.: memories :.

Great image indeed !

But also great portfolio ! I had already looked at this work, but like good wine, it gets even better with time ;-)

Sorry, Vaclav, but I don't think this photo is worth all this discussion. I find the object

on the right to be totally distracting. It looks like an object or a photoshop mistake,

I'm not sure which. And the colours are dead and green. I don't mean to sound so

harsh, but I think that sometimes by simply posting a photo as the photo of the week,

it gets way too many accolades and attention. There is also far too much attention

paid to photos of women on this site. Not that photos of women are bad, I also post

photos of woman, but there are good, or interesting photos of women and then there

are boring, uninteresting photos of women.

I think Ben S. described the photo quite well when he wrote "yet another pretty young

blond heavily made-up woman who appears posed in a contrived fashion."

 

But my question is how we are supposed to judge this photo? What is it's purpose? Is it art

or is it commercial photography?

 

As commercial photography, I think it is excellent. The model, the makeup, the lighting,

the photographer's great technical skill and aesthetic; all worthy of a major magazine

spread on how dress ultra-hip at funerals. As art though, I would say it is not good. Too

phony on one level, not phony enough on another.

 

In no way do I mean that as a put-down of commercial photography. Just don't want to

critique and orange when I'm looking at an apple.

Absolutely! A beautifully executed shot that would fit in the best quality magazines or catalogues. And that is a SERIOUS complement. Maybe it's the title that's so off-putting. On another site, a pro photog posted some babe shots. They were way-good babe shots; gorgeous model, perfect light, posing, makeup... So a poster wrote something like, "Really captures the inner soul of the model." No it doesn't. It really captures what the photographer is trying to convey. This is a real achievement, and shouldn't be belittled, but it is not a John Singer Sargent portrait.

I find the blue cast disconcerting - and that blurry blob on the right is very distracting.

Ah - for me this is perfect. Best portrait I have ever seen. Balance, colour, expression... really, just awesome

Nice post-processing, I like the sharp look, subdued colors and the color palette in general. My only suggestion would be a somewhat cleaner background, as now both the foreground and background are a bit restless. But the focus is good and the model looks nice.

I vote for re-crop suggested above, and leave everything the way it is. Beautiful execution. Excellent match between posture and the subdued color tone.

I think the photograph is wonderful and full of expression and emotion. As an enthusiastic but inexperienced photographer, could you tell me how you achieved the tones on the photo? Keep up the good work. I also like the suggested crop; I think it defintely improves the composition.

Thanks to everyone for sharing their thoughts, this has been illuminating for me. I think my reaction is in part because the context of the photo suggests not only a candid moment, but an environmental portrait, which is hard to see. It does look like a grave marker that is to the right of the subject, but I would have been hard-pressed to figure that out without others' comments. Its interesting to me that some prefer the closer crop -- that suggests the power of the photo is really the beauty of the model and the photographer's skill of capturing that beauty in an attractive pose. But if I were to take the photograph on its own terms, I would actually want a version that was further away, so that the evidence of the graveyard, such as the marker, could be more clearly made out. Having said that, I am coming to admire the muted tones and coloring of the portrait, which do suggest the title, and which I think on reflection show great care for the subject matter.

Thanks to Isidro for recognizing the cross - now I see it clearly. It's no longer an undefined blob.

 

I still like the photo quite a bit, but think we needed just a touch more dof to make the environment fully recognizable.

 

I'm more gullible than the rest of you, too - I am perfectly happy to suspend disbelief and not refer to the subject as a "model", just because she's sort of blond and wearing make-up. I find the admittedly somewhat blank look expressive in the scene; and I always find expressive portraits that don't show the eyes interesting, just because they're particularly hard to get right.

A great image showing technical and artistic merit. In regard to the discussion about the crop, I reluctantly have to agree with Patrick's suggestion as the loss of DOF in the foreground makes the cross difficult to discern (thanks to those who spotted it - I didn't when I first viewed this pic a week or so ago).

