This is the first photograph I have submitted to a challenge when I honestly don't care about the score, in fact I nearly didn't submit it. I feel I've 'exposed' myself more in this shot than this
Statistics
Place: 101 out of 396 Avg (all users): 5.7427 Avg (commenters): 8.2500 Avg (participants): 5.6625 Avg (non-participants): 5.8132 Views since voting: 2176 Views during voting: 258 Votes: 171 Comments: 19 Favorites: 8 (view)
so powerful .. and then i read some of the comments ..
i dont know what you went thru in 2006 .. but from what i've read you lost someone who was very close to you .. Rose .. your child .. ??
but my heart goes out to you even tho many years have passed ..
we carry scars even if the grief subsides ..
i wish you all the best .. and hope that life has thrown you some wonderful and surprising gifts in the intervening years .. miracles even ..
btw .. you could be a movie star with that face .. ;)
Until now I have found this image too difficult to revisit but, today, I wanted to return to leave you this message:
You showed such courage in submitting this shot and for me that sums you up. This past 7+ months you have had more to bear than any Father ever should but throughout you have shown great strength and I am so proud of you.
You have allowed me, DPC and all that know you to see your love for Rose and through you we have been able to get to know your beautiful girl. She will remain in my heart always.
Even with all you have and still are facing you have managed to be there for me and words are just not enough to show how grateful I am to you for this.
So Andi, whatever life brings in the days, weeks and months to come I just want to remind you to take time out for YOU, hold on to your happy memories and don't be afraid to cry.
Andi, really the only changes I think I would make to this shot is to try to lighten the eyes and perhaps lighten the mid-tones a bit. Otherwise, I don't think it really needs a lot of advanced editing.
I guess I will never understand the voting patterns here. To me this is simply the best high contrast photo in the challenge and yet it did worse than my own humble submission! It is animate and evocative and yet captures so eloquently the profound emotion implied within the title.
I have very few favourites on DPC but this is now one of them.
I am not voting in this challenge but wanted to leave a comment...
I could go into the technicals and comment on your editing (which I actually really like) but for me that's not what this image is about.
On first seeing this, without pause or thought, I burst into tears. Every part of me wishes I could wipe your tears away and stop the pain and suffering this self portrait shows. Maybe I have an advantage as I know what you look like when you smile so seeing you so openly displaying how vulnerable, hurt and sad you are here makes this all the more powerful for me.
Don't let whatever score you receive for this image take away how important it is for you Andi.
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