Your Thoughts On the Matter

One thing I love about photography, like works of art or literature, everyone seems to have different opinions or feelings about them. One person might feel joy when they look at a certain photography, when another person actually gets uneasy or frightened by it. We all have likes and dislikes and right now I am interested in what yours are.  

As a photographer I have to choose what "I like". Sometimes that choice is easy, other times difficult. There was one photograph I liked and upon showing it to someone they said it looks like the guy had red claws, when I looked closer I saw exactly what he was talking about. When I first saw the photograph I felt joy and true emotion, which is what drew me to liking the photograph in the first place. Things I had missed before were now in plain view, and what I liked about the image was missed by the other viewer because their eyes went right to his "red claws".

I am interested to know two different things with the below photograph. Please stay objective and think about constructive criticism. I am not looking for likes and dislikes...

1) When you first look at the image what is the first thing you feel? What kinds of emotion come up?

2) What things in the photograph jump right out at you, and do they help or take away from the image?

Have a happy friday, and try to get some work done ;)

Peter M.