 

In regard to the debate about contrived images and the photographs intended purpose: I can not believe that this image was ever intended as photo journalism and it is only in this arena that I would expect to see the realism Ben prefers. Personally I viewed this photo as an artisitic expression of the photographer - contrived perhaps, but a photograph in which he has suceeded in creating a beautiful image to represent his creative ideas. Well done Vaclav!

Adam, I'm confused. Why is the capture of a "realistic" moment necessarily photojournalism? I am not capable of the artistry of this shot, but I do have some pride in some of my images, and most of them are on the spur of the moment with friends and acquaintances. I've seen many other such shots on the site. Real people, doing real things. Is that by definition photojournalism? And is that some sort of separate category from what this photograph purports to be?

Blahoprajem Vaclav k tak zaujimavemu snimku ktory pre mna je 7/7. Vsetko - vcitane kompozicie, subjektu, tonoveho podania, vsetko je na svojom mieste a este k tomu Vas snimok ma ako by som to povedal - smrnc, eleganciu a nieco co pritahuje ako magnet. Okrem toho ma tesi ze tolko pozornosti dostal snimok mojho krajana. Blahoprajem, ja som cez tu 6 presiel len pri par snimkoch.

To my eye, this does not look like tight focus and narrow depth of field. It looks like Photoshop blurring. I find the effect so unnatural that it detracts from what is really good about the image, which is the model's expression and (as others have noted) the wonderful pallette.

For me, this photo has a lovely movie quality feel to it. I like this for a portrait. No, it is not as realistic as a natural photo with no enhancements or touchups but who cares? This is a well taken photo. The lighting is great. The focus is good. The expression is timid and alluring. I would be pleased to have a photo of myself come out so well. I would be just as pleased to be able to take a portrait photo of this quality.

 

Well done!

I like the color as is. I do however think the part out of focus on the right is a bit

distracting. Otherwise excellent!!!

It is vivid and tender. Full of feelings...

Sorry to be boring but I cannot find anything about the image I dislike, I have no problem with the shot being set-up - it is very well done. I have no problem with beautiful young ladies (chance would be a fine thing!) and as for Vaclav's obvious talent - I have only respect and jealousy.

Well done on a fine image - I'm about to go and look at your portfolio to be inspired further! Thank you for sharing.

I find it intriguing. Spare.Doesn't leap out,but draws me in. Lovely face. Meditative. Reflective, asking for the same kind of reflection. Not just a portrait,not just an illustration,but open to what the viewer chooses,a characteristic of art in its most gentle sense of purpose. Desaturation used to just the right degree for my taste and not calling attention to technique per se. I respect the photographer's crop, this being an infinite subject of choice,that is. I like the boldness of the cheek,and hair texture,in contrast to the out of focus parts. Not Mona Lisa or equivalent,but an honest piece of workmanship. I like it, Vaclav. Thanks for the opportunity to comment on your work.

Light. Tight and Emotion ='s a winner. Con grats!

reeeally nice, reeally well done vaclav, you really are someone. now my advice would be:

you have the right prespective, and the right eye, don't always stick to the rules. take it further man. You can, really.

If the model were a fairly unattractive woman, would anyone give this a second look? So it becomes an issue of what is photographed, not how it's photographed. I enjoy looking at beautiful women as much as the next guy, but really, I think this site has become obsessed with that as a measure of what makes a good photograph. Get a hot chick to snap, especially one with not too much clothing, or none at all, some decent light, and you're most of the way to a long line of 6's and 7's.

This picture does not touch me so much, but it is nice and different. I think it would be stronger if it had something strong to say. But very nicely photographed. Sorry for my English, not as good as your photo.

This photo contains a lot emotion. I like the colour cast. Patrick's crop may be compositionally correct (and it works also), but I think this photo works as it is. The focus is perfect and our eyes are drawn to the subject's eyes & face. The colour cast with the leather jacket and cold-looking surroundings makes it all work for me - it's emotionally charged, and yet still cold in a way. When a photograph can evoke emotion like this, I think it is a very successful photograph. You have a very interesting portfolio - it is intense.

 

-s