carl_williams

Pleasing image, definitely the better one of the two.

Angle between horizon and picture frame is a nice touch. Your stuff seems pleasantly refreshing to me.

Different!

Very competent image, but does nothing for me emotionally I'm afraid, and I really don't like the makeup - makes her look like a plastic doll. But these are purely my own aestheic reaction and nothing much to do with the competence or othewise of the photo technically speaking. Nitpicks on the technical side: Given that it's a studio shot I wonder if the slight green cast in the shadow areas is a feature of the original or just the combination of jpeg & my monitor, or deliberate with some or other printing process in mind? The white area I presume is for a product shot (perhaps a Vivaldi CD or something for the more elegant Aussie toilet? :-)) or for advertising copy. If the client liked it, then it's successful and competent, but for me I'd say that this photographer has some vastly more striking and interesting images in his portfolio, and the main pleasure I've got from this particular POW is to be reminded of that by being prompted to go and look through them again. The awkwardness of giving seven after seven makes it a chore and a waste of time to rate them, so I haven't - I don't think Stephane really needs me to tell him he's a seriously accomplished studio photographer.

Excellent folder!

Interesting contrast with the original insofar as they tell different stories about this man. This one suggests he's playing in a situation in which he's the primary focus of attention, e.g. on a stage of some sort, where the original says he's only now and then the focus of attention. For me this alters my interpretation of his expression. It's certainly interesting. I'd re-do this version with considerably more care, I think, if you like the overall effect - photoshop certainly offers the potential to make a seamless job of eliminating the man's surroundings, but it'll take a good few hours of painstaking work. Chopping the fingers like that is one of the first and most obvious cues to question this version of the image. It's a very nice shot of the player, and if you want to give it this treatment (which makes for a striking image) then I think it deserves a wholehearted and labour-intensive proper job.

made me smile!

I think the photo works - it's perhaps a shade too symmetrical for me but then that's somewhat subjective. The nibbled borders look a bit heavy and distracting though. I assume you're after a "sheet of paper" effect, but compared with the delicate image I think the eventual black surround is too dominant. The name is fine as it's in a subdued colour and not intrusive, at least to my eye.

Lovely. Some would complain about the lack of catchlights in her eyes but I think this is a super portrait.

Interesting moire pattern - scanned from a print made using some kind of regular screen?

nice.

Spectacles balanced like that look too contrived, to me. Nicely lit and composed etc, though.

It's got detail in both eyes on my monitor, which I know to have a fairly restricted range of tones. I think a lot of monitors are set up very badly.

 

I like this shot. Moody and characterful. And admirable quality, too. I bet y'could tell it from medium format on a 50" print, though :-)

Josh looks a bit incredulous...

I think she looks a bit uninvolved or bored or somesuch. Or perhaps just pensive, mebbe this is characteristic. Interesting composition. And kind of wierd otherworldly skin tone caused by hair. Which suits the look, now I come to think of it. Hmm. Mebbe it's growing on me :-)

I like the look of this film. Nice work.

Interesting use of the bit of whateveritis that she's standing behind to make a frame within the image, which I reckon is good.

 

I still think the frame *around* the image is 'orrible, though. Reminds me of cheesy christmas cards. (Sorry!)

My favourite here, I think. But IMO the frames are ghastly, and rather distracting (not meaning to be negative - I like the pic, as I said).

Shame about the low-contrast scan, though - there's no black in this image (on my monitor, at any rate).

Great light, great picture. (Not wild about the frame though).

I prefer this picture to the other of the same person, it seems to be more about his music, very evocative, perfect timing, framing, depth of field and exposure. Colour and black-and-white seem more or less equally good to me. Black and white perhaps looks more timeless, more archetypal, reinforcing the timeless posture and intent of the fiddler. Extremely good photos, inspirational.

I really like this, but I like the other one even more, though this

is entirely a matter of personal taste I think. As suggested in previous comments this is perhaps more technically "perfect" but to me this one is about the man's face, the other is about his music (or a convincing simulacrum if the model isn't a musician). The first is,

I think, more characterful. That's not to say that I think there's

anything wrong with this one. I'd have been proud to have taken either.

I wouldn't call it a blank expression (ref. comment above). Far less blank than the average, inane "pouting girl (nude)" photo which seems so popular elsewhere. This looks more calm and mysterious, I would have said, and I like the lighting, lines and composition. OK it's tightly cropped in a way which makes it look un-balanced if you're expecting a stock head-and-shoulders portrait, but that's what made me look at it for longer, and see the pleasing repetition of shapes. I find it quite compelling, and far more interesting than the more conventional head-and-shoulders shot in this folder.

Very nice indeed.

Beautiful.