Monica II

[[show-photo-18444105]]

Dreamy and beautiful. I like it a lot! I hope you don't mind but I played a bit with the light and made it more into candle light, perhaps a bit less digital?

I will disagree with both the previous comments, in various respects. I hate going into diatribes and futile exchanges in this forum, and I very seldom express my opinion differing from that of others. However, your image is SOOOOO good, that I thought it appropriate.

First, the image caught my eye from the thumbnail because it resembles an old painting from the Renaissance, and IMHO the merit lies in the very nice and subtle way you handled the soft tones, but still with superb sharpness and detail in the dress of this beautiful model, thus, for me, it looks quite natural, and far from being "too digital". It may have perhaps been post-processed sufficiently, but that does not make it look so, on the contrary, as I said, it is naturally pleasing.

Now again, IMHO, and on a very personal level, being a photographer myself, I present my photos as I "feel" they should be seen, and commented or criticized thereof. Considering that "most" members of PN have "sufficient" knowledge or dexterity in photography, vis a vis "Instamatic Amateurs", comments or criticism on composition may in VERY FEW occasions have some merit. This because any photographer, I believe, starts by "composing" a photograph, it really becomes instinctive, so comments on cropping I tend to disregard because, unless it is really amateurish (extremely rare instances), cropping, centering, rule of thirds and those other considerations on composition are in the mind's-eye of the photographer BEFORE the shutter is pressed.

The foregoing leads me to going too far in modifying the tonality and lighting! I am absolutely certain, that if YOU wanted the image to be lit by candlelight, you would have certainly prepared the stage to that effect. Now, the manipulation to change it to a heavy, flattening orange-yellow tone, to me IS too digitalized, distorting the image completely. Your lighting is as it is: perfect or not, that is how you envisioned it. I love it the way you presented it. I respect the work of people who take photography seriously enough and therefore try to analyze what the photographer wants me to see. Pardon the blunt comparison: the "quick colorization" suggested, is like women who use soooooo much makeup that their features are obliterated by a gross plaster.

In conclusion: Your Photograph (note the capital P), deserves a very special place for people who can understand art, and with all due respect, even when it tries to emulate paintings of old masters, it has enormous merit. Sincere ongratulations.DG

Hi Daniel

I anderstand that the reason this photo was presented the way it is, is because in the authors view it was the best it can be. I just played with the light to get a different perspective and not making a suggestion tha it should be change or they my version is in any way better!