I remember when this challenge was initially discussed. One of the concerns was that photographers would go way over the top depicting too much blood and gore. I decided to go a different route with this challenge: "Retro". I thought of doing something simple that followed the lines of the classic 1950's crime dramas. And so I give you: Murdered in the Dark "1951". This shot was taken at night with a single spot light, ISO 80 at f/5 and a shutter speed of 2. I added a simple white frame reminiscent of the white borders that surrounded photographs of the era. The original image was shot in color and then desaturated in order to retain the details of the scene. The deep shadows surrounding the subjects was deliberate in order to create a sinister feeling within the image. The props for this shot were extensive: Vintage black lace dress and shoes, A Vintage "I Magnin" lambswool and fur coat, a collectible Speed Graphic camera with flash, Fedora and a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson Highway Patrolman revolver with vintage shoulder holster. I included a strand of pearls and earrings but they didn't come out in the shot. The shot didn't come out quite the way I envisioned it, but I thought it warranted submission.
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Place: 12 out of 62 Avg (all users): 6.3641 Avg (commenters): 7.3571 Avg (participants): 6.0000 Avg (non-participants): 6.4438 Views since voting: 2369 Views during voting: 534 Votes: 195 Comments: 18 Favorites: 2 (view)
Since I obviously left something to be desired with my during challenge comment; I will attempt to restate what I tried to say.
Also, considering my comment is the only comment not marked as helpful it must be the 'thought negative' comment in the scores thread for this challenge.
1. You have wonderful elements in this piece. In other words, I enjoy the style you chose and the props you used as well as the processing. There are good things going on within this image.
2. IMO the composition of this piece leaves something to be desired. You need to develop a stronger sense of composition and balance within the piece.
3. I believe that this piece is lacking something to give it POP! I personally would have enjoyed an element that gave me a greater sense of a crime scene and not just a body being photographed.
Overall, it is one of the better pieces IMO of the challenge. One of my higher scores was on this piece. Though overall I find it lacking the total package.
I hope this 'new' comment gave you perspective into my original comment. I also hope there are less grammar mistakes for you to weed through and be confused by.
good thing you have that old camera--you knew you hung on to it for a reason! Do you ever shoot w/ it? Just wondering. I like the B&W treatment you gave this.
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