Critique
FAMAS
Nice image - very creativity! I'm struggling to see what's in focus in the scene, though. For me it would make sense if the knife in the foreground were in focus, but it seems to be a bit soft. The figure in the door is mostly oof, but the head is sharp? Can't say I'm a fan of the border - that spoils it - but the processing is good. Very film-Noir.
A very powerful dark image, that captures a moment of suspense quite well. I like the under exposure of the shot and the way that the black has been put to good effect framing the two main subjects. Other subtle things like the shadow of the knife and the background behind the background figure seem to also be well thought out and add a lot. A great shot.
A clever and well constructed shot, capturing a clear sense of survival. Although soft in places the image as a whole does make a very strong impact on the viewer.
GAFFER
Not a massive amount to critique here. The image is pretty simple, but it works well and there's nothing wrong with it technically.
It's difficult at first to see what this picture means. It's obvious that fire is the main draw, but it's not clear until you study the image what the context is. Sometimes this is good, you want the viewer to look around the whole image before they fully understand what's going on, but here it doesn't really work for me. I don't know if it's the fact that the fire is so dominant or that the theme isn't particularly suited to shots which do that. The colours are good, but the framing feels a little clumsy, with the fire not fully captured, the extinguisher inexplicably placed in the bottom left of the frame and the car drawing the eyes away from the focus. A little re-framing of this could have made it a lot better.
A little bit to much going on within the overall shot, but it works well and is simple in getting its point across with out any other use of editing to produce the desired image.
GEX
An edgy and thought-provoking image. I can't really fault the composition and it certainly looks to me that it's been well thought out - I take it the slightly clenched hand is intentional. The processing is quite strong; I like the (all but) desaturation and the selective colouring (though I'm not always a fan of it, I think it works here).
The first thing you're drawn to is the colour - first of the flame, then round to the red on the blowtorch and then finally on the arm. Putting these at opposite ends of the image works really well to draw the eyes around the picture and take it all in. I think the focus is slightly off, I would have placed it higher up the arm, but the nature of the shot means that this isn't a huge issue. The framing is good and really makes the viewer feel that it could be their arm. An effective photograph.
A little unclear on the connection to the theme, but a very hard hitting image it may of more suited an image of addiction or dependence. Great composure with the objects set perfectly to draw the viewer into the picture with out to much thought on what it is they are seeing.
MOBYDICK
Clever image that fits the theme nicely. The DoF is very effective with the head in the background, but I can't help but think the composition is spoilt by the snake also being in the immediate foreground. I find the big oof section quite distracting.
Technically, it's very good - the focus and the colours are perfect and the framing is also very effective. It does a good job of drawing the viewer quickly to the subject before slowly revealing what the background is. My only objection is how it ties into the theme - I'm not 100% convinced it's the best demonstration of 'Survival' - but otherwise an excellent image.
Even though the prey is already deceased it still hits the theme well. The focus on the prey and the DoF on the predator highlight the suspense of what is about to take place showing a clear thought process. The crips clean exposure helps this shot greatly to clearly depict its subject.
Mr JONES
I'm afraid this one isn't really working for me. It may be my ignorance, but it took me a moment to even figure out what it was. Does the character (if it is a one) have any significance? I think that's possibly because the DoF is a bit thin. Saying that, I don't think the processing is too bad - more effective than a simple B&W would have been in this case.
It's annoying that the one feature that really lets the viewer know what they're looking at - the hand - is out of focus. A deeper DOF would have helped here, as I think having the rest of the subject in focus is probably a good idea. This is another photo that has been done technically quite well but doesn't really connect with the theme. Also, because there's no clear purpose, the impact suffers somewhat.
A nice detail captured within the image but its unclear what the subject is and its significance. Would make a good desktop wallpaper or example of macros detail, but does not really hit the theme or give any more technical quality as a shot.
OXYGEN
Wow - that's a very clever image a good shop of a good photo. I'll keep it short, as there's not much to say - processing and colour are very nice, but it's a shame for me that there's shadow from the leaves at the bottom.
This image makes a really good use of a hard shadow to add impact. The framing and the colours are also good and add to the image. My main issue is that the image lacks any significant impact, and doesn't seem to relate to the theme well. I'm not sure what could have been achieved better with this subject, but it feels a bit shallow.
An incredibly creative image and a clear connection to the theme. It has been well captured and processed with little to critique due to this. One of the best images of this season.
PETERATTHEBORO
It's not really shouting survival to me. The flash seems a bit harsh and the vignetting, whilst focussing our attention, is a bit too fake.
This is quite a harshly lit image, and it seems unnecessarily so. The effect goes someway towards creating a shot that stands out, but as with many entries, there's no clear link with the theme. Otherwise the contrast and the framing are good, and the impact can't be ignored.
A nice snapshot that seems to have been a little over processed the harsh vignetting is very distracting and the flash has taken all the detail out of the face.
RGHJONES
A different take on the theme which is good. It's something we see everyday but it actually fits well. You've caught the movement nicely in the man walking past - not to little and not too much - and I think the grainy look adds to the mood. One thing I would pick up on though is that the image isn't straight! 10 seconds in Photoshop made it look like the buildings weren't about to fall over.
This is a well-framed shot, which works well as a slightly grainy b&w image. The motion blur also works well adding a sense of motion to the shot which also works well with the subject, making you believe that the man will just walk by. I can see the theme reflected quite well here, without it being too obvious. I would have preferred the man to be more in focus, but otherwise a good understated shot.
A nice take on the theme, which has been well captured and presented the motion in the passer by works well giving the picture a real sense of happening and shows what most people do when confronted by a person on the streets and just walk on by.
SLOTHMEISTER
I think it has the potential to be quite good, but it's not there quite yet. My main issue is that it's just a bit too dark - if the model had worn a lighter coloured top, it wouldn't look quite so much like there's a head suspended in mid air.
The lighting is the main catch of this image. This sort of effect can be difficult to get right if the light source is also in the image, as it tends to wash out, but here it mostly works. The asymmetry of the light source is a little distracting and the theme isn't particularly reflected in the picture, but technically this is well framed and is a good use of high contrast b&w.
An almost naive take on the subject theme, the candle has been exposed a little to long and lost any detail of the flame that could have added to this image and is now just a bright orb. The figure emerging out of the darkness works well though highlighting the significance of this small light source, but more than it being a heat source.
WILLIS
Survival? I don't really think the link to the theme is that strong. In my opinion, the image suffers from the age-old problem of shooting standing up; I'd prefer it if you'd got down and dirty with the crabs.
This image feels very average, it's not all together clear how it relates to the theme and it doesn't look like much thought has been put into the framing. There is motion blur on the foot for no particular reason, and it feels a little like just a snapshot.
A very humorous holiday snap but nothing more really.
