Round 3 Theme: Raidin’ Tombs
Winner: Doki Kadoki
Critiques
Flare:
Sorry for the short reviews, have a lot going on this week!
Kusuh: Aesthetically this is the most vibrant and colorful picture out of the bunch. I love the colors and the tone.
Doki Kodoki: Darker pictures tend to be some of my favorites, I love the panic and urgency in the photo.
Noesis Phobos: The picture looks very well put together. Another one where the colors soothe together.
Rivienne Cotrlaint: Great use of the background and the pose makes you look like a real tomb raider.
WoW Wie: Nice simple and subtle shot. Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone about your treasure.
Stephen Fairbrook: Nice tones in this picture. The pose works nicely overall.
Nadede Lasalle: The monotone filter looks nice and adds to the picture. Looks like that mimic is about to strike!
Gangly
Kusuh Valentione: The lighting here is beautiful! I’m a huge fan of the bright 2 filter, and I think it works incredibly well in this shot (the gold on your pickaxe is just wow!). The colors are extremely vivid, which creates a nice contrast between you and the background. The outfit works well with the shot, and it looks as if you’re shading your eyes from the sun because of the bit of light hitting the side of your face. I think the shot could’ve done without the golem in the back because I feel it is out of place, but it does not take my focus away from you because of how centered you are!
Noesis Phobos: The darkness of this shot works well with the light to create an interesting contrast! The bright 3 filter is perfect; it reduces the colors while accentuating the darker and lighter values. Your outfit is fitting for your scenario, and your expression adds a sense of worry. I like how you’re looking somewhere off in the distance, as if you’re hurriedly trying to look for a place to run. I love the lighting on the golem in the back because it makes the shot more dramatic; it’s practically saying, “Fight me!” or “Run away while you can!” However, I do think the golem looks rather docile because it’s just standing there. I can’t even imagine how difficult it would be to try and take a shot while in battle, but despite the differences in lighting on you and the golem, you manage to keep yourself in focus because of your proximity to the camera!
Doki Kodoki: Ahhhhhh, behind you! Your outfit and expression are great, and I love the face makeup giving you a more rugged look. Your kneeling pose gives me the impression that you’re about to open a coffer that is off-screen, but you were interrupted by the evil mummy. The saturated linework effect adds a sense of action, while also making the shot a bit more cartoon-like (which is cute!). Because of how dark the shot is, I am interpreting the shot as more serious, which clashes a bit with the effect chosen. Reflection blur can be a pain to use because it really blurs out the sides, but I think it would have worked quite nicely with the overall darkness of the shot. Using a filter that adds just a bit more color would work with the saturated linework effect as well!
Wow Wie: Ohh, don’t mess with Wow Wie! I love how you have all the treasure behind you, and your pose is most definitely fitting! Your outfit has a Lara Croft feel to it, and your expression is mischievous. Your face has a playful expression, but the gun in your hand says otherwise! I also like the bracelets and earrings you’re wearing; it’s like you put on some of the treasure you’ve just found! The lighting in the back is already sufficient, but I think adding a few more lights on top of the treasure could give it some major bling!
Rivienne Cotrlaint: This shot is incredibly well-lit! The lighting on the ruins behind you is beautiful and lightens it enough to create a nice contrast with your black outfit. Your pickaxe is practically glowing, and I love it! Your expression is determined, and you look ready to find some untold secrets in the ruins. I’m not quite sure about the pose; it appears more like a fashion pose. The hat also looks a bit out of place because of how big it is in comparison to your more tightly fitting clothes. I still love how you dyed your whole outfit black; it gives you a more serious aura while helping you stand out in the shot!
Nadede Lasalle: It’s a mimic, RUUUUUUN! The monotone filter gives the shot a more dark and tense mood, and the lighting on your face looks rather ominous. Your expression looks worried and your pose makes it look as if you’re saying, “What am I supposed to do?!” I think putting a very faint light (similar to the light in front of you) behind you would help create a greater contrast between you and the background because your hair is completely blending into the black background. I do think the lighting on the mimic is interesting; it blackens the front and its teeth, making it seem more menacing!
