Practicing with my most stubborn subject....

[binga63]

My wife
and no she is not naked
ha that would never ever be shown, taken or shared anywhere
lose her trust and I'm a dead man



Bebe by Chris Crossley, on Flickr

 

[Tiller]

My wife and no she is not naked ha that would never ever be shown, taken or shared anywhere lose her trust and I'm a dead man

Good call

 

[Granddad]

It breaks the rules. But it breaks them intelligently and I like it a lot. Of course, it helps that she's drop dead gorgeous, that masks a multitude of sins.

Love your backgrounds, how do you do that, is it a program?

 

[binga63]

The backgrounds behind most of the people I shoot, when I get inspired, are painted out in various tones depending upon my mood I then go through the collection of textures that I have bought, shot, and created.....and overlay them completely over the subject and then picking tones that are similar I paint the subject back in, highlighting and shadowing as needed....it is mainly through feel than something that was taught to me, if you go through my flickr stream the technique has slowly improved (at least I think it has) from my heavy handed efforts earlier... I hope it makes sense...I learn through experimenting as health and money make it hard to learn the conventional way... Youtube and forums such as this one and others has been a god send to me.. I am happy that what I share has been well received ... enough of the ramble... just thought I would say thanks
Thanks
Chris Crossley

 

[LarryLomona]

Very nice shot.

 

[ronlane]

Chris, I like this one, but have one nitpicky thing. I would have cloned out the stray hairs that are all over her right shoulder.

 

[mmaria]

My wife
and no she is not naked
ha that would never ever be shown, taken or shared anywhere
lose her trust and I'm a dead man

She's so beautiful ... and in addition, she looks and sounds like a real, respect worthy lady. You're a lucky man.

As for the photo, I like everything.
Nit pick is the placement of her hand. It seems that you tried to hide her elbow, you could do that even with just slightly relaxed hand.That way she would be relaxed and serene completely. But as I said that is a nit pick. It's not you, it's me, kind of thing. I could just stop writing those nit picks if you mind?. No one else seems to notice them so I kind of feel awkward.

And thank you for sharing a bit of your thinking process with us. I certainly find it helpful.

 

[The_Traveler]

Beautifully done.

It is unfortunately obvious by comparing this picture and your avatar that she did you an immense favor by picking you out of the crowd.

Be grateful.

 

[Designer]

All good except maybe next time drape the back of the chair to match the background. Or some other color. Not liking the green fabric here.

 

[Granddad]

The backgrounds behind most of the people I shoot, when I get inspired, are painted out in various tones depending upon my mood I then go through the collection of textures that I have bought, shot, and created.....and overlay them completely over the subject and then picking tones that are similar I paint the subject back in, highlighting and shadowing as needed....it is mainly through feel than something that was taught to me, if you go through my flickr stream the technique has slowly improved (at least I think it has) from my heavy handed efforts earlier... I hope it makes sense...I learn through experimenting as health and money make it hard to learn the conventional way... Youtube and forums such as this one and others has been a god send to me.. I am happy that what I share has been well received ... enough of the ramble... just thought I would say thanks

Thanks
Chris Crossley

So not just a program, then. It's digital art and hard graft. I'd take my hat off to you but the glare might temporarily blind you. :thumbup:

 

[The_Traveler]

What always draws me to Chris' pictures are they always look 'luxurious' and richly detailed - a truly enviable detail.

I come away feeling like I've had a very good hot fudge sundae.

 

[Derrel]

I really admire Chris's textured backdrop work...it's a hallmark of his. I like almost everything about this shot, the stray hairs, her lovely lips, her symmetrical nose, her amazing off-camera line of gaze...I like everything...she looks so beautiful and regal in this shot...but there's one thing that bugs me, which is seeing the back of the hand in the front-most plane of this portrait...the hand position and its prominence in the shot is not quite working for me. This is what I was taught is called a hand and arm pose, and the arms are great, the stray hairs on the shoulder add a wonderful and very subtle detail and reminder that she has long hair and is bare-shouldered, but I would LOVE to have seen this with her right hand slid underneath, or alternately, pulled up to the other wrist, so that we saw the hand in profile with some curvature, rather than the back of the hand and the fingers from such an oblique view. This hand placement issue might just be me and what I was taught, so take it with a good dose of salt!

I love the texture idea,and have been toying around with trying to integrate it a little bit...

 

[Granddad]

I really admire Chris's textured backdrop work...it's a hallmark of his. I like almost everything about this shot, the stray hairs, her lovely lips, her symmetrical nose, her amazing off-camera line of gaze...I like everything...she looks so beautiful and regal in this shot...but there's one thing that bugs me, which is seeing the back of the hand in the front-most plane of this portrait...the hand position and its prominence in the shot is not quite working for me. This is what I was taught is called a hand and arm pose, and the arms are great, the stray hairs on the shoulder add a wonderful and very subtle detail and reminder that she has long hair and is bare-shouldered, but I would LOVE to have seen this with her right hand slid underneath, or alternately, pulled up to the other wrist, so that we saw the hand in profile with some curvature, rather than the back of the hand and the fingers from such an oblique view. This hand placement issue might just be me and what I was taught, so take it with a good dose of salt!

I love the texture idea,and have been toying around with trying to integrate it a little bit...

I think the back of the back of the hand rule is most important when you have a more mature subject. I couldn't get away with it with my wife unless I was doing a shot on growing old gracefully or something along those lines but Binga has a good few years before he'll have that issue to deal with. (Not knocking my wife, she's lovely in her own way and I love her more now than I did when we first married, just being realistic).

Binga, I'm not sure I get the concept of what you do with the backgrounds, forgive me for being obtuse. Could you possibly consider sharing your basic technique in a short tutorial? Just enough to get the idea across to an idiot. I'd understand entirely if it's too much work to put together or if you'd rather preserve your secret (much admired) process.

 

[squirrels]

Binga, I'm not sure I get the concept of what you do with the backgrounds, forgive me for being obtuse. Could you possibly consider sharing your basic technique in a short tutorial? Just enough to get the idea across to an idiot. I'd understand entirely if it's too much work to put together or if you'd rather preserve your secret (much admired) process.

This! I'd love to see it!

 

[pgriz]

These images are luxuriously, almost decadently, rich. I'd echo all the good things everyone has already said. My "nit" is that I'd hope that the ceiling was a little higher. It's can be uncomfortable for your wife to have to support it that way. As for your description of the way you use the backgrounds, it makes sense to me, but having done a little of that with my own images, I recognize how much artistry and ability you're showing with your "simple" images.