Shot with three of my coworkers at church. A single spotlight from the balcony. Red and blue light on stage and smoke machine on the floor in front of the stage.The red light in the background is actually an exit sign. Should have covered it up with something.
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Place: 40 out of 109 Avg (all users): 5.7956 Avg (commenters): 6.9167 Avg (participants): 5.7429 Avg (non-participants): 5.8507 Views since voting: 1282 Votes: 137 Comments: 13 Favorites: 0
Greetings from the Critique Club: this is an interesting approach to the challenge, and to the image itself. I am not clear as to what is being presented. The light is arresting although the black diagonal is a bit distracting. The smoke, colors, and edging of light around the figures, are all quite effective but I still find myself asking what is the intent of this. It could be any trio inviting audience response in any kind of venue not just a "sacred" one. I imagine you were after the use of incense or smoke as used in many non-traditional (or traditional) services/celebrations to reach the viewer on the emotional or spiritual level but that doesn't work for me. I am left with the feel of a staged performance and, more importantly, I am left wanting more information which is a need the image doesn't satisfy.
An interesting shot, What is it? My guess would have been an ordinary stage performance to me with the guitar and the red led showing in the background. (Actually, the first time I saw it I did think that it was a staged "worship". but when I saw the guitar, I was confused.)
Smoke, light and lots of mirrors, reminds me of some of the gospel fests I have attended. The concept is good, the behind the musician shot, I barely saw the guitar in the man's hands and the different lights on the women is also good. The lack of any real clarity in any part of the shot throws me just a bit and the way his shadows fall is also off to me, can't quite say why. A 5
An interesting photo, I really like the composition, and the way the lighting is done. (Did you intend for it to be red, white, and blue?!- That's the first thing that struck me!) Love the negative space aspect of the photo.
Ya know, since I lead worship, at heart my first response is to want to favor this shot. But a couple of things bother me about it, primarily revolving around the fact that 1) it looks very staged (if not, sorry, but that's how it comes across), and 2) it looks more like performance than worship (the smoke and lighting in particular). Though, the lighting is very striking and well captured. Nice effort, but emotionally it just doesn't deliver for me.
The smoke in the light effect is fantastic. The people with their arms up in the air is a good capture, the red light from the right and the bluish light from the left increase the impact a lot. The crop is a little uncentered, I would have given a little more space to the girl on the right, or less to the girl on the left. (9)
Looking at this again I only just realised the guy is holding a guitar.