Untitled

Nice idea, and nice execution. It would be better, I think, if there were a similar light on the man's face as we see on the woman because he tends to get lost in the darkness.

I keep looking at this, hoping to see something...anything...but I don't see anything interesting here at all. It does absolutely nothing for me. The photograph doesn't say anything about the man and the woman, other than the fact that they're getting wet. The backlighting doesn't work and except for the water, the colors look flat. The wide black frame at the top and bottom does nothing. This photograph is nowhere near representative of this photographer's talents, and compared to lots of his other work, it's just boring to me.

I should temper my former comment by noting that I do see more detail in the man's face on a monitor with less contrast than I used for my initial view, so perhaps my comment about more light on his face is irrelevant. But honestly, I think Jim has a point, and trimming one, or the other person out of the shot makes for a stronger statement: Probably not the statement the photographer had in mind, but in terms of power, a stronger image. In other words, the sum of the whole picture may not be greater than the sum of its separate parts.

here's what I mean, and I actually think the female half is much stronger than the male half.

So, I guess it might be more acceptable to figure out how to work with the existing idea to make it better, rather than to trash it altogether, or reconfigure it. Not sure what Jim thinks, but possibly if the couple's heads were closer together, or maybe the man's left hand on her far shoulder.

It would be interesting to see outtakes from this session so we could see what might have worked better, and to see what definitely didn't work at all. I think I still believe the light could be better on the man, though.

It would also be interesting to see some of the set up notes, to learn how it was lit, whether or not that's a natural waterfall, or a studio construction.

My apologies to the Hands-Off Crowd, but here's an editorial Frankensteinization that illustrates something of what I'm talking about.

This is the Frankenphoto* I meant to post in my third comment, except I later found that I disagreed with myself, which led me to construct the "get closer" Frankenphoto.

* Frankenfoto: A photo/picture resulting from chopping up and reconstructing an existing photo. After the gothic novel Frankenstein , by Mary Shelley.

Personally, I like the black bands at top and bottom of the photograph. I wish the copyright and artists name were down there rather than on the photo. I think Doug is correct in his photo showing light on the man's face. Maybe not that much, but a hint more than is showing in the original at any rate.

My problem with the image is that the girl seems taller than the man, and had she been looking upward to his face it would have made a better photograph. Oh well, It is still an attractive looking image. At first all I saw was the water spray when all of a sudden it dawned on me that there were two faces there. That is the "magic" in this image. No cropping required here either.

Willie the Cropper

Beautiful capture and strong shot...I like the drops and details...My opinion is,it need more light and the Doug`s version is beautiful too.
Nicely balanced...Regards(Bobby).

scelta molto soddisfacente... bravo!

It is a very nice attempt, but I think you are right Doug. The minute I looked at it, it appeared that the woman was sensual, but the man is almost grinning in my opinion, or scared to get close. Maybe the moment was just caught at an awkward time and another shot after they composed themselves was in order. It's all subjective, but I really think their foreheads touching would be most sensual. A tad bit of light on the gentleman's face also.

It's not a bad shot, but it is compromised in all the areas mentioned by Doug. I do not, however, find any of Doug's suggested solutions very much better. The light on the man's face needs to be a mirror of the woman's. It cannot be just be fill light for this image to work. It has to convey the same sensual feel as the edge lighting on the woman.The only part of this shot that seems to work for me is the composition.

That shot is amazing. I would not change anything at all.

When I first looked at this image as a thumbnail, I have to admit that I was left a bit wondering. At that size, where only form is readable, I was a bit underwhelmed and I couldn’t really determine what the image was.

As I opened it, it took me awhile to actually see what was going on. The impression that I got with this image is that it feels like a movie still. The presentation, with the wide black borders, the dark moodiness and most of all, the very tight crop seem to indicate that there is some action that we should be focusing on. What I am left feeling is that we somehow have just missed the action, that we either got here too early or we were too late.

The woman’s expression is very good but not being able to see the man’s is a bit troublesome and leaves the image incomplete. Seeing it, I am not sure that it complements her emotions or brings enough to elevate this photo. This is also due to the fact that his posture is so erect and static while her’s so organic and fluid. His facial blackness becomes a sort of lifeless blob in the composition while her dynamic lines make the shape of her own tonal loss appealing.

Certainly, the image can be enjoyed as it is, but I feel that the presentation just demands a bit more connection between the two and the fact that we lose the man’s face, and lack of dynamics of his posture, really makes such a connection difficult. As presented, I think the image needs a headline or a caption to make it really work.

I like the technique used, however, and hope there might be others that would be a bit more powerful as a freestanding image.

Nice idea. It capture's ones attention. I had to take a second or so to see the two profiles. I prefer the original over the lightened profiles

I honestly love the image. I think it is very sensual. I love the backlighting, and I like the fact the woman is more lit than the man. I think it asks you to look at the woman from the man's perspective. I think the distance between them is ok, too. I think it gives the image a more "caught in the moment" perspective than a posed photograph, which I think adds to the feel of the image. I can't say I wouldn't like it if the were close, close enough to almost kiss, but I think you do need a bit of separation between them to keep the feel of the image intact.

I initially found the image very sensual. I think it is a stong image that many people will be drawn to, taking a deep breath themslves as the become part of the image.

And yes, I too find the original much more interesting than the lightened version. There is nothing added to the image by lightening it.

This photograph has an element of drama and aesthetics in the original version. The dark outline of the man, accentuates the beauty of the image.

The wide black borders with white lines seem to be a signature choice of photographer Massimilliano. And some other photographers. I am not sure what they add to this particular picture. I feel they are intrusive in this instance, breaking the intimacy of the framing of the couple.

I have revisited this photo, and I can't escape it so I have to share. When I stare at the water falling in between their faces, their heads begin to move closer to each other. Marvelous!

Congratulations Massimiliano…

This is an amazing photograph with very high attention value. The expressions, the lighting, the bright dynamic background and the details are fascinating. The bright background captures the attention of the viewer instantly. Then the two emotionally charged faces involve the viewer completely with their very high potentialities to engross the total cognitive process. This image provides a true perceptive pleasure.

I personally like the original version. Any change would reduce the extraordinary photographic quality. The changed version is cinematic, but the original version is exceptionally dramatic.

Thanks to the moderators for selecting this photograph as POW. Best regards.

Excellent shot. I like the idea of the man's face has less lighting. I would not change it. His profile is enhanced by the excellent lighting setup. The intimete relation between the two models is also evident. Very good job. Congratulations.

Congratulations Massimiliano!!!!

I just loved the picture, I agree with some of the people that there is no need to light more the man's face, because of that, this picture kept me thinking about it for a while. However I also agree with the guys that asked that the man an the woman should be closer, it would give a grater sense of intimacy.

This discussion once again buoys the fact that photography is so much more "subjective" than it is "objective."

Technically one could say the image is under exposed..aesthetically one might say that is what the photographer intended.
Regardless, it remains pure subjectivity layed upon opinion.

I have a simple way to evaulate photos. I imagine myself flicking through a magazine with good photos on every page. If I stop flicking, to look at a picture that has caught my eye, I rate it as an awesome pic.
This one would have made me stop.