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Excellent model pose.Great composition.Perfect light and BW color tone.Congratulation John.Cordialle salutations.Janusz.

Creative model! Taut and poised with energy! You caught it, John! Wonderful!

Indeed the best, John!!

Beautiful!!!

 

Alberto

Cool light and sexy posing.

wonderful tones and great expression, John. merry christmas...

Great combination of textures.

Really love her dynamic pose that conveys a strong sense of movement! The manner in which her arms frame her face and the legs occupy the full frame is exquisite and elegant! Have a Wonderful Holiday Season and a Great New Year 2008!!! Regards.

Excellent pose and the expression. Great choice of B/W. Excellent shot.

 

 

The model, whom you use frequently (and why wouln't you?), the pose, the sash, the inimitable Peri lighting, all create the setting for her expression. Her eyes and that soft, subtle, sensual smile make it extraordinary. Thanks to both of you.

Thank you Joe and all the others too, She will enjoy reading this ... a very discreet and elegant young lady in real life, she excels in front of the camera ..

Very sensual snake-like posing . I love her expression , looking at the camera in a powerful way

Both. Merry Christmas my friend, to your family and your models also.

John, beautiful, wishes you happy navidad, and that you are very happy.

your pictures as always are fabulous.

I congratulate you.

This is quite an artistic and most captivating pose. Her eyes truly draw you in. Very powerful work. -T.

(in response to "am I missing something" by David McCracken, since removed).. concerning implied faults in the tiles situated behind my model in the picture. !!

 

Happy New Year.

 

I don't think many people are interested in the tiles, possibly even less so in copying the picture and enlarging it so as to be able to see them! But I do have a wonderful book on mosaics ranging from Persian tiles of the early 15th century until present the times if you would like to borrow it!

 

I have in fact pre-emptively already answered your comment towards the bottom of my profile page.

 

 

All the best to you too John.

 

For the record I didn't enlarge the image. Indeed, I did shrink it. If you still don't believe me, you can always try right clicking on your own image, save it on your computer, open it in photoshop and see what the default size is.

 

You are correct, most people are probably not looking at the tiles. However, when I look at a picture, I like to wonder if I would like to look it all day. I certainly wouldn't mind looking at the lovely model all day but certainly not in this picture. Maybe the tiles in this image are as seen but I got the feeling the image was manipulated and so I said so. I am not perfect, sometimes I am wrong.

 

I would remind you this is a 'photo critique site' and not a 'who can photograph the most pretty women site.'

 

As for borrowing the book, I will give that a miss. However, do let me know when you are in Hong Kong again. I will be happy to discuss photography with you over a coffee, a beer or Champagne.

 

addedndum:- I have removed the image that offended you so much. The only way to do this was to remove the comment too. For the record, I do still have trouble with the tiling.

David, hello, thank you for your wishes.

 

As I have stated very clearly on my front page long ago, I often manipulate my photos. More often than not this is to compensate for my inadequacy, and also because as you so gleefully point out sometimes, I am a "snapshot" photographer and I make mistakes!

 

Personally, I do not take that to be an insult at all. It is a technique alike any other that allows one to capture "moments". Some of the greatest and most memorable photos of all times have been snapshots !

 

As for this not being a competition in beauty, well, you seem to be one of the only persons on photo net that feels the compulsive need to make that remark regularly under my photos. The majority of others dignify me and my models by commenting on the photography.

 

I am a "glamour" photographer. Consequently, I try to make my subjects look good. Most people understand and respect that, without feeling the need to repeat all the time that they think it's the subject that is drawing the attention that appears to disturb you so much! Undoubtedly it may be true of many categories, however I'm not posting in "landscapes" or in "still life", I post work to be considered among photos of the same genre in the areas of "glamour" and "nudes". A large amount of people are adult enough to find something interesting to say about the photography, I'm happy to say including some of the better photographers on this site (need I repeat the names of some of the exceptional people above), but you know that since you follow the postings! Surely they don't need to be told .. "hey folks, you are being conned, don't look at the photo, look at the girl" or vice versa ! Maybe one should stop taking them for cretins and respect them a little more. That said, I have seen many photos of beautiful subjects that are simply awful, whether it be of models or a pieces of architecture !

 

As for this photo, I have looked at the screen with a magnifying glass, my wife too ha ha (!) and all we see behind the model is dark space and the faintest outline of some tiles. Now I will look at the original, enlarge it and lighten it to examine if something has escaped me. I really don't think it's important, it's certainly not visible in the screen above or on the large print that I made, and no one but you could possibly focus on that and nothing else in this photo ! Anyway, thank you, if something is indeed wrong, it would be good for me to have a quick look at it, because the photo has been requested for submission to a book. It's a book on photography, not beautiful girls (sic).

