Statue Noora

This is a promo material for Miss Finland 2007 (Noora

Hautakangas). Misses need bikini shots for promo

purposes. Fashion and portrait wise, they are a pain

as they very very easily turn women "from subjects into

objects". So we tried something else here... how do you

find it?

Looks like Ms. Universe in the making.

Steve: Miss Universe was already held in Mexico for this year, and

this time we missed it. But it is pretty safe to say that if Noora

so wishes she will have a bright future in the modeling scene...

I see that I'm all over those pageants(not). I agree with the assessment about the future in modeling though.

One of your best. The dof and the moody light - not even the shadows on the face disrupt here. The tones match nicely too.

ps. Subject vs. object

I think this problem sufaces when one deliberately tries to make the arousing element the primary function. Showing skin can be done in many ways. You can celebrate the female beauty (like you've done here) or you ask her to butt up, to do things with her mouth, open her legs for the camera, push her tits unnaturally high or what ever. I think an objectized (?) babe photo is easily recognizable: The pose, the facial expression, deliberate local nudity and general feeling of staging give away. Those photos feel artificial, superficial, acted, pretended. I would also point out that it is possible to make an erotic photo, totally nude photo of a beautifull woman with even an arousing element without objectizing her. A photo like that feels genuine and intimate. Not acted, staged nor public.

Objectizing threshold also depends on the genre. A glamour photo is almost always such, a fashion photo can do it but a character portrait should never do it unless the female is a a cougar in her real life.

Personally I identify the objectizing photos easily by an instant feeling. I usually start to think how uncomfortable the lady has been in such a photo. This photo is pro-photo, a fashion photo. It's written all over it. It's not totally genuine portrait, but a fashion photo of lingerie, life style or what ever. It does have a potential commercial message for a commodity be it lingerie or editorial for a mag. The pose is more like a charricature (?), cartoonish rather than thruout sexual. The photo is very sylish all and all.

As you asked opinios considerind "turn subjects into objects"- issue, I find your shallow dof choice creating even more Barbie- effect. I just commented photo of scale model, which looked quite real for me. so here I find somewhat opposite effect!

 

Do not get me wrong. Your photo reflects good taste and great skills; if you did not ask, I would not perhaps even noticed that "tsio" side of photo. So, overall this is aesthetically pleasing and technically strong photo for me. No ratings, as I do not them anymore. a s l a

Her self-assured pose and look definitely make her a subject, no object exudes such personality! Well done both of you!

Warm, gorgeous model, good picture.

Great photo, excellent lighting and pose. I also think that the setting factors into what may be construed as a photo making an object out of the fabulous female form. Just my two cents...