DSS #25 - Harsh shots

michswissmichswiss Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,235 Major grins
edited May 21, 2009 in The Dgrin Challenges
I've got a couple that I'd appreciate comments on. They are not pleasant. Keeping with the theme, they are rather foul. I am intentionally inserting an extra image so that those that would rather not see have a buffer. All taken within the challenge and appreciate all C&C. I am leaning toward #2 for foul and foul it is. Colour versions of most of these are disturbing. Happy to share variations, but I'll take guidance from the moderators what works for challenges.


2) Brutal impact
537675736_wtKcs-XL.jpg

Comments

  • KatmitchellKatmitchell Banned Posts: 1,548 Major grins
    edited May 16, 2009
    The last two
    the last two take the cake if ya know what I mean on the foul theme..

    gross....i mean gross..........................:pukethere goes my dinner for tonight..


    so yes, they pack a major punch and are powerful statements and I like the title of brutal impact, it really ties it all together.. still...
    Gross...........:flush

    anyways,, like the color variation in the last one and the second one is definitely a contender, but it is cropped strange,, do you have a better crop?

    Kat
  • michswissmichswiss Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,235 Major grins
    edited May 16, 2009
    The crop on the second one was meant to keep blood and guts from the centre of the frame. I didn't think it was a good idea to let the eyes dwell too long on the poor mouse. I'll post a link to the alternate full colour versions in my gallery at some point. But they are, in a word, grosser... :puke1
  • michswissmichswiss Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,235 Major grins
    edited May 21, 2009
    Full colour versions
    I've just returned from a short trip to Beijing and able to share. Thanks to everyone that commented on my shot in the Challenge Gallery. Like I'd said in the informal feedback thread, I think I might have over thought the audience reaction to these sort of photos. I probably need to develop a better sense of trust in the viewer.

    Here is the full colour version of the photo I submitted. Would this have told the story better?

    542211985_aUg9M-L.jpg

    Here is an alternate composition that has the two offending bricks used to finish off the critter.

    Probably would have called this one "Fairly Foully Flattened"

    542209165_XtFV8-L.jpg

    ETA that I didn't kill the animal. This is essentially how I found it wandering through back alleys. The locals must have thought I was nuts sitting on the ground in the middle of an otherwise clean alley / lane taking pictures of a dead mouse. I even got one or two hisses from older folks tsk, tsk'ing me.
  • KatmitchellKatmitchell Banned Posts: 1,548 Major grins
    edited May 21, 2009
    Omgosh
    This is very difficult to look at..! .. however, for the sake of being a "good team mate" and helping you out.. this is my opinion... I will base it one of course what the judge "sherstone" gave.

    It seems to me the judge thought it was a great entry except that you needed color and a bit more included into the crop to bring it all together and tell the story.. We all know that you chose not to because of the graphic nature of the photo... however, I must say that the first one you have listed here with the color and just a bit more detail, tells the story better than you original entry...

    As Sherstone mentioned the color kind of ties it together better and makes it more true to your title.. I am "driving off" the critiique Sherstone gave you, I am "not" speaking for Sherstone, you will have to wait until he actually chimes in on this thread to get specifics from his point of view...

    I hope I helped some, there goes my breakfast... gotta get out of here now...eek7.gif

    congrats on giving it your best...

    Kat
  • sherstonesherstone Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,356 Major grins
    edited May 21, 2009
    Katmitchell wrote:
    I am "driving off" the critiique Sherstone gave you, I am "not" speaking for Sherstone,
    Kat

    Kat I have a feeling you might be confusing my comment in the gallery with someone elses?

    I do not recall mentioning color in my feedback at all.

    michswiss.... The biggest challenge I had with the black and white version was not being able to understand what it was and only after very close scrutiny did I finally realize that it was a dead creature. Now looking at the color version with a wider expanse of both the mouse and surroundings I do get it much more easily.
    My recommendation would be that if you are going to enter something foul such as something dead you should not diminish the emotional hit that the viewer gets when seeing it by hiding parts or by de-saturating the blood and guts. Give it to us like it is because the point is to elicit an emotional reaction right? A negative reaction in photography is sometimes much more powerful and moving than a white fuzzy feeling kind of shot.

    Hopefully my thoughts make some sense.

    Sean
    Sean
  • KatmitchellKatmitchell Banned Posts: 1,548 Major grins
    edited May 21, 2009
    sorry
    your right Sean,,, sorry about that, itwas some of the comments prior and all of them combined I think in my head that registered, I have looked and read so many from both galleries, I guess they are are mixed up...

    anyways, this is why I mentioned waiting on you to drop by, while giving my best opinion... my mistake... I apologize......

    Kat
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