Untitled-1 (Custom)

Very nice.  Interesting choice of subject and background.  The lighting is just perfect - clearly not an easy thing to do in this situation.  I really like the blown out highlights, the textures, and nice subject (I hope she had a pair of shoes somewhere, doesn't look easy to get where she is in bare feet).  Fantastic job.  Thanks for sharing.

Thank you Charles. I almost entered this in a print competition, but was worried about the blown out window openings. I am glad to hear that you find them pleasing to the eye :) Yes, I had her shoes right at my feet.

Blown-out highlights are to be expected in a shot like this. Although the put-model-in-decayed-environment shot has been done a lot, I do like this one, except that two poles are growing out of her head. I might also cut out a bit of foreground or at least have a look at it that way.

Thanks Les, in hindsight, I would have placed her off to the left side so her crown would stand out more and no poles would have been coming out of her head. I would have also done it with better lighting so the doorways aren't blown out. Maybe I will call her for a reshoot. I'm sure she would be more than happy to :) I thought about the foreground, but liked the lines leading into her...maybe I will play with it some more :)  Thanks!

Well done, Melissa.  I love human subjects in unusual settings as they provoke the viewer's thoughts and feelings.

The background highlights do not bother me as they balance out quite well with the darker foreground when it is viewed within the overall context of the image.

I also like the fact that the frame is slightly tilted.

Melissa, this is nicely done - my first thoughts were basically what you and Les discussed about the crown. Only other thing I can think of is if you could have backed the musician a bit by the open area and see if any nice light could have lit her from behind.