Zs 742

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sorry if i sound rude....

but what do u intend to show here? I see a naked girl lying on the sofa...cant see any art in that, though am not an artist.

Am i missing something? Please help me out.

Thank you for your comment Jassi. I cannot discuss Plank's quantum principle or wave particle duality with someone that is not a physicist. Maybe if you were an artist, you would better understand the purpose of my image. Laymen see objects moving in space and nude women on a couch.

What a way to start a new year ! Cat fight ! Over the endless debate of art ! I am sorry to say it doesn't take an artist to appreciate art ( or the museum would be prety empty ). On the other hand, art is not universal, in other words it's not because someone fails to recognise something as art, that it is not art. Ideally, for me it would be sufficient to say " I like it " ( or it moves me, it makes me think, it provoques me ) or " I don't like it " in other words : it stirrs no reaction, no emotion. Or as is often the case in sites such as this one can start arguing about this or that technicality of the picture.

I could say that " I like " many photos of your portfolio more than this one. If I try to narrow down why : I keep coming back to the back cushions and the glass on the floor. I thiink that " just a girl on a couch " is already a good start for a thought provoquing discussion: why indeed would one depict " just that ". That in itself has merit.

 

John... Jassi is asking for help. It's not nice to discard him as laymen !

 

Jassi... welcome to the site and congratulations for the boldness you show attacking right away a member with an exciting and developped portfolio. That takes some balls... How to make friends in 3 seconds. On the other hand... do you think the 3 photos you propose display any artistic merit ?

 

Calm down guys ;-)

 

Happy new year nevertheless.

Ha ha, thanks Philippe. Obviously, I wasn't being serious, but then nor was the question, so I replied in kind. I am a laymen in hundreds of areas, but I don't begin by refuting the value of something in someone else's discipline that I claim not to understand.

John

U got a point. One shud not judge(atleast not criticize) what one knows not. I apologize.

 

I have seen hundereds of nude pics in ur directory, i must admit they do grow two things on my head. But i dont think i m able to appreciate unique features in them all.

 

Is the viewer supposed to understand what the model feels while u shoot?

 

How about profiling a homly lady? (just an idea)

 

Phillipe

Thanks for caring to have asked. I even know John is the most popular person on this site.

I don't think my photos hold any more merit than any picture taken with consideration to angle, rule of 3rds and a thought behind it. My aim is to perfect these three parameters. I need valuable opinions from experts like u and John, thats the reason i am here.

 

You guys have happier 2007.

John, I am sure you don't need my comments on your photos, but I want to say in this particular case that I like the soft (cenital?) lighting and the contrast between the skin tones and the couch, the floor and the background. The soft light distribution over her female forms is excellent. Same thing with the soft shadows which reveal details. Not to say that the pose and the drink glass which is something identifying your signature. Perhaps one of the more interesting things in this image is the pleasant pose of the model, which i see it in her face but also in the rest of her body muscles. Regards. Ruben

cosy image very cosy ! i like the b&w tones - good work John .

Jassi, after being a member of Photo net for three days, I am surprised that you selected this photo as the only one to comment on out of several hundred thousand that are placed there for critique, particularly, since you find it so uninteresting.

 

 

Nevertheless, I will reply to your question:

 

Why does one take a photo of a naked girl on a couch ...

 

As photographers and artists, we set out to capture images in a way that personalizes them and renders them unique, otherwise why photograph the Eiffel tower that has been taken several hundred million times already and you can buy a postcard for just 10 cents.

 

What we identify with in a photo differs from person to person, and no one need necessarily comprehend what the author had in mind. Irrespective of the technical qualities that amateurs will look at, an image either evokes some emotion or it doesn't, but it's rarely pointless in the view of the photographer. Photography is a means of communication, just as any other, and if an image says nothing to you, that's fine, but it may have meaning to someone else.

 

A naked girl on a couch is no more meaningless than a flower or landscape that one may choose to photograph. Some will try to embellish it, others to bring out some dramatic quality. All this is relative to the feelings and understanding of the viewer.

Ruben, Michael and the others. Thank you very much for your comments. This is a totally unpretentious picture. Just a pleasant moment captured in time and which communicates (to me!) the model's sense of ease. We had a good time taking the pictures.

