Neil Davies-McKay

February 2021 - Midlife Crisis

Original

Original 2

Original 3

About the Image(s)

Firstly.. Hello all!

With this being my first submission, what better way to start than with a selfie.
I’m no stranger to feedback groups, so feel free to be as open/constructive as you like.

ABOUT THE PHOTO:-
Like many who have been in lockdown recently, one of the biggest issues (at least in the UK) was having to cut your own hair.
What started off a little bit of fun documenting shaving my head oddly turned into a composite.

The room was not as poorly lit as the raw files show it to be & a white mount board was used to make cutting out easier.
There were 6 images in total, which were basically cut out, layered, then blended.
Afterwards Silver Efex was used to blend the different layers into a similar tone & a high key style was used.

EQUIPMENT:-
Sony A7
28-70mm kit lens
Tripod

SOFTWARE:-
Adobe Photoshop
Silver Efex Pro2 (Nic Collection)

5 comments posted

Marilyn Kinyon

I find this very artistic, and I love that you chose to present it in black and white.

Nice job handling the arm overlay/slash t-shirt issue. I would say that where that one upper arm on the right is showing a tan or shadow line it is a bit distracting as the coloration doesn't blend well with the rest. That is a small thing though.

I think you have delivered the concept of the title very nicely. I see the frantic indecision of it all. Posted: 02/01/2021 19:23:42

Aavo Koort

You represented the frustration and anger about the lockdown very well. The image is sharp and perfectly composed. Posted: 02/06/2021 12:09:47

Brad Becker

Neil, Welcome! What a wonderful image to introduce yourself to the group. It is whimsical, timely and playful. I like it a lot. Three minor suggestions. I would take the cap off the bottle :). Second, your left shoulder (right as we view it) distracted my eye as I moved across the image. It is likely due to the fact your armpit hair is partially cut off. Not sure if "erasing" your shoulder to show the armpit would look better or more distracting or if you cloned away the armpit hair if that may reduce the distraction, just a thought. And a super subtle third item is the shadow behind your right shoulder. Since you don't have other shadows like this, I might just remove it. Posted: 02/07/2021 16:07:45

Alan Kaplan

Welcome to group 54, Neil. So this is how Hindu gods cut their hair. Brad's comments basically mirror what I was thinking. I look forward to more of your creative ideas. Posted: 02/09/2021 09:20:28

Kathy Triolo

Welcome to the group Neil! Great intro!
I love your concept and the treatment of it! Bravo!
I agree with the others about the halo on your right arm and the dup on your right hand below it. Just a bit of minor correction needed so that it's not distracting from your great treatment.
I actually think your armpit hair is great! Don't get rid of it, hah hah!
I agree with Brad that your shadows don't match up. If you're going to submit this anywhere, you might want to go back and make sure the shadows all make sense to the viewer.
All in all, a great composite with even more potential! Posted: 02/16/2021 21:45:25

PID Digital Dialogue

Group 54