Second Rose Picture For Critique

As often happens, the image displays a bit dark and dull on FAA. Here's the way it's supposed to look:

http://www.murraybloomphoto.com/now-i-lay-me-down

Beautiful composition, details and colors with deep feelings.
Very nice work Murray.

Well...peanuts is actually the first thing that comes to mind. I like the title and the 'story' but it looks a little too arranged for me. A few less dead petals in the background, like just a few scattered around instead of a peanut bucket. Your first one was better imo. This is too much all one tone for me and busy. I did go to the website. Don't you love having completely different views!!! lol!

Thanks, Marianna. I love how you get at the heart of the matter. ;-D

Peanuts??? I thought seashells, maybe. My intent was to provide a pillow for the rose. Perhaps I overstaged it. Thanks for your comment, Melissa.

I love the concept Murray, I agree with Melissa not enough contrast and the light on the rose appears contrived, maybe allowing some general light and a less concentrated spot. My eye keeps going to the background petals. Keep tinkering you are going to have a wonderful series!

I love the fact that you thought of photograph the rose in its dried out state. I think the light adds to much brightness for a dried out rose. Perhaps a box where I save my dried out roses with a soft light on the box. We all see things differently.

Hi Murray. Nice shot. I agree with Melissa, re: a little busy in the background.. I think it may look better with a few less petals, particularly at the bottom left of the shot. Or...a classic soft gradient around the whole image fading to black (i'm sure there's a technical term for this) I would be tempted to crop it a little closer to the head too..maybe just a 1/4 in or so off the right edge.. Not so sure about the title...has that Olde English feel to it and may therefore read better if you replaced "me" with "thee". I'm shocked at the difference between this display and your website.. so much more detail and contrast on the other site.

I'm wondering about the title and the image per se.

The title, to me, connotes a continuing transition from life to death.

Your very fine photo, to me connotes a statement of permanence.

The solid, metallic look , differs from the fragile delicate, "crumbling" characteristic, one generally considers to be nature of a decaying flower.

Wow, what a difference in images between the two links! I never knew it was that drastic. I prefer this image to the first rose, but I do tend to agree with the suggestion to remove some of the petals of the "bed."

EDIT: Upon looking at the first one on your website, I changed my mind! I favor that one. The light is lovely and dramatic. I like the formal composition of it. Still can't believe the difference in image quality on the two venues.

I think the only thing that is bugging me is that it looks like there's a flashlight pointed at it - like the light or flash you put on it is a little too harsh. Sorta like stage lighting... unless that's the look you were aiming for?

As I said about the first one Murray - I like IT - except for the 'face'. This one does nothing for me - but that's me. It looks like and animal head or something - dead. there's a little romance in the first one - this is just a dead rose bud.

I think its great! I love all the petals, it your piece varying textures and the contrast of one rose still in tact, being the focal point is very nice indeed. I like the lighting, it does not remind me of a flashlight pointed at it. Both pieces I feel give off a very rich and classy feeling for me. There is beauty in death and you bring it out in these two lovely pieces.

Great shot! I like this better then the other dead rose.

The stem keeps drawing my attention away from the rose itself. Not sure I like that. More leafs and sans stem would be more to my liking.

Hi Murray...

As you know I am not qualified to "critique" a photograph. But I will tell you what I think about it. ;O) I will also say that I don't like or dislike art based on it's metaphorical content. I would say for me it is 90% visual impact that draws me in.

First let me say that it appears there must be some kind of brain processing differences in viewers. And there is obviously a major difference between an art photograph and an image that begs to be hung on a wall to view everyday. Now I know that it is just me, because when I flip through photography magazines I have no idea why most of the images are published in them, but I also know that these magazines are very popular and these images must be what viewers like... So there's that.

So, personally for me... as a non professional photographer.. this image is very bland. I agree the other image you linked to is better as far as contrast goes. I don't see any composition. I just "see dead things" as the quote from the movie goes ;O)

I guess I could go on, but it would be pointless. It might help if you could qualify in what context you want the image critiqued. What do I mean... umm... as a "Fine art Photograph", as an "Artistic photograph", as to it's marketability, composition, lighting.

