Walk In The Park
by alih

Comment by talmy:
Looks more like 4PM.

Walk In The Park
by alih

Comment by Commando303:
Somehow, the picture just doesn't evoke any emotion from me; it doesn't have a "feel." All I see, really, is a horribly under-saturated photograph.

Walk In The Park
by alih

Comment by laind:
where are u? this doesnt look like 4 am!!

Walk In The Park
by alih

Comment by seancgn68:
Was the sun really shining this brightly at 4-5am? Guess it depends on where you live. Pitch black at east coast USA. Good concept and composition. Not sure the B&W adds anything.

Walk In The Park
by alih

Comment by LalliSig:
Hmm, not going to vote off topic but it really doesn´t look like it´s taken at 4 or 5 in the morning, way too bright outside and the only place this time of year that it´s bright enough for a photo like this at that hour is in the south pole and this doesn´t look like it´s from there.... This shot is way way too flat for my taste, would appeal more to me if it had a lot more contrast.

Walk In The Park
by alih

Comment by anda:
4-5 am????

Walk In The Park
by alih

Comment by tenfrozentoes:
4-5?

One Way Plane Ticket
by alih

Comment by edekker:
I do not see the challenge link here. (by only looking at the picture)

a game of mancala
by alih

Comment by tpoc:
Greetings from the Critique Club! : )

My first impression was that the crop worked well, but the overhead lighting was obvious through the reflection on the wood.

In terms of composition, it's very straightforward: just the game. people like looking at people, and I agree with the commenter who suggested having a hand in the game. Showing people playing the game would add visual interest, even keeping it as an overhead shot but including hands picking up marbles, etc. the game by itself comes across as a bit sterile, even though those marbles hold the promise of fun. the colors in the marbles are fun and festive, and without understanding the game I still find their positioning interesting.

The lighting does detract from this image, imo. The single overhead light casts too much light on the center of the board, and not enough at the ends. The viewer sees a shiny middle, some shiny highlights in the cups of the board, with the ends almost fading into shadow (particularly on the right side...the left side appears to be getting a hair more light). For an image such as this, I would want to see even, diffused lighting that allows those glass marbles and their vivid colors to just glow, while knocking down that glare on the wood. I would suggest playing around with bouncing and reflecting light onto the board, or playing with a scrim to diffuse the light.

In terms of the challenge, I have to return to composition. This is a nice, straightforward image of the mancala board. What is lacking, in my opinion, is YOUR touch, YOUR interpretation, what YOU give to this image to make it special. Is there a particular moment in the game that you love? Can that be captured in your composition? With the theme of "Collections", would it be interesting to see the winner holding his or her collection of winning stones? Is there a spirit to the game that you can capture through a different angle for the shot? I would encourage you to look for the "you" in your topic, and find a way to express it and let that uniqueness shine.

If you have any questions or comments about this critique, please feel free to PM me.

Cheers to you, and keep shooting!
Jeannel

One Way Plane Ticket
by alih

Comment by heytonyd:
very good image. nicely done. good luck.