DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register) 
 
Challenge Entries
Portfolio Images
This image is not part of a public portfolio.
the Agony of Defeat
the Agony of Defeat
margiemu


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Failure (Basic Editing III)
Camera: Canon EOS-20D
Lens: Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4 L USM
Location: Net\\\\\\\'s room
Date: May 23, 2006
Aperture: 3.5
ISO: 400
Shutter: 1/30
Date Uploaded: May 23, 2006

 No, I didn\\\'t give her a lollipop, and then snatch it back. Actually, we put a bunch of eye drops in her eyes. We were actually having a hard time not cracking up while I was taking this. I have lots of shots of her trying not to laugh...

Cropped slightly to lose the white pillow she was holding, adjusted exposure, since I seem to always underexpose, and converted to b/w.

Statistics
Place: 12 out of 129
Avg (all users): 6.2838
Avg (commenters): 7.8750
Avg (participants): 5.8800
Avg (non-participants): 6.3966
Views since voting: 1826
Views during voting: 310
Votes: 229
Comments: 18
Favorites: 1 (view)

Please log in or register to add your comments!

AuthorThread
 06/24/2006 11:42:30 AM
Greetings from your own critique club.

First Impression
Very Nice emotive shot. Reading your comments, looks like she has better career in acting.
Composition:
Just perfect.
Subject:
Nice take on the challenge.
Technical (Colour and light):
The color and lighting are spot on. B&W is the perfect choice.
Improvement:
Nothing much really. If I have to be picky, I would say she is looking outside the frame. At least one of these object in the left side like letter, flower or ring would have made it a story.
Summary:
Very nice emotive image, perfect for the challenge.

Congrates on your Personal Best and top 20(almost top 10). Cheers!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/09/2006 01:07:52 AM
CTPII
Hey Margie, great job. A 6+ and a top 20 (almost a top 10!). You even got a comment from Mr.Cuesta. Ah, envy.
Didn't get a 1. Now that's rare.
The skin texture and the expression did wonders for the shot. So is the slight (intentional) under-exposure.
Congratulations on your PB. You did well, ma'am.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2006 04:37:45 PM
Very good subject for melancholia, lol. Congratulations on your top 20 finish.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2006 06:55:28 AM
Hello from Ãlex, CTP MkII

First Impression: WOW. That a wonderful shot, very strong. If I had voted on this challenge would be a 9 or 10 from me
Composition: very good. Like it
Subject: perfect for the challenge
Technical: the focus is tack sharp, and the use of shallow DOF is superb, even the ear is OOF. The B/W conversion looks nice
Improvement: difficult to find, but maybe the B/W conversion would have been a bit more punchy
Summary: Congrats on your new Personal Best. It goes to my faves

Ãlex
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/02/2006 01:45:29 PM
Greetings from CTP2

Technicals:
Your lighting and setup was very good. The end result produced an excellent tonal range.

Subject/composition:
Perfect subject. Maybe the photo needs some help with the title to show failure but really anyone can envision it in the photograph itself. In any case the image that took blue wasn't any better in terms of capturing "failure" than this so congrats on a strong take to what wasn't an easy challenge theme if you weren't shooting sports.

I like the composition but I think I would like to see more of her environment or something that tells me more definitively where she is at. I assume she is laying on a bed since you mentioned a pillow but when I first saw this I thought she was in someone's arms. I think telling us a bit more about the environment would have made this image even stronger.

Suggestions for Improvement:
I do like the crop because it shows her face up close so maybe just make the comforter? brighter so the folds can be more obvious. I would say dodge those sheens just a bit and leave the rest as dark as it is. Seeing that more would also help balance out the image, IMO. That's really it. The image has a lot of emotion and everything else is just perfect. Great image. I look forward to seeing more!

Message edited by author 2006-06-02 17:46:45.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/01/2006 12:27:39 PM
WOW! another personal best!! Congrats!! The lollipop thing is funny, read that thread;)

Its very good!the only thing I can find that bothers me (and I had to look hard) is the button. Once I noticed it it became distracting. But that's no biggy!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/31/2006 06:15:20 PM
Wow, Margie, you're on a roll! I really don't have too much to suggest for this since it's a very good shot. Maybe a couple small hot spots on her nose, but that's it. Congratulations!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/31/2006 07:13:55 AM
Again your personal best!
Congratulations on that.
CTCP Gunnsi
First impression:
Perfect focus, nice setup, clarity good and good placement of subject.
What can you do better?
Since I have never scored so high, I dunno :-) But I think that you could easily have cut away more of the left.
I am never sure about b/w, In my opinion colour is better and freckels are nice the way they are.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/30/2006 08:16:00 PM
WTG girl!!!!!! Good job, great score. Wooo hoooo!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
05/30/2006 02:45:03 PM
The tears and eyes work well to show agony.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/30/2006 07:24:22 AM
Very strong and intense. I like it!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/29/2006 11:58:25 AM
I love it! Many photos in this challenge seem quite staged, this doesn't at all. Brilliant!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/29/2006 03:15:10 AM
Great! This is what this challenge is about, and I think many misinterpret it.
Very dramatic, very good picture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/24/2006 09:44:55 PM
Great tonal range and very interesting composition. I also like the depth of field taht pushes the viewer right back to the tear and the heartbreakign look on her face. The only element that bothers me is the teardrop on the tip of her nose. It almost adds anxiety to the frame based on knowing how annoying that tickling feeling really is. Still, very well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/24/2006 07:47:19 PM
returning to comment:
This shot shows raw emotion - not overdone.. lit perfectly (imo) very well photographed, one of my top scoring shots
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/24/2006 05:34:45 PM
i like how light reflects in her tears. really adds an affect
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/24/2006 04:57:46 PM
hmm, you portrayed someone actually crying really well, though I would have preferred the fake cliche style with tears running down cheek, not dripping from nose or mascara goop in corner of eye, but you have really good focus and nice emotion and I think this pic looks great in B&W, nice work
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/24/2006 12:53:08 PM
Take away the title and this image becomes a person crying, will give the benefit that is over failure,because the quality is good....7
  Photographer found comment helpful.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 04/05/2025 11:10:56 AM EDT.