I submitted another picture like this one (taken at the same time), about a month ago, in the Still Life category. I didn't get any remarks on it, and, on looking through my photo album, I found this one. I actually like this one better, not just because my cute little girl is in it, but I actually like the composition much better. The fact that she stands out in her bright clothes, against the somber colours of the anchor. Also the way the anchor leads the eye up to the top of the pic, and then back down to the figure. Any comment - please...
Good composition in the face of difficult lighting and a difficult (black) subject. I like the wide angle. If your son and the tip of the anchor were a little closer, it might have been emphasized even more. However I don't know how that could have been done without losing something else, especially if it had included distracting background.
This is a corker, You are right about the angles and leading the eye, you are also right about including your daughter ( apart from the fact that she is cute), she makes the picture dynamic.This is enhanced by her looking at you..straight down the lens. Well done.
This photo was taken at about 4.30pm, in July. The black of the anchor is very intense in real life. On the print there is slightly more detail, but in reality, the anchor is very black and shiny, so it is hard to see detail even when you look at it in real life (unless you go up close). I find it hard to go out late in the evening because of having to look after Jenny by myself. I would love to have the flexibility of being able to take photos at any time of the day - I'll have to speak very nicely to my mum!!!
She's a real cutie! I feel completely qualified to comment on that.
Now for the stuff that I'm probably wrong about:
You're absolutely right about the angles leading the eye, but there's something about the contrast that seems over the top to me; a lot of the finer detail of the anchor itself is lost. And it seems too busy, somehow.
What time of the day were these taken? Perhaps if you took them later in the day when the sun was a little warmer, the details wouldn't be so stark.
Anyway, that's my opinion, but based on my portfolio, I would advise that you take it with a grain of salt. I'm still learning myself! :-)
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