourself to step a few feet closer to your subject and let it fill your frame. There is a reason you chose the subject. Show us why.

The gray wall around the man's head takes up too much of the shot, making him look diminuitive and insignificant. Try taking it again, but this time, don't center him. Try taking it from a low angle, a high one, then tip your camera from one side to the other. Each angle will infuse the picture with a different kind of energy and will show you the person in a whole new light.

To me, the most interesting features on this man's face are his eyes. They are dark and deep in a sea of grey. Try a shot that considers THEM the subject instead of the whole man's face. You might be surprised with the kind of results you get...

Just my two cents. :)
Guest 11-Apr-2002 05:21
Without the cap, there is nothing to draw enough attention to your face. Also there is a little too much space above your head.