dont loose it...

"The lock of hair between her cheek and ear that distracts me a little, and her hands, which seem a little too large for a girl her age." I think you are distracted too easily, and indeed many of the people commenting here are easily distracted by aspects of this photograph that do detract from its effectiveness and success in the least. It's like criticizing ee cummings for not using upper case letters, or discounting Joyce because Finnegan's Wake was really confusing.

There is this tendency among photographers to obsess about technical minutia, demand technical perfection and completely miss the sharply refined point of the artwork. They may prefer a "clear picture of a fuzzy concept" or the post modern equivalent offered here, a fuzzy picture of a concept that is much too clear.

"too light here, that curl there, the fingernails, too sharp, too wide, a "cut out artifact", distracting background". This is all irrelevant criticism [to me] of this image (especially given the nature of low rez forum posted images), as things may all essential to the intentions of the photographer, which almost no one seems to want to accept as a better point to begin discussion about the artwork's validity.

Gundega Dege, thanks for your work. I hope you don't mind if I rip you off (that background technique ROCKS!) Were the scrim and trees actually in the same exposure as the young girl?

Very Victorian, outstanding ~ well, except for the working hands on this young lady.

Tom, If the viewer doesn't connect with the photo or art work, that's OK. All viewers have the privilege to like or dislike a photo or artwork. It just means that they don't feel anything or get anything out of the piece of work. The hands make me dislike the photo, I like everything else about it but, I have to weight all aspects and this is, one thumb up and one thumb down.

I believe it's entirely possible to appreciate an artwork to the fullest extent, yet still wish for some improvement, or change, or difference, however small. It's the nature of a creative mind to imagine change, even in a masterpiece. Show me the perfect photograph because perfect concepts are a dime a dozen. Is it fair to say that what we're all about here is the perfect photographic execution of the perfect concept?

I don't like the model, angle, pose, lens... whatever that makes the model looks like a cross between an adult and a child. Half-way toward grotesque? Anyhow, don't like it. Good photoshop work though.

Listen people, try to look at it as not "clear " photography its more like a digital art work - photo painting, its nothing to do with choise of lenses etc. I have simply used standard kit lense as well as photographed Linda on the balcony of my house, be more crative dont look so particulary os so small detales, its more piece of art...

when I first saw this picture, it reminded me of the "Miss America for kids" show.. the show in which parents try to transform their little kids into women they are not (yet). "Try not to lo(o)se it?" Well what does she know about love, she's just a kid! :) The PS work is quite good but the picture doesn't work well for me as a whole maybe more because I don't like the idea.. It's more pleasant than the previous PoW but another choice I don't quite understand. Regarding small details, the hands are a little of a problem in terms of proportions but also the dark area at the top right corner I think should be cropped off. Anyhow, the choice of this picture, all in all, is again about rewarding the merits of post-processing more than creativity, originality and technical aspects... (I think)

Don't mistakes minor criticisms for ignorance, dislike, or disrespect. In a gallery, such criticisms would not be appropriate, however, in this forum, we expect to voice our opinions, pro or con, without fear of ridicule, name calling, or rebuke. If I didn't have other things to do with my scant resources, I would gladly purchase every photograph Gundega has produced. She is an amazing artist and I wish I had even 1/10th of her talent.

 

But that doesn't mean every photograph she creates is perfect. Although minor imperfections should not concern us, we are expected to discuss them here. No one knows everything about photography, and most of us know less how to make a good photograph than how to identify one. We know what we know, and that knowledge, consciously or unconsciously, is applied to every photograph we view. Even though I look at this wonderful image and appreciate so much about it, I am aware of details that, to me, could have been handled better. For instance, I have read, been told, and have learned on my own, that a short lens used close to a subject creates distortion. In this photograph, Linda's hands, the part of her body closest to the camera, seem disproportionally large. Gundega says she made this photograph on the balcony of her house, so she probably didn't have the physical space to back up and use a longer lens. Still, she took her idea, her skills, the tools at hand, and created this image. Thank you, Gundega, that you didn't say to yourself, "I don't have enough space to make this picture. I think I'll watch TV instead."

 

Some of us cannot help but to look so particularly at the small details, but this does not negate our ability to appreciate artistic merit, and hopefully, it is the very discipline that will make us better photographers. Some of us have great ideas and no photographic ability, while others know all about art, yet can't manage a camera. A few here, Gundega included, possess the ability to conceive powerful ideas and skillfully translate them into beautiful images.

Tom, I'm not sure whether or not your question is rhetorical, but I think the background is painted canvas, not a scrim with trees behind it. I doubt, also, that Gundega has a forest on her balcony.

 

Googling "painted canvas backdrops" brings up this site:

 

http://forwardevents.easywebstore.co.uk/contentitempage~ContentID~294037.aspx

Truly meaningful!

