The Dance

I've been staring at this for a few moments now, trying to get a better sense of just why I find it so compelling. I understand what the other comments are getting at regarding the high contrast, but I'm not sure I agree. The shiny bits effectively highlight the lines of the girls' faces, for one thing. The high contrast certainly emphasizes the impact. Since I'm not at all certain that the contrast should be different -- or maybe it should? I don't know -- I'm going to comment on what I find so enchanting.

 

The girl on the left has a "dreamy," ethereal sort of expression on her face while the girl on the right looks charmingly impish. While Left Girl seems peacefully engrossed in the simple pleasure of the moment, Right Girl looks like she's saying "I am going to do something unexpected and fun; watch!" This communicates a strong, caring bond between two girls who care about each, enjoy being with each other and trust each other.

 

The two girls are stunningly beautiful. Their faces as well as the overall lines of the scene are graceful and . . . perfect. I wonder if extending the crop so the arms and hands (top) could be seen would "extend the metaphor," as it were.

 

I wish I could suggest something more helpful. As it is, all I can say is...wow.

Micki, I really love the sense of motion and movement in this image. You have truly caught a moment in time and I can feel the dance continuing on even as I look at this still image. Its is hard to get that sense of continued motion and and continuation of time in a still image. I can almost feel the movement and feel a little unsteady looking at this. Given that this is what I most like about the image, I dislike removing the arms for this reason alone -- it really makes the image quite static.

 

I am in agreement with Gordon about the highlight and the skin tones of your daughter's friend in particular. I very much like the soft original image you posted further in the discussion (in preference to the 'softened' image Anthony posted or the sharpened image that started the page). In fact, if that image were simply larger I think that might be exactly what I'd want out of this work.

 

Returning to the posted version, I would also consider not having this cyan tone -- I feel that in combination with the blown highlight on the forehead it gives the illusion of an unhealthy complexion. I would really consider a warm toned version more moderately (if at all) sharpened. I spend a lot of time considering my toning when doing a B&W and recognize both how powerful a tool it is and how personal a decision on tone can be so I'd certainly understand any disagreement on this point in particular (or any of them actually!).

 

One last point, I really like your daughters gaze back into the camera it is somehow both engaging and helps to slightly ground ground the motion of the image. The image almost seems to turn around that point as if it were some fulcrum.

Roger, thankyou for enjoying this dynamic feel. You know I thought of your daughter some in that window when I saw this.

 

John, I never thought of those Masks. Wow that is true. I think that is great I should have thought of that. My daughter is very thrilled with it still.

 

Ger, thank you for liking the hair, the sparkle :)

Thank you for noticing the ines as I think that this is what is the best part of the picture. I too wish that I had gotten higher up in the crop but the camera didn't catch it.

 

Yes, it did feel like it was a dream. It was absolutely a great catch and boy I wish I would have gotten more pictures in the set but this was it.

The one thing I love most about this whole picture is the things I have learned about smooth vs sharpness. The way I can change them and make it so subtle but yet so different as you said. AND the fact that the color of the picture can also change it. You are right. I put it in this tone to make it look more like a dancing tone but in reality I wil probably print it in a warm tone AND in a softer look

 

Very strange the evolution of this picture.

 

I also agree that without my daughter looing at the picture and the light looking just right like it does it wouldn't be the same.

Very late to The Dance, and unable to explain how I've looked at this pic three other times and never followed through with a critique. Sometimes a lapse is just a lapse! Anyway, here goes...

 

This shot is very emotional and evocative for me and I love it. It goes from the darkest void to the brightest, beautiful hair, with soft and warm and dreamy expressions inbetween. The girl on the left looks like she is totally in the moment, almost like in a transe, a wonderful moment of immersion in peaceful grace and pleasure. The other girl is also happy, but more complex. She is, of course, looking directly into the camera, and with a look that says to me, "I see you seeing us having a wonderful time, and I'm so glad you're here to see us and to be happy, too." Just a marvelous moment.

 

As for technical thoughts, once again qualifying myself as no sort of expert, I think you may be trying to achieve the same high contrast effect that Fred is cultivating, though with extremely different subject matter and theme. At first I wasn't sure if I liked the slightly too sharp blonde hair, but I do like it and it works, especially as a balance and contrast to the inky blackness around the girls. The shine on the hair also provides a balance for the brightness of the right-hand girl's eye, to which *my* eye is repeatedly drawn. It looks to me like you have pretty significantly enhanced the contrast and sharpness, but I don't know enough to comment like Ian in regard to specific channels. That's something I want to learn more about. From my limited PS expertise (flattering myself to call it that) this doesn't look nearly as complex as some of the fancy post processing footwork I see in many of your photos, but I don't think any more is needed or would particularly add to the impact. There's a kind of simplicity to this image, overall, that I don't think I have proper words to describe, other than to say it looks refreshingly uncomplicated in both form and technique.

 

What would I change? Probably the hairs on the left-hand girl's shoulder, and the couple of strands between her hairline and right eyebrow. I'd be tempted to "fix" the skin in her right naso-labial fold, too, but it really isn't at all necessary. Having seen Pnina's and Anthony's modifications, I find I like theirs and yours, but I definitely favor yours the most. I agree there is too much of a suggestive quality if the arms are gone. With them there's a delightful innocense that I like and find most appropriate. I don't dislike Pnina's interpretation, but it is does have a very different and more serious feel to it. Anthony's softening is interesting and pleasant, giving the image a more dream-like quality... really becomes a different image and very likeable in it's own right.

 

So, now you know what I think, even if I'm many days late, but hopefully not too many dollars short!

 

Regards,

 

David

Just wasn't sure what you thought. LOL

 

You did see the one I uploaded in the comments that is not sharpened. That is how it was taken only put in B&W. It of course was taken in B&W.

 

I only fixed a few things and yes sharpened it.

 

Yes I have skills in Post Processing but I am trying so hard to get better at the camera skills. I have worked on other people's pics now I want to work on mine. The better the picture the easier to work with. YEP!

 

I stillhaven't decided if I like sharp or not. I think I like happy middle ground. I will be brushing of the little pieces of hair that is or sure.

 

Cleaning it up before printing it big.

 

Thanks for the critique. :)

I'm curious (yes, this is off topic) how large do you plan to print this and what kind of paper do you favor? Regards, David

I plan on only printing it about the size of a notebook size sheet of paper. This is special and one I want to keep. I wouldn't print this on flimsy paper myself it needs to be real photo(thick) paper.