Untitled

Me thinks folks tend to over analyize the simplicity that belies the difficulty of composition of a photograph such as this. Is that an arm or waist that the hand rests on? The "scratches" texturalize this into the background wall. Personally, don't care a whit about the ins and outs of photoshop, the new photographic crutch. Great photo! Great composition!

I find that I have, in the past, used texture over an entire image to set the mood or for whatever other purposes.

 

I think that simple B/W would not do it justice.

It is sensual, simple and has very nice tone blends.

 

Simple or complicated, easy or difficult, I find it very well done.

In the end all that really matters is how you percieve the image.

 

Nice work.

Deliberate or not, I like it. Its a tattoo set into concrete, a pencil drawing on the wall of a drug den, placed there by a fallen artist, a portrait of the half-conscious form on the bed next to them, the artist sitting on the bare floorboards, shoulder propped lifeless against the wall. Erm... or something like that. I like how the edge of the waist is worn into the background, and the shadow at the bottom of the frame balancing out the brighter areas above it.

It is a nice piece of work the way it is. Not everything has to look a certain way. Can he be his own photographer and give his own vision?

 

Even if it is not technically "perfect" it is aesthetically pleasing. Isn't that the point?

 

Great shot and bravo for evoking a mood that is so rare in today's corporate jungle.

This photograph accomplishes the idea of 'object' and very pleasant in terms of subject and overall atmosphere. Clean the image, and then you've removed it's soul.

Michal,

The photo actually reminds me a bit of an Escher print - the one where the hands are drawing each other from 2D into 3D. (Do you know this one?) The hand in your picture looks 3D and the rest of the body has a sort of disjointed, unrelated, almost 2-dimensional look. It's very unique. I like the scratchy look to it - it adds to the otherworldly feel.

 

I looked at the rest of your pictures and saw a few others that seemed to echo this one in tone -- a body part acting as a frame for another, somewhat unrelated body part. It's an interesting technique and I'd like to see more of them!

 

Thanks for sharing this one.

Jennifer

I like it. the hand is a bit scary as it seems to posess the picture controling the frame. kind of sinister.

I like it

It's unique, odd and very interesting. Much different from something I'd attempt and maybe that's why I like it.

this picture is so good that, even though i find the aesthetic a touch too morose for my taste, i can't help but admire the brilliance of execution. i suspect photoshop had a hand, but quite a contrast to the ersatz/airbrush goth look-of-the-moment stuff to be seen in the current featured portolio (http://www.photo.net/photodb/member-photos?include=top&user_id=1427936)

Very sensitively shot imo. The simplistic composition allows the picture to easily carry off the texturising treatment without the subject being drowned by too much complexity.

John Kelly said it was a bad scan further up the thread - it made my day! I laughed out loud at the assumption that it must "reflect his early-stage technical skill"!

One improvement that would enhance for me, would be a little more lighting contrast to give slightly more distinction between subject and background. Otherwise, at least for me, a beautifully enigmatic and austere result.

I like the result, it is a photo with minimal elements that manage to grip the attention. This relative success is mainly due to the after-processing of scratches, dust etc. is absolutely necessary. I do not know if the photo is really successful because after the first glance where I appreciate the composition and the processsing I do not have something to stay there for more than some seconds. For me at least there is no symbolism or another element to carry on the viewer from the first stage of "academic" look......

Great shot but I find the hand disturbing to say the least.

"John Kelly said it was a bad scan further up the thread - it made my day! I laughed out loud at the assumption that it must "reflect his early-stage technical skill"!"

 

Whether the talent in question is unrefined, or unrecognized, the result remains unsightly. Artsy rhetoric is ineffective, IMHO.

