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Deviousness `anmari has been spreading her infectious positivity throughout our community for over 6 years. Throughout this time Ana has been at the core of all things devious, passionately developing an eclectic gallery, helping organise devmeets, participating in chat events and also recently completed dedicating her time as a Community Volunteer. We are absolutely delighted to bestow the Deviousness Award for May 2013 to `anmari, congratulations! Read More
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Sta.sh
Great feature.
Wow, thank you! It makes me happy! 
The ability to capture pure emotion in a portrait is not easy. Capturing pure emotion in a self-portrait is no exception. This image, to me, exudes raw emotion; feelings of nostalgia, longing and loss. In shades of grey, it appears faded and pale - like a distant memory. This is why I have awarded 4.5 for vision; befitting the title, this image is a strong example of effective use of monochrome. The fogging makes me think of tears. Black and white is a very powerful format for emotive portraits, and unforgiving - leaving little margin for technical error. Many purists may argue that the fogging detracts; and that a stronger contrast would convey the emotion more effectively. I disagree. I think that her use of fogging and soft contrast add the power of emotion to this portrait, likened to the power of memory.
For originality, I have only awarded 3. I have seen many many portraits and self-portraits of pretty dark haired girls in self-protective stances with tendrils of hair wistfully strewn across their faces, accenting their mouths and cheekbones. Many of them are more beautiful than this portrayal, however, few can capture the viewers heart as well as their eyes and breath...
For technique I have awarded 5. Irrespective of what purists may state regarding the effective use of monochrome formats, I think that the photographer's self-styled use of black and white is genius... creating that veil, that obscurity of vision; making the viewer mentally grapple with the vision - as one would with fading and precious memories. The composition is strong. I like the no nonsense crop. The styling of the hair to appear unstyled is perfect, framing her face perfectly.
I have given 5 out of 5 for impact. 'wish i knew' made me want to view more of her gallery - and I was not disappointed. Her self-portraiture work is outstanding, and inspirational; intimate and emotive, and a delightful and fragrant mixture of black & white and colour.
The composition is great. There seems to be a balance between everything, plus, the rule of thirds is being followed. I especially like that one strand of hair between the lips. It makes them seem more parted which really adds to the mood of this shot.
The expression on your face is great, by the way.
The technical aspects of this shot bother me. The biggest problem I have is the contrast. I feel like this shot would be a lot more powerful and would stand out more if you bumped up the contrast a bit. And, the faded edges around your face are distracting me a bit.
But, even with that, I still think that, overall, it's a lovely shot.
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