Stephen Fairbrook: This is a great perspective for this shot! We see the bend in the wall, and know that you are trying to hide but have been spotted! The lighting on your hair is fantastic, and I like your outfit choice; although it isn’t what you would think of when visualizing an explorer, it becomes toned down with the black dye. Your head turned to the side gives me the impression that you are debating on what to do, now that the treasure is being guarded. I think the shot could have done without the blurred background; you are already my focal point because of the vivid lighting on you, but those zombies are also important in your shot! I think that glimmer effect from the coffer is interesting; it makes the zombie look like he’s got materia in his arm!
Katarh
Noesis Phobos: Lovely colors. The slight camera tilt works in your favor, adding a disjointed sense to the image. Your golem is on the right third, and you on the left third, making this shot perfectly framed. The lighting is spot on, evoking a perfectly spooky feeling. The outfit is good, but something a bit lighter (in weight) might have made sense for an underground desert cavern, or at least with just a bit more color. I really like the pose – panic is so hard to capture well. The filter of Bright 3 brings it all together in soft blues and purples.
Rivienne – Can I ask you to lead my next raid group? Your powerful pose and strong words scream leadership. Hand me my pick axe and I’ll help you to dig right in! The outfit is the perfect combination of work and adventure, and as someone who is allergic to the sun, I can appreciate the choice of big floppy hat for digging in the desert. Colored marker is such an interesting filter because it can drastically change the atmosphere of a shot – and to be honest, it took me a while to realize where this is. (Entrance to Qarn…. right?) But that’s a good thing – it adds to the mystery of the composition and helps elevate it beyond just another day in the desert.
Stephen Fairbrook: If you can’t see them, they can’t see you, right? A great composition, and thoroughly taking advantage of 4:3 screen ratio to show all the elements. Your zombie “extras” are perfectly placed to guard the treasure chest, and the outfit camouflages well with the greenish eerie background. I think a stronger light source from the /gpose selection might have made the shadows deeper, emphasizing the otherworldly nature of your adventure. Bright 1 was a good choice, not washing anything out but allowing the background lights to glow in a golden haze.
Wow Wie: Shhhh – my lips are sealed and I saw nothing except an amazing tomb raid! Bright 1 combines with what looks like some limbal darkening to draw the eye dead center. I love the choice of background – you clearly had a very successful raid. I think this shot might have been stronger if you had managed to not be dead center yourself, but off to the side, putting the emphasis on the treasure. I like the choice of Bright 1, as it made your background lamp glow and also deepened all the shadows around your treasure.
Doki (and friend): The requirement this week was only for a screen filter, but you used the additional effect of line-work too – and it really works to emphasize your danger! This feels like a scene from a comic book or another illustration. I really love this choice of location, because we get to see some details on the wall glyphs that I’ve honestly never seen before. I think the echo was also a great choice for a filter, since it cast everything in a nice vintage feel. I just wish your “friend” was a little bit bigger, as he’s kind of tiny and very far off in the distance (although that’s good for your character in this case.) Also the eyepatch? PERFECT. You’ve clearly been raidin’ tombs for a while.
Kusuh: The sun is too brrrrright! Love the concept and the pose. The problem is… the light is clearly at your back, and if you’re squinting at the sunrise, your character is facing the wrong way. Don’t be afraid to turn on the extra floodlights in gpose – they gave them to us for a reason! The outfit choice is excellent for a night of exploration, and the Bright 2 filter brings the entire thing to life. I hope you had a successful night of raidin’!
Nadede: That horrifying moment when you open a mimic…. I love the use of the monochrome filter. Your panic expression says it all, too – oops! Now all we need are violins shrieking horror music in the background. The background and location are good for the theme, but your hair is blending in a bit too much with the background, and because of the side profile, it’s hard to get a good sense of your tomb raidin’ clothes, especially in the monochrome filter. It also appears there’s a status effect around the chest, but I can’t quite see what it is.