There is an explosion of light to the right of the hand which draws away from this otherwise powerful composition by weakening the horizontal line of the arm which would be better rendered as on the left side. The top down lighting has created shadows that increase the apparent length and depth of the fingers, which I believe would be better expressed more unambiguously. There is also a tremendous bottom weight to this photo. I'm not sure it needs to reach all the way to full black to achieve the desired effect. It would be useful to see some variations in overall tone and contrast before we reach a conclusion on the whole thing, but as others have observed, there is a lot of promise here. I like the overall texture a good deal, whether it was accidental or otherwise produced. No one has remarked yet on the placement of the hand in the frame... nor the way the texture almost evokes sculpture, but not quite...

I rather like the way that the torso blends into the background and assume that it was intentional. I'd guess that the texturing was done to help further muddy the line that separates the subject from her surroundings. To me, it becomes an interesting visual allegory about the creation of identity. Pretty cool.

 

The texture is interesting-- the image appears to have been printed on a leather sofa. Imagine that hanging in the darkroom.

Whether the person viewing this image prefers "kitschy" sunsets or "artsy" (in my opinion boring and unimaginative) pics of painted, highly-textured stucco walls, the picture does, I think, make you stop and think.

 

If it can do that, it's a success in my opinion - regardless of the tonal range, scan quality, or Photoshop post-processing.

I am not totally safe about the idea of the fotografo and it either does not seem to me of a complex tecnico degree, in the artistico is probable that is something different but non incredible. Too much noise in the image exists and the excess of air grants certain dimension to him but simultaneously it clears the perspective to him. Perhaps this photo was captured in a single firing without wishing that result. I believe that another type of resistance and improving halftones, the picture should be to have more visual impact. MARIO PAPER MARTINEZ CABALLERO/MEXICO

"Whether the talent in question is unrefined, or unrecognized, the result remains unsightly. Artsy rhetoric is ineffective, IMHO." - Alasdair

I understand that the style is not to your taste. That's great because you are relating your view. However, John Kelly made a judgement/assumption of the style choice seemingly reflecting an "early-stage technical skill".

I'm not saying that the style makes the picture a masterpiece, or even an outstanding picture, but I do like it and it works for me. The point I failed to make clear, is that just because one doesn't enjoy the style choice it does not automatically mean the end result was unintentional and arose from error or skill lacking.

This is a carefully crafted picture which seems to have achieved the results which the photographer intended. The hand is clearly that of the model, resting on her own pelvis. This is a fine shot, clearly worthy of better than many of the comments that it has received.

We need to understand several topics about the artistic job, about balance in medium tones, we need to see this picture as it is itself.

? Where the technics began and where the artistic point of view goes ? I have seen many many photos here in photo.net that really are a master piece of creativitie and good worked with source of light and control in gray gama tones. This picture has several mistakes, one of them is the central point, the hand is so much on the center, and there is not any balance, I don`t find some simetric point nor gradual control on light source, no good perspective. I feel this shot as if it was taken just from a casual form. The photographer of this picture needs to be more critical about his work and more able with the reality. We don`t need to follow the general comments, if we really wish to improve each detail of our photos, and if we wish to make a better pictures everyday, really we needed to have one criticizes true and honest with we ourself.

Would anyone happen to know if this is a lith print?

I am still not sure what part of body the hand is placed over. This is what makes this shot interesting to me. At first I thought it was a torso but the curves are strange though maybe it's just me. This ambiguity and simplicity combined make the shot unique.

Zaujimava scena, velmi dobre tonove podanie a celkovo "oci pritahujuci" zaber. Nuti ta zastat pre fotografiou a rozmyslat chvilu a o to tu ide. Hodne uspechov.

Michael, please tell us is the model laying on her back or side, and is the head on the left or on the right side? The more I look at it the more I like it. Elves, thanks for the good picture choice.

Natasha - I think it's a torso, with the hips in the West. The model seems to be reclining on her side, with the hand over the low point between hips and rib cage.

 

As a pose, that's pretty standard, and probably wouldn't make for an interesting photo. What grabs the attention is the texture - whether this was the result of intention or of lack of skill (as John Kelly suggest) only the photographer can tell us.