As to preference I like the other dead rose image more than this one.

I know that this doesn't help you, but I just felt like typing ;O)

As to the title, I agree with roger.... this rose has laid itself down long ago.

bob

Great idea for something a bit different. The lighting and detail are beautiful. I do agree that the background is busy. I also find the background dominates the image even thought the subject has the lighting. It might be stronger if the dead rose was a larger part of the composition so that it dominates the frame and takes your eyes off the background.

Well I am not a photographer so like Bob I am not a good critic and I also like to type ;O because Bob made it look like fun! Having said that about that, I suppose you could do a bit of a blur of the background petals, giving the focal point all to the dead rose bud. Still a classy work in my opinion, and I would hang it up on my wall.

I've just read everyone's comments, and I have to say; last night when I first saw the image, I though a background little busy. I was thinking the same; maybe a few petals would have been better.
But if Murray used less petals scattered behind the flower, that would give a totally different meaning to the image. I think Murray wanted to express using lots of petals, like a bed of already dead flowers, kind of like a graveyard of roses.... If there are only a few petals, that would just give a feeling of a slowly dying flower, and the flower should have been positioned upright.

This composition is very good way to express the "giving up, and just want to die" feeling. Looking at Murray's image, I almost can feel how the rose decided to join the rest of the dead dried out petals, how just to be want one of them.

I still think is a very nicely composed image, with a very deep feeling.

I can't / won't critique the Photography - not my area of expertise.

But from an Artist's eye - I find the story "haunting & heartbreakingly beautiful."

I don't see it as an mage in your average home - but I can feel its sentiment, & think it would work wonderful for commercial.

I would reduce the clarity (especially in the background) and aim for a more softer look, that will also help with the hard contrasts & lighting and draw the eye to the flower. As it is at the moment, the flower gets lost in the amount of detail in the background, resulting in a slightly artificial look.

Oh, wow! I really like this as it is, and I wouldn't change a danged thing. I haven't read any of the other posts.

Okay, some replies:

Suzanne, Heather, Sydne (and others), the reason I accentuated the bud so much was that when I didn't, it blended into the other petals too much. I decided to highlight the bud, even at the expense of the picture looking somewhat staged.

Barry, I am considering increasing the vignetting so that the parts near the edges of the images are somewhat darker. As for the title, I wanted to be faithful to the child's bedtime prayer.

Valerie, I've always been a bit peeved that FAA displays my images so badly. Whatever Photium is doing on my own site, I wish that FAA would follow.

Roy, the similarity to an animal head was intentional. I wanted to anthropomorphize the rose a bit.

Floyd, I conceived the shot with the stem being an important element, supporting the "laying down" of the rosebud.

Bob, I don't really expect that many people will want this image on the wall. If anything, it may wind up in a book of like-minded images. Sales and marketability weren't issues in the image's creation.

Points taken, Chuck.

Marianna, you've hit the nail on the head; and no, we haven't discussed it before her post. I agree with all you've written. It's as if you've read my mind, and I couldn't have said it better.

Thanks also to Linda, Roger, Janine, and Patricia for your comments, compliments and criticism, whichever may apply. ;-)

"Sales and marketability weren't issues in the image's creation." --- Murray

It would have helped if you said that in your original post.

I realize there if more to art than sales and marketability, but you have to realize why most members are here to market and sell their art. That is why I suggested that when someone requests a critique that they explain what their purpose of the image is and not waste people's time when you say let me know what you think when you really don't want to hear all critiques just those about the emotive qualities.

Sorry to have wasted your time, Bob. I didn't know I should have asked, "Do you think this will sell?"

Anyone familiar with me and my images should know that it's the art part that's first and foremost in my mind when I create or show a picture. Emotive qualities are relatively new to me.

