I suspect you suspect wrong about this being the least liked.

There is something very striking about it...I like the people on the horizon and the look in your daughter's eye.

She looks like she's up to something. I do like the odd foreground. It doesn't really seem to look like she is out of focus in the usual sense...but something definitely jumps out about her.

I did enjoy the second shot more, I guess I love your "typical" style. But I think I like this a bit better than the first, as I really like things that are out of the ordinary in some sense.

Compostion for me does reflect the inadvertent appearance of Rho. I don't know, too much water and sky maybe. Maybe a little too cold. So yes, I am falling for the preconception you had of our opinion on this.

My main reason for posting a comment is how she looks a little less childlike. Somewhat more mature than the very childish (in the literal not patronising sense) playing with bucket and spade.

Perhaps due to the attempted assertion of authority over her spade.

God I love images, you can prevaricate in any way you wish, that has to be worth something Dave.

I agree. This is my least liked shot. I think it's Rho's expression or the way she's sitting there? I can't really figure it out, but I did love the first shot the best - very innocent, child's play. This doesn't really convey that to me.

There is a certain "oddness" to this one. I think it's a combination of the free-standing shovel and the sneaky pose/expression of Rho. It looks like she's getting ready to pounce! I only wish that she was more in-focus -- this photo just doesn't have the clarity of yesterday's. The details in your last image were all much sharper than those in this one; here, everything (especially the skin tones) seems to have absorbed the muddiness of the water. Even the blue sky is darker and rather gloomy. It's kind of depressing. But not creepy, like some of your other recent pics.

I have to say that of the three-photo beach series, this is my least favorite. It's still good, though. I can't wait to see what you do next!

Thanks Jennifer.

Weston: for ages I've worried that I don't have a style, yet as soon as I develop one I start wondering about what to do instead. I guess that's the beauty about photography, it can be pursued in an almost infinite variety of ways.

tobias: Rho is odd in the sense that her age always seems variable in the shots I take of her. For instance, in don't look up she looks considerably older. I guess that's one of the reasons I like photographing her so much – her appearance is never fixed.

jamieq: I guess this is one of those shots where I'm not trying to convey innocence, at least not in a conventional sense.

Parker: no, it doesn't have the clarity, and it is rather dark and gloomy, but I think they're the reasons I like this one.

Upon thinking about it, this image is rather gloomy as Parker commented. It reminds me of the same style of exposure and almost slightly sepiaed tones that you get from those photos of the 70's. Everything seems a bit "out". The drab colours of the era and the brightness of the skin from cheap flash.

Hmm. Also, David, "don't look up" is my fave image of all time. As already commented upon and referred to. I note that when possible, you too, link it. Funny.

tobias: yes, that's what I meant about the foreground looking as though it had been cut and pasted from a polaroid. That said, what lifts it above that for me is the clarity of the background. You can't really tell at this resolution but the figures on the horizon are pin-sharp in the original. For me this makes the image a whole lot more interesting.

i agree, it has some sort of 70's feel to it. seems to be out of focus, showing the accidental shot? either way its great. more gloomy than the others of the series.

I wish people would read before commenting. I read all the comments and there's so much repetition.. heh.

Anyway. This shot is rather amateur. I like the first one the best.

If my last comment displayed some sort of egotism.. I apologise :) ..

Makes me feel cold. Don't really like it at all.

And Rho looks well peed off. Like she's forgotten where she burried the bucket. :-)

Miklos you are a bore "...there's so much repetition". The only person allowed to show an ego on this website is Dave and he some how represses it, even though his work would merit it, but your comments seem to speak more about you than the work you should be commenting on.
Dave, I like this. I particularly like the contrast between the subdued skyline and the colours of Rho's swimsuit.
S

I like this and more so than the last one where the perpective was squewed enough to be slightly odd. Rho looks totaly mesmerised by whatever she is intereacting with. In pictures with people the least important aspect to me is the medium but the person in it, so of the 3 this one wins for me. The 1st one a close 2nd. :-)

You have to respect djn for posting shots (including the ones he considers to be partial accidents, odd exposures or having incorrect focussing - or all three ;oD ) especially when they receive such intense scrutiny. There's obviously something about the shot that's intriguing, regardless of its flaws. (which he clearly states)

I can relate to this shot because I posted one similar to this. The focussing was wrong but that's what I found appealing. There's a 'feel' to the picture which I like, and that's what djn's current photo has.

it's Martin Parr but without the oversaturated colours!!!

