Full disclosure: I shot this in late March. Technically in enough time to be included in my May review. However, it needed some extra time in the oven. So here it is. So far, this will be one of only maybe two images I might use that were shot before the final review in May. Don't know how sticky the rules are, but the editing process is fresh, so that work on this is technically part of my Semester Away work.
Anyway, I like* this photo. And it's currently in contention with dozens of others for potential inclusion in my final.
*To answer the "well, why do you like it"? question: Its pleasing aesthetics, its outdoor placement, vague occult imagery, the subject's mature/knowing expression, her dominance of the East Texas landscape. The strong black theme recalls Victorian fairy paintings, in which characters in black sometimes suggested a more mischievous or less whimsical fairy (or mourning). Similar characters in this body of work tend to possess a more sinister energy, or be the people those with ill intent do not wish to come across. Are they villains? Not so much in my work. They are the embodiment of justice, revenge or are anti-heroes in this realm. By not portraying her as a broken/mourning victim/evil figure, I have avoided/broken the more common type associate with this color of clothing. That is not to say that mourning is weak, nor are moments of frustration or defeat. But that is another discussion ...