If you've been following my recent posts you'll know that I posted quite a few portraits from the recent Bodygraphia photographic symposium out here in Bulgaria, many of which were shots of Iva Sakarova (e.g. this one and this one). I also spent another morning with Iva, just before she left to study in the UK, and have two shots from that session that I'll be posting. Both were adjusted in Lab Color mode (hence the rather odd colour balance), and both show a slightly different side to Iva's character.
In other news ...
I've just finished uploading the video for our latest Critique Slot Screencast, based on an image supplied by Ricardo Herrera. If you're already subscribed to our tutorials you can view the screencast here. If not, then there's some further info linked below:
comment byGarry at 06:19 PM (GMT) on 27 September, 2010
Not sure what it is about the shot, but it looks vaguely like a composite of two different images - maybe if the lighting on Iva had been at a lower output it would look a little more natural...
comment byTom at 06:20 PM (GMT) on 27 September, 2010
It's really odd. For both this one and the one from the Photoshop Tennis page, Iva seems totally removed from the background, like it's been added in during post. It feels like she was shot in a studio and then added onto this background.
comment byTom at 06:21 PM (GMT) on 27 September, 2010
Heh, or what Garry said! :-)
comment bydjn1 at 06:39 PM (GMT) on 27 September, 2010
Garry and Tom: that was an intentional decision, but may prove to be an unpopular one ;)
comment byDan Kaufman at 08:55 PM (GMT) on 27 September, 2010
I agree with the other comments re the isolated, almost composited feel, of the model in to the scene. However the first thought that struck me when I first saw the photo was 'was her head (face, hair, and skin) masked into a desaturated image/background?' This is the feeling that stays with me about his shot.
I do feel though that that the image works well as an "illustration type of poster" where there will be text copy added later (but I don't think that was your intention for this shot.)
comment by Adrian Hudson at 09:04 PM (GMT) on 27 September, 2010
What a strange image. Lovely girl but the lighting is weird. Is it in a studio? Looks like a printed backdrop.
comment byCristian Tibirna at 09:15 PM (GMT) on 27 September, 2010
Lighting too harsh. Model seems tensed and unnatural. A professional capture, no doubt, but with too artificial or composited look.
comment by Adrian Hudson at 12:39 PM (GMT) on 28 September, 2010
Just returned for a second look. It's the colour balance that makes it weird. Her skin is much warmer than the background and that makes the viewer uncomfortable. Our brains are not wired to cope with this.
comment byDavid W at 10:03 PM (GMT) on 21 May, 2011
When I first looked at this shot, I almost passed by, but then as noted by Adrian above, it forces you to rethink the balance of what we expect when seeing an image of the human form. Not your average spot color… thankfully.
If you've been following my recent posts you'll know that I posted quite a few portraits from the recent Bodygraphia photographic symposium out here in Bulgaria, many of which were shots of Iva Sakarova (e.g. this one and this one). I also spent another morning with Iva, just before she left to study in the UK, and have two shots from that session that I'll be posting. Both were adjusted in Lab Color mode (hence the rather odd colour balance), and both show a slightly different side to Iva's character.
In other news ...
I've just finished uploading the video for our latest Critique Slot Screencast, based on an image supplied by Ricardo Herrera. If you're already subscribed to our tutorials you can view the screencast here. If not, then there's some further info linked below:
.../tutorials/online/critique_slot_screencasts.php
camera
lens
focal length
aperture
shutter speed
shooting mode
exposure bias
metering mode
ISO
flash
image quality
RAW converter
plugins (etc)
cropped?
Canon 5D Mark II
EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
40mm
f/14.0
1/160
manual
n/a
evaluative
100
580EX II (1/2 power)
RAW
ACR
none
no
Not sure what it is about the shot, but it looks vaguely like a composite of two different images - maybe if the lighting on Iva had been at a lower output it would look a little more natural...
It's really odd. For both this one and the one from the Photoshop Tennis page, Iva seems totally removed from the background, like it's been added in during post. It feels like she was shot in a studio and then added onto this background.
Heh, or what Garry said! :-)
Garry and Tom: that was an intentional decision, but may prove to be an unpopular one ;)
I agree with the other comments re the isolated, almost composited feel, of the model in to the scene. However the first thought that struck me when I first saw the photo was 'was her head (face, hair, and skin) masked into a desaturated image/background?' This is the feeling that stays with me about his shot.
I do feel though that that the image works well as an "illustration type of poster" where there will be text copy added later (but I don't think that was your intention for this shot.)
What a strange image. Lovely girl but the lighting is weird. Is it in a studio? Looks like a printed backdrop.
Lighting too harsh. Model seems tensed and unnatural. A professional capture, no doubt, but with too artificial or composited look.
Just returned for a second look. It's the colour balance that makes it weird. Her skin is much warmer than the background and that makes the viewer uncomfortable. Our brains are not wired to cope with this.
When I first looked at this shot, I almost passed by, but then as noted by Adrian above, it forces you to rethink the balance of what we expect when seeing an image of the human form. Not your average spot color… thankfully.