Round 4 Theme: On the Beach
Winner: Stephen Fairbrook
Critiques
Flare:
Stephen: This was my favorite this week just for the simplicity of the shot. The picture has a nice warming tone to it and is actually a fantastic background. I love the outfit coordination, again it’s simple but doesn’t take away from the picture at all. Pose is great and cheerful! Looks like your having a wonderful time and enjoying yourself on your beach day. Nice work this week.
Doki: Another simple shot that doesn’t have a busy background to take away from you. The lens flare adds a nice touch. The lighthouse in the background is nice and adds a level of depth to the picture as a whole. Also great use of the emote. While I did say I like the simplicity of the shot, the sky just looks dead space that could have benefited from something in it.
Kusuh: Another very artistic shot from you. I do appreciate how your thinking outside the box with this shot. You made something very different then everyone else. It’s something that makes you stand out in this competition. Because all of these are beach pictures, it’s hard not to get dead space in the shots, but you got the right angle to make it work. Hopefully you make it out and find the RIGHT beach!
Noesis: The filters you picked really make the background stand out. Crisp and cool colors really help you stand out. That pose helps as well but I feel like you would have benefited more with more people in your shot. Making it look more like a night-time beach party then just you having fun by yourself. Still a quality photo though!
Rivenne: I love the dancing scene you created with your shot. Awesome use of the background and the filter works in your favor. While your outfit is fine, what your male model chose to wear is a little odd and throws the picture off just a bit for me. Seems like he doesn’t have much of an identity in this shot. Also I would have loved to see your eyes opened in this shot.
Nadede: I really like the background and the story your trying to tell us, but I feel like I saw this last week with you. Being afraid of a monster and using a color filter that in my option helped the shot last week but not this week. In beach shots like these, the background gives you a chance to shine with all the vibrant colors. While like Kusuh, it’s something different then what everyone else is doing, it it just didn’t stack up for me this week.
Wow: So, this is a pretty background but I feel like I want more with this picture. I think if you chose a different angle, instead of centering the camera, maybe a little over your shoulder and more zoomed in on you would complete this picture for me. You did however manage to fill the background and make the illusion that it’s full.
Gangly:
Noesis Phobos
What a dazzling night! The stars are clear and beautiful, and the brilliant 2 effect gives the shot a bit of a cosmic feel! Your pose works great with the camera tilt; it looks like you are showing the viewer the brilliant night time sky, but at the same time dancing! Your outfit gives you some personality (such as the necklace and nails) while remaining appropriate for the theme. I’m not sure if the sky to the right had an obvious abundance of stars, but the bottom left corner of the shot looks rather empty because of how dark it is (if only we could control how brilliant 2 moves!). It is still a beautiful shot overall, and I can’t take my eyes off you!
Rivienne Cotrlaint
A sweet and gentle dance in the water, how romantic! I love how you and your partner are wearing the same top (matching outfits are cute!). Your poses evoke a carefree and relaxed mood, especially with your closed eyes and graceful movement. Your partner’s pose looks as if he’s playing with the leaves on your lei, and that is just adorable! However, your outfits are the only things that give me the impression of being at the beach. I’m not sure the location was quite right; the Sea of Clouds has been ingrained in my memory, and it’s very difficult to think otherwise. While the brilliant 1 effect somewhat clouds the shot, I also think it gives it a watery effect!
Wow Wie
Nothing beats relaxing at the beach during sunset (I can see it as sunrise too, but we’ll go with the former)! The background is beautiful, and the lens flare really helps the sunset grab my attention! I love the flower accessories in combination with your suit and how the water is fairly deep where you’re sitting. I feel the camera is a bit too far from you though. I also feel that I can’t tell much of a story from this because you have no emotion on your face. The background is lovely, but you are the most important subject in the shot! Don’t be afraid to get up close and show off how relaxed you can be at the beach!
Nadede Lasalle
A mini Leviathan?! Friend or foe?! I get the impression that that is what you’re is feeling! Your pose looks afraid, but also confused, and the effect + filter are a great combination to help set a more cautious mood. While your minion would normally appear humorous and adorable, the filter helps make your little buddy look more menacing! The balance of the composition is nice, with you on the left and Leviathan on the right, but I think you are both a bit too far from each other. As a result, your minion gets cut off a little. I think moving a little closer would allow you to capture everything, but also let you play with some more unique camera angles!
