Was in Brighton really early before the London-to-Brighton cycle ride. Unlike later in the morning, when the beach is absolutely crowded with sun-starved Britons, the beach was almost deserted at this time of day. A perfect time to walk the dog...
Statistics
Place: 167 out of 197 Avg (all users): 4.9448 Avg (commenters): 5.3333 Avg (participants): 4.6800 Avg (non-participants): 5.1321 Views since voting: 997 Views during voting: 255 Votes: 181 Comments: 11 Favorites: 0
And just to summarize - from both those threads - the thesaurus gives you synonyms not meanings (they're not the same). So if you pick one of those synonyms like solitary or empty (which are already contradictions) - you're satisfying a different word. (I do sound like the grammar police don't I ?). Anyway - that's probably why the emotional impact of desolation isn't there.
The first thread describes how some people vote based on photographic merit (because they want to improve their photos) and others focus on emotional impact (to improve their art) and how we need both.
Thanks for taking the criticism constructively. I'd rather be one of those people who tells you what they think and the score they gave so we can talk about it than snipe you with low scores with no comment or a good comment :)
You mean deserted don't you ? Desolated implies misery...3 (sorry).
Initially this comment upset me quite a bit. It criticizes my knowledge of the English language, rather than my photography (and in the forums I even posted the various dictionary definitions for "desolate" which include "deserted" as a meaning - in fact, it was that definition that gave me the idea for the photograph).
Don't get me wrong, I don't think the photo deserved a better score. I wouldn't have voted it higher than a 5 myself (but I'd still rather enter a less worthy photo, and receive comments and learn from it, than abstain from a challenge because I wasn't happy with any of my shots).
I was just unhappy that the comment didn't have anything to say about the photograph, and rather focussed on semantics.
But after thinking it over for quite some time after the voting ended, I actually realise that this comment is just as helpful as all the others. See, a lot of people complain about the fact that the DPC voting process is very subjective, and that only a certain style of photos are "fashionable" with the voters.
But that's just part of getting people to respond to your photos. Even professional fine art photographers have to deal with this. You have to make people feel something before they're willing to think about a work of art.
And that's what Megalomaniac's comment is all about. The lack of a real feeling of desolation in the photo is what leaves the viewer underwhelmed by the image.
I will remember that in future. In order to connect on an emotional level with a viewer - to get them to feel something about a picture - you have to address the hidden implications and connotations of the subject. Meeting the dictionary definition simply isn't good enough.
So my view on comments remains the same: "Any comment is a good comment."
nice choice, i think it would be much more effective shooting this along the shoreline, showing the desolation and desertion, there is not enough beach to make me see the desolation, but, a different angle, such as lining the shot up behind them or ahead of them and from a distance, would give more the feeling.nice job just the same!
Weather in the sky would have really emphasized the feeling of desolation. Removing the hues to b/w or duotone might have enhanced the concept as well. Deserted does not necessarily mean desolate.
Nice colours in the shingle beach. However the image just lacks any wow. Looking at the shadows it appears this was taken mid morning/afternoon when the sun was high. It may have been more atmospheric in the early dawn, which always gives an image something special.
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