white demons

I notice that skin smoothing and shaping wasn't applied to the right arm of the model in the foreground (for instance, notice the lumpy elbow). Just a detail that Alfred could fix easily, if he feels it ought to be done, of course.

I couldn't do this, so I'll say "wow" on the technique. I can see the white, but I can't see the demons.

If photographer’s intention was to create an illusion of “demons” floating in the air, then it does not work for me. All I see is two models lying on the ground on their sides and fake mist coming out of a jar. I think placing camera right above the models would have helped a lot.

Great technique, but I don't think this is anything that I am interested in. When I view the image I find I am fascinated by wondering how it was made, but that is about it. Nice job on creation, but I certainly don't get anything from the subject.

Magnificent.

My first impression was that the scene is very oversharpened, as the FG models and the BG are not having a correlation with each other. The content of the vase that has meant to be airy , has not a correlation as well, and looks heavy and unnatural I think that it could have been a nice scene but somehow has missed the photographer's intention.

I fear it does not work for me. I have some stubborn ideas about what a photograph is and what an illustration is.

This picture is easily deconstructed when rotated 90 degrees-left to its original perspective.

The two beautiful models draped in the textured material on the floor might have been enough for a pretty picture, but the ground-hugging fog adds another element of mystery that is worth the challenge, and challenging it is.

Fog is easily dispersed and dissipated so the models would have to be posed and held still before fog is dispensed. There are a couple of ways to generate ground-hugging fog: dry ice mixed with hot water, or a chilled fog machine (which is vaporized 3:1 water and glycerin mixture). Both methods are tricky to achieve these types of results, but more importantly vapors from either of these are not particularly good for your health and can be dangerous in high concentrations.

What's coming from the jug is clearly dry ice, but there would have to be another source of fog in order to envelop the models in an aesthetic way and it appears to be from the direction of the model's feet. Whether the effect is pleasing or not is personal but without a doubt it adds interest and challenge to the photographer's process.

If you are going to mimic a style from classical European painting, you're really going to have to nail it, and although this image shows a lot of skill and talent, it doesn't quite achieve that. Still, you sometimes see images like this used to pretty good effect in print ads. So could this one, perhaps, with just a little tweaking.

<<<what a BIG ego's I do see here>>>

Why, because some people disagree with you? Maybe it's not their big egos but your own insecurity that needs to find this kind of excuse for others having different opinions from your own.

Yes Fred I am very insecure, but so what, I still see BIG ego's, also no problem.... I can also give my opinion I hope, I wish I had it in my portfolio.....

Kind regards Els, Netherlands

http://www.weissenegger.name/en/
http://www.weissenegger.name/en/

Without a doubt, that POW is a work of art. The author's portfolio is full of this kind of photography. From the point of view of scenic art, the work is excellent. The shades of gray are beautifully applied. The two models are beautiful and don't look like they are demons (appearances are deceptive). As the photographic work, without disregarding the comments of other reviewers, I get between the muting of Lannie and the pragmatism of Stefen Penland, including, in the middle, the comments of Alex S. Let's await the comments of Arthur Plumpton.

Aw, c'mon, Fred. The forum is loaded with big egos, yours and mine included. Els Wetting wasn't pulling your chain in particular. She's very democratic in her indictment. Els is anything but insecure.

I still like the photo, and I like the version Els found even more than the posted one. I won't recite the reasons.

--Lannie

I much prefer the color version Elsie linked to. It should have been chosen as PoW had it been uploaded to Pnet.

Michael, you're mistaking this forum for something it's not. The POTW is not about better or best photos. It's about photos to critique . . . for better and for worse. Had the color version been on PN, the elves would likely have chosen the photo they chose to begin with, because they were not looking for a "better" one.

Lannie, of course the forum is loaded with big egos. You and I, at least, both know that. But the reason Someone Else pointed it out is because she didn't like the critiques others gave. Unless you think she just happened to be mentioning it completely out of context. You're a good reader. Read her post and let me know why you think she mentioned it.

