amypowers

The black line is courtesy of my neg scanner. I did not crop these, so...I could PS it out, I suppose. I'm so used to seeing it that I think it sort of "disappears" to me.

The name "M'rike" is the models' choice, not mine. And while I am acquainted with Elf socially, I haven't read the material you mention. Perhaps she has, I don't know...

Lovely and attractively spooky...

Love the color of the sky - it pops! And the black outline of the fence and trees and houses, etc, in the background. Cool and distant-feeling, without being stark.

I think I know where this is - the Arboretum, back of the Japanese Garden? If it where I think it is, I've thought about shooting that twisty little path, too, just haven't gotten an inspiration for composition and subject. Nicely done.

Nope, its private property.

Yes, it needed the levels tweaked a bit. The film scanner I have does not handle b/w white well, and I am not very expert at PS6, so processing b/w neg scans is still troublesome to me. I think this version is better.

Dean

The negs and prints look fine - I have the negs done at Photobition - the problem is my scanner. Its a slide scanner, a Minolta Scan Dual, and it does pretty ok with color, but it really chokes on b/w. I have not ever used any third-party scanner software, but if I was scanning images for commercial use I definitely would.
I'm also sure that a real PS6 wizard could correct its deficiencies better than I do, too.

Indeed, nicely done. I like the DOF and the light falloff.

Very, very nice. The shadow doesn't bother me, I would hang this on my wall. Th empty bench is both beckoning and a little eerie as well...

I myself love shooting IR film...and I am intrigued by the idea of shooting digital IR. So you use one of the true IR filters, not a Wratten 25 red? Do you just hold it over the lens? Hmmnnn...very interesting.

 

Quite the little arrangement of straps...

Very striking, love the flaming cocktail...

This is one of my favorites, Charlie...perfectly framed. And Max is so great to work with...

Tim...I'd be interested to see what you thought about this image...I think it might be something like what you mean.

http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=525406

Thanks, Jason...Yes, I am shooting a lot of film these days. Mainly because I can, you know, when its not self-portraits! Besides, I am really enjoying my darkroom. I always say that given the choice, I will shoot film, because I can always scan it, and then have it digitally, if I like.

 

But what is also true is that with this particular lighting technique, my digital images spanked the film images in terms of smoothness and tonal values. So while I like this image, in the future, I'll probably stick to digital for this set up.

Well....for a first try, its not bad. I think, though, if you want a "glamour" look, I would second the above comment, change the angle and blur out the background. I'd also try a different pose, this one is pretty unforgiving to a woman's figure. Or else do heavier shadow to contour her body more strongly.

 

Keep shooting...

Actually I tried this with a filter and white strobes and its quite different - and not good. I will scan one and email it to you, if you're interested in seeing it. But I like the idea of using different colored gels, I will try that.
My issue with this photo is that I think its about one stop overexposed. I haven't had time to monekey with it a whole lot in PS, so I don't know if it can be saved or not. But its a step in a learning process...

I don't see it as underexposed. Its a dark image, and thats how I wanted it to look. I know that rule about every photo having a pure white and a pure black, too, but rules are (sometimes) made to be broken....

Great skin texture and tone. The missing head thing is a little odd, though.

Interesting contrast between last weeks shot - which I found very emotionally evocative, but was marked down in the "technique" arena - and this one, which is technically quite fine, but lacks...a certain emotional punch.

Nevertheless, this type of shot has its place, and the interesting use of light makes it nice to look at. Congrats on making POW.

gorgeous skin tones...

Perfect exposure and nice toning. Its not quite Art - but its a perfectly nice portrait for a lover...

The color is nice. I'd like it more if her hands and feet were better posed, as it is they look a bit awkward. But its not at all bad...

Great range of tones, and great composition. Love the foggy effect around the musicians.

Thanks for your comments, Kyle...In response to your comment about her expression...Hmmnn. Let me explain how I do bondage shoots. I am not the person doing the actual ropework, for a start. What happens is that I get together with someone who wants to be tied up and someone who want to tie up that person. I do whatever I can to make the setting as appropriate as possible in photographic terms, like clearing stuff out of the background, ect. And then I just get out of the way, and they go. In this shoot, I would occasionally say "Jane, look at me." Thats the extent of my direction of the session. So its actually closer to PJ-ism than a controlled studio shoot.
So while I hear that to you, her expression doesn't read as true, in fact, it is the true expression of Jane in bondage. Would it be possible for you to comment on what kind of expression would seem more real to you? I'd be interested in knowing what someone who has not (I assume) seen a lot of fetish photography would expect...

Thanks for your comment, Kyle...I have read what you wrote several times, and I am not quite sure how you're seeing this photo...but in fact, this is a photo of two women.

Yes, the chain isn't perfect, but...there it is.