Xena Holloway: No title again... sigh

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The rule of thirds is prominent here, and good thing too. If this was centered it would have lost that neat edge. How this was shot, I don't know. But I am glad they did, it is very simple yet captures your mind. I imagine some fall prey to the idea more than others, with the subject being a mermaid and all. somehow, despite us knowing that this type of creature can breathe underwater, she seems to be drowning. Regardless of what is happening, the scary depth of the ocean is conveyed, and that is very unnerving to think about...

Black Hyena: Untitled

This photo is really dark. Appropriately so, but i still find it a tad bit off-putting. The subject is fascinating though, despite being mostly a form with no detail. But that one detail of the horns instantly draw attention and interest. As soon as we see that it is not human, there is that depth in concept created. The background gives isolation, and the snow loneliness and a sense of survival. Perhaps she was banished... we don't know. And that intrigues us.

Mert Alas and Marcus Pigott

Once more, this one tells a story. IN this case, the story is very powerful. We have some typical things reversed too, a neat concept. The expected roles of each person is incredibly reversed. We feel sympathy for the male, but have no idea if he is innocent or deserves it. The blood is a fantastic touch, to give it that real sense of brutality. This seems to be drawn from horror movies and the like, given the setting, and the entire shoot is somewhat interesting.

Jvdas Berra: Untitled

Water is always cool. Underwater shots in dresses are haunting on nearly every occasion. But in a ballroom? This is different. Perhaps it is set on the titanic, or some river overflowed. Hard to tell. Posing is great, giving a feel of both helplessness and succumbing to her fate. The water brings interest to the light on her skin, as the shadow are frozen in place. The dress billows and flows, and who knows how long that took to get to stay still. Overall a very aesthetically pleasing piece.

MIchael O'Sullivan: Giselle

The coolest photos, as we know, tell a story. This one is a bit more blatant about it though, with obvious subjects with a familiar feel, as if we have seen this before. The fog provides an end in the background, which to be honest I don't particularly like. The colors in the costumes work very well, and the dancer in the background could either be a shadow or maybe something sinister.

Bertil Nilsson: Untitled

The use of color to draw in your eye, and the choice of red is very smart, as it bring connotations. Being by the ocean, we recognize danger beyond what has already happened, and we can only guess as too whether or not he is still alive.  The gray beach and white water do an excellent job of keeping the tone moody and let the eye focus. Center is not bugging me here, but I would like to see some other crops of this shot.

Jamie Nelson: Elle Vietnam

Also mildly desaturated is this photo, but the colors are more prominent than the smoker below. This one, as opposed to apathy, has disguised movement. I do wonder how they got the cloth in the right place, and it probably involved a rather large fan. We can see a tiny bit of the shadows to tell us where the legs are and that they are out for balance, or in motion. Either way. we have implied movement, despite her somewhat restful pose with the upper half of her body.

Eugenio Recuenco: Picasso

This photo was chosen for the old feel, and the apathy shown. The tones of the walls match the tones of the dress and skin, and everything seems desaturated. Her position is one of indifference, and it looks like she only cares about the smoke for the time being. Composition is fine too, and the off-center works more than most for this image. It simply makes you stop and stare , albeit briefly.

Marcin Ryczek: Man feeding Swans

 As opposed to the last couple of photos, this one is not photoshopped, but rather extremely lucky.I don't know how often that edge is found naturally, and I assume it is because we cannot tell whether it is man-made or not. The bird congregate in the normal fashion, but the great mix of black and white make that side interesting. The other side is significantly less busy, but is well matched in contrast. The photo itself is the current crown jewel for Macin's business, and has gone a little bit viral. 

Karim Fakhoury: Animus

The last of Karim's pieces, I chose this one because it is a bit difficult to pick out what was in the original photo and what was not. I am tempted to say that the figure and background are all from the same photo, but judging from the rest, that is probably not the case. The idea of motion is very present here, matching the name animus, and the diagonal lines on the person give a very temporary feel. The additional content such asthe ring and the stars is kept to a relative minimum without loosing quality, a welcome change in pace.