Feminine Mystique

This was an experimental low-key portrait, using a backlight, fill

light three stops under normal for skin tone placement in gray zones

2 & 3. Then I added a small, distant hard light to get specularity

in the lip gloss, cameo, and eyes.

 

My intention was to evoke mystery. What do you think?

perhaps just a bit more light on her face would make her less scary....perhaps that is their mystique

This is a greate shot! Having said that I dont know if the file is at a low res or what but it looks like a scrached scaned negitive. Try sending an upresed file (200 dpi)

Please keep in mind that this is completely a matter of taste, but it doesn't work for me. If I didn't read your extensive description of how you arrived at this, my first impression was that one of your strobes failed to go off. After reading, I looked at it for a while trying to see what you were going for - but alas, I don't. Again, a matter of opinion, perhaps I simply have more proletarian tastes :)

It goes without saying that I don't doubt your abilities, as I love much of what you have in your portfolio - I suppose this one just doesn't do it for me.