• Please use real names.

    Greetings to all who have registered to OPF and those guests taking a look around. Please use real names. Registrations with fictitious names will not be processed. REAL NAMES ONLY will be processed

    Firstname Lastname

    Register

    We are a courteous and supportive community. No need to hide behind an alia. If you have a genuine need for privacy/secrecy then let me know!
  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

To Do, or Not To Do, That Is The Question ~ Elaine

John Kok

New member
This is Elaine

#1
IMG_5845.jpg
#2
IMG_6048.jpg


#3
IMG_6006.jpg






My full work on Elaine is composed of 30 + photos, should you have an interest, please visit my full work on Elaine here

I would really appreciate it if you can let your thoughts be known to me in this thread after you have seen my work =)



_____________________________________________________________


Experimental Concept

My artwork is about combining all of the impressions from of all of the photos of the model. In every set I have more than 30 photos, all displayed in a specific format arranged to simulate the layout of a Triptych (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triptych) but modified to for website publish

Another example can be those of Egyptian wall art
egypt.jpeg


Other words you must consider all of these photos plus the words in my article about the model for it to work. Its sort of like a macro scale kind of thing.

My experiment is about being able to accurately express a person using this means.


Approach

I capture my subjects exactly as they are despite what she says about herself and what she does in the pictures

I minimize my influence and bias in the subject by providing minimal direction and art guidance, hence minimizing influence contamination.

Everything in the photos, everything in each word and sentence belongs to the subject and none of mine.

All of this raw data is completely up to the audience to process and interpret to their heart’s content =D

Telling me your interpretation will definitely help me a lot ! So please do =)

As for the background and place i choose, this sort of captures an element of fate to my work. Its like it is fate that we have to shoot at this place at this particular moment ( i hope i am making sense )
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
This is Elaine

John,

Wow!

I'd assert that you have just begun, even with the 30 pictures on your website), of who Elaine "is". More of that later!

I minimize my influence and bias in the subject by providing minimal direction and art guidance, hence minimizing influence contamination.

Your influence is major! Just asking her to arrive for these shots in some place and not another is already narrowing how she will be seen. The fact that you are a photographer and the she has a sense of what modernity might expect, again perturbs showing her as she really is.

Everything in the photos, everything in each word and sentence belongs to the subject and none of mine.

John,

You take the picture from a particular place, height and angle, don't you? Who decided on the lens, aperture and depth of field. you made thousands of decisions. Did you ever smile at her, not your head or give her a complement or not be satisfied yet? All these are major social influences which alter the subject's face, pose, mood and gestures.

My impression is still a very positive one. I like the project, but it's harder than your methodology would imply. Some photographers have devoted many years for this sort of intimate description of a person through images. There are multiple veils that have to be passed before one gets to image a real person. You are on the right tract. Just that it's far more challenging than first appears.

However, for a collection of pictures of your delightful Elaine, your work is, indeed, such a gentle treat!

Asher
 
Last edited:

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
John,

These pictures of Elaine pique our interest immediately. We see a series of fun poses by a young impish looking pretty asian young woman.


#1
IMG_5845.jpg



#2
IMG_6048.jpg



#3
IMG_6006.jpg


The experience in looking at the pictures is agreeable, like you sharing a picture of someone you would like a friend to meet. These then work as "pictures of introduction", and for that reason so delightful. There's no attempt at professional hair styling or make up. Rather these look like fun snap shots of a girl friend or sister on a vacation as mementos, or what he would send to her boyfriend. So from this standpoint, there is a sense of naturalness, lack of pretense and, seemingly, "truth" too. The latter, however, is addressed in my previous post, above.

I Enjoyed the rest of your series. This one is my favorite:


IMG_5439.jpg

Here she's brimming with teenage fun and delight! I'm sure her family will love this!

Asher
 

John Kok

New member
John,

Wow!

I'd assert that you have just begun, even with the 30 pictures on your website), of who Elaine "is". More of that later!



Your influence is major! Just asking her to arrive for these shots in some place and not another is already narrowing how she will be seen. The fact that you are a photographer and the she has a sense of what modernity might expect, again perturbs showing her as she really is.



