rachel

[newrmdmike]

hey guys, been a while, i don't have a reliable internet connection these days, so i only get on at school or like now . . . on a friends laptop at panera.

anyways, heres a shot of rachel, tri-x shot at 200, f/2.8 1.5 second exposure

window light mixed with lowel id light

 

[craig]

Love the light and the camera work. Seems slave oriented. What are your thoughts on the photo.

Love & Bass

 

[newrmdmike]

thanks for the comment craig. . . slave oriented.

Thats actually a really helpful comment for me. I'm kind of at a point now where all i'm doing is developing personal work, and trying to go beyond the technical stuff in images and work harder on the intellectual. First i'll say there was nothing conciously intellectual about this photo, it was only a portrait. and i have to work pretty hard at drawing any meaning out of anything i create.

i like the technical aspects of the shot, i like the bokeh, i like the tones and even the softness from the exposure (maybe hard to see here)

However, another person looking at it today asked what she was trying to escape from, or climb out of. and another said she looked afraid, vulnerable with a slight hint of eroticism.

an older woman told me today she was too pretty for the dress and that i should reshoot it nude, and i might.

over all i think shes fun to look at . . . and maybe its revealing in terms of allowing people some insight her relationship with the photographer.

slave oriented . . . its bc shes black isn't it!!! jk.

 

[craig]

This is where Newrdmike and all photographers at this point begin to shine. Consider that every single detail in the frame does or can have meaning. It is up to the photographer to use those elements and create a photo (not a picture).

For example a clenched fist conveys anger or tension. Is that what you wanted or something she did? An open hand conveys a very different feeling. Why is she facing the wall as opposed to leaning on it?

I immediately see slave in this shot. I think it is the dress and her banging on the wall. I should come up with a better way of putting it. Fact of the mater is I am really bad at words. That is why I became a photographer.

Love & Bass

 

[newrmdmike]

bump, ne1 else?! 163 views and only my good friend craig said anything

 

[JerryPH]

If you do not mind the input of a newbie and enthusiastic amateur?

If the flash effect was intentional, it should have been aimed higher. The "hotspot" appears centered above her waist, and thats not where you want the eye to be pulled. I would have prefered a softer effect or bounced for a more even spread. Get the light either more evenly spread on the far wall, or put it away, it detracts from the pic.

Her chosen position seems confrontational, not inviting as one would mostly want a beautiful woman to appear. Was this done on purpose?

The manner in which the picture was cropped is lightly unflattering. Her "tush" is cut in the middle... the effect looking as if it is a lot bigger than it may be. Crop it higher or lower.

If the angle of her head was tilted back a touch more, her hair would look longer and her chin would be all visible. Lowering the left hand a couple inches would help this too.

Right hand... partial fingers sticking out are distracting. Either have them completely hidden in her hair or displayed more.

The closed fist of the left hand and hidden right hand finger tips suggest she had improperly manicured finger nails and was hiding them. This from a lady's perspctive (not mine, I'm a guy, but its an interesting one!)

Finally, I would have angled her body in such a way as to slightly better accentuate her curves. She has great curves that are partially obscured by her very position. Twisting her body about 10-15 degrees to her left (place right foot forward and left foot back both about 3-4 inches each) would accomplish what I would be looking for.

If I had to pose her, she would have her feet placed as I suggested above, both hands open against the wall or even completely turned around leaning against the wall, hands near straight down and open, head tilted down a little and looking 1-2 feet to her right of the camera and one foot up on the ball of her foot, heel against the wall, the other foot forward foot flat and knee locked straight... and the pic cropped with either the feet showing completely or cropped mid-way between the knees and feet, if that was where the dress began.

Finally, I would increase the aperture (numerically lower) to increase bokeh behind her a little more and really focus attention on her eyes, which is where I prefer to get the center of attention on in this kind of a picture. If you were at maximum aperture, move her 3-5 feet further away from that far wall.

Is this a bad pic? Heck no, it's facinating and exudes a very specific aura. She is a beautiful young lady.

 

[newrmdmike]

thanks jerry,

as for "flash" there is no flash, and yeah the light isn't as high as i wanted it, but thats holding a light and firing a camera (should have used timer). . . . erg.

i disagree about bouncing anything here, and think the light falloff is rather attractive, but thats just personal taste. as for the chin dangit!!!!
the next shot has her chin in it . . . but i didn't scan that one, perhaps next week i'll scan it and put it up.

thanks for your comments, but on my mamiya i only have an 80 f/2.8, and there is no backing up to uncrop the butt (wall behind me) and shallower dof, it was shot at 2.8 but yeah . . . wishfull thinking!

and your comments don't sound so newbish to me! thanks again