From: caroleigh@c...
Date: Tue Feb 22, 2005 6:48 am
Subject: Critique: CJ Middendorf (Background - 5 photos)
Very cool angels, CJ! I rather covet them. Your angels with the natural
background are sort of underexposed, I think -- the wall looks fine, but
the angels are a tad dark. If the angels had been lighter, I think this
might have worked very well -- nice clean yet textured and colorful background.
I think the red one is GREAT! Fills the frame, makes the terra cotta color
and the shape really stand out. I also like the lighting, with one side
slightly in shadow. And it's that lighting that shows the depth and texture
in the heart.
The white version's kind of blah and boring -- not bad, but not dramatic
like the others. There's some texture to the white -- some shading --
that makes it not quite white and so not as bland as it could have been.
The black background's dramatic, as is the light. But it creates a rather
somber feel to something that isn't very somber. There's a heaviness to
the shot that I don't believe it needs. Had the subject been something
other than an angel, it might have worked better. What's great is the
light and how it shows the texture and design of the heart.
The angel with the waving leaves is wonderful. The leaves create a textural
feel and there's a gradation from dark to light as you go from top to
bottom, which is often more interesting than just a plain wash of color.
The lighting's beautiful. And I think the complementary colors of red(dish)
and green work well together. I wish there were more room at the bottom,
like you composed your other angels, so that we could see some sort of
a base to it.
I'm actually very, very glad you kept the subject the same but changed
the background. Perfect example, one after another, of what a different
background will do to the same subject. Excellent.
Carol Leigh
