Untitled

As an afterthought, I checked her age on her own website--she just turned twenty-three this month, and the photo was uploaded five and one-half years ago. She was eighteen or younger when this work was done.

We are looking at a natural photographer, folks!

Congratulations, Astrid. Please keep posting.

--Lannie

As the author of the photograph, firstly I would like to thank Landrum Kelly for his messages he sent me recently and thanks to which I came back to photo.net. Here I have found out that one of my old photos was chosen as the photo of the week. This was a big surprise for me, as I have not visited this server for quite a long time. As Landrum noticed correctly, the photo was created a few years ago, especially in august 2004. So it was 6 years ago and shortly after my 17th birthday. I started taking photos half a year before, app at the beginning of the year 2004. I uploaded photos on a local photo server (www.photopost.cz), where the comments from keen amateurs influenced my early work.

This series of photos was created under the roof of my grandma's house (loft/sollar), where the floor consists of old wood. It was used to store things that are not much used and also to store hay for animals. In fact the place with the hay is close to the window, where I was photographing. It was full of dust, spiders and so on.

When I started taking photos and seeing like a photographer, I noticed this quite a photogenic place at the window. So I grabbed my Olympus (small compact camera), layed it on the edge of an old paper box with some old things (I didnt have a tripod) and ran to the window to make a pose before the 10sec timer runs out. I repeated this for a few times - in the meantime the camera fell down in the dust of the box once or twice. I don't know how many shots were made, but I guess that not more than 20. I selected the best ones, cropped them in photoshop and I am not sure about more editing. The original files are somewhere in my backup hdd. At that time I didn't care much about technical quality, the photo was made in the automatic mode, I even didn't know what is the shutter speed and aperture at that time. So that is why the quality of the image is not the best.

I think that this series of photos is quite romantic, melancholic and may be considered as a kitsch, as well as some other older photos of mine. Three years ago I met some people, who were studying photography at the university as a distance study. We became friends, so I have made an application and I was admitted too. (They admit 30 out of 300 applicants). So besides my other studies (IT), I started also studying photography. The orientation of the school again influenced my work, so I started taking less romantic and more story-telling, social-like photos. But I must admit, that I do not take so many photos as before - mostly only the works for school subjects (see for example http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=9319531).

In the first photos (up to 2007) I was either searching some interesting shapes, games of light, places etc and/or expressing my depression from the unhappy love relations. I still find the main inspiration for my works in my own emotions, but they are not any more purely negative.

Thank you very much for your comments, although it is possible I would appreciate them more at that time, in 2004. But it is also interesting to look at the older photo of mine from my current point of view and read your impressions about it. So again, thank you.

Astrid, I am glad that you did indeed decide to come back. I also hope that you will post to Photo.net some photos similar to these from your website, especially those near the bottom:

http://astrid.halicky.sk/billa.php

This one, among others, pleases me very much:

http://astrid.halicky.sk/picture.php?list=z-billa&idx=3&parent=billa

As for the folder containing the Photo of the Week, I do think that some of the attic shots (not the one that won) might benefit from a bit more light, but that is a tough judgment call. I would like to see a bit more light on the woodwork, but that might detract from a primary emphasis on the main subject.

--Lannie

it is a wonderful image. it tells a story we can all relate to.

Dear Elena (or Astrid) I want you to know my sincere congratulations for this POW, because it underlines your exquisite talent for photography and art. I would label your style as "introspective" and "autobiographical" because your works tell more than a story about you and your feelings: for me it works perfectly!
This photo is a beautiful (althought not the best, looking at your portfolio) example of your talent. What I like more is the photographic simplicity and the effective use of high contrast light: your silhouette just surrounded by the light and the dark, empty space make me going beyond the pure shot and my imagination flies, wondering what were the photographer's feeling at the time of the shot...
I hope you keep on uploading your works in PN! Wishing you all the best, Alberto.

Astrid, knowing the circumstances behind the photo makes it all the more interesting. The photo itself tells a story, many stories actually because it can spark so many different thoughts among individuals. I like the light and the contrasting elements. I'm so glad that you shared this.

