This Vulture was in a cage, hence it is inside something looking out. Yes, I know that would have been more obvious if the cage had been in the photo, but it made the photos much worse and I was lucky enough to be able to stick my camera through a hole. I thought it would be clear that he was inside pent up somewhere since there is a white wall behind him.
He just looked so evil to me, the way his head looks like it's inside out in order to match the colors it becomes when he tears dead things apart to consume them.
I imagined him plotting his escape and wanting to possibly devour my insides when he got out.
The shadow was intentional and I like the effect it created.
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I'm a bit worried about doing a critique on this photo, as you seem to have been quite frustrated with the voting results. And I think that you are right, the score is low for the quality of the picture. BTW - I wasn't around that week, so I didn't vote :)))
I think that your commenters that didn't see how the picture fit in the challenge might have a bit of a point, in particular if you think the fit has to be "in your face", but I think that you knew that would happen when you entered the picture. I also think though that it would have been easy to imagine a caged bird trying to escape, and that it's worth remembering that pictures don't have to be "in your face" to meet a challenge, that oftentimes pictures that make you think, dream, imagine, are the ones you'll remember. So, I guess I'm being slightly critical of the lack of imagination of the voters.
As far as the picture itself:
Composition: IMO the composition is great. I like the bigger top (or, the crop you chose). I like the grey/white background, I think it works really well here, as do the shadows. The "pose" of the bird is fantastic! To me, besides plotting to escape, he looks like he's trying to hide his thoughts from the viewer. The simple black frame is very good.
Focus/Sharpness: Looks fine to me. I love the slightly OOF feathers to the front.
Light/Colour: Overall quite good, in particular in the front and background. The subtle brown of the feathers is beautiful, as are the greys in the shadows. The black/white/reds of the main focal plane are also beautiful, but they look a tad like they got a bit too much light (did you use flash for this picture?) and lost a bit of detail. I wish the eye were "shinier" or a bit more detailed.
Overall: IMO this is a good picture, interesting to look at, it tells a story, makes you imagine a situation. Taking into account the nature of the voters on DPC, it probably wasn't the best choice for the challenge. But don't worry, scores are just scores, but you do excellent, imaginative work!
Bazar.........or should I say bazard (SIC). Really unique shot since we don't often come face to face with a buzzard (or vulture. I can never remember which is which.) I think that it would have been a better shot with more DOF so that the whole bird was clearly in focus. But a neat shot none the less.
This is an interesting image that has considerable technical merit... My only problem is I've been having a hard time relating it to the challenge. Am I missing something obvious here? Feel free to PM if you like.
I like the textures and colors in this and the composition is nice...not sure what it has to do with the challenge except that I assume the vulture is caged...
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