Helped a fundraiser for my daughter's softball team...silent auction for a poster. Below is the poster I came up with...any comments or critiques would be greatly appreciated.
I really like the layout, the one thing that bugs me is the way you have the part in front of her face on the left that follows her profile. I'd put the background all the way across, cut her out and give her a drop shadow and lay it on top of it.
I agree Matt...looking back, what I did was start desaturating the profile background, and then shifted to masking away most of that B&W background. Kind of did a little of the first and some of the second...should've stuck with one or the other throughout...thanks for the critique
Overall I like the look and concept. Just a few comments. I understand the idea of the desaturated portion behind the profile, but in you're posters case, it seems to be just for the profile portion and I don't think it adds to the poster. I wish you had more 'action' photos. Swinging the bat, and/or making contact during the swing. Not sure how much effort you want to put into the poster, but I'd try to blur the backgrounds a little more. I know it's for a fundraiser, but the bottom stripe with ASA Softball just seems like more of an afterthought.
Of course, if I knew what I was talking about, I might do it for a living
Overall a good job. Posters are so much of each persons personal opinion.
I would forget about the bottom fastpitch strip. To me at it seems totally out of place. At first, I thought it was an FM banner ad. Also, I'd like to see the masking of the main image smoother. All else is good.
The lower-left box (her at bat) seems out-of-proportion, as if you enlarged it horizontally without proper proportion control. Could just be the photo, though.
I dislike the background treatment where you've masked out "part" of it; either do it all or do none. (I sound like Yoda: "Do or do not. There is no try.")
I also dislike the color of the softball "clip-art", and it also looks like improper proportion control.
I do appreciate the comments. rhurley31, I was very much wanting more "action" shots...dad notified my of the game the day before, and she didn't play defense, and batted once (walked) during the game I was at...lol
Along with the bottom strip not adding anything, do you have another shot for the top right (throwing), as it looks awkward and there is a player in the background from another team?
Got to love those situations. Just tell the coach you really need some photos of the kid so you'd appreciate them changing the game plan and putting in the player for photo ops
Are these the actual action shots for the poster? If so I agree with John the photo of her batting looks like you didn't stretch it right, the bottom has to go, and the softball should be a actual softball. Maybe make the background of here and blow it way up and make it black and white , there are many different ideas and we will all have something to say how we would do it differently I think a little polishing and it will be a winner.
