martyn_oliver

I'm assuming this is the CL (from Steve Huff's "First Look" post)? It's a really good image, and in my opinion the best in the folder. Well shot.

You know what I like about this image in particular? It's not the cute little slipper. Not the strategically placed ball of yarn. Not the breast, nor the glance to camera right. It's the lighting, and particularly the way it defines that exquisite tendon in Mira's groin. Beautiful.

Once again, an enigmatic and thoughtful picture (I take it the dotted line is the "life line" - I know nothing about palmistry, but the image is strong enough to make me confident in the assumption). And an excellent balance of colours, Natasha. More please!

Natasha, it's an excellent concept, and in my opinion the slight sense of artificiality that your model's fine skin tones suggest is perfectly appropriate. In a way, she is separated from our reality. The way that you've cropped the image, hiding the swell of the model's hips, gives her a kind of androgyny which also adds to the feeling of separateness.

If I have one "niggle" it is that I'd have liked the edge of the left leg (on the picture's right) to be a little more defined.

That's all. Well done and thank-you.

As for me, Natasha, I rather like the depiction of a slightly older woman's breast and hand. I don't know whether to think of it as courageous or honest, but whichever, I would say that, had the model been the standard photonet female, then the strong lines of the great composition would have been empty: still strong, but let down. In this case, it is overall an excellent image, one I would be glad to use.

Biliana wrote: "Your name is Olivier or Martyn?"

 

My first name is Martyn; family name is Oliver.

 

Thanks for your criticism. I'll go back to the original and try a different crop; could I email it to you -- say, one day next week -- for your opinion? (I nearly always print full frame -- "what you get is what you see" -- but there is such a lot of sand in this frame that I don't mind losing some of it :-) . I'll try a bit of extra contrast, too. Thanks again. M.

What I failed to notice at first looking was that the lower half of the umbrellas is in fact a reflection of the upper half as seen in the glass balcony railing.

 

Great use of colour.

 

If you spotted them as is -- well spotted; if you arranged them -- well composed. Well done all round.

 

Martyn

A lovely image, with colours that seem to glow from within. But it does not need the second, ghost image.

Ton coeur est cass鿠Non! Chuis desol頰our toi!

Perhaps I'm making too much of this -- reading more into the picture than exists. But I see this as a powerful and arresting metaphor for breast cancer. Whether I'm right or wrong, it made me stop and think. A very good image.

Hi Janet ... one of many great pics, this.

 

The "thirds" thing is simple: when I first worked in a photographer's studio, it was always drilled into me to "follow the rule of intersecting thirds". In other words, what you are supposed to do is divide your viewfinder frame into nine rectangles -- three rows and three columns -- and align your horizontals and verticles with one of the lines dividing these rows and columns. It's also said to be a good idea to locate focal points in the picture at the intersection of these lines. Well, that's fine, and it does often lead to an interesting asymmetry. But rules are made to be broken, and in my opinion this is one of those times when breaking the rule is right.

 

Martyn

...please rate this photo:

 

Yes, I do rate it. In spite of what I think of as its deficiencies, I like it very much. I like the model's stance, and I like the perspective parallels of the breaking waves, the waterline and the shadow. For this reason I would have preferred not to see the breakwaters or whatever they are -- perhaps the shot could have been taken a few metres back along the beach? I'm also concerned about the diagonal spectrum lines: these are presumably lens artefacts? But none of these things take away from my overall appreciation.

 

Martyn

Both of your contributions so far contain interesting pictures, Charlotta. I'd have liked captions and perhaps some technical data -- but never mind!

 

Martyn

Intriguing, sexy, almost abstract. Chilly, too.

 

A great combination.

Oh yes! Just what I like (and, if anything -- sorry Catherine! -- better than yours because less busy, perhaps).

 

Martyn

Simple and sublime