Fighting with myself

[Mitchkitter]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v64/MitchK/IMG_0438handsup-nobgbw.jpg
gogogo.

[Curos]

I think this idea has great potential...but lacks..emotion? Your expression is completely blank, if someone has a gun to your head (even theoretically) your not going to just stare around. If you do give this another shot, post the results :)

[sameerb]

Nice shot dude, lack of emotions is the only problem here :cool:

[Mitchkitter]

i was kinda going for lack of emotion :\
to leave the viewer wondering, "is he crazy?" "is someone really there?""why is he so calm?"

[edsarkiss]

have a look at some of the work from spock84 on the board for some great examples of emotional self-portraits. e.g. http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=49910

maybe if the img in the mirror had an angry/terrified look, and the 'real' image was calmer it would be more effective? an element of tension / contrast is usually necessary to make a photo "good".

also, the technologist in me would like to see more contrast. the lightest tone here is just south of middle grey. maybe some more dramatic lighting?

i think you have a good concept brewing here. just think of all the ways you can really exaggerate your point and work toward that. make a strong impression.

[Mitchkitter]

thanks for the comment:) i'll keep that in mind

[D Boone]

Dude, I personally think its great. I like the lack of emotion. Really brings out the internal fight, I didn't take this as an eminent threat, just the internal turmoil, the problems that haunt us. If you had expressed emotion in it, I think that would be off. Very creative. Maybe just tweak the title? Something that would draw people toward a more subtle thought process, because I didn't view it as violent?

[Mitchkitter]

haha yes, i do need a new title for it, appications are being accepted :P

[karusel]

Can you imagine someone printing this and hanging it on the wall of their pub? Me neihter. If you want a piece of art, you'll have to make things make sense. To someone that sees the photo for the first time.

So tell me, what are you doing pressing the wall? Angry? With your hands placed so neatly on the wall and no tense muscles, no veins popping out? Not angry. Desperate? Then what were you doing a second ago and what are you going to do in the next second? It doesn't match for that either. So hey, I guess you just put your cam on a tripod, set the timer, pressed the shutter and looked at the camera, trying to look cool. This is exactly what I see. Perhaps because I'm a photographer myself and perhaps because I've been doing the same thing. But I can tell you this for sure, you can do a much better portrait.

Also, I terribly hate naming my photos, since the title would already point the viewer in some direction and I don't want that.

[smudge]

Wow. Harsh words. Unjustified in my book. I like it as a concept, with or without emotion. Well done sir. I would perhaps work on the contrast a little.

As for naming shots, it is the only way to go. Any fool can offer an image without explanation and ride on other peoples imagination. An artist states his intent and then awaits the reaction. If you lead and people can't follow then its probably flawed. If you offer a snippet and the viewers mind takes it on from there, then well done.

WELL DONE.

[karusel]

Harsh? It is honest, straightforward and with good intentions. Perhaps you misunderstood, the photo IS okay, but it's philosophical core is flawed and is therefore, not superb. ;)

Regarding your second paragraph, I beg to differ. Does Da Vinci's Mona Lisa need a title? Or, do these (http://www.pbase.com/russruth/favorites) photographs need a title? :) See, I realize sometimes it is a necessity, but I still hate it.

[smudge]

It would be easy now to get into an argument about what constitutes art as opposed to a nice photo. I've been there before and it isn't pretty, mostly because its a personal thing. I would rather be less judgemental about the framework we are SUPPOSED to work within. If you decide not to title your shot and it works, as do many of those in your link, then very well done indeed. If however you add a caption and the photo works also, I will not find my self lambasting the photographer for breaking the rules.

[karusel]

You're right.

I talk too much sometimes. :o