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The Way of All Flesh
The Way of All Flesh
Bear_Music


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Nude IV (Advanced Editing V)
Collection: Challenges
Camera: Canon EOS-20D
Lens: Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon
Location: Harwich Port, MA, USA
Date: Jan 28, 2007
Aperture: f/11
ISO: 400
Shutter: 9 secs
Date Uploaded: Jan 28, 2007

Tone mapped from a single RAW exposure, exported to CS2

Rotated and cropped. BG selected and leveled to black. Hue/Sat adjustment layer in colorize, faded. Gothic Glow layer, faded. High Pass in overlay mode. Fairly aggressive vignetter added. Resize, sharpen, save for web.

******

If ever an image I have submitted is doomed, I swear I believe this one is. But I wanted to do a completely unromantic view of the human body "as is", and I think I have succeeded here. The tone mapping is integral tot he vision I had for this, as it emphasises every single "imperfection" of the form.

Statistics
Place: 105 out of 121
Avg (all users): 4.6083
Avg (commenters): 5.2973
Avg (participants): 3.9506
Avg (non-participants): 4.7500
Views since voting: 3449
Views during voting: 1538
Votes: 457
Comments: 54
Favorites: 0


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AuthorThread
02/11/2007 04:26:50 PM
maybe 'buns of steel " could help-kidding . A very fine image,if a little depressing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/11/2007 01:28:34 PM
Ah - this was you: are you familiar with John Coplans' work? This has nuances of some of his portraits and self-portraits. Don't I wish we could have had a truly "Unromanticised Nude" Challenge, or Nude Abstract. The plastic nudes leave me unmoved...obviously I'm a minority vote. But the real beauty of flesh as it takes on life, is a powerful subject. A bold, brave entry.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/06/2007 11:37:40 AM
Conceptually I like the idea Bear, but I'm confused by your approach. You suggest that you wanted it to be real ("as is") but then you added the completely unrealistic processing. I understand the idea of emphasizing the imperfections and all, but the tone mapping/oversaturating/gothic-glow etc just ends up making it look like a cheaply produced poster; I think it actually lost a lot of useful detail through the tone-mapping.

Of course, we both know that 'real' images won't have the same mass appeal as the synthetic ones, but you went into it fully prepared to accept that as evidenced by your comments.

On balance I think you achieved what you were after, and I concur with the others that it was a bold statement - certainly against the grain.

This wasn't intended to be criticism - just critique. My opinion's just that - my opinion. I've been wrong many times before ;)

P
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/05/2007 06:30:14 PM
Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

Where's the skiff? ...oh wait, I think I see it. :P


LMAO... I'm just wondering how many variations of this will show up in the forums? Thanks for taking some of the heat off me Robert. :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/05/2007 01:39:36 PM
Initially I see a interesting clinical picture. I have no pro/medical experience or have had opportunity to observe many medical files other than my own, however it seems to have a quality like that.

and some dpc humor....

I thought of a silly word association which you may find to contain some mild amusement.

