In Search....

We are always in search....

 

Dancer: Naama Cristal

 

Thanks for viewing.

Thanks

Yea, but I would like to find it as frequently as you do..

a fluid masterpiece!

It is a splendid image of great beauty. Beautifully done!

The dances look so pure, so much about emotional divisions, here looking inside the veil. The tattoo is disturbing.

even if the trails we follow seem tough.

All the best Pnina

All of you for your feedback.

 

Donna, the tattu is a part of the dancer's body. I did not want to clone it out .;-)) the 17th of July is the premiere of that dance in the art center in Neve Tzedek, part of my photos will be in the dance via a video.

Great timimg you had when took thjis image, you did capture a so intense expression on dancer face, and perfect title

Excellent capture, dear Pnina. Naama's pose and expression are great. Very good b/w composition. Best regards!

Pnina, your search for Beauty & Harmony should never cease. Her stance is graceful and expression in concert with the caption. I like those subtle design in B & W created by her apparel. Superb composition and apt caption. I can imagine the critical applause you and images will receive at the premiere.All the best.

The intensity of this photo makes me wish she would never find, but keep searching indefinitely

Amal , don't we on a search all our life...?;-))

 

Laurent, great to see you after a long absence, wrote you in your files.

you´ve caught a great moment here. I do think however that your conversion is too flat and in need of more contrast to emphasize what you want more effectively.

 

 

Thanks for your taking the time, I learned from you to work in B/W with more contrast. In this one, as she was relatively far from the net( it is very small nuances if course) ,she looked very soft and I wanted to leave my feeling of that softness. I have another version where she nearly touched the net, I will upload it and if you have the time and will, tell me what you think. In any event thanks ( I have 3 group exhibitions in August -September and my work in the premiere (via video )of that dance in July)

As Rajat says, it has tremendous fluidity. Yours or Ton's version are both wonderful.

actually you better tell me

 

 

Ton, this is way too bright for my taste ... I like the atmospher of the dark one . and your first version much better.;-)) .( In general I think I have succeeded better expressing my feelings in my first version and the second was just for discussion sake.) thanks for your follow up and taking the time.

 

Dave, thanks , I agree with you that they are good examples with a slighthly difference in post processing. ;-)) I like my version but also Ton's.

It's a wonderful image, sensitive and moving.

 

I tend to work with contrast differently from Ton's example, selecting areas of brightness and darkness rather than adjusting the entire photo. I think in both of these photos, there could be room for more energy in the tonality without increasing the contrast globally which, in both cases, ruins the mood for me. Softness, which is the mood here, can still have energy and high highs and low lows. But the photo itself does not have to appear so much more sharply contrasted, which a global levels change or increase of contrast seems to accomplish.

 

I'll talk mostly about your original upload and not the second one you posted, Pnina, although I think similar considerations apply. For me, the story and much of the feeling here is in the relative lightness and light energy of the background, in the ambiance itself, as it relates to the more shadowed subject. I think that overall relationship can be maintained while just bringing out some of the important highlights already somewhat evident on the dancer's body, especially around the eyes and face. Ton's more extreme increase in overall contrast to the dancer makes the skin seem almost diseased to me, not at all flattering or soft. Without touching the skin, one could deepen the blacks of hair and skirt, for example (and only as one among many directions that you could go), and accomplish more depth of tone without losing the mood. The deepening of the blacks wouldn't have to mean a graphic sensation. The curtain itself has potential for selective variations of tone. I would say, if you wanted to add to the variety of tone and depth of feeling here, nuance would be the answer and not contrast. If you were going for real high contrast, you could look at some Japanese stuff. Although that stuff tends to look "more contrasty," I've learned the hard way that shading and subtlety are the keys.

 

I love the way the dancer is focused upward and the catch light falls in the eye. It gives the photo a feeling of essence.

 

Her gaze and the light of the background could have a relationship all themselves. I particularly notice that the lower part of the background, the floor, is brighter than the upper part. That affects the overall feel and the background's relationship to the dancer's eyes greatly.

 

Could my eye be led along with hers? Would you want it to be? Is there a focus here? Do you want my eye to rest or to move? Do any of these questions matter to you here?

fair enough ;-)

Thanks for your wide and nice evaluation, I think that while post processing we have our taste and understanding differences. I saw the Japanese contrasts and they are too strong for my way of creation, I like Ton's B/W in his street photos, he is doing wonders ,but for my subjects I think they look too strong ,even though I learned quite a lot from observing his work, yours ,and the big variety around me, but execution will never be similar.., I like your idea of nuances as it is what I'm usually doing. You know as well that conditions are important and I have to fit myself to them. It was taken in a studio with very hard light condition, the colored nets are creating all sort of nuances that I have to deal with while post processing , so I did pay attention to them, her eyes that were very dark because of the strong back light and other elements in this frame.

 

Fred, the lower part is not a floor it is the lower part of the wall, lighted strongly by huge windows light in a long rectangular room , I don't like this studio, but these are some times the conditions I work with....;-)) I still like my result in this one even though I will always find flaws I can correct.

 

 

Yes, I think and believe her upward movement and gesture, the point of light in her eye ( and I worked on the eye selectively and I liked it as is now) are leading the viewer with her direction ,I felt a longing ,a search for something which is not found, with the "borders "of the net.... . Even though at the moment I think of my intentions, feeling, understanding the scene, while creating , a priory we create to communicate and the viewer point of view is very important . I have some professional people that I consult with as well as another source of critique, but your and others critiques are a very important help that I appreciate much.

 

Pnina, you've mentioned the professionals you consult with before. I don't know why.

 

I can honor my own intentions and feelings and also consider what and how I am communicating to the viewer. The two, for me, are not mutually exclusive.

"but for my subjects I think they look too strong"

 

thanks Pnina but actually they were meant that way. I just wanted to show you what's there all the more so since it would be ridiculous to suggest that out of such a highly compressed image an acceptable endresult would be possible. Fred's, observation was right. My b&w conversions are multilayered as well and more often than not take quite some time. But an overall and quick enhancement of the contrast can be a good way to see what's there. I can understand why you would want to keep that "soft" feeling but they needn't be as flat as they are because of that. After all, it's your job to process them into a final result.

Great shot Pnina! Beyond this very interesting discussion with Ton and Fred (I've learned a lot), I want to emphasize the composition, the expression and the textures you've achieved, simply great! Kind regards, Luis

I think your point of view are important to me, especially the B/W conversion and nuances. I think of them.

 

I will be glad if both of you will continue to challenge me.

 

Ton, it was a nice surprise to see and read you here , after a long abscence.

I know both of you are busy, but please try, take olso into concideration that my language barriers can be sometime a problem of understanding, and answering.

 

Thanks for that interesting /learning thread.