Really liked your stuff for a good while mate. It's the first post i've put up and I must say that I thought that you were falling away and not getting the dicisive moment that we all crave, but these last couple of pics have kicked right in!

yesterdays shot is beautiful, but today presents your daughter as something more than a child. likethe point you were trying to make, and another has commented, it shows her in her world on the scale that she experiences/perceives.

i like this style, your style. keep at it.

I rue the day you find your "style". You seem to be all about taking chances, experimenting, discussing, reviewing, debating, questioning...and that is so refreshing. You engage your viewers, which again, is refreshing. There are several sites I visit every day that are entrenched in their style. Although it's comfortable, like McDonalds, you pretty much know what you're going to get, the predictability removes an important edge to the work. The things you do encourage people to try something different or make an effort to duplicate your results, which is how people are inspired to learn. By the way, my personal favorite is the second of this series, but the 70's feel of this photo is compelling. Could be that I remember the 70's well.

the colors are amazing, not mentioning the facial expression

As u said, y.days photo made much impact.. this is a bit down on the colours of the horizon, yet, i'd say this is a nice photo too... pportrays the hild's world :-)

incredible shot. it is eery and dark and leaves a lot to the viewer's imagination. would have never known it was a near accident.

i think it's great. i love the colors and the moodiness and the light, all of which match the expression on her face. i have a hard time comparing to say which i like best, but i very much like this image.

and while i'm here, i'll add that i've been checking your site daily for a while now and i love to see what you post each day. i really respect you for putting up an image each day, for taking chances, for looking for feedback, and for helping others to learn. i'm always finding both tips/techniques and inspiration here, and i very much appreciate that.

verrry reminiscent of annie liebowitz' fabulous work. in this you can almost get a glimpse of what rho will look like when she's a grown woman. the little people on the horizon are such a nice touch.

I like it. I like the odd balance you've played with here.

For me, number 2 is the winner ;-)

As always, great work...

Thank you for your images, and for your thoughts on them. I've quickly become a fan of your site.

Your 'Polaroid' analysis of the foreground fits I think because of 1) the un-sharpness, 2) the drab color, and 3) the fill flash adds a harshness. It all adds interest, by not being what is expected. Which is why it's good that you are conscious of breaking away from 'your style' from time to time. In this case, I think the amount of sky is taking away from the sense of being completely in the child's own world. I suspect a child's focus is more narrow. So in a sense this image shows two worlds juxtaposed -- her immediate world, and the outside world. In all, a happy accident of a picture.

oh wow, d, try this one with the black background. :)

Your daughter has the most expressive face, she is such a good photography subject. I really like your undersaturated and cold colours, its different, and its good.

Thanks everyone.

As for this shot: I guess the thing about experimenting with different styles is that you don't know how it will be received, which is no bad thing as I'd hate to get boring ;-)

Absolutely fantastic. The dullness of the background really brings out the child and the shovel. Brilliant.

Samara.

That was my first thought. I like this shot for the eery feeling that it conveys. But if I am going for eery I think the Bride of Chucky photo wins over this one.

I enjoy how both your daughter and the spade are muffled and the sand marks on the yellow blade are both soft and rough at the same time--when i look at it closely, it is terrifying.

The only element I am unsure of is the water on the bottom fifth of the photograph. It looks more deadpan and dirty than is natural. ...Can not decide if this unnaturalness adds or detracts from the photo.

Awesome job. Your style is to experiment. So, keep experimenting, but always keep this style.

This is really a great shot. Somewhat haunting. I love the coolness and the strange feeling it evokes despite the quite normal everyday circumstances of a child playing at a beach.

I love how often great photographs and art, in general, sometimes require a little luck, like you said this one did.

I think this one is excellent stuff. Everything is nicely balanced, the sky subtley drags you into her eyes etc, nice triangle, and you couldn't have asked for the peole in the background to have stood anywhere better. Fabulous colours. Often it's those accident shots or thrown in elemenst that make a days shooting. Fabulous.

I love this one! And as said above; it doesn't look like she's out of focus, only the outlines.. like the rather cold feel, and animal like focus on that spade! Fun that you can see the "Davidness" in the rest of the pic, but then she popped in.. love it, fun how things turn out!