A new feature I'm implementing is a RegularRandom Review. Which I'll conveniently and creatively acronym as RRR! Can you make acronym a verb? Why do a RRR? First to better learn how to write creatively. Secondly, to learn to look at other people's work more critically and objectively and hopefully learn something. Even if it's a "don't ever do this" lesson!
How often is "regular" you ask? No clue. I just didn't want to pin myself down by saying 'weekly' or 'monthly' .. plus I like the alliteration!
I accomplish this by going to Flickr and go to their Explore section and then click on what falls withing their "Interestingness" for the week. I choose the top left image that appears the first time I open this and do a review of the image, for better or worse. I'll also link to this review in their comments box so they have a chance to respond if they want.
So ... the winner of my very first RRR is....{drumroll}..
NNOOOOOOooooooooooo!NOOOOOOOooooooooOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooo!
It's a photo called Halfakitty by Leah Joy Macina!
I am screaming in horror because, as you may know, I absolutely haaaate photos of pets. Most of all, of cats! And, of course, it had to happen on my very first RRR!! Bloody $#%@ing cats!
Understand this, 99.9% of the time, a photo of a cat is some poor lonely sod who spends way too much of her (yes, almost always a 'her') time photographing her cat. Here's Kitty laying down cutely... Here's Kitty sitting cutely... Here's Kitty jumping cutely. 'Nuff already. I hate them. I hate every last one of these types of shots.
Then, luckily, I hit that .1%. Not when I really need it, like with the lottery, but right now when I'm trying to get my RRR going with a strong initial entry! And I'm happy I did.
This is (and yes, you can quote me) a great photograph of a cat. In fact, it's a very good photograph in general. I immediately got over my gag-reflex when I saw it was a cat photograph. As you all will/can see, I've really been into this style of photos with soft natural light for a bit now, so I'm naturally inclined to like this.
The color tones are so soft and warm and I love how the back lighting lights the fur from behind. The square crop also really works and I like how she cropped the ... cat... into the lower right part of the frame.
Her use of a large aperture (can't tell which f-stop) created a beautifully bokeh-ed background. Even the cat manages to look chilled out and it's expression fits perfectly for the image (ack, it hurt writing that sentence talking about a cats' expression gaah!)
Though young Miss Macina (only 17 yrs old!), is probably committing herself to a long torturous life of pain and suffereing by taking so many photos of cats which tempts the photography gods who hate cats (yep, they do!), the rest of her profile images are actually quite good. It's immediately evident that she already has a keen eye for color and composition and is skilled at post-processing work.
Thanks to Leah for putting my objectivity to test on my very first review, and well done on a very nice photo!