Pregnancy...

Exceptionally I have to agree with Tony: I could not help to ask myself what the main thing could be that we amateur photographers can learn from current POW, the ability and the skill to stage such a kitschy scene (I do appreciate many other impressive pictures from the photographers portfolio, though)?

Sorry, I don't get it.

Congratulation to the author in achieving this composition. It is difficult enough to direct 5 sitters in a clad scene, NOT to mention in the Nude! The bright spot above the left hand of the center figure lifts this image from an "illustration" into the creative art section. This bright spot does act as a point of counter balance.

This is one of the most beautiful images I have ever seen! It captures the essense of pregnancy and femininity. I absoultly love the composition and the lighting! OUTSTANDING!

I feel very uncomfortable seeing this photograph. Maybe I'm one of the rare exceptions. But I cannot get the statement the photographer tried to make.

I really appreciate the spotlighting of a technique that is uncommon, and I especially appreciate the link to your very straightforward and easy to follow document on your technique. I don't think this is the best example of your work or range of skills.

 

My first thoughts when I looked at this were of Marilyn Manson and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. Sure enough, a lot of your pictures look very similar to the genre prevalent among their music videos. Neatly composed but a little creepy or eerie with a significant element of eroticism. Using style and technique to evoke a response as opposed to capturing some slice of life or uniquely documenting some place or person. You do this better than most people who try to rely heavily on style and your portfolio shows a huge range of creativity and ability.

 

This image seems to be begging for the viewer to read into it a deeper context, which many have done above. But I can't get a coherent message to form in my head. Maybe something Christian and relating to salvation or maybe something about the other non-pregnant women contemplating their own potential future pregnancies with the main subject as their mentor, or maybe something about the pain of childbearing and birth placed upon Eve (nobody in the picture looks happy). Maybe even a contemplation by the non-pregnant women on how their physical forms will change with pregnancy, or alternately, the pregnant woman presenting how her form has evolved with pregnancy. The pregnant woman's face (half hidden), hair, arms and hands seem to have a masculine tone while her breasts and abdomen are decidedly female, again contrasting with the forms below her which present the beauty of the female body without the signatures of a pregnant womb or lactation. I'm not sure. There are a lot of ways to look at this. I just can't put it all together.

 

The light spot doesn't bother me but I keep looking at the pregnant woman's right hand and the way it looks like her fingers are shorter than expected and that her hand looks like a mitten. Is this maybe an artifact of movement of her fingers during the painting process? The bracelet or watch does seem out of place, and I think I see an anklet down there. I like that one of the models is looking at the viewer to acknowledge our being here.

 

For me this is a very interesting picture, interesting to study and it invites analysis through your technique, but while clever and stylish and brooding, it seems to be asking you to believe in something because its cool and intriguing rather than because it embodies a carefully wrought concept or idea. That isn't a bad thing, and a lot of people love this, so maybe I'm just full of it.

 

Congratulations, you have a very impressive body of work and you have some terrific models that you clearly appreciate.

Hi Emil,

This is very original, sensible and expressive photo. It is also quite impressive to note that a shutter speed in excess of 30 sec and all the models can hold still perticularly the pregnant woman.

Brillant work.

I like this pic very much, beautifully structured, but shadows are a bit too dark

Even if Schildt copied the style of Gericault's work, would that be bad ? In the ultimate analysis, is there really anything that is truly original ? His technique is impressive, his interpretation of the topic inspiring and his presentation tastefull.

 

Gericault would be pleased, I would think.

Emil, congratulation to you that your work has been chosen for the POW! Inspite of some comments you received, I think this is a fine work...it doesn't really matter how it is categorized. I believe one can express their thoughts and ideas through photography, which is pretty easy nowadays with all the gadgets available. However, great work like yours is not simply photography, it embraces one's artistic talent in fine tuning the techniques to bring out the mood, feeling and context of the photo - this requires PASSION! The entire composition is giving strength to a theme showing the pregnant woman embraces womanhood, sisterhood and protection - it is fasinating! In addition, your artistic light painting has significantly set the mood and feeling in the photo to bring it alive! Excellent - a great theme and tribute to all women and "Womanhood", which are often regarded as sex object only.