Kusuh Valentione
Hahahaha, this is hilarious! This is quite a unique take on the theme, and I love it! Your outfit tells me you were prepared for a fun day at the beach, but you somehow ended up getting greeted by wrecked ships and skeletons! Your pose works very well in showing the viewer your worry and fear, and the effect gives the shot a gritty feel to further enhance the tension and darkness of the shot. I can’t stop laughing because I can just imagine the skeleton in the back going “hmmmm”, but on a different note, and I think the filter also helped make the skeleton look more deathly. It may just be me, but your head turned all the way to the right looks a bit awkward (your head looks somewhat distorted to me). The emotion on your face is great, and I think it would come through just as strongly if you were looking at the camera!
Doki Kodoki
I would love to be there! A clear, blue sky and blinding sun is the perfect day for going to the beach! The lens flare and your outfit show how hot it is, and your pose is great as well! Adjusting your sunglasses under the summer heat fits quite well. The filter gives the background a more pastel look which makes it appear idyllic. While I love the lighting around you, I’m not sure about the lighting on you. Whether the light is from another light added in or the brilliant 2 effect, it makes your body almost too bright which gives it an unnatural feel (if the light is natural, disregard what I said! However, it still looks like you are a bit overlit). It is mainly the shadow under your arm and neck that looks a bit odd, but otherwise, the brightness works well to capture a hot and bright day at the beach!
Stephen Fairbrook
The lighting… oh my! I find more and more reasons as to why I love the bright 2 filter, and this is one of them! It works perfectly with the background to give it a soft orange glow, and in turn makes the shot incredibly calming to look at. I can see hints of the brilliant 2 effect giving the sky a bit of a purple hue, and it’s lovely! It adds some variety to your background, but doesn’t cover you. Your outfit and pose make you look very relaxed as you walk in the water. After reading your caption, I started to imagine that you had a very exaggerated way of walking because of your hand out in front. It gave me a little chuckle, but overall a stunning shot!
Katarh:
Noesis – I love love love the starry sky in this beach shot. Shows off XIV’s HDR filter to the max! The filter and the screen effect make this look like it was edited for a magazine. This is a good use of the camera tilt, as it gets more of your character in the shot without distortion, and adds a fun and playful angle to your dancing pose.
Kuseh Valentine – Incredible use of the “wall” effect here. Your fun beach vacation turned into a sudden nightmare! I love the dark and stormy effect, and your skeleton extra is perfectly placed. The background is simple but very effective. I like that you’re a bit off center, although I wish you weren’t directly in front of the boat so I could see more of it. Amazing shot overall.
Stephen – A gorgeous sunrise, bright and brilliant indeed! I like how your hand appears to be cupping the sun. You’ve got a good background, and as always you take advantage of that 4:3 ratio and your character’s height, letting the rule of thirds rule over all. The background objects are perfectly placed, too.
Nadede – This unexpected peeper has some teeth! Great use of the extra to add drama and tension to the shot, and a good pair with Sepia and the noise 2 filter, to give it a vintage effect overall. The camera tilt is okay here, although I am not sure it is adding anything to the shot that wouldn’t already be there. I really like the ratio of water to beach to background, and how your extra is up closer to the camera, staring at you, drawing the eye to your character. Good execution of the rule of thirds overall, with a nice balance to the composition.
Supermodel Doki with his shades is on the cover! Crayon and Brilliant 2 pair up to bring some serious light to this shot. I wish there was not quite so much sky, though, and I also wish that tree was not quite so dead center. Since your character is short, it might have been better to not have the tree at all since we can’t see the top. I really like the pose here, and tiny details like the fisher in the distance actually enhance this shot.
Rivienne – This dancing duo has found a beach in the sky! This is one of the best uses of an extra I’ve seen this entire Cycle. You are still the star, and your other half is a perfect complement – matching outfit and loving pose and all. The use of the duo also gives balance, since you’re each smack in the third on either side of the center. Brilliant 2 can unfortunately get washed out in daylight; I thought this was the watercolor effect at first. But it does add a colorful sparkle to the water, making it seem like it’s shimmering in the sun.
Wow Wie – A lovely sunset shot to frame a lovely model! The sassy sit is one of my favorite poses these days. I really like how the sunlight’s rays are filtering over your character. I wish she was not dead center. The rule of thirds is that the subject of a photograph or painting should be off center, to a place either a third to the left or right, top or bottom. Your waterline is following the rule, but your character is not. Don’t be afraid to move the camera around while in /gpose too – you can always shift to the left or right, up or down as necessary. All that aside, I love the colors in this picture and I think Brilliant 2 was a great choice to complement your sunset.