Saying Goodbye

Piotr, I really love this but wonder how much photoshop, if any, went into making it? I am just not sure what I am looking at. If that's a straight shot, I am going to shoot myself. Be back to check if you posted any technical details. Regards, M.

I just noticed you shot this on TCN 400 ... wow...what a great result!

I shot this on T400Cn as you noticed , scanned into the PS where I managed the tone , contrast and cleaning. The final result is no diffrent from negative which was too neutral IMO ( even I used deep red Cokin) so I did all little tweaks in PS. I was not sure about the shadows on this photo ( negative retain some more detail )but really wanted to get like 3D effect with isolating the subjects from enviromant. LEt me know if you think i should go for more visible shadows and thanks for your very kind rating and comments Maria ( I still think Iam not getting even close to the class of your "Babushka" )Cheers. PK

Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

what a great shot. Regarding your concern that it doesn't 'pop', I think you're almost there -- what does a print look like compared to what I see on my ancient monitor? (if the girl really stands out on my monitor, she must be jumping out of the picture in a good print;-)

Regards

Veit

You have got a great mood shot here, Piotr... A few things still disturb me a little. There seems to be a kind of mild overall blur - possibly due to the dust and scratches filter to clean the scan... not sure... Then I feel the burning on the floor and background people is maybe slightly extreme. I do undestand that you may have wanted to isolate the woman and the building, but my question would be: did you really need to burn THAT MUCH, to achieve that effect. For an image like this, I think it is better to stay as close to realistic as possible. Still a good image, and a very powerful idea, highly romantic... I suggest you rework on it a little and ty another upload later. This shot should at least deserve a 6 / 6 with the right tonal interpretation and the traditional sharpness we all are used to. It needs nothing much to be done to achieve greatness... Regards.

looks like photo from 70's - very nice - ale to juz tradycja ;)

Piotr, thank you for your explanation. I think you ought to put some info on PS (like i.e. scanned from neg & printed in PS in your technical comments field just to be ready for comments on digital manipulations (I scan prints on a flat bed scanner but am thinking of buying a neg scanner and do my prints in PS. I still "alter" my scans recovering lost contrast and sharpness and am at loss as to what is already a digital manipulation and what is not. So, as long as my photo.net images look like my photographs [usually worse due to the compression], I feel i have my ass covered. But I wonder how I would feel once I do all my darkroom in PS).

And Marc, I have to respectfully disagree (again) with you... have Pieter made changes you suggested, he would've destroyed the mood we both like here. The traditional sharpness and tonality would make his one of your standard shots, which, while technically perfect, please forgive me, are often emotionally disengaging. This shot's "imperfections" only add to the unreal feel and that's what I like about this shot. And I totally disagree with your remark on burning-in, it does help her to stand out and you still have enough visible details to retain a sense of depth. Also, her white coat and the white walls form an almost triangle of light balanced by the shadow triangle (I would even darken the very left bottom of the building to make this definition more pronounced). I think this is very classy and very standard if one is looking for standards.

I see your point, but...

"have Pieter made changes you suggested, he would've destroyed the mood we both like here"

My view: if he goes to far about the changes, that's agreed, but I was only talking about MINOR changes. I do not consider Eugene Saffian's work to be sterile or cold - at all - for example. Nor does it mean that the tonal range of the present image should as moderate as it is usually for Eugene. I just believe there is a right balance to be found for every shot. I am not - at all - against darkness.

"The traditional sharpness and tonality"

I have spoken about traditional sharpness BUT NOT about traditional tonality. I just said this was a bit extreme burning. I would still want to maintain a low key and high contrast. Just not THAT high. And it's just my opinion.

"...would make his one of your standard shots"

Keep this kind of remarks for where they belong, on my pages. As far as I am concerned your portfolio doesn't allow you to make all the loud comments you have already made on this site, but I don't mind as long as you remain polite and don't talk about me or my work on other people's pages.

"...which, while technically perfect, please forgive me, are often emotionally disengaging"

Your opinion about my work doesn't interest Piotr, and to be honest, it doesn't interest me either. You obviously could use learning a bit what is called a correct behaviour in a community. It starts with being polite.

State your point, and you are welcome to disagree, and unlike you, I am not one of those who think they are always right. All I have is an opinion, and so far enough patience to express it on this site, despite the numerous people who have achieved strictly nothing except mad-mouthing others.

I hope I made myself clear enough. Had I sent your post to PN, the personal part about Marc G's work would have been deleted, and then you would complain about censorship again. So, instead, and since this is the 3rd time you launch uncalled attacks on me where they don't belong, I thought I'd write a poetic note.

Have fun.

Piotr asked me to take a second look at the title of the image and possibly modify an earlier comment I had made, or at least understand the photo better. I have done so. I often don't read or care about the titles (actually, in the "critique" mode, I don't think we see the titles), so I misunderstood the photo.

 

Having said that, I have two things to say:

 

(1) I still think the photo is unappealing; particularly the coat and skirt still bother me. The flat white of the coat is annoying and the dark black of the boots and purse seem like a black hole.

 

(2) The photo seems well below the rest of the artist's work. Piotr, you really have some beautiful work on display here, but I can't see this photo as being on the same high level.

 

One man's opinion.