When I'm looking at the picture, I can feel a victory in your life.

On a deeper level I think your daughter is your presentation of yourself. A heart in her hands simbolizes your healed heart and soul.

She is your truly guardian angel. A symbol of everything that come in the end, like hope.

 

Best regards from me.

This is a wonderful photo. The mood, the lighting and composition are all just about as good as it gets. Nice work!

Doug, another possibility may be that the background is a textured plaster wall (the balcony wall?) with a picture of trees and some texture digitally added and blended with it. Of course, Gundega doesn't have to explain if she thinks that will destroy the magic, but why don't we just ask her? I wish such beautifully subtle backgrounds had been available when my children were having their 'Zellers specials'.

Hi Gundega!

It is a celebration to see your work on this spot, the Photograph of the week! Congretulations most of all. I participated also in the 'Naarden Fotofestival', in the tent of Krijn a couple of weeks ago. For me it is a breakthrough when I see this kind of photography getting the recognision it deserves.... For me this is Art. Art brings feelings and emotions. Sometimes in a different manner than 'plain' photography.

You've created a mood here. A mood so personal and captivating.... I know that this spot is above all used for critisism and tips, but this is more a vision than a perfect, technical image. And it touched me, thank you!

Ok ok just a little bit about the post processing, the photo itself is made outside premises on the balcony the 2 textures are added afterwards in photoshop, i use free textures that everybody can use for instance from deviantart.com stock , afterwards I have used some colorize filters to get the feeling of an pastel painting, the girl itself looks older and there s nothing to do with me, she is thats the way she is, you can look on the rest of the folder anf you will agree, she is very serious child!

look for instance hre you will se how she is ! http://www.sundewart.com/index.php?pg=1&cat=Linda%20BW

Kezia, you might be right, but I remember a friend from way back, an excellent portrait and family photographer named Donna Billingsley from Media, Pennsylvania. She had a few backgrounds similar to what we see here and I always marvelled how they set the mood so effectively. It just makes me want to go out and buy one myself, except it would sit out in the garage with my other backdrops that I haven't used for 10 or 15 years.

is like a dream.

I saw a pictures of your daughter on the web. It is amazing how she looks like a little woman. And your talent to make her more sincere is remarkable. You did really emotional and dramatic photos, full of real life on her face. Her face is very expresive and she likes beeing photographed. You have interesting relationship with doughter.

It's cool and awesome!

well, I don't think you have to justify your work at all. It is obvious you are a fantastic digital photographic artist. This is fabulous. Thanks for sharing!

vallery

Just too formal, posed, coifed, etc, for my taste. Years from now, will you be able to look back and say that's the way it was? Depends on your objective. Obviously very well done, but not my cup of tea.

"Years from now, will you be able to look back and say that's the way it was?"... again my point is made.

Some people... many people, think this is a portrait, despite all the metaphorical symbolism, despite the artists verbal description of the concept it clearly illustrates, despite all the conversation here about this very point. Mendel still thinks this "apple" makes a lousy "orange" rather than considering its value as an "apple" (and by the way, I'm speaking metaphorically).

While this image is a photograph of a young woman, this photograph was not made to be a portrait. She is in character, she is an archetype, she is an actor in a small play precisely scripted.

Even so, I think Gundega and her daughter will be able to look back at this image and say "that's the way we were, this is what we did together"... t

Hey Doug, those backgrounds you linked to are awful looking. I'm stringing fabric in the trees, even if that's not how this was done.

I also saw those backgrounds, and I wonder, are they making scenes from photography, too.

I like to take picture that looks as a background, such as water, sky, ground.

I like it and what your intent was. I noticed the bandage and wondered about the name. I think the dark space at the bottom does not help the image, it does not contribute to the mood that you want. Too stright, too quick a transition to be a drop off, just not in the right spot or something. I find that when I look at it, I get distracted by that dark line, I force myself to look above it. It makes it look like you can cut off the image there, but there is an ever so slight continueance of the dress and then I think something is covered up. Everything else is great.

I have one minor quibble about the photo and that is the piece of white fabric hanging out below her left hand. Because the human eye instinctively goes to whatever is light in an image, my eyes are drawn to this little distraction. I realize it is part of her dress, as is apparent in the white inner sleeve fabric on her right wrist. But this dangling piece of fabric is not connected or related to anything else; it is just there. Having said that, I want to stress that this is a minor quibble. I find the photograph poignant and haunting. Her style of dress, the heart with the bandage around it, the expression on her face, the background, the texture of the light--these all make for a very powerful image. It has a painterly quality about it that I love. Overall, I think this is an excellent and thoughtful piece of work. I find it has a meditative quality about it, inviting me, as good art should, to look at it again and again and to ponder its possible layers of meaning.

Beautiful lighting.

Reminiscent of medieval portraits. Interesting photo.