Please give me your opinion- entering photo contest ,

would this stand out enough in a box FULL of pictures of other children to be considered?

I think it's gorgeous, shewolf!

I think it's stand out quality would depend on what contest you're entering. Some contest look for cutesy and other's for artsy -- this would do better in an artsy contest.

Also -- be really really careful entering kid's contests. Be sure to carefully read all of the rules. Winning photos often become the property of the contest holders.

I can't see the retouching. I LOVE the lighting -- it really sets a wonderful mood of exploration.

Maybe the only thing I'd do different is to crop out the legos at the bottom of the photo.

Very, very nice!

I like it too shewolf. It's an action photo and not a pose.
Leave it black and white, that brings out the mood better.

I can't see the retouching either. The pictures is darling,
and you've captured bean's play very well.

Send it in as is - I would!

Oh -- just one little tip.

It is often better to use "desaturate" instead of "grayscale".

(Instead of "image"-"mode"-"grayscale" use
"image"-"adjustments"-destaurate")

I love that one little blurry leg in the back. That tiny bit of motion makes the picture so interesting.

The desk in the back had a computer on it and a shoe. hehe.
Those got taken out with MGI photo
there was a bird in the window sill that I liked, and was what I was actually TRYING to take a picture of. that is also taken out.


I tried to take out the legos..
Im not too too good with MGI. I keep getting blocky editing and improper shading.
How can I edit this with mgi that wont create tthe improper shadowing?

what a gorgeous shot! i agree with boomerang, it will do well in an artsy contest.

I don't know anything about Art, but I like it. I like the illumination level you've chosen too. It adds to the mood.

Great pic, it really stands out and tells a story without any words. As for your image editing, and with my computer's resolution, it is hard for me to see any of the changes you have made.

Bugger. Here I came running in all excited - pics of Shewolf! Shes gonna enter a photo contest!

But no. Its some cute kid. Rrumph.

Seriously tho - its cute. And I actually like the piece of lego in front. Nice contrast in texture, and it adds some reality into what otherwise might have been all too stylised, disembodied a photo.

some day sweetie,,, some day.. ;-)

I am trying to get rid of the leggos to see what it looks like and I get too many shadows and I cant make the play scapepiece look REAL..

i was looking at the contest like you suggested Boom, and I am thinking they may want cutsie
it is private invite from Gerber... the king of fat cheekes, messy hair, and goofy grins. >sigh<
I think I may send this one in anyways..
ou never know.. maybe one of the judges will be tired of the smiling faces and see this picture and like it?
For cutsie I also have this one but I dont think it is done well enough for a contest. It is just cute. :

Great photo. I played around with the crop to get rid of some distractions

Shewolf! These are great photos!

What paz did - that's what I was talking about - just cropping it in a bit closer.

What I was talking about "grayscale" v. "desaturate" -- you get the same black and white effect but it keeps your file in RGB so a lab can print it. Most can't print as grayscale.

A Gerber contest huh?

I too would think they'd go for "cute" as opposed to "artsy". Maybe the one where she ate the bug!

Oh!

And I love that close up.

Bean is so beautiful.

Zipping along to answer just after I saw the first shot -

I like the legos... first of all they call and respond to the legs and arms, and... the name is legos... plus they give the photo a ground base that I like. My 2 cents.
And, I scrolled fast over a second one, and at scroll speed I liked the first.

Now I'll go back and look harder.

I like the leggos too, if I cropped, it would be lopping off some of the top - empty space.

OK, I can see why the second version of the first picture is more simplified and elegant, probably a better composition - I don't personally like it as much, it kind of died on the way to elegance, as nimh was conjecturing.

This all depends, as usual, on who is judging. We have judges in to view shows up here all the time, and, making a long story short, they vary.

There is also a time thing. As we have put things up in the gallery that stay two months, we may be less taken, at the fourth week, with what we liked the first day or first hour, and another piece might register more fully.
That's human nature, even though judges are called to make snap decisions - and many times they would pick almost the same pieces.

What I liked about the first was also the distribution of grays... it seemed more velvety somehow than the second rendition, and let me into the space more - it had more real depth.