| Author | Thread |
|
|
09/25/2004 12:06:12 AM · #1 |
I'm working on my people-portraiture and took this shot. The idea was to take an artistic shot of the model that showed the tattoo on her lower back. I'm not happy with the large amount of blank space on the wall, but, if there was something there, would it be distracting? The tattoo is small and I don't want too much going on in the shot, but I'm afraid that the shot looks too spartan. Please critique.
Many thanks
- Heather
 |
|
|
|
09/25/2004 12:22:07 AM · #2 |
I think you could tighten the shot by zooming in a bit on the buttocks and back, accentuating the curve of the hips (maybe drop the left arm out of sight?) and the tattoo, while eliminating some of the negative space on the wall. Is there any particular reason you're going for grain? I like to see this shot a little crisper.
Very nice nude. |
|
|
|
09/25/2004 12:51:32 AM · #3 |
You can accentuate that curve a bit more by not only dropping the left arm out but also having her rest a bit on her right elbow, or propering her up a bit from a pillow to create more of an angle.
great job. |
|
|
|
09/25/2004 12:59:08 AM · #4 |
You asked for opinions... I'll do my best to provide a helpful critique. The composition looks pretty good - approximating 1/3 foreground, 1/3 subject and 1/3 top space with a little extra air up top. I like it, except for the left arm breaking the flow of her side.
It does look spartan though, which is odd since there's a lot going on in the shot - the texture in the sheet, the curves and shadows of the model and the headboard and shadows in the corner. The image has a digital grain to it that is also a bit distracting - grain isn't bad, but this is a pattern enough to distract.
There is a lack of contrast, as well - I'm sure you wanted a soft look, but the contrast is a little too gray. It's great along the top edge of the thigh - well separated from the wall.
Basically... in the interest of focusing the viewer's attention on your subject - lose the headboard, have a clean solid background (if any at all) and use a directional light source to highlight the curves and shape of your model. The sheet is okay, but if setup in a more flowing, complimentary way that accentuates the model, that would be ideal (as opposed to hiding so much of her).
Also, if you plan on shooting this nude again, let the model know that on the day of the shoot, she is NOT to wear a bra or underwear that will leave indentations in the skin as are visible on her back here. They take a while to go away.
Play with poses and lighting and composition until you find something that really pleases you.
Most of all, have fun doing it. I hope this has been helpful and is only my humble opinion on the matter. Thanks for sharing. |
|
|
|
09/25/2004 01:40:39 AM · #5 |
I agree with the comments above, especially about losing the headboard and changing the overall brightness.
The character means 'hope'. |
|
|
|
09/25/2004 02:07:19 AM · #6 |
Thank you all for your comments so far. You have brought up some wonderful points that I would have never considered. Animes2k, I didn't even think about the indentations that undergarments can cause on skin. Wonderful food for thought. Yes, that headboard. I agree that it should be excluded on the next time around. As for the grain, I like grain in b&w and used the slow shutter speed to accentuate it. Too much grain here perhaps... I'm looking forward to reshooting this will all your suggestions in mind. On a side note, after I shot this, I noticed that my camera had been set to underexpose by 1-1/3, which is where, I believe, my lack of contrast is coming from.
Lessons learned. Thanks to you all. |
|
|
|
09/25/2004 03:26:06 AM · #7 |
Heather,
I'm glad you've found some of this helpful. Regarding grain... I'd say to go for the smoothest, highest-quality color image you can get out of the camera (more light?).
You can add the grain in photoshop (or similar program). There you have more control over the final look of the shot, can control your black and white conversion, and always have the full-quality color image to work from. There are some pretty nice b/w conversion techniques out there and post-processing the grain will give a more true and pleasing "grain" than the digital noise your camera will introduce.
Good luck!
Message edited by author 2004-09-25 03:26:56. |
|
|
|
09/25/2004 03:40:33 AM · #8 |
I would try maybe a bit diffrent position.
The model bottom is closest to the camera now and it makes it look larger than it realy is.
I agree about the hand but I would also crp the picture from above the knee.
You might try more light, It's possible to get cheep halogin lights 500w for the most hardware stores.
|
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 09/13/2025 08:03:42 AM EDT.
