Rose II by Madd-Eye-Moody

Today's critique of "Rose II" is brought to you with the permission of Madd-Eye-Moody.

Scores:
Overall: 3/5
Composition:3.5/5
Emotion: 3/5
Innovation: 3/5

Overall: I love the colors and the warm tone of this photo. I feel that a different angle would have produced a more dramatic effect. I'd suggest a narrower depth of field, if you can do that.

Composition: The colors are great and they contrast well with the background. Also, the flower is completely in focus, which is good. In this case, the rule of thirds might have made the photo more artistic. The other rose in the background is a bit distracting, but it's otherwise okay.

Emotion: So, this is one of those photos that don't give me a knee-jerk reaction. I can look at it for a few minutes and then come up with my conclusion about it. You did several good things. For one, you zoomed in on the flower, and, since the flower looks happy, this gives the photo an overall feeling of happiness. The warm tones add to that effect. Like I've said before, I feel a different angle would have been preferable, however, I must consider that a different angle would also change the emotion the picture elicits.

Innovation: I, myself, don't take pictures of roses very often, because it's really hard to be innovative and unique with them in a way that you can control. The fact that you didn't try to move the other rose - there are a lot of photographers who would - is what makes this piece innovative. So, while a digital photography class would mark you down for distractions, I find that the distraction adds to the piece's originality factor.

A little bit on Madd-Eye-Moody:
Madd-Eye has been doing photography for four years, which rather amazing, since she's, like, three years younger than I am. She enjoys taking pictures of sunsets, waterscapes, interesting landscapes, and still life, and she uses a Fujifilm FinePix Z5fd (1. I didn't know Fujifilm made digital cameras. 2. Hey, look, another Point-And-Shoot [PAS]), which just goes to show that a PAS can take good really pictures when the mood strikes it (as evidenced by Sunniest Day, take2, another of her photos). Madd-Eye's deep, too. I mean, you wouldn't normally expect to hear this from a fourteen-year-old: "I think that photos can explain more than words and i think they're a great way of remembering events or things that really make you say WOW." Think about this, too: I may be wrong, but, judging by her age, I'd guess that Madd-Eye hasn't taken a formal photography class.

Tip of The Day:
The Rule of Thirds - you may have heard about it in art. Supposedly it makes the composition of a piece better - I find that's not always the case. Wikipedia explains why it's important, "Proponents of the technique claim that aligning a subject with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the composition than simply centering the subject would." What points, you ask? Well, if you divide your photo up into thirds vertically and horizontally, you'll have two equally spaced lines in each direction. Supposedly you want to place your subject at one of the intersections of these lines. This works great for landscapes and macro shots, but it's not so helpful for other applications - such as capturing your cat in a photo.

Anyhow, the rule of thirds is something that you'll have to decide for yourself on. Everyone sees art differently, and, while I believe a centered picture can sometimes be way more effective, you might not think the same. I encourage you to play around with it.