John,

You take the picture from a particular place, height and angle, don't you? Who decided on the lens, aperture and depth of field. you made thousands of decisions. Did you ever smile at her, not your head or give her a complement or not be satisfied yet? All these are major social influences which alter the subject's face, pose, mood and gestures.

My impression is still a very positive one. I like the project, but it's harder than your methodology would imply. Some photographers have devoted many years for this sort of intimate description of a person through images. There are multiple veils that have to be passed before one gets to image a real person. You are on the right tract. Just that it's far more challenging than first appears.

However, for a collection of pictures of your delightful Elaine, your work is, indeed, such a gentle treat!

Asher

Asher,

Yes indeed, 30 photos is hardly enough to completely express a person as each of our manifestations of personality is highly complexed

Yes, truth, I try to standardize what I can. By standardizing a particular element, I render it a constant.

In physics ( high school physics at least ), sometimes the variable which is constant can be considered negligible to the equation. This is what I am trying to do, to render as many variables into constants as possible.

Yes, the tough part of it is that my very presence presents an influence in itself, let alone 1000000 other factors and variables. Hence, I leave some of those factors and variables to express Elaine's fate ;-) a bit too conveniently hahaha

Otherwise I standardize the lens I use, the way I dress, I try to be myself as much as possible on all my shots so I too can be "standardized" as much as possible lolz and yes, the place, the angle and composition are all standardized.

Yes, I know its an uphill climb, but each point of view and feedback given to me makes my every step forward that much easier.

haha thank you very much for your kind words and encouragement ! I shall work harder on introducing more improvements ! =)



John

John,

These pictures of Elaine pique our interest immediately. We see a series of fun poses by a young impish looking pretty asian young woman.


#1
IMG_5845.jpg



#2
IMG_6048.jpg



#3
IMG_6006.jpg


The experience in looking at the pictures is agreeable, like you sharing a picture of someone you would like a friend to meet. These then work as "pictures of introduction", and for that reason so delightful. There's no attempt at professional hair styling or make up. Rather these look like fun snap shots of a girl friend or sister on a vacation as mementos, or what he would send to her boyfriend. So from this standpoint, there is a sense of naturalness, lack of pretense and, seemingly, "truth" too. The latter, however, is addressed in my previous post, above.

I Enjoyed the rest of your series. This one is my favorite:


IMG_5439.jpg

Here she's brimming with teenage fun and delight! I'm sure her family will love this!

Asher

Asher,

haha thank you very much for your kindness

Indeed, its almost, i would say, 30 % of a general impression of who she is in real life.

Shes a very energetic, maybe a little frantic young lady who is full of positivity and an air of natural charm which captivates too easily.

The first time I heard her through the phone, her personality already shone through haha

My only regret is that I am unable to express that remaining 70% of how she was in my work, hopefully as time progresses, I am able to attain a higher level of accuracy in these terms.



John

Hi, Asher, John,

Myself! (Texan for "moi aussi".)

Best regards,

Doug

haha thank you !

John,

From Doug and my reaction, I think your talent s to go after the joy of life!

Asher

I feel blessed to be a part of this community =)
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
John,

You might be interested in this thread too. It deals with the idea of art that's left to the viewer entirely. There's also a link to a portraitist worthy of studying for inspiration and approach to his subjects.

Asher
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
John,

I post a lot of snapshots such as these. That's what they are; fun snapshots., memories for me.

Are they good? They indeed show us images of a beautiful young girl, full of life, impish as some have called her; but other than that ...

To depict the character of the woman ( lady ) needs much more than distance wa shots posted here.

The narrative to help us understand your work does not seem to have any relevance..to me at least. The Egyptian heirographics ( spelling! ) are a story of customs, rituals, spirituality, way of life and death of a civilization. They are like a holy book. They depict the Son of RA.

I like to see one image; maybe with some contextual brief title or narrative. Not 30 or more frames
to appreciate what is being posted.

Your images are , to me , nothing but snapshots of a young girl/lady at various times and various places/occasions.

I love my snapshots too! They are my most precious possessions.

On to the link; I find better images of Elaine. But honestly a woman cannot go through all the emotions mentioned in one shoot!

Regards.
 
Top