In addition to what John said earlier, sometimes I forget to remind myself that my screen doesn't necessarily look like everyone else's. It does seem like the transitions between lights and darks are rather abrupt and even harsh in a sense. As for emotion and in reply to other comments previously posted, you're right in stating that the emotion is really the most subjective aspect of an image. I guess not being a woman myself does make it difficult to relate to the subject in the image. That being said, I feel like there is a certain detachment from the figure. We are looking at her from behind and her figure is very much hidden by the darks. It feels like, as the viewer, I'm seeing something in front of me rather than seeing it as if I'm a part of it. Just my opinion. Kudos.

Hi Astrid. I love this photo. I agree with many of the others on a number of points: great lighting and composition set the atmosphere/ mood of this photo. I like that the details are pretty much there in most of the shadow areas (at least on my screen), although one could argue that some shadow areas may appear crushed, depending on one's monitor. I tend to also be partial to B&W images, and this kind of shot really fits the choice of medium. Nicely done.
Paul

My thought, after reading Astrid's words, was that this shot was probably severely underexpose which caused the significant noise in the image, as well as the harsh breaks I pointed out in the shadow transitions. Part of me wondered, and still does, if there wasn't a little more post processing than suggested. In some ways it doesn't wreak of it--the glow into the darks seems organic, however, there are dark lines that look like residue from a masking in the highlight of the open door. We see a hard, dark outline along the hand on the door against the light and at the edge of the face when blown up(actually pretty much around the entire open and blown out area--as if this area were lightened to eliminate detail. The outline along the hand is readily seen here, but the facial outline is very noticeable when the image lightened a bit. So, I guess I would wonder if maybe there was a bit more done to this than indicated--forgotten or deemed insignificant. It is not a major issue, but these sort of artifacts just raise the question and are tell tale signs of a beginner's efforts.

A strong statement, like a charcoal sketch. Intimate and a little mysterious. A happy result even if it was a chance kind of happening or an early work,no matter. That happens a lot. It is called Photography the intersection of a lot of magical things that light and chance do. I like this image, needless to add, Astrid. aloha, gerry

Ya know I read elsewhere (maybe it was written by the late Billy Jay) about why we take some of the most beautiful female bodies in the world and place them in some of the most uninhabitable, dirty, hard, cold and depressing situations imaginable. The writer couldn't imagine that the models could feel at all feel comfortable in these settings.

Anyway excuse my rant. You did a fine job with this . The techs are impressive.

Astrid,
You have a short but impressive portfolio. I especially like the Browny series. The chosen photo of the week is not as impressive as many of your other photos, because I think the small file does not do justice to the tonal range. It is also very romantic, perhaps a bit mushy, and quite unlike many of your rather contemplative and introspective self-portraits. You are very talented. Hope you keep your freshness and introspection alive in your future photographic work. All the best.

I think its great. It shows the art of creating very vivid photo, and the same time clipping the shadows and highlights!, leaving behind many areas devoid of details, still perfect!.

The way the light defines her silhouette made me want to see more into the shadows... where the light barely was. She was 'almost peeking' out through the panel but really... looking. A very unique setting, and subject... nicely composed.

By strange coincidence I was looking again at one of your fine photos (..) for the first time after 4 years (mysteriously the whole "B&W" folder no longer seems to be generally visible) and found that another taken at the time had been made PoW last week.
I think that this photo has a raw power that comes from the excitement of getting started with art photography as which I still remember vividly from 40 years ago (see eg my "first nudes" presentation). It is quite a challenge to recapture that feeling though I think it is (nearly) possible when you appreciate its importance in driving the creative process. Your description of the rather haphazard method of taking this series makes it even more magical that you achieved such a beautifully balanced and interesting composition and interaction with the light coming through the window.
I hope that seeing this again yourself will inspire you to return to your personal vision (but obviously a different one from those years ago) as a source for your images and avoid the pitfall of constructed and over conscious pictures.
Best wishes, Jonathan

Thank you Jonathan - and all the others for your nice words.

When talking about the method of taking photos in the Attic series - well, I've shot many self-portraits since now and I was many times surprised about the result. I think that the luck has has done a lot in my photos and maybe in art generally... or in our entire lifes themselves.

And yes, the mentioned series is not generally visible any more.

I love the tones, and the exposure control and the body language of the sitter.  Something strange about the right hand, although it may just be a trick of the light.

A wonderful photograph.