I delibrately left the coins & backdrop dirty, to signify that war is not clean or clinical
War is dirty, there is no clean victory or defeat
Also didnt want the chess board background, as I felt it would dilute the message
War is no game
Why I didnt use B&W was because the dirt would not show up as well
all said & done, your pic still have no impact.
1) Dirt deliberate, but it look like its accidental, cos if its deliberate, it should be hell lot more.
2) No game, but the background is too 'clean' to call a battleground. a darker image would be better to emphasize your point.
3) both your defeat & victory are essentially the same, only a change of angle. It does not tell a story. seriously... in war, a victory is total annihilation... a siege, etc... u can have a down king, with pawns all over him... that in itself creates a story... yours does not. a victory could also be a line of whites with a black pawn trailing... a story as well... but yours is neither here nor there.
4) Lighting, the shadows dun work, its a single light... if i'm taking this shot, i'd do in a manner, i put a white paper over the light, placed it on the side of the table showing 1/2 of it like a sunrise, and have pawns lined up taking their silouette, also, likewise, i can also take the lights to the extreme by forming long lines that look like a cage for captured king.
its up to our imagination to create a scene, but to make it look acceptable takes effort.
How would u rate this pics? i give them 1/10. No offense. thats how i feel.