Beautiful. One of the best of the challenge. So many others just look like snapshots. I'm a sucker for a profile. Wish the snout were as focused as the eye.
I can't believe I'm pointing fingers at this... I think this would've been much better had the frame stayed black all around it. I can easily see that it is cut in the bottom left and the top right corner. It hurts to say something like this, simply because this absolutely fantastic capture of the young Sir got right to me.
I'll try to explain from my point of view:
I want a photo like this to concentrate my entire attention at a fixed point. But his white fur guides my eyes downwards, and had it been black after the white frame I could've looked back up again knowing that the photo stops there. But now it continues even after the white "stop" line, so when I try to direct my attention to his eye, there's something that steals my attention. Sorry...
Coming back to this - picking out the ones that are standing out at a second pass - this is a great image; the focus on the eye is perfect! I completely under-scored it on my first pass. Bumping from a 6 to a 9.
Great side profile portrait of Sir Zigsworth IV!! Lighting wonderfully illuminates the fur and you have some nice light in the eye giving a nice twinkle. The focus on the eye is sharp as a tack but the nose and snout seems a tad soft. Perhaps a greater number in aperture, say f8 or higher will increase the depth of field and thus all things would be in sharper focus. Of course you would need to adjust shutter speed to allow the same amount of light to 'come' it to illuminate your subject with the capture. However, if that is due to movement there is very little you can do. The choice of the black backdrop only allows part of the dog to directly contrast with it. The black tones of it fur on the top of his head blend all too well back into the backdrop. That flaw can be easily corrected (if your dog would sit for it that is:-) ) by placing a small light a foot or two right behind the dog. The light will then hit the fur and illuminate the outline of the dog's profile like a halo. That 'outlining' will help keep your main subject separate and apart from that black backdrop and make Sir Zigsworth IV really visually pop off the page.
An eight from me since the eye is so sharp in Basic editing. I wish the nose were also that sharp since the corner of the mouth is also sharp. A smidgeon more DOF would have taken care of this. Still an 8 from me. Lovely composition.
The lighting is great. But for me personally the DOF Is far too narrow for this shot. I wish the nose was as in focus as the eye is. My dad argues with me, but i am voting not him. I gave you an 8 he would'a given a 9. Sorry and good job.
Beautiful lighting and great profile portrait. Maybe could use a little more DOF to get the nose in focus, too, but it's not bad this way. The eye is beautifully sharp and clearly conveys a devoted expression to me. Looks like a little drop of eye goop, though; I try to check for those right before shooting and clean them off. Personal pet peeve ;-)
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