In the Shadows

[Bruce Cox]

Please critique.

[seamus finn]

A lovely interplay of shadows going on here against a background of subdued colours. Very subtle.

[luxborealis]

Well seen!

Try the same shot but with apples only. That would allow the simple but beautiful patterning of the shadows to come through, rather than being lost the intricate, colourful patterns of the packages on the left.

[Bruce Cox]

Thank you both.  

The original background was without packages and, though nice, was not much more.  

After Seamus liked the background, I considered that the foreground might need work and started over with the figure in black & white instead of color.

I have now replaced the original posting with this improvement.

[Jeremy Roussak]

After Seamus liked the background, I considered that the foreground might need work and started over with the figure in black & white instead of color.

It's an interesting shot, with attractive patterns, but I'm not convinced by this version. In the first, the figure (what is it, by the way, and what's it doing in a fruit bowl?) was garishly coloured and as a result distracting. Here, your having gone to the opposite extreme, the complete absence of colour is, to my mind, just as distracting. Can't you strike a happy medium, and desaturate it just a bit?

I also find the crop on the figure a bit tight, particularly at the bottom. What does it look like without the figure?

Jeremy

[Mjollnir]

It's simultaneously odd and visually pleasing.

Not a common combination.

Well done.

[Bruce Cox]

It's an interesting shot, with attractive patterns, but I'm not convinced by this version. In the first, the figure (what is it, by the way, and what's it doing in a fruit bowl?) was garishly coloured and as a result distracting. Here, your having gone to the opposite extreme, the complete absence of colour is, to my mind, just as distracting. Can't you strike a happy medium, and desaturate it just a bit?

I also find the crop on the figure a bit tight, particularly at the bottom. What does it look like without the figure?

Jeremy

Thanks to you interest, I have made another version with a less saturated figure which I like almost as well as the B & W version.  I hope for further improvements.

To answer your questions:

{1} The figure is just that.  It is in the fruit bowl to complete the form and show what I saw.

{2} The figure is not cropped; he is standing on the bottom edge of the frame.

{3} I couldn't strike a happy medium, because such are rare.

Bruce

[luxborealis]

Yup, it' she plasticky looking things that are distracting - to me anyway. However, with only four apples there is too much of a void to the left. Add three more apples in place of the three plasticky things and you're there. It will also bring you back to an odd number of elements which always flows better.

[Jeremy Roussak]

Thanks to you interest, I have made another version with a less saturated figure which I like almost as well as the B & W version.  I hope for further improvements.

I'm glad to have made a useful suggestion! I think it's better without the figure, to be honest, and Terry is (as usual) right.

{3} I couldn't strike a happy medium, because such are rare.

Yes. I went to a seance once. When the woman running it started to laugh, I hit her, because I like to ...

Jeremy

[Bruce Cox]

Yup, it' she plasticky looking things that are distracting - to me anyway. However, with only four apples there is too much of a void to the left. Add three more apples in place of the three plasticky things and you're there. It will also bring you back to an odd number of elements which always flows better.

What?  No oranges? 

My image has seven lobes.  They don't all have to be apples.

That the background has room for the figure is not a fault; it's a feature.

Bruce