 

Now, how about trying to start out 2008 with a spirit of camaraderie and tolerance towards others, without feeling the compulsive need to compare their work to one's own and how others may or may not appreciate them respectively. I have repeatedly stated on photo net that you have mastered some methods I haven't the faintest notion about and I appreciate that, whether I like what you do or not. However, I feel no complex or jealously and do not expect others to do so towards me, whether it regards my person or the attraction that my work may draw ! I am pleased when others do well and try to contribute to the momentum, as I have frequently done in the past under your photos.

 

I wish you an excellent 2008 David, both for yourself and your photography which I know for you also is a source of delight. It would be more enjoyable for everyone though if one didn't have to cope with the ocassional gratuitous bout of bitterness, some people call envy, that appears from time to time on these pages. Somewhere, I feel you must surely understand that.

 

I keep wanting this foto to be in color. I can't decide if this is because of your earlier color foto of this model with her blue eyes contrasting with her red hair or whether it is this foto alone that creates this feeling. This is a very different form of tension which I really like.

 

 

 

Although David McCracken seems to have some problems with the background, from my perspective, the background contributes just enough texture to draw the eye, but only after thoroughly viewing the model.

 

Her pose is very sensual. I particularly like the triangle formed by her arms and the implied triangle formed by her legs. As usual, the facial expression and the eyes are the center point of the foto. The right arm above the eyes really accentuates and frames her face very well.

 

This all works together to accentuate both the model's beauty and give the viewer a glimpse into her inner self. Kudos and Happy New Year to you both.

 

 

Jim

 

Thanks for your very detailed (and kind) reply. I probably did not deserve your effort. That said, it is very much appreciated.

 

You are correct! I do probably draw attention to the fact that you are lucky enough to photograph so many women but I fear you may think my intentions are less than honourable. This is not the case. You have taken some fantastic photographs. However, you have also taken some howlers. I often find it very difficult to believe the words of people commenting on your photographs. When I see the words 'fantastic' or 'amazing' on what is at best a mediocre shot I say so. There are times when I have been a little unfair but I don't think I have been unfair recently.

 

This image is one we both think is fantastic. I do not like the rock to the right and so I said so.

 

I no longer look for your images John. I only comment on them when I come across them in the queue.

 

There has never been any doubt in my mind that you are a gentleman. I sincerely wish you all the best for 2008 and beyond, but please believe me when I say that when I comment on your photos I am encouraging you to do better. My tone and manner may not always be to your liking but I make no apologies for who I am. You have fantastic subjects, they do deserve the best and you do have the ability to do it if you try.

 

addendum:- As for your comment 'gratuitous bout of bitterness, some people say envy,' I would say my apparent 'gratuitous bout of bitterness' is actually frustration. I want something to be good and it isn't. As for envy... I most definitely have some of that. I would think most of the people who contribute to your pages do too. However, I would like to state, my envy has nothing to do with your photographic ability.

Well that's where we differ then David because I certainly do "envy" some other people's photographic abilities, in which case I would never produce any howlers, but then I am possibly more modest or is it more generous than you ?!

 

I do not resent either what other people think of "your" photos, nor do I question their judgment ... I repeat your photos, not mine !

 

I would consider that most presumptious, particularly when it involves the amazing quality of some of the reviewers concerned ( I did actually point this out in my previous posting:

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=6760102)!

But your remark is derogatory towards them and not me, and will surely have been noticed already. But then, as you write sometimes, you do of course "happen to know better". By some strange coincidence however, you always seem to arrive late on my threads when many of these people do not see your remarks and cannot reply. Try doing it a little earlier!

 

 

And I do appreciate your noble efforts to improve my work, as in the case above, though I would think it more desirable that you concentrate more on your own (sic).

But I really don't see how it helps this picture to correct an alleged fault in the tiles hidden in the dark space behind the model that we cannot see on the screen even with a magnifying glass (your message and my photo encircled by you above with huge red markings having since been removed)!

 

As for the recurrent argument

again implied in your "addendeum" above that people seek out nudes and beautiful girls to favour on PN and the absurd statement further up regarding the race to photograph the most beautiful ones, I was amused to discover recently that if one clicks on "all time", "most viewed" folders", my most popular folder is actually the one on "Portraits", ha ha .. so that argument rather dismally flops out ... :-)

 

Have a nice New Year !

Outstanding photo, really very well framed, as far as I can see you was looking for expression and character, and you did it John. Her facial expression is more important than her indubitable beauty, and the body language remind me some ancient oriental legend. Evocative and eye catching. As a final detail there aren't superfluous things neither adorns. Simply photography.

Thank you Carlo. You have understood the spirit behind the presentation of this photo. Admittedly, I too find her graceful demeanour and facial expression quite fascinating and worthy of this photo. Obviously, that is what it's all about.

 

My warmest wishes for the New Year.

i like the pose very much !!