High-key...?

I am not so sure about the degree of blur (maybe a bit too much for my liking), but overall its a beautiful high-key, and the model is astonishingly beautiful.

 

Nice job. And - good crop, too.

***Updated 21st Feb 2006***

Hello ViP :) Thank you for the kind compliment on the model, and your comment on this photo. The version here is the one without the blur you mentioned. The blurred one is now posted below...I wasn't sure whether to go full-blown blur or just to bring out the skin tones, so I sort of got caught in the middle ;) The crop was exactly as captured on film. I was quite pleased with it as well, to be honest. I am glad you like it overall though!

Best regards from Kenya,

Mark Anthony Kathurima

Here's the 'over-blurred'(?) version...

Another photo from her first - and very impromptu - shoot :)

Thoughts?

Very nice Image !

Nicely done Mark! A very good high key portrait.

Mark- the overall image is beautiful. To blur or not to blur is definately going to be subjective (in the eye of the beholder). I personally like them both. The original is beautiful as is, the blurred version gives her skin almost a smooth metalic look. I see this a lot in the fashion magazines. I think both are excellent because the original is so well done. The variations on this one are limitless. Nice job!

Jayme said it, I could not agree more :)

I am honoured, humbled and overwhelmed...

Mark

I find the high-key here very effective and it really adds to the fine portrait. Regarding the blurred version; I really much prefer the original as the skin looks so much more natural. This is of course just my personal taste, but I really like to see natural looking skin on portraits, neither too blurred or metallic, neither oversharpened. Cheers! Alex

Mark, I have been thinking about it. And, here's what I have come up with. I don't know if you like it, tho. Its not much different from the original...

Hi ViP! I really like what you've done with it. A touch more blur but still preserving skin texture. Thanks very much for the time you've taken on this. It means a great deal...

Mark :)

I'll have to comment on this one.

 

I like the originial version best. In real life, even beautiful women have pores in their skin, and often small bumps. It's real and it is a part of them. The second version is just way way overdone, and in my opinion even the third version is too much manipulation.

 

What I'm saying is this: This young lady seems to be a natural beauty. Her hair is perfect and her eyes are stunning. The direct look into the lens adds intensity to her beauty.

 

The majority of digital images usually need some sort of manipulation, even it it is only tonal in nature. I would suggest that with this shot that less would be more.

Good one... I like the original most.

...Love the original. Lovely model. The eyes really have it here. My congratulations. Regards, Kelvin.

But for a few marks at the top of the photo I'd agree with Jim and leave this image untouched. The saying 'if it ain't broke don't try to fix it' comes to mind. Also, it's been said before but I'll say it again-this model, the look she has and the look she gives-beauty epitomised.

Thanks a lot, people :)

Your comments are very much appreciated. I will hopefully be posting more images of this model, as we did another shoot this weekend.

Mark :]