Critique Style Requested: Initial Reaction
Please share your immediate response to the image before reading the photographer’s intent (obscured text below) or other comments. The photographer seeks a genuinely unbiased first impression.
I’m interested in any and all comments but primarily in people’s initial reactions.
Hi Don.
At first glance it’s a very graphical and minimalist image. And I like it. The lines of light created by the silhouettes are a very interesting subject.
My advice would be to increase the highlights a bit to give more attention and details to those silhouettes of light.
And maybe add a small vignette to center the attention.
Thank you for sharing.
Cheers
Joao, both of your suggestions make sense. I was a little too close to this one to see such things. Thanks.
Hi Don!!! 
How nice to see you here.
My first reaction is a feeling of hopefulness. Those bright rim lights and the strong verticals of the cactus arms give this a very uplifting feeling, even though the histogram is mostly dark. I’m with João on raising the lights. Not sure how you processed this, but it seems like they should be a lot brighter. Anyway, love seeing your cacti here!
Thanks, Bonnie. I just said elsewhere that it’s a pleasure to see you but there’s no harm in saying it again, 
You two have convinced me. There are some technical nits with this version but it isn’t going to get any better.
I like the backlighting and the edge to edge patterns but I’ll admit the image is messing with my brain. I know these are cacti so my mind is thinking sharp and pointy and yet when I look at the image (especially when I view it large) I see that it’s all kind of soft. My poor brain doesn’t know what to think about this and actually it’s a pretty weird and interesting feeling. Thanks for giving my brain a workout! 