I make no aspersion to you or this place -
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/05/2007 12:15:53 PM
I use to see photos like this in the books of great photographs of all times. Congrats Robert. You are far way from all of us. Keep on the excellent work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/05/2007 06:33:38 AM
Robert, this is just too cool. I love it - and it's the way we're all gonna end up ;-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/05/2007 02:23:58 AM
I like the idea of this shot but I'm not so keen on the PP. I think it's the colorization that put it just over the top. I like the tone mapping but would have liked to see it kept more "real". It's still a cute arse by the way :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/05/2007 02:15:03 AM
Had a hunch this was yours. You are one brave dude! You captured exactly what you went out to do here. Great job.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/05/2007 01:57:47 AM
Where's the skiff? ...oh wait, I think I see it. :P
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/05/2007 01:44:05 AM
I love what you did with this shot...i gave it a 9....i just really liked it....perfection or imperfection of the human body!!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/05/2007 12:37:52 AM
Heh. I voted it a 5, Robert. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
02/04/2007 09:00:43 PM
A round of applause for your model and creativity, the image title is also great.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/04/2007 07:33:24 PM
Too grainy to score highly I'm afraid.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/04/2007 03:43:28 PM
nice ass!!! 10!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/04/2007 10:22:41 AM
That's as real as it gets. Bravo.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/04/2007 08:51:05 AM
Well i have to admire your gumption. nice fun take on the challenge and way to take it over the top with the processing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/03/2007 05:42:48 PM
I'm really trying not to react to this on a purely aesthetic level, because I understand that a "pretty" picture was not your intention. But I still think this falls short on a couple of points: First, I think this would have been a more interesting and more powerful without the heavy-handed post processing. Second, while I think you intentionally wanted a stark and straightforward composition, the composition on this could still be improved. I would have either liked to have seen something tighter, or a more full-body shot (or perhaps even just without the arms on the side so that there was negative space all the way up both sides). All that said, I've bumped up my rating. If nothing else, you deserve something for entering a shot that has such a likely chance of getting panned.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/03/2007 03:11:46 AM
good exposure of this exquisite body texture. While not sexually appealing, this shot has photographic merit, and is done very well indeed.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/02/2007 03:19:49 PM
brave to enter a photo like this. but I'm not very fond of the post processing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/02/2007 08:02:41 AM
Yikes! Lends a whole new meaning to "gimme some skin" 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/01/2007 01:55:11 PM
Brave and very telling shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/01/2007 09:06:26 AM
That's true....
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/01/2007 05:41:24 AM
I'm not overly happy with the appearance of the processing on this photo. It perhaps could of been made more interesting with a less centred crop also?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/31/2007 05:20:58 AM
main parts ar out of focus, looks a bit oversaturated
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/30/2007 10:58:37 PM
Great idea, but for maximum impact I'd really want all of it to be perfectly sharp. The skin texture is the key element in an image like this, but some of it is lost due to the blurry focus. But the lighting, colors, and composition are all good!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/30/2007 09:47:15 PM
just doesn't appeal to me...sorry.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/30/2007 08:31:07 PM
I'm speechless.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/30/2007 03:22:31 PM
a brave and beautiful image. i just wish wish wish the focus were better. i'd love to give you top marks to counteract all the people who will socre you down for not showing fashion model skin...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/30/2007 01:26:28 PM
Weird processing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/30/2007 12:10:09 PM
My first though was "ouch" but my second thought was "Hey man, nice light!" The truth of life is not always centerfold pretty!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/30/2007 10:32:20 AM
Excellent shot... nicely captured and well lit.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/30/2007 01:17:57 AM
hmm...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 10:48:59 PM
very interesting photog. Great shot
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 08:59:40 PM
Tough to look at, but I've got to give you credit. Technically sound, well lit. 7
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 08:16:36 PM
You brave, bold soul! extra points for doing something I value and have yet to do for myself (to be unconventionally daring).
I will assume that you deliberately left the skin texture to look like the foreign redness of Mars, as it adds to the effect and intent of the photo (for me at least)
:)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 06:52:16 PM
I appreciate what you're doing here. However,the butt, which is the focal point of the photo, is out of focus. The color is disquieting to me, as well as the blacked out area between the legs.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 04:07:53 PM
This is probably the hardest image to comment on as I hate it. But in hating it I love it as it brings up emotion. The processing in creating the black is a little badly done between the legs. Respect for posting it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 03:56:07 PM
Bold. Bold. Well-executed.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 01:20:36 PM
Strange colouring. doesn't work for me I'm afraid.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 10:25:08 AM
This is just a brilliant portrait, but I just wish it were more in focus!!! It's been smoothed or blurred or is just OOF..? I would have given this such a high mark if it were clearer.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 09:39:56 AM
something to consider...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 06:57:31 AM
Man this looks as if an elephant has two trunks. Well then what do i know.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 04:36:20 AM
YUCK!! :( and a bad magicwand thing going on between the legs.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 04:32:15 AM
yea it happens to us all 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 03:58:32 AM
that just ain't right!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 03:25:28 AM
Interesting message. I'm afraid I don't really like the processing done to this image. The clipping is quite noticeable on the inner upper thighs. There seems to be a strange blur/softness, but maybe that is just from the processing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 01:33:58 AM
Too orange.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 01:20:17 AM
That is some wicked tone mapping, I think.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 01:18:26 AM
hehe
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 01:17:12 AM
i dont know what to say about this, its kinda groses me out lol(sorry :( ) too much burning and stuff, dont like this much sorry
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 12:51:46 AM
I really need to see that!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 12:33:14 AM
Oh dear... hehe! This would be a better shot if it were more in focus, but I really love the concept. It is an interesting change from other shots, and a good reminder of the how quickly time passes by.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/29/2007 12:20:21 AM
terrifying...but interesting processing...
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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