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.. Some cretin, who at the same lauds his own artistic profile, wrote to

one of my models to say that she should not appear on the same pages

as another that supposedly posed for trash. Who knows, with over 200

models it may be true, but how come he knows it and I don't, I certainly

don't look at porn sites .. : -). Anyway, what is important, who we

represent in our work or the way the photographs are taken .. should we

never photograph anyone of said dubious character, should Yusuf

Karsh remove the picture of a serial murderer from the book in which

Winston Churchill also appears, how absurd can one get ?

With all the other things so acceptable in today's society, what is wrong with porn?  If someone wants to appear in porn, why is it someone else's business?

Really nice all in your shot!

Spider Seventy One, I have to agree with you.  I too, feel that porn has a place in society, in as much as I think prostitution should be legalized and regulated across the country.  Both serve their purposes.

John, I feel for you and your model, as NO ONE has the right to be judging others!  As the old saying goes... "If a man would mind his own business, he would have a full-time job!"  I'm sure you reassured your model to pay no attention to this idiot, as unfortunately, the world is full of them.

Now, about your piece... lovely.  I love the pose you garnered from her and her expression is super.  Good work again John!

Michael C, not to turn John's photo, which I like a lot, into a polictal forum, I agree with you about prostitution.  As long as no one if forced into it, what happened to the "Keep your laws off my body" belief?

Sex between Adam and Steve is ok, but a man seeking a woman is discusting?

Beautiful, sensual model and pose.

John,

You have an absolutely stunning subject which always helps to create a great image.  I really do not have anything to critique, but I will always remember a statement which may apply to your detractor, which I can only paraphrase :  " It is better to keep silent and let everyone think you are a fool than to open your mouth and prove everyone correct. "

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

I do find this image to be quite nice. The lighting separates her from the background well. The pose is unusual but that is part of the image's charm. Like your behind the scenes work (I checked this time), this has a caught in the moment feel that I like. 

On your other comment, I had posted on another of your photographs:

I said then, and I'll repeat, let's try that here and stick to the image in front of us. There are plenty of photographs in the world that I love that are of subjects I find distasteful. 

Hello John:

I was surprised that someone would be able to send communication directly to one of your models. To me, that is a  serious red flag. 

If something is even mildly suspicious, please document it, even if that documentation is a simple sentence in your daily journal. Here in Canada, we have had 20/20 hindsight caused by a few horrific offenses  against women where trends were not seen until too late.

There is a lot that I can learn from your photographic technique regardless of the genre.  This is a fine example of how to use lighting (one strobe),  DOF, textures, contrast, lines, etc.

Regards, John

John, sorry to hear about your situation in the comments there.  You do an outstanding job of making these photographs; I wouldn't worry about what whomever says if I were you.

The on-axis foreshortening with that foot; I felt it created an unusual illusion.  Maybe it would work better if there was a strong, visible shadow to support that plunge in depth. 

"...how absurd can one get ?"

Evidently - quite absurd!

Keep doing what you do...let the model keep doing what she does...and let the absurd idiot continue being and absurd idiot!

He makes the rest of us look REAL GOOD!

(Long-time admirer of your work)

Everything great looking, the usual beauty and sensuality of the model, great provocative pose (more than usually) and the wonderful environment and B&W tones! They should have but put level device on your camera, ha!

Warm regards John!

PDE

:)

The sensible John...

Barking is a way of expression even for humans, did you know that ?!

Your work is glamorous !

Keep it going, dude, and don't listen to social dwarfs ;)

Dear John, this shot is awesome, beautiful and great , congrats and best wishes // Salvador 

O John, and here I thought you didn't respond to &**#)@s... I thought I was the only one who got his feathers ruffled and flamed the philisitnes :=} But I digress... A lovely image of a lovely lady my friend. Bravo!
-r-

Thanks Raymond .. but I don't get my feathers ruffled unless the birds are disturbed .. : -)

The room is listing.

The model and the image are especially lovely.

Hi John for down Under... Your work as always is beyond reproach... This one is utterly fantastic   can I say the only think I can suggest is the angle... I like it very much but always as an engineer and architect that lines must run true the angle of the back drop is not running true... If that can be my only comment then indeed you are a master I wish to learn from.. Thanks John... your mate down under MJ

Many thanks to all .. I appreciate the discussion.

I take note of the discrepancy in the angle and people whose taste I respect very much have made the point. Quite frankly it could be easily corrected, but admittedly I remain skeptical over this matter. Does it really impact on a photo?

I have made the remark before and at risk of boring those that have already read it, I will repeat it once again. In all the museums, galleries and exhibitions that I visit (notably during the yearly Photo week in Paris) I see works presented that have slopping walls and horizons, missing fingers and ears, burned out areas, lack of contrast or too much of it, etc., etc., .. all the things that we go on and on about in our discussions here. How much do they really impact on the success of a photo, very little I have concluded, for these are the works chosen by the experts, curators and exhibition managers that are at the forefront of what is considered a success today. New York is considerably more avant garde still than what we see over here.

This winter I visited the retrospective by Patrick Demarchelier at the Petit Palais in Paris. His works would get massacred on PN if they were not accompanied by his name. In my opinion they are magnificent just as they are, missing hands and hairlines, walls that make you dizzy, half dogs in the picture and so on .. so this is a topic that will be long discussed, and obviously opinions are going to differ. Many thanks again to you all, it is wonderful to exchange ideas.

Beautiful! I particularly like the vantage point with the slight tilt. Coupled with her facial expression/eyes, this really increases the visual tension in the image. Kudos to you both.

Jim Phelps

I suspect Patrick Demarchelier would be massacred on PN even if his work was identified as his.

This is a very "rules conscious" group.

Jim Phelps

Thank you my friend .. but "there are no rules" as Ansel Adams rightly said, "only good photographs" .. : -)

AMEN!

Jim Phelps

"Patrick Demarchelier at the Petit Palais in Paris. His works would get massacred on PN if they were not accompanied by his name."

Really ?!

I doubt on you assertion !

thanks John you always skillfully answer comments and or in my case suggestions of personal preference .. Of course your work regardless of angle is always well presented and planned and of course executed... I am very critical on my own works an in fact find very few images I take up to my standard. I wish I could get the results you accomplish... Again angle is not what I refer to that is placement of the camera angle I look at horz and vert. lines as a reference point but again that doesn't distract from your work not one bit... Hope that clarifies my simple minded comments to a well established Photographer... Always your mate... MJ