Underwater mirage

Underwater Mirage - Poetry in transcendence of words.

One of the most breathtaking images I have seen in a long time, both in galleries and on Deviantart. I am mesmerized by the emphasis of the textural qualities through your use of tone and focus of the liquid and light as it moves and refracts across the delicately poised and oh so subtle body of your model. Your keen, sensitive, even secretive approach to composition makes me want for more, it guides me into the close, intimate, darkness; and yet I fear you have given just enough. The subtly and accidental feel of this moment so perfectly captured is wonderful. It's imperfection (such as the model's leg leading off frame) act as a counter balance to the arrangement and in a way only a very few select arts can boast, creates it's own perfection. The entire image as a whole has a beautifully subtle yet pellucid binding, offered thanks to its unmistakably tranquil, watery depth.

"Mirage" feels about right as a title, however to me this image speaks more of an idiom shared by only a lucky few, a memory only ever known by a handful of people who no longer know one another, or some guarded secret in a moment when nothing else mattered.



Now to explain my rating of this image:

Vision 5/5 - Your clarity of moment and ability to fully appreciate and comprehend the worth of what you had made in selecting this image for upload/print and sharing it with us.

Originality 5/5 - Insofar as nobody "made" the water, and nobody "made" your model, I find this category somewhat problematic. However, your vision was sound and I for one believe this is enough to give you a top rating.

Technique 5/5 - I studied photography as part of my undergraduate degree and my partner has an MA in it. I would dearly love to know exactly how much work was done of the image post-capture as you have truly achieved a genuine darkroom development feel about it. Your technique with focus and composition are outstanding, and your eye for a lush, deep tonal range are wonderful. For these results alone I give you top rating once again.

Impact 5/5 - Quite simple, it took my breath away. And as if that wasn't enough, when I studied it more closely and the initial impact had passed, I was most certainly NOT disappointed.