I would like to hear what people think about this photo, especially since it got photo of the week. I want to become a better photographer so I would rather have criticism/suggestions then compliments, for all my photos, and also how you feel about it.
Thanks Everyone -Nick
My honest opinion is that you could crop out the right side and focus the picture on the girl. I find the open space to be a bit distracting, and when looking at this girl, man I do not wanna be distracted. My God man! Where did you find her, in a model factory?
Otherwise I don't have a probelm. She is pretty enough to make any bad photo look good...not that there is anything bad in your photo.
John Cowan
Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.
~Ernest Hemingway~
Yes, it does help to have an attractive model, but the strand of hair in front of her face takes away from the image, it’s too straggly. She should have brushed her hair to give it a uniform look. Too much of her head is chopped off at the top. I happen to like the open space to the young ladies left, view’s right. It gives it the rule of third’s, plus it leaves open a space for caption if needed. Congratulations to you and the young lady.
Well I find this absolutely beautiful. Though I respect everyone's comments up here I couldn't let this go with a low rating. I find her face very beautiful, lighting and skin tone are excellent, though a slightly higher contrast may work as well as removing a little bit of yellow from the image (on my screen) Yes there is a lot of space on the right but it tells a story. The title is Spanish Girl and the background over her shoulder tells you this Spanish Girl is in Spain - or somewhere like it. It puts her in context. Imagine if that were Central Park behind her? No effect. I like the fact that her eye has good light in it. Her emotion is pleasant and off-guard, as if caught in a moment. The posing and lighting look as if it could have been staged but the tassle of hair over her other eye and her facial expression demonstrate a spontaneity that is compelling. The tuft of hair could easily be seen as a distraction, and it boarders on that, but for me it adds a tension that works for this image. I want to see more of her face and I can't. You accomplished a strong tension in me with that. I am captured by her face every time I click the gallery page, and I have clicked on this photo several times to see her again. She is a young, beauiful person and you are to be commended for your capture of her.
Regards,
RickWalter Rick Long Nikon Samurai, Mamiya Master, Velvia Bandit
Damn. RCSMITH, you're a tough critic. But then, you're a very controlled, mostly studio shooter, right? Personally, I like almost everything about this photo. It's got a natural, unposed beauty. I like the hair in her face, too. It gives her a bit of a veiled, mysterious look. This girl is really great. She's got that universal, Mediteranean beauty.
My only criticism is the color. It's very unsaturated and cyan. I actually have mixed feelings about it. I sort of like it, but my brain keeps telling me it's wrong. If it was mine I would be compelled to warm it up. But maybe the coolness is ok here. I'm not sure.
Photo-John
Thanks everyone, I really appereciate everything that's been said. When I look at this picture and I see the hair that runs down one side of her face it, it really makes me want to reach out into the photo and move her hair to the side, or even just touch her hair haha. About the color, all my pictures are straight from the film. I'm sure I could have made this pictures allot better with PS, but (no offense to anyone who uses PS) I feal it's a cheap way of making a photo better then it really was in real life, It's just how I feel. No doubt, she is very stunning figure, it's not everyday you see a face like that, especially with that expression.
-nick
Good point about wanting to touch her hair. Maybe that's what makes hair over the eyes so compelling.
As for your comments about using Photoshop - I don't know if you printed this yourself or not. But as soon as you chose a film type and a lens you started to manipulate reality. Have no illusions about Photoshop. It's just another tool. Would you not dodge and burn in the darkroom. It's one thing to add or remove objects with Photoshop. It's a whole other thing to use it to get the most from your film scans or digital images. It's no different from what we'd do in the darkroom. Except it's a much more powerful tool than any we used to have available. I used to be a custom printer and I love Photoshop.
Photo-John
I do agree with you John but the thing is with PS is that it's really easy to change things that would be really difficult in a dark room/with filters, lenses. I guess how I really feel is that people who take good pictures and havn't adjusted them or as little as posible should get more credit. You really can make a bad photo good with PS, and I think that the changes of the original image with PS (or even in a dark room) should be mentioned in the description of the photo on this site. For me when I'm looking at the pictures on this site I'm always wondering how much they've been changed with PS or at all and nobody ever mentions if they've been PS unless they're asked. But then when you do ask them and they say they havn't been PS, it, for me, makes it an even more impressive photo. But again this is just how I feel.
Googley
Bravo. Awesome shot. I think the neg. space to the right is great. It leaves open an air of mystery as to where this scene takes place. I like the hair... in all honesty it gives this girl a sense of accessibility- its more real. What girl has perfectly manicured hair all of the time? Especially at that age (I am going to guess 12 or younger) and in the outdoors... it makes the shot more real, more endearing. To nitpick it, I would have suggested a stronger vividness in color, but the more i look at it, the more I prefer the muted color here- it's fitting.
Wonderful pic. If you have more from Spain, I'd love to see them up here.
thanks villenadecorte,
You guesed right, she's 12. I have posted others form spain, "look closely, child, the smart car, and strip of light." I know, these pics aren't really of spain, but they're in spain. I'm going to spain again in a week from guatemala on a BOAT, so I'm sure I'll be having allot more bueatiful pictures to post soon. I noticed your username is in spanish, what does it mean?
12??? Oh man, Now I feel bad. I tough she was...ummm...well older. Don't get me wrong, she's very pretty, just not the kinda pretty I was refering to. Now she's just cute.
John Cowan
Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.
~Ernest Hemingway~
This photo inspired me to register so I could post a comment. What really caught my eye is the way the girl connects with the viewer. She appears genuinely interested in what you may have to say. I can see why it generated so many comments and won a contest. Good work.
