A certain gleam in her eye

I just realized I am not supposed to leave one word comments such as Bravo! I really loved your picture. Your subject connects with the camera/viewer wonderfully!

As perfect as it can get!! i love the choice of B/W

wonderful portrit, very nice tonalities congratulations

i dont like it this picture but i like it the eyes color of lady she is inocent .nice

I'll join Erik and G, to say that I like this portrait and prefer it to the other one, for the reasons they have indicated. But I'll add the following:

 

1) There's a black "hole" at the bottom left of the composition, and once you take the image in Photoshop and brighten this black hole, it appears that there were some details in this area - a couple of folds on her dress between her neck and her second hiden shoulder. These folds, in my view gave a nice 3D feel to her body, so I'm left wondering why they were darkened. The result is that there's only a single side of the body visible, and her front shoulder alone results in a 2D feel. My guess is that the photographer thougt the folds at the back were a distraction, and so he burned them in. A weak decision, I would say.

2) As shown, this POW has a VERY strong point: her expression. Once the second shoulder has been made to disappear in the dark, do we need her arm and this strong design on her shoulder ? Imo, no. They become a distraction and make me feel slightly uneasy because of the black hole, and because of the imbalance in the bottom part of the frame. I'd say: a crop to a square format is now the best choice, because the bottom adds nothing.

3) All that said, this is not, to me, an ordinary portrait, because this expression is extremely strong, and so, this is by no means a "standard" shot. It's a fantastic shot, partly - but just partly - spoilt by the few minor flows I described above.

 

In my view, this is really an excellent choice for POW, because there's a lot to be learned from studying the details that went right or wrong in a very simple portrait like this one. And I'll conclude with this: we need to get back to appreciating simple things, like an expression. I sometimes get the feeling on this site, that what's regarded as "original" is what's heavily photoshopped. No - not necessarily. Cleverness about details is what portraits like this are all about; that's what makes them either fail, either succeed. In my opinion.

Very pretty. For balance I don't care much for the heavily patterned fabric at lower right, but the portait itself is wonderful. -g-

Aaron, I just want to say IMO, this is PERFECT! It does what I would think every photographer wants their image to do - It captures the emotion of the subject as well as the viewer. I would not change anything about the breathtaking image of your daughter.

 

Congratulations on such a wonderful image!

 

deb

I tried what Marc mentioned - bringing out the detail in the shadows at lower left. I had to substantially change the level settings in the mask layer to do it, so I wonder whether Aaron really had to burn that area in. But more interestingly, seeing the detail there disturbed what I think is a nice diagonal from upper left to lower right. My exercise of enhancing the detail in that lower left area also brought out more detail on the right side of the girl's face (I thought I made a good mask layer - maybe not), and it made me notice how important it is that the right edge of her jawline recedes into shadow. It produces a softening effect to her face, which disappears if her jawline becomes sharply defined.

 

I was also interested in comments regarding the contrasty fabric on the girl's left shoulder. Perhaps it does grab your attention, but the girl's expression is so riveting, that the image still seems well-balanced to me. A very enjoyable discussion this week.

This suggestion is mostly meant to share this feeling I have, that the shoulder position with this 2D-like lighting was not the best to match a face that is, after all, really facing us. Here's how a square crop looks like, and I feel it leaves all distractions and awkwardness behind: more simple, more to the point, which is her expression.

I don't think it is a great portrait because it used too much Photoshop and treated a person as a still life object, not as a real person, especially her eyes. It didn't give a viewer's natural feel and kept a viewer from a distance. I think this picture as a person portrait is failed...

I've been looking at this picture for a day before daring to comment. But the attempted crop by a commentator, posted a couple of posts above this post, has convinced me that the inclusion of the vivid blouse is essential to the power of the portrait. It is the blouse, and its revelation of the youthful shoulder beneath, which gives the photo the powerful sense of gesture. The girl, who is quite obviously a girl and yet who is at the same time quite effectively trying to be grown up for this shot, is coiled like a catapult with her chin drawn in to her shoulder, and she's carrying that tension through the shot, and communicating it from her eyes (which eyes are, to me, unnaturally vivid - at least for a routine portrait, but here they work to communicate the energy i'm trying to describe).

 

By contrast, the "head only crop" seems to cut the cord of tension, so that the head is suddenly floating, cheshire like, in a static, and top-heavy manner. In fact, the head-only crop to me distorts the shape of the head by failing to provide any context to understand the intensity of the expression.

 

I also like the strong pattern used for the blouse, because the high-key quality enhances this feeling of potential energy. That, together with the slightly disarrayed hair, and the mona-lisa like pout, (and those eyes, already mentioned) make this photo explode out at the viewer like a bolt from a crossbow.

 

In other words, I liked it.

It says in the details that 2 studio strobes were used. It would be good to know the placement of the strobes and the reflector. Would be handy to copy a nice portrait with lovely expression.

I think Marc is underlining the dimension of the POW that everybody seem to underline in

their comments of this photo: The GLEAM. As such Marc's version above transports us all to

the message without small talk. But something is also lost by cropping away the shoulder of

the girl dressed in the soft tissue of a shirt. For me the shoulder in some way softens the

violence of the gleam and makes the scene into a gleam in the eyes of a child. Without it we

are left with the gleam, which I see as anything but sweet and seducing. Danger is written all

over the scene.

the two strobes appear to have been: one on camera (to give the catchlights dead on), and another above and to the right of the photographer (to create the shadow across the face).

Absolutely beautiful....I love the scarf or blouse!

This is not a perfect shot, but it is one hell of a beautiful portrait! We could argue to death on

how much it could be improved, but every time I look at it, to me it is just perfect, because it

capture a moment in time, an expression from one little girl; and finally the eyes are what

this photo is all about..

Cheers, and good work. Francois S.

Yea, I think it's a great photo, except eyes are too contrasty. Do you know what I mean? It feel like a doll you took a picture of. Over all it's a great photo. I like it.

Luv the close-up, cool. Good job.

An OMG Wow, btw is significantly higher than merely a 'wow'. So that is your 'daughter, the ham?' Would that mine should pose so nicely! The look you captured in her eyes is definately one-of-a-kind, and eerily beautiful all at the same time. Kudos on a photograph well taken.

 

VERY BEAUTIFUL!

Do you have a coloured version?

This would have to be up there with the best portraits of all time. Those eyes see straight through you and that hair, I love the highlights.

The eyes are captivating. The impression I get as well is a young lady who can't wait to grow up - an excellent photograph and by no means average. In my opinion a yardstick is a peak of excellence to be aimed at. First class in every respect.

Absolutely gorgeous!! Now, you have an excellent little subject, very photogenic. And I live the light sprinkling of freckles. Great job!

I like the basic photograph - it's very striking. She has a great face, beautiful eyes, and you've got a good pose going on.

However, my honest first thought was that this looks processed; the whites of her eyes seem a little too bright for that lighting, and there is a shadow (from a strand of hair) that appears to have been removed. I also wonder if her skin is that luminous and smooth because of processing - it seems to have too LITTLE comparative contrast (see her nostril shadow), which makes her eyes look even more different. The deep blackness burned in under her face contributes to the unusual effect, as well.

It's a constant conversation, organic vs. dramatic. Good choice for POW. It's made me look and it's made me think. Thanks!

those eyes definitely have alot to them. Awesome capture.