Layers, Enhanced Contrast/Lighting/Saturation, Sepiatone, Clone Tool, Magic Wand. If anyone cared to write my life's story, the last few challenge entries for me would be included in a chapter entitled, "Artist Hits The Skids!"
The last line in the chapter would read, "A few points for the poor, Gov'ner?" (Oh, well, at least my lens hood makes a great pot for panhandling flowers.)
My intent with this photo was to create a believable & humorous metaphor. Since nothing in life has ever come easily for me, I am committed to laboring in a plodding fashion on my photographic skills & living in my "cardboard box of the mind" in a DPC back alley until I "get the clue" about what it takes to be a great photographer.
"Making a mockery of people who are less fortunate than I am" is not a concept that resides in my heart, but I was willing to take the chance that the majority would not take it that way in order to get my point across that I am a man with a mission and I am here to stay...Photographer for Life! (However, I deeply regret any offense I have caused to anyone.)
Finally, I have learned so far that the commenting photographers on DPChallenge that I have read personally appear to have a penchant for high contrast, crisply-focused, brilliantly colored photographs. This, of course, is a great goal for occasions that call for that style. However, it is my humble opinion that low contrast, muted colors with a somewhat disheveled appearance and expression with the muddled presentation of "poor" photography is a "slam dunk" for an over-all score above five for me since that idea "nails" the purpose of the challenge. (Anyway, that's what I think!)
Thank you to everyone who made a comment. I do understand each of your points of view & how you came to each of your beliefs.
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Hello! I love this idea, very funny and unique. Those challenge points can be hard to get though as you are finding out.
Reading your notes, you were right in that for what you were going for in ideal was right on but as you also know the DPC Voter can be an unforgiving mistress and a cruel one at the same time. Looking over your profile and some of your other shots it would seem to me that your biggest obsticale or thing to work on is framing/composition and lighting. Both can be very hard to do at times.
On this particular shot, the idea is there but the feeling of desolation doesn't really come across, in that you don't look desperate in either appearance or surroundings. I know you were going for the laugh here and you did succeed in that sense but if you want to start going for more than just the laugh you need to consider all the elements of the shot, the way it's set up, does it draw the viewer in, will it keep their attention and does it tell a story all at the same time? Hard things to do and not always accomplished in every shot, just look at some of my stuff!
And the lighting, you were going for a mood and you could have still captured that mood with just a touch more contrast, muted colors are fine in some shots but with something like this where you have so many things competing for my attention, the muted colors really just make it all blend in together in the end and nothing holds my attention in the end.
Again, great idea and if you ever reshoot it I would love to see it, or even play with this one some more. Try some different cropping and post processing maybe.
Good luck in future challenges and I hope my comments help.
wow, that's a sweet camera! lol
this has a kind of cluttered artsy feel to it. I don't now whether it's just my monitor ir not, but the shadows seem kind of gray and the whites seem a bit blown out. the slight desaturation adds to the feel of the image, tho.
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