Belly dancer C&C pls

[tirediron]

I'd like some feedback on this image; it was very challenging due to the size of the wings she was using, so I've had to make some 'adjustments'; I'm aware there are some processing artefacts (it's a work in progress) but I'd appreciate feedback on the lighting/posing and the use of the faux low key look.

 

[Granddad]

Isis wings are the devil's own job to shoot and light. Apart from being huge they are usually reflective so they make the light bounce around and add their colour tone to everything. You seem to have managed to avoid (or have corrected) the the worst of the colour tone to her skin. It looks a bit dark and for me the pose doesn't really work, partly because of her expression; she looks more like she's concentrating than having fun. Could you have got a bit further back, John? Was she dancing for the camera or taking the pose and holding it? There's something behind her (probably the bottoms of the wings) that looks odd and distracting, like a shiny stick going up under the fringe of her belt.

I have three Isis wings shots in my Dancers In The Studio gallery.

 

[pgriz]

The tone of her face is different from her torso. And her feet (foot?) looks kinda skeletal. Her overall pose seems a bit strained and unbalanced, as if she's about to fall over backwards. I'm just glad that I didn't have to shoot that.

 

[sashbar]

To me everything good apart from her facial expression. It says "Oh, hell, it's hard" On my monitor at least.

 

[tirediron]

Isis wings are the devil's own job to shoot and light. Apart from being huge they are usually reflective so they make the light bounce around and add their colour tone to everything. You seem to have managed to avoid (or have corrected) the the worst of the colour tone to her skin. It looks a bit dark and for me the pose doesn't really work, partly because of her expression; she looks more like she's concentrating than having fun. Could you have got a bit further back, John? Was she dancing for the camera or taking the pose and holding it? There's something behind her (probably the bottoms of the wings) that looks odd and distracting, like a shiny stick going up under the fringe of her belt.
I have three Isis wings shots in my Dancers In The Studio gallery.

Nice! Unfortunately my studio is 16x35; normally it's lots of space, but I don't have a background near big enough to shoot this against, and I was keeping her as far from the back as possible in order to kill the background.

The tone of her face is different from her torso. And her feet (foot?) looks kinda skeletal. Her overall pose seems a bit strained and unbalanced, as if she's about to fall over backwards. I'm just glad that I didn't have to shoot that.

I was using a single, large, gridded BD to light since I wanted to keep as much light as possible off of the background. In retrospect, not the best choice.

To me everything good apart from her facial expression. It says "Oh, hell, it's hard" On my monitor at least.

I think she was definitely concentrating too hard, and unfortunately, that showed through in the images.

Thanks all - I'll probalby take this one back into the pixel room and see if I can't do some more with it. Silk purse and all that...

 

[The_Traveler]

The tone of her face is different from her torso.

this, and glasses? that in itself is an ambiance killer.

 

[kanuski]

I noticed immediately that her face is darker than the rest of her body. Probably from light drop off and natural skin tones. Would it help to move the light source higher? Maybe even slightly behind her to the left? I also noticed that her hair disappears into the background. Maybe a hair light or back light would help?

 

[tirediron]

The tone of her face is different from her torso.

this, and glasses? that in itself is an ambiance killer.

I'm with you!

I noticed immediately that her face is darker than the rest of her body. Probably from light drop off and natural skin tones. Would it help to move the light source higher? Maybe even slightly behind her to the left? I also noticed that her hair disappears into the background. Maybe a hair light or back light would help?

Unfortunately, because she was actually dancing, and with the wings extended, she's almost 11' wide, I lit high and from the front only; hair lights and such weren't an option. I wonder though if I shouldn't have gone a bit higher and just shot bare tube?