Free study outtake
by TOY

Comment by doug61853:
Love this!! Beautiful lighting and beautiful model!

Free study outtake
by TOY

Comment by FCJHNewYork:
she almost doesn't look real. stunning lighting, model, and I love the detail on the hair

Free study outtake
by TOY

Comment by canary:
Beautiful lighting, pose and of course stunning model. Toyan you're a lucky guy. Probably safe to say we're all a little jealous.

Free study outtake
by TOY

Comment by lovethelight:
fabulous! i love the highlights on her nose and shoulders, her hair gives some AWESOME textures to this,

Allure
by TOY

Comment by OmanOtter:

Originally posted by Toyan: OK... "Personally, I oppose making cigarettes look sexy. That's how you get young people started on that awful habit": you are making such a big deal out of it. Seriously mate, there is not a single movie in which Nicolas Cage isn't smoking. He is American and he plays in American movies (Brad Pitt is also having fun with ciggies in many many of his movies). Here is where I want to get: The comon point between photography and cinema is ART. No matter what you do with it, the cigarette has always been an utmost important accessory until today, and it's a fact. Answer to your last question: Yes it is a real cigarette but there wasn't smoke coming out in this particular shot. I had her smoking probably 10 ciggies but I eventually chose that picture. Shame isn't it ;)

But I'm not making a big deal about it at all. I was just expressing my opinion in the tamest of ways and just wondering whether the difference of opinion broke down along international lines according to our respective societies' tolerance and intolerance for smoking and respect for the rights of non-smokers. And what do I care about Nicolas Cage, Brad Pitt or Hollywood in general? But, I definitely disagree with you about the cigarette being an utmost important accessory today. In France, perhaps, which is unfortunate because I love France. But it's certainly NOT universal -- but then, I care nothing for fashion accessories. In much of the U.S. today (including New York City) it's illegal to smoke in bars and restaurants. It started in California and is sweeping the country. Thank God! Luckily, Omanis don't smoke too much (except the occasional sheesha).

Oh, and by the way, most of the major tobacco corporations of the world are American as well -- a fact which shames me. They target children with their advertising, deny the dangers and addiction of smoking, and manipulate the amount of nicotine in the cigarette in order to get new customers. Merchants of death, I say!

I love your work though.

Message edited by author 2007-08-11 08:40:53.

Free study outtake
by TOY

Comment by Ter:
stunning woman

Allure
by TOY

Comment by TOY:

Originally posted by OmanOtter: Interesting difference of opinion re: the cigarette. I wonder if it breaks down along national lines. Europeans, especially French, still smoke like chimneys; whereas, in the U.S., the rights of non-smokers are defended more vigorously. Personally, I agree that the cigarette in this picture takes a sexy woman and makes her undesirable. (She would smell bad; and kissing her would be like licking an ashtray). Toyan: I think it's odd that you didn't mark the anti-cigarette comments as helpful, since it gives you insight into the range of reactions to your photo. They're not comments against you. Personally, I oppose making cigarettes look sexy. That's how you get young people started on that awful habit. And it feeds the stock prices of the big tobacco corporations who manipulate the amount of nicotine in cigarettes to create the addiction. Anyway, my final comment relates to the first thing I noticed in the pic: how come there's no smoke coming from the cigarette? Is it really lit? Just curious.

OK... "Personally, I oppose making cigarettes look sexy. That's how you get young people started on that awful habit": you are making such a big deal out of it. Seriously mate, there is not a single movie in which Nicolas Cage isn't smoking. He is American and he plays in American movies (Brad Pitt is also having fun with ciggies in many many of his movies).
Here is where I want to get: The comon point between photography and cinema is ART. No matter what you do with it, the cigarette has always been an utmost important accessory until today, and it's a fact.
Answer to your last question: Yes it is a real cigarette but there wasn't smoke coming out in this particular shot. I had her smoking probably 10 ciggies but I eventually chose that picture. Shame isn't it ;)

Allure
by TOY

Comment by OmanOtter:
Interesting difference of opinion re: the cigarette. I wonder if it breaks down along national lines. Europeans, especially French, still smoke like chimneys; whereas, in the U.S., the rights of non-smokers are defended more vigorously. Personally, I agree that the cigarette in this picture takes a sexy woman and makes her undesirable. (She would smell bad; and kissing her would be like licking an ashtray). Toyan: I think it's odd that you didn't mark the anti-cigarette comments as helpful, since it gives you insight into the range of reactions to your photo. They're not comments against you. Personally, I oppose making cigarettes look sexy. That's how you get young people started on that awful habit. And it feeds the stock prices of the big tobacco corporations who manipulate the amount of nicotine in cigarettes to create the addiction. Anyway, my final comment relates to the first thing I noticed in the pic: how come there's no smoke coming from the cigarette? Is it really lit? Just curious.

Diane
by TOY

Comment by kevrobertson:
OK, teach me!
Just wonderful
I can't say how much i love your portraits
This is just beautiful

Free study outtake
by TOY

Comment by kevrobertson:
Just outstanding!