Bolonhesa
by scuds

Comment by CLarson557:
While it is good to see some origiality in a challenge full of bugs and flowers, this doesn't look very appitizing. Interesting choice of subject for a photography contest.

Bolonhesa
by scuds

Comment by carodani:
the right spelling is bolognese

Bolonhesa
by scuds

Comment by neophyte:
I like th lighting but the focus is a bit soft .

Bolonhesa
by scuds

Comment by chesire:
Base: 5
Tech: +1
Subj:+2
Chln:

Total: 8

Feeling Proud
by scuds

Comment by mihaibadic:
his facial expression is really a bummer, the composition is extremely simple, and those flowers kinda makes me think he won a beauty contest or something.
the subject is good idea for a "fantasy world" challenge, but used a lot differently.
not being mean just honest, because i saw your forum thread regarding this pic.

Serving R2's favorite soup
by scuds

Comment by scuds:
I'm really glad with my picture, and also it's score! Thanks for all the votes and comments.

Now to some answers:
*R2 is the name of that little white robot on StarWars. Just thought it would be a funny title.
*It's kinda hard to work with mercury, because of it's liquid form, it just won't sit still.
*As a shiny metal, it reflects the environment around it! Was I didn't have anything large enough to reflect on the bigger "blob", I switched off the ceilling's lights, in order to reflect only "darkness". I wish I could have wdone something to enhance it's "metallic" appearance and form, but that was just not possible! The funny thing is, I've just read an article on a very popular brazilian photography magazine, which deals with lighting on reflective objects, including metal! A bit too late I think. Oh well....

Here are some outtakes, and some diff ideas:
no editing besides resize ---- ---- ---- ----

Serving R2's favorite soup
by scuds

Comment by smilebig4me1x:
i gave up voting/commenting before i made it to this photo. for me this would have been a 7 vote because of the lighting. i think if the lighting had been any different you wouldnt have gotten the results on the pour part of the mercury. i have to agree with mesmeraj on the zoom tho. this would have scored alot higher(possiably a 10) with just the pour/splash part seen in the photo. still an excellent photo and 82 out of 501 is nothing to sneeze at! u did alot better than me..congrats on your finish

Serving R2's favorite soup
by scuds

Comment by mesmeraj:
Scuds - i gave you a 6. From the second i read the metal challenge, i wished i had some mercury to play with, so naturally i was happy to see someone with a mercury pic.
The strongest aspect of the image is the splash of the mecury as it hits the bowl, and the twist in the poured line. I was not a fan of the large blob of prepoured mecury (probably from previous attempts, right).
For me, the image would have ben stronger (8-9) if you had let go of the soup in a bowl concept and gotten closer to the action. ALthough understandable you wouldn't want the mecury on your camera - a zom perhaps rather than macro.
The lighting was a little iffy for me also, i would have prefered the bowl to be soild white rather than a gradient shading to the back of the bowl, for a higher score.
I really love the tiny droplets that had rolled away from the main attraction, i think it might have been interesting to be down on thier level rather than up above. I can tell you enjoyed taking this picture - and thats what matters most of all ;)

My city's postcard
by scuds

Comment by Tom:
This is great. I was in Curitiba last month (beautifull city) and I didn´t get anything nearly this good from the gardens. Parabems!!

Feeling Proud
by scuds

Comment by Artifacts:
Generally speaking lighting, use of shallow depth of field and color OK. General image quality is average.

Many reviewers will not find a strong connection of your subject with the challenge topic and will vote it lower because of it. They will feel this is not really a fantasy world, but rather nothing more than an image of non-western culture. The viewer is not engaged to wonder what the subject is doing or why he is holding tree branches.

But most of the issues with this image are of a technical nature...

The picture is taken from a 'snapshot' perspective. Different perspectives like ground level looking up, some other extreme angle or while in motion would add more visual interest to the composition. This perspective is closer to what you might expect to see in a photo album and not a fantasy challenge.

Though not overexposed greatly you might consider burning in some detail on your subject's bright white garments. This is particularly true of the feet and upper left shoulder where detail is lost. Judicious burning on the rest of the garment would give it depth and added eye appeal.

The tree on the left of your subject should be positioned further to the left. Having the edge just touching your subject draws the eye away from him and acts as a major distraction. It is made worse by the fact there are digital 'jaggies' clearly visible on the sharp border between tree and garment. Another distraction is the bright white area on the lower left side of the tree.

Even considering the fact that your subject is Japanese it will appear to most reviewers that his eyes are closed and they and probably vote it lower.