I did answer I am insecure, because you did say this to me Fred, your words were: Maybe it's not their big egos but your own insecurity that needs to find this kind of excuse for others having different opinions from your own.
I will tell you that I am very happy with different opinions, and I am not so active anymore on PN, sometimes I have a look, sometimes I put a picture, but sometimes we have to put aside our own ego to learn a little bit in life, but it was not my insecurity why I did say this, it was my own BIG ego probably, or whatever.......
But perhaps it would have been better to say nothing, and yes Fred I am different, you didn't say this, but I myself did...
Sorry for my English, it is much more difficult to express myself in another language, I am Dutch

I think she was tired of listening to you, Fred.

Well, you did ask.

--Lannie

The technical proficiency in this photo is something I likely would never achieve, and I have to register another "wow" in that regard. Although the lighting and modelling of the subjects and the resulting tonal range, with or without post exposure processing, are all very impressive, they are perhaps just a bit too good. My first impression from the thumbnail was that it was an image of a wax or porcelain sculpture and that thought wasn't dismissed completely upon seeing the larger image.

The brilliance of technical achievement is one thing. What does the photo communicate beyond that? I have tried hard to see that, with or without the aid of the title. I keep thinking of the Ingres painting "La Source" (The Spring) painted late in his life, showing an upright young girl holding a similar vase above her head with the water falling to earth in a very linear and somewhat opaque stream. The contrast of the monotonous and apprently static linear stream of water with the dynamic relationship of the various portions of her body and the positions of the various axes of her limbs exhibiting youthful life and movement, is evident.

In the present image, what is really being shown by the short extension of simulated water or the static poses and odd expressions of otherwise attractive models? The expressions do not say much and the reason for the vase and water is not very clear, at least to me. The pose of the girl on the left is not consistent with the desire of the force of gravity. A good basic idea for a series of explorative images, but one which the author may wish to further develop beyond the excellent lighting and modelling in order to communicate something more to the viewer. But maybe I missed that in the present one.

If Lannie or Someone Else can go back through the comments here and quote the statements that are evidence of egos talking as opposed to simple negative critiques, I'm all ears. The reason my panties are in a twist over this is that we have had some very contentious threads in the recent past and, until Someone Else made her statements about others in this thread (note: a statement about others as opposed to statements about the photo), I thought thisthread, though there were several negative comments, was civil, not personal, and showed a very nice array of opinions. So I was surprised at her comments about big egos, especially coming in this thread. Sorry you don't see it that way, Lannie, but glad to have given you the opportunity to take your shot. Not a surprise.

Elsie
First I'm glad to see you here ,taking part of the discussion.I don't think it is an insecurity problem ,and not an Ego part , you are entitled to your point of view( about the photo and not about the people....-)), I'm entitld to mine, and the others to theirs.

I like much better the colored version (link of yours ) as it is softer than the B/W. I like as well that the lower part is not included in the colord version, as the whole looks much softer. I looked at the photographer's fils and I think that this series in B/W is technically good, but the figures are ' jumping' at me as a viewer, and looks unnatural for my point of view.

I do like his nature files,but the elves has chosen this one for discussion...

I hope to see you more active, I know that you have the ability to add to the site! Elsie, my friend!

<<<you are entitled to your point of view( about the photo and not about the people>>>

There may, indeed, be a language problem here. That was my point exactly.

How about doing a self portrait for us, Fred?

For my part, I think that the thread is getting better and better. I don't think that Els was being personal. She named no names. You yelped first. We can't help that.

--Lannie

As for Els bringing in the color version for comparison, I think that that was quite valid. So was Michael's statement of preference. A critique forum is a critique forum, and part of a critique can certainly involve showing what we would like to have done better. The version that Els imported as an attachment from the photographer's website did that very well, and I have to agree with her that it makes for a better photo. You have the right to disagree, Fred. Instead, you try to censor us by saying that statements of preference have no place in a critique forum. That is nonsense.

Let's get back to the photo, in all its incarnations.

--Lannie