A condition of rest.

Am I the only one who finds this restful to look at? I imagine the rock has warmed up during the day from the sun and now it's giving back that warmth to the woman. She is laying there, enjoying the beauty around her.

 

I like the depth and balance in this image, although there are other images of Igor's I like better.

This is a simply stunning composition. It was the strong connection between the shape of the woman's body and that of the hills that originally cought my attention. But the scene presented here is far deeper than its physical attributes - there is a whole philosophical side to it, as some have already commented. This is a superbly crafted photograph. The recognition is well deserved.

ïîçäðàâëåíèå Igor. Indeed a great erotic/nude folder you've build here. This one is less 'crude' or 'athletic' than the others, more romantic and human I would say. Even the shape of landscape is sensual. We 'almost' do not notice the woman as she fits so well in tone and shape with the surroundings.

I'm in awe of your work Igor. Your studio work is incredible, the models you work with are exquisite - and let's not forget the models contribution to great photos like these. You are a master of light, tone, but most importantly composition. Not all of the studio shots work for me, but that's to be expected with such a large portfolio.

 

Your outdoors natural light shots are much less common, and for me most the are kind of average, especially the color ones. I was beginning to think that Amelkovich was first and foremost a studio artist, then came this shot, which I think came out very, very well. Has a great organic quality of line. As many others have said, it would be a treat to see it in person, large and in all it's glory.

 

Keep up the great work, you are an inspiration.

Something is strange about her left shoulder. It sticks out like a sore knee.

To answer somehow Scott Eaton's legitimate comment, I'd say this kind of photograph is indeed not rare, but I personally see a great deal of originality in this distance between the body and the hills, and secondly of course in the similarity of shapes. Is it realistic to have a woman sleeping on a rock ? NO ! So what ? Who said that every photograph had to be realistic ? Browsing through Igor's portfolio, almost every studio shot in absolutely IR-realistic. I have no problem with that: I see it as ONE GENRE in photography. Is she dead or alive ? Who cares !? This is a study of shapes, or as Scott puts it, to some extent it's "a still life" indeed. Does a bottle or a vase in a still life need to be alive too ? STILL it is, and that's all that matters to me. The stillness of this image is part of what pleases me so much.

 

As a conclusion, I'd say that I am truly glad the Elves did not forget this extremely talented and precise photographer. His compositions are always adjusted very carefully, and it's beautiful B&W photography with quite a few very original pieces as well. I'd say also that Igor's work fascinates me most when there is a paradox, an ambiguity, or a sarcasm of some sort, or something strange or subtle in the frame. This is imo where Igor generally excels, besides his very good technique.

 

I hope his folders would help many beginners to realize the huge difference there is between a nude and a smart and beautiful nude. Congrats, and thanks for so many nice pictures, Igor.

I find the question of why this girl would be lying on such a cold rock rather pointless. One might as well ask why she is naked.

The way the curves of the nude in the foreground match the curves of the moutain in the background make for a beautiful composition. excellent contrast as well. Bravo.

a condition of rest? ... my interpretation is more a sacrifice of beauty, feminity and youth to Mother nature. Concrete plaque looks like an improvised altar

Beautiful! I have to admit that it was so stunning taken as a whole that I didn't notice the model! She just blended in so well with the surroundings. Again, absolutely stunning!

For me the composition does not hold together well. It's as if there are 2 images, the female on the rock and the upper waterline, with so much space in between as to reduce the connection between them. My eye can be on one or the other, but when I look for a connecting reference in the middle, it's empty. Perhaps it's the subject's contemplation of the space that is integral to the result, but I don't feel the woman is engaged with the environment, rather she is just there. This leaves the potential interaction of one form to another, which may or may not work for the observer.