No complaints. Good use of diffusion with the limited pastel of color. Well balanced within the frame. The "Squigly" is better placed in this and speaks of a hope or perseverance. I like the imposition of lines against themselves. Fading contrast works with this one. Pretty good capture in all.

I have a question Murray, I don't get why staging is a bad thing, in the photography world, is it?

Really I like what you did here, a lot. I think it is beautiful, but then I think dead/dried flowers are beautiful. Thats just me, I think your concept is tip top.

@Murray, out of curiosity I did screenshots from all three places, image here in the thread, then from listing, and from your website. Your website of course is hands down the best. The listing image is a bit softer than website image but the color and tone seems about right, the image here in the thread is completely dull. What color profile do you use to upload? I'm curious if it's ARGB (sp?) I've never seen that much difference with mine and I load SRGB. Am I spelling those right? lol. It was said that the 'A' color profile shows duller here I think.

The image from the link look much much better then from FAA.
Nice lighting,composition,sharpness.Technically it is good. And it is drama...
However I see dead horse's head instead of dried flower.
Maybe third version will be perfect.

Thanks, Tony. I'm really glad that the image meets with your approval.

Sydne, I don't think staging is a bad thing at all. My history is as an advertising photographer. In that world, everything is staged. I also believe that it's often a good way to make a point. However, some might even say that the very act of framing a picture can be equated to staging.

Melissa, I upload in sRGB. It's always been a mystery to me why images look better on my personal website. That's why I send people there first.

Yeah, Viktor, it is a little 'horsey' looking. I noticed that before even shooting it, but that was the nature of the rosebud.

I really wanted to be rough on you with my critique, but I think it looks WONDERFUL! :-)

I have small book of Italian contemporary master of "natura morta" Ugo Pasini. Google the name. Maybe you'll got more inspiration and composition hints from him :)
N.B. Check his "Fiori secchi" for example

Awww, Ally, what do you really think? Like that hat, btw.

Never heard of the guy, Viktor. Maybe I'll check out his book. Is it written in Italian or English?

Written Italian. The best languish to speak about love and art.Try Google. This guy will open your mind!

Trying not to look at other comments and be swayed :). Tones are wonderful, but I love sepia and b&w anyway, I really like how the focus rose speaks, I'm not sure what it is saying, but I definitely connect with it on a deeper level. It draws you in. It's magic! Now I will read other comments.

I think its beautiful like this. I definitely like the warmer tones but this would look good as a B&W too.

I like it just as it is Murray, and would not change anything. Nice work!.

Vignetting... that's the one.... Thanks Murray :-) (every day's a schoolday)

It's a neat idea, but it's kind of hard to tell that's a rose...

I really like this. It reminds me of my wedding roses after they dried.

I'll join the others who have written in support of this image. I wouldn't change a thing - I think it's perfect just as it is. Of course it's staged, but that's part of the charm, and the angle of the flower head makes it work perfectly. I totally understand the anthropomorphic element - the rose is old and tired, lying down to rest and surrendering to a peaceful transition between sleep and death.

Well done, Murray!

JL...:) can't see how it doesn't look like a rose, no question about it for me. Each time I return to it, it has more to offer, it's dead, yet so symbolic of life that you can almost hear a soft low breath, and the shadows just add to that mood, y'know, I was actually questioning myself about the gold colour, but really, it's perfect.

Thanks, Melissa. I'm hesitant to convert the image to black and white because I conceived it in color. It's almost monochrome now, though; except for the green leaves.

I appreciate the comments, Michael and Rhonda.

JL, do you mean it looks like another type of flower or like something else entirely? I've written above how I wanted to make it look a bit like an animal.

Jane and Maria, I appreciate your eloquent comments. It appears that you have 'gotten' the qualities that I intended the image to convey. Thanks for your thoughtful words.

Oh! This one I love!

Thanks, Rose. I'm pleased that the image resonates with you.

Not enough contract between rose and its background.
Maybe mask on background to make BG darker and add blur can make rose a center of tale?
Big leaf to the left from the rose is in conflict with rose...