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An almost haunting picture that really grabbed my attention. This is of course a staged studio shot, but a very good example on how a little creativity can take a picture to a new level. The gas mask made me think of a giant bug of some kind, and even though the models eyes are hidden I feel an intensive stare. The almost symmetrical pose works great and the cool blue tone adds the final touch to this great picture. Congrats on your 2nd place.
This was one of my favorite pictures in the contest. The models pose is very pleasing and I really love the composition. Post processing is spot on - maybe the best in the contest. The subtle colors and the color grading is done very well resulting in an extremely beautiful picture, that I would love to hang on my wall. And why didn't I place it higher then? Because the theme of the contest was "Portraits without Faces" and here most of her face is showing. Had it been cropped between her nose and her lips it would probably have won, but to remain true to the contest I can not place it higher than this.
This picture caught my eye very early in the contest. I really love the warm colors - it made me longing for summer and warmth on a cold winter day. The composition works very well with the man placed in the doorway and we have the right amount of background and surroundings to set the scene. The post processing is very nicely done - the picture has a nice contrast and it is not over processed in any way. All in all a great picture and a well deserved 1st. place in the contest.
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A great shot perfectly fitting the theme of the contest. The elderly lady putting on makeup with her face hidden by the mirror works very well - and as a viewer I get curious about how she looks. I get a feeling of a woman getting prepared for a big event where she wants to look her very best. The square composition works very well and I like the way the flowers in the curtain and the flowers in her dress are almost a perfect match. I would have liked to see a little more contrast in the picture, as it seems to only have grey from the mid tone area.
This picture really put a smile on my face. It fits the theme "Portraits without Faces" perfectly and it is very well done. I really like the matching orange and golden colors in the subject against the almost monochromatic background. The only thing that bothers me a tiny bit is the small horizontal line in the left part of the picture just beside his knee. It is probably something on the window, but I would have removed that in post processing.
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I really like the humor here :) Not your everyday wedding picture but a funny take on the genre and the picture made me smile the moment I saw it - both because of the food being served and because it looks like the groom's pants would fit someone a feet taller much better. These are the reasons why it ended among the commended pictures. However, from a technical perspective I think the picture has some flaws. It looks over compressed and over sharpened - most obvious on the faces of the two men facing us. I also believe the contrast is a bit too much. One final thing: I think I would have cropped out the sign as it takes too much attention, and we don't need it to see what is going on here.
A very well composed image telling a story of a hard working man (or woman) in a harsh environment. It makes me think about all the hard labor that lies behind the nice souvenirs we bring home from travels around the world. The person is well placed in the frame and I really like how the bright orange of the hat and the purple gloves stand out against the subtle colors that dominate the rest of the picture. Optimally I would have liked to see a little more of the surroundings, but the picture still deserves a 3rd place in this contest.
Brief
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Every face tells a story – or so it’s said. But can you tell a story about someone without showing their face? The task here is to make a portrait that tells a story about the person(s) in the picture without showing their face. It could be by showing us some activity they take part in or maybe the environment they are in can tell us something about them. It’s entirely up to you what you want to show us and how you show it, as long as their faces are not part of the picture.
This is a great take on the theme "Portraits without Faces". First of all the composition is very pleasing: The combination of the centered subject and the diagonal running from the top left to the bottom right corner works very well. The toning and texture really suits the picture and gives it a nice retro style look. I'm also very impressed with your models ability to pose on the pole like that. The only small thing I can put my finger on is that I think her hair and feet are a little bit too dark. Especially I would have liked to see a little more detail on the hair.
I have never been to Japan, but looking at a picture like this really makes me want to go there. It's often being said about composition that the subject should not be in the middle - this is an example of quite the opposite. The woman in her bright red clothes against the subtle colored background is exactly where she should be in this picture. I'm always pleased to see pictures shot on a rainy day and I urge everyone (including myself) to go out and shoot when it rains. It is like something magic happens to both light and colors, and this picture is a great example on just that. Well done.