I really like many pictures in Igor's portfolio but I have to say this isn't one that stands out for me. I agree with those that mention the murkiness in tone. Don't get me wrong, I like low contrast a great deal in photographs, but this one is 70% five shades of mid grey, with a narrow 30% of one highlight and lowlight tone. Low contrast photos work best when there are oh so subtle gradients from one range to the next, which I miss here. Also Scott does have a point about the nude looking out of place. Yes her curves are replicated by the mountains, and yes fine art isn't intended to convey 'reality', yes it is about symbolism... but even so she looks precariously balanced, ill at ease posturally, and not comfortably 'blending' with the surroundings at all in my opinion.

Nevertheless I consider this photo a good POW choice for one reason, because here we share so many different perceptions of the photo. An excellent example demonstrating how 'taste' 'preference' or whatever ultimately rules our final judgement.

Igor has several striking photos in his portfolio. I realise he didn't choose this one himself, but it would be interesting to know which single piece of work he would have chosen himself given the opportunity!

I forgot to mention that I appreciate Igor's effective use of space. Not just in this photo but in many, if not all.

The photo is a little dark for my taste, even given the mood intent. I natually would prefer something more like this.. but This is fantastic none-the-less

Igor, I think that the interest of this photo lies less in the female form itself than in its juxtaposition with the broad expanse of still water. Yes, the female form is reflected in the curves of the hills beyond, but the water itself gives this image that special intangible something that makes it worth a lot more than the typical "nude in nature" shot. I do find the tones a bit dark, but I would not lighten them as much as someone has above.

I tend to agree with the comments about the 'banality of female butts' (my synthesis), and that remark about the police line is welcome in that it addresses the way in which photographers tend to 'explain' their images by means of titles. Take this title away and we are left indeed with something other than 'a condition of rest': a still life. But - the core of the image is beautifully simple, extremely well balanced. Very good.

Lannie, on the contrary. A condition of rest is NOT in my opinion

pornographic. It is the least 'pornographic like' of all photograps in Igor's

folder. You missed the point. I'm questioning why this 'gentle' image is

representative of a greater body of work which clearly depicts women in

violent situations.

 

A condition of rest is a nice study of form. Frankly I am less taken with the hills

as I am with the way the women's body seems to conform to the rock. It's as if

she has been petrified. Her shoulder blade and hip are nicely mirrored in the

sharp flat planes of the rock surface. Perhaps that quality is what Igor saw

and decided to enhanse by contrast with the calm quiet water. It is that

petrified quality which for me infuses this image with something other than

the senseabilities of a standard nude.

 

Regardless, it was the Elves which open the door to a discussion about the

elgance and gentle nature of the image. I am but responding with a critique of

the before mention folder and how I see a monumental shift in approach to

the female form.

 

Sally

Obvioulsy well shot - with a skilled photographer, but nothing new here, nothing special and nothing that ain't been done on dorm-room posters for the last 30 years...

Personally, I find the whole nude-in-landscape genre absurd. The resulting images are usually highly unnatural and often the only feeling I'm left with is pity for the model.

I don't think the entire genre is in response to, or responsible for men enjoying (for whatever reason) photos of naked women, especially since so much work that could be descibed as such (nudes in the landscape) is of men, and other examples are by women.

The obvious metaphor is as old as the concept of Gaia and the symbolic representations of earth as feminine, and sky as masculine. Issues of fertility, the bearing of life (formed by God of mud), the water/wet nature of woman as opposed to the ethereal/dry nature of man (see the I Ching), the relationship of seed and earth and the sensual nature of gardening, and the dynamic of the beginnings of life on this planet stimulated by lighting (masculine) and ocean (feminine).

There are available in this "genre" all manner of allegories quite deserving of serious treatment by artists with all sorts of agendas and philosophies, and genders. No need to restrict artistic exploration of such a classic subject, just because so many men have one track minds.

Igor's portfolio has always bored me because of it's repetitious styling and message. This image just moves his vision of woman as object for viewing to a different venue. This light is just as universally applicable as his studio approach to the object, the woman is there just for us to view or acting to please us.

While there are singular images of note that succed in spite of the generic lighting and unchanging set, there's generally nothing there to get worked up about, unless you need reassurance that women are pretty things ready to perform for your pleasure and entertainment... t

Sorry, looks like her hip is out of joint. Couldn't be comfortable.