Very good, John, I like the fine B&W shot, very nice.

 

Reagards.

 

Alberto

Dear John I enjoy the attacks of many PN members that are trying to prove something. Are you an artist or not? Are you a porno photographer or an artist? What percentage of your work is good? The

answer is simple. 107926 clicked your posts last year. That's all. Somebody likes a photo or not. Unfortunately I like so much your photos that I cannot decide

seriously for nude yet. Maybe because I believe it's one of the most difficult kinds of photography. Go on John with your nice work. Of course it's natural that not every shot is a masterpiece. Will be wayiting for the next.

Thank you Michael. In fact, the best thing to do with people that seek attention for themselves, elsewhere than under their own photos, is to ignore them. As for my postings, they include a lot of nonsense of course. I post them because I enjoy the feedback and the critcism, don't we all?

...'Till the Devil whispered behind the leaves, "It's pretty, but is it Art?"'...

 

R. Kipling was right: it's never ending.

 

Regards

Ha, sometimes it's art, but is it pretty? Maybe a bit of both are sometimes necessary for glamour photography! ... "Une histoire sans fin" ... how sad when things come to an end and no hope remains for change or improvement.

John

Thanks for caring to explain.

Out of many posts, why did i reply urs? Well, because just a day before i was looking for the most popular work (member) on this site. I came to know u r the 'best' and had seen 100s of these pics in ur profile.

 

Beauty is attractive by default. I could denounce my other hobbies and aims, if i could, for example, make a homely face say something to the viewer.

soft-porn also has good and naked figures, cute faces, impeccably clean background and appropriate lighting.

 

I have no intention of stealing your part of attention, u see i havent even written enough in my profile for that to serve any purpose.

 

- Good bye

Thanks Jassi. My remark was not addressed to you but to another person whose comments were removed by the monitors. I'm glad you took my reply with the humour it was meant. And please do not confuse number of points with quality. My models get more favourable ratings than I do.

John,

Art is in the eye of the beholder. The artist (painter, photographer, musician...etc) tries to portray feeling and emotion in their work. Not all understand it. Some artists, nay many artists works are trashed until someone says they are "great". Does that stop all the others from creating? No, of course not. An artist, in particular, is creating to please him/her self. We all hope that our work pleases others, but I don't think anyone really creates hoping "Gee, I hope people like this...". We are truly fortunate when are works are admired by others. As for the porn topic, that is also in the eye of the beholder. One can say Oh, it's just another naked photo. Others will say its porn. And yet others will say its a beautiful piece of God's handiwork. I believe each of your photos has its purpose. This is yet another excellent photo, John. Technically, her pose is angular yet relaxed and inviting. The angle of the right leg seems to almost match the angles of the wood below her. The lighting creates a smooth tone to her skin and her expression is warm and sensual. The glass on the floor leads me to believe (as a backstory to the photo) she was waiting for someone who may have just entered the room...(but thats only my mental imagery)She was definitely at ease during the shoot. I absolutely love the photo. I enjoy your entire portfolio and that doesnt make me a porn junkie. There's a million sites for those pictures. Your photos are shot with a sense of class and we always wonder what the backstory is to each one. Keep doing what you do my friend. You have great photos and stunning, gorgeous models. Your portfolio gets the amount of hits it does for a reason. Bravo!..............of course this is only my opinion and not being a photographer of models/people/women, I dont expect you to comment on my statement John. Either or...Kudos to what you do!

I love the b&w tones and posing

John. Your images are always artistic in one way or another. In this case I would have to say this is just a photo of a young lady lying on a couch. I think genetics is the better artist this time. No offense. Thanks as always for contibuting your work.

 

-JWrightwood

Well, I think we agree there Jim, I said the same thing more or less twice further up. But I am sometimes indeed a little overwhelmed by the genetics ... -:) Jokes apart, there is nothing even remotely artistic about this picture. I just liked the relaxed pose and the moment spent in taking it. Thanks for passing by.

Thanks for responding John. I admit to not reading all of the discourse. Sometimes things get way too convoluted with language. I was just putting in my 2 cents. Cheers.