 

In conclusion, a great work like this one, truly is ART in it's purest sense! Art and Photography embrace each other ! :-)

My comparison with Gericault's painting was not at all a critique. It was a reference to a current in arts you seem to meet somewhere somehow.

I wish to thank the people who liked and disliked this image and who explained WHY. To me, the beauty of the present image remains his ambiguity... This image is everything but sain and healthy and joyful. That, to me, is part of its originality. The other part being the masterful use of a technique rarely applied successfully to photograph models - especially large sets.

My only 2 regrets about this POW selection:

1) The light near the hand, which surely detracts from where attention should be - the models.2) I understand why this particular image was chosen, but I feel somehow - and it seems I'm not the only one -, that "In the warm room" would have been an even better selection. The present image is more spectaclar, but the "warm room" has an absolutely amazing and rare beauty, and a far more subtle originality - imo.

This would be your fourth best image in your portfolio so far, for me... I hope to see more of your work, and I'd like to read more comments by Emil Schildt on Photo.net in the near future. Thanks a lot for your previous replies in this thread.

A very striking effort but marred by some technical faults. Is it a portrait of a mother and her children? If so, one person's face being hidden really diminishes the effectiveness of the image and it's value as a portrait. The bright spot over the left hand of the mother stands out and really competes visually with the rest of the image. The photographer missed the obvious opportunity to brighten the mother's head and the backdrop behind it to accentuate the spiritual nature of the act of motherhood.

1 - Bright spot. 2 - So much more space on right than on left. 3 - Less space over head than on foreground. 4 - Hallelujah sugary kind of poses. 5 - Studio kind of picture. This would be better at the shore, with waves and sky. But they are nude, and want to model nude only inside and on World Wide Web.

Am i wrong or when you say "apologies to those who can not surf the web at work" you´re claiming this could somehow be a scandalous picture to look at but in a private environment?. Please let me know what that comment is about, it might promote an interesting exchange of opinions.

Emil, GREAT shoot and very interesting technique. Thanks a lot for sharing, I´m eager to test it myself and post here as soon as I get some decent results (if I ever do).

Surely the best folder on photo.net or anywhere else for that matter!

Hi, i just wanted to say that i do like the pictures, but not really as photographs. But that doesn't really matter. The only thing that lacks in this particular picture, is the light on the 2nd girl from the left. If i look from a distance, she seems to be the subject of your photo. But now, the pregnant women disturbs the picture. Too many possible subjects is the problem here. One clear subject would make this perfect! I think i'd like the picture more when the 2nd girl was the real subject. No bright spots besides on her face would be all right!

I think you did a great job. It is only nature.

Being a mother myself I found this photo a great complement to motherhood. And about that spot my first reaction was that it is somewhat shaped like an egg symbolizing fertility it also is a repetitive shape of the pregnant womans belly. Beauty is really in the eye of the beholder and has a different emotional impact on everyone. Great job.

This has to be one of the most beautiful images on photo.net

Wonderful work...

What a wonderful concept. I just love this!

 

 

 

Geeze! A triangle is a pretty basic shape. Almost alittle too basic to give all of the credit to an old painter of whom not that many people really care of. There is something simple to understand: Art is both personal appeal and self expression. It's different to everyone and it's not worth argueing over.

This is a GREAT shot, original and provocative. Very tastefully done.

What I like is the poses of the three seated women whose face we can see. They suggest to me (in order from left to right) longing, knowledgeability, and prayerfulness or care, all of which I associate with motherhood and pregnancy. One thing which I wish was different about the piece is the arms of the standing woman. Perhaps lowering or softening the lines of her arms would make her seem more protective of the younger women, rather than distant or removed from them, standing as far back from them as she is.

wow this is like a classic