The nude person just makes the excellent landscape just a bit busy for my taste, perhaps she could be a bit more subtle in the frame. I do appreciate the gentle nature of this photograph. I don't usually comment like this on the featured photograph, but what the heck, congratulations on yout Photo Of the Week and your work IS exquisite (marked by flawless craftsmanship or by beautiful, ingenious, delicate, or elaborate execution b : marked by nice discrimination, deep sensitivity, or subtle understanding), ;) ... Igor!

I don't find it a condition of rest. As commented on before, it's a

very unnatural location for someone to be in such repose. It

looks downright cold, and she doesn't look at all comfortable.

Very posed.

 

If the nude wasn't in the image, it would be generating 4.75-5.25

averages. Stick a nude in it, and Blamo, instant perfection?

 

To look at a nude in a condition of rest, everyone should take

another look at E Weston's "Nude in Doorway". Not a perfect

shot, but there is such rest within the models body that there is

nothing that causes tension in the viewers eye.

 

Perhaps this photographer is living within tension, and that's ok

for him. I'm striving within my work to get to a point of complete

relaxation, and don't claim to be close.

 

I am, for the record, becoming more and more convinced that

imagery that makes one feel as if they need something, or are

missing something in their life, or makes one feel that their life

isn't as whole as it should be, is destructive. I think it is part of

the process whereby we learn to judge ourselves by comparing

ourselves to what we perceive as others view's of us, or our

perception of other's state of happiness or richness of life and

then come to the conclusion that we need something to fulfill us.

Perhaps this is what turns us into consumers, of clothes, cars,

food, sex and so much else.

 

'Nuff preaching,,,cause hey, whadda I know, anyway? Still

looking for it myself, to a degree.

Male people (and female people) like looking at the female form. One can philosophise and politicise and propagandise as much as one chooses about this reality. One can decide to use an image and read into an image in any way one chooses.

I choose to focus on this image for the following reasons (after bowing and scraping to all the preceeding comments ).

Igor, when I look at this image my eye is immediately pulled to the strong horisontal reflections. So strong is the pull (a play on tonal density and luminence) that it is almost an effort (visually speaking) to dwell on the reclined figure. For this reason I think the image is one of your strongest. This image does not rely on clever apposite devices (shears, huge cameras, bondage paraphernalia etc ) to pound the eye with force and extract easy vicarious pleasure or pain (had to throw that in).

Now for the reclined figure. I have only one observation to make. A pity her hand is extended to partially obscure the jutting rock it touches. This rock would extend the jutting flow beginning at the figures sharp hips to the full horisontal. The jutting rocks are of course (as has been previously pointed out ) in the background and this adds dimensionality

An image worth more than 5 seconds reflection and certainly a paragraph or two of observation on my part. - well done.George

What you wrote about the origins of human interest in nudes is very interesting, and very true too.Besides that, you wrote: "While there are singular images of note that succed in spite of the generic lighting and unchanging set, there's generally nothing there to get worked up about, unless you need reassurance that women are pretty things ready to perform for your pleasure and entertainment..."If this is how you perceive overall Igor's work, and while I agree in part, I personally feel that quite a few images by Igor are worth noting for several reasons.Question to the moderator: would it be ok, for once, to discuss briefly about a few other images by Igor...? I think it would also help, in cases like this one, to get a general impression of a body of work, via a few examples taken from the photographer's folders. In a way, both the intro comment by the Elves and the very interesting comments in this thread seem now to call for it.

Moderator Note: There has never been a policy where other images by "any" member can't be discussed as long as it relates to the current POW. The only time comments are deleted with regard to other images is when members talk about how "other" images by that photographer should have been chosen instead of the one that has been chosen "for discussion". There still seems to be people that think the POW is about "the Best" of that photographer or the "best" of photo.net. So - of course other images by this photographer can be both uploaded for discussion and/or discussed.