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Careful use of light and even strong filters to present a unique photograph of worth.

Tonary:

449060715_Zz9on-XL.jpg


Enjoy!
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi Nikolai,

It's a huge challenge to use the commercial filters that change the appearance of surfaces to become fantastic and yet retain a good quality of esthetic experience. Here you have started out with an excellent and lithe model, a simple swirl of fabric and lighting that gets better with each shoot. Here you have used a filter, I believe from Photoshop, which is risky.

However, I feel you have ended up with a presentable image. I'd love to see a print and invite you to send it to me and we may include it in a print sharing portfolio.

I'd like to see more of this model in the same series here and discuss how you have decided how far you need to go with this effect, what is the minimum to make it effective? Is it there now?

Thanks for sharing this esthetically risky photograph. Why is it risky? Well it straddles between bottled kitsch and creative work. That's O.K., at least there's tension. Is it crap or is it art!

Asher
 
The original title of this image was "Grendel's Modor". If you saw the animated feature "Beowulf", you'll catch my drift..:)

And yes, using off-the-shelf filter (in combination with a few othr thing, of course) was a risk I took. I think it was worth it. She apparently thinks it too, since she made it her avatar and keeps using it for two month and counting:)
But I wouldn't go as far as using it all the time. In fact, this time around I'd like to present the original, full-color versions of the what I got (I also have BWs)

#1: Pensive:

448899502_pXzWt-XL.jpg


#2: Joy:

443884884_GAoUz-X2.jpg


#3: Twirl:

449225688_mfuQ4-XL.jpg


#4: Boatload of Hair:

449799402_QB9mk-L.jpg


This post was made with the assistance of Star*Explorer
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi Nikolai,

I'm so happy that I chose to spend more time on each picture. I commend you for moving away from that Thousand Oaks hilltop although it's romantic. This work hold a lot more promise. She's lovely. Did you add the turn of cloth on here breast or was it in the original picture?

It's interesting in that I've been looking at some ballet pictures from China and these have some of the same quality.

Is she a dancer? Could you share with us the lighting you used?

Asher
 
I don't think she's a dancer, but she's been capable of following my instructions very nicely :)

Setup: nothing magical: two 2'x4' grided rims, one 2'x3' grided hair, one 7' grided fill, one 20-deg grided key for the face and a bit of 3'x4' white reflector on the floor:

440691487_u7pqL-L.jpg


HTH
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
I like the quality of light. The rim gives a gentle shaping of the light. I guess this is not portable!
 
I like the quality of light. The rim gives a gentle shaping of the light. I guess this is not portable!
I guess it depends on what do you mean by a portability:). I can tear down the whole thing and pack it into the back of my Murano in 1hr 30 min top (45 minutes with an assistant who knows what to do), and then erect the whole thing back in about the same time. I actually did that a few times already :) And I must say, having the full studio lighting (with booms, softboxes, modeling lights etc) outdoors make you feel a little bit like Spielberg :) lol
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi Nik,

Back to the pictures. What filter did you use in the first picture, I think it's a standard photoshop filter, but it's done well. Looks like an Oscar statuette! Is she a model or an actress or just someone with little background and her entry to photographic work. I'm impressed with both of you. Not to make your head to big for your shoulders, you have moved up in the ladder and that is great to observe. This is esthetically the best work you have done that I've seen.

Asher
 
Hi Nik,

Back to the pictures. What filter did you use in the first picture, I think it's a standard photoshop filter, but it's done well. Looks like an Oscar statuette! Is she a model or an actress or just someone with little background and her entry to photographic work. I'm impressed with both of you. Not to make your head to big for your shoulders, you have moved up in the ladder and that is great to observe. This is esthetically the best work you have done that I've seen.

Asher

It was a combination of a few filters from artistic section in PS CS4, don't remember which ones. The metallic look was intentional (again, cf. Beowulf). She is a (aspiring) model, not a big name yet, though.
 
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