POST: Wasn't sure what to expect in terms of scoring, but I didn't expect to be in the bottom five! I saw these figures proudly displayed in an antique store on the fringes of a predominantly black part of town. I wondered about that as I snapped a few quick pictures.
The score I guess doesn't suprise me too much. Free Studies are about pretty pictures, and this isn't one (although I did like the bokeh). That aside, there are probably some compositional weaknesses and contextual omissions that keep it from making a stronger statement.
Thanks to Steve (Yo_Spiff) for the feedback and support on this one.
Statistics
Place: 430 out of 436 Avg (all users): 4.1806 Avg (commenters): 5.2000 Avg (participants): 4.1619 Avg (non-participants): 4.2200 Views since voting: 987 Views during voting: 254 Votes: 155 Comments: 8 Favorites: 0
I think it's a sound photograph that documents the subject well - gave it a 6 in voting. I like the added texture from the window and the stuff beyond - that takes it beyond the "picture of knick-knacks" stage. In reading the comments below, I like Nico Blue's suggestion to add context in a reflection perhaps. And to me, they're knick knacks of a different era - antiques, even - and not particularly offensive.
good message but it would have been a stronger shot if those were real people instead of toys... thinking of how you would have shot the same scene differently maybe having a reflection of the neighborhood on the glass or reflections of people walking by, to add another layer of context to the shot. Otherwise this could as well have been a shot of some toys you had lying around in your garage.
Darn. I was expecting this one to create a little controversy over the implied message. A low score is better if it comes with great comments. It was a good effort and idea though.
For anyone interested, here's what I thought of it when Brian asked my input:
It makes a strong point about attitudes changing. What was once a casual nick-nack is now considered racially offensive stereotyping. I think it could (and will) convey two different messages to different people. The first is that people were thoughtless and insensitive many years ago and we are now better than that. The second way is that we are now overly sensitive and spend too much time walking on eggshells worrying that we might offend someone. Two sides of the same coin.
I'd like to see you enter it. You may get some offended comments and low votes because of the subject, but I think it will also get the attention of the folks for whom a pretty picture is not enough and they want a photo to speak to them. You'll probably clean up on the comments.
I like the idea very much, and the colors. I wish you could have given us more depth of field. The focus is just too soft. (it doesn't have to be razor sharp on this, but it does need to be a little less blurry (IMO)
Is this a window display? Almost looks like an overlay image, which is why I ask. Love the composition, and the arrangement is quite interesting. I really like it, makes an impression.
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