Can you deconstruct/talk about/give your opinion on the queens new portrait?

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dubcat

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In an effort to get a better understanding of portraiture I was hoping some of you would give your opinion on this portrait of the queen. Can you go beyond, "i like it" or "i hate it" to actually deconstruct it, talk about it, and explain what you are seeing? Not sure if i am being clear on what i want so if i am not please let me know. I guess critical factors include design, lighting, colours, etc.. but i will leave that to you:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9520000/9520539.stm
 
Its not for me, maybe the quality of the image on radio 4s site giving a false impression on the lighting, but at first glance it seems very harsh and high in contrast.
I dont like the composition, lighting, contrast or cropping (lack of) the subjects seem distant from each other and disjointed, plonked in the middle of a vast room.
Its a huge print so I may be doing it a disservice basing my opion on a web copy but not to my taste I think.
 
Both versions are dreadful, where's the warmth in their faces, where's the warmth in their body language. It looks like two people waiting to see the divorce Lawyer and they hate each other, which we "know" they dont. The seat covers colour blends too closely to the Queens dress and makes it look like the colour balance is "off". Door edge comes out of the Queen's head, the background is fighting for attention.
Horibble, horrible, horrible.

No-one on here shot it did they :)

Matt
 
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horrible. just looks like a snap taken of 2 people in their front room. The queen looks a bit blown out too.
 
MatBin said:
Both versions are dreadful, where's the warmth in their faces, where's the warmth in their body language. It looks like two people waiting to see the divorce Lawyer and they hate each other, which we "know" they dont. The seat covers colour blends too closely to the Queens dress and makes it look like the colour balance is "off". Door edge comes out of the Queen's head, the background is fighting for attention.
Horibble, horrible, horrible.

No-one on here shot it did they :)

Matt
Click to expand...

The DoE loathes portraits and is looking quite placid for him, whilst HM is barely suppressing a huge grin. The outer arms are raised, whilst the inner ones are lowered towards each other.

It's all about subtlety; you aren't going to see that couple kissing and cuddling in public or even holding hands because it breaks protocol.

I'll grant you that the colouring seems cold at first glance, but it warms as you look further into it; not to mention that the compression has altered the colour rendition on both examples above.

Remember that this is designed to be seen in a gallery at 2m x 1.5, not as a minuscule dot on a PC monitor. At that size the foreground will leap out and the background will fade away.
 
Prince Phillip looks kind of blurred, the Queen looks over-exposed and am I the only one who things that the room background may have been a green screen?
 
After some consideration, closing the thread. Whilst we appreciate this picture will be critiqued and deconstructed in every corner of the internet, as a forum we do not allow critique/critism of images not belonging to the person posting them and definitely not the work of non members. Therefore, to maintain consistency we are applying the same principal to this one. Thanks :)
 
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