I have been admiring your work since I have joined this site. You certainly have perfected the art of lighting your models and capturing great expression from them. I will not judge whether they should be smoking or not. I am not the one trying to portray a message(whatever that maybe).. you are and that's what matters.In my opinion photgraphs should conjure up emotion from the viewer and your shots(judging by the comments ) have done that. So keep up the excellent work you do!!
I would also like to add that I have relied on this site for tips and techniques used by the fine photographers on here to help me learn the craft. Not sure you are willing to share but I would like to see some explanation on your setups and postprocessing work on how you achieve such great photos.
ignite, you wierdo, all I notice in this picture is the hot naked lady :P
Ah who cares about cigarettes and how bad they are for you, I don´t smoke and absolutely detest the act of smoking but I love quite a few people who do smoke and I don´t judge them, who cares who is smoking in a photograph or not, can you smell it off the screen?
Hey, we all agree that ciggies are bad. As long as this isn't an ad for ciggies, it's ok :-) I just noticed something though. Her eyes are not balanced. It seems her right eye is more open, which is distracting...
OK... "Personally, I oppose making cigarettes look sexy. That's how you get young people started on that awful habit": you are making such a big deal out of it. Seriously mate, there is not a single movie in which Nicolas Cage isn't smoking. He is American and he plays in American movies (Brad Pitt is also having fun with ciggies in many many of his movies).
Here is where I want to get: The comon point between photography and cinema is ART. No matter what you do with it, the cigarette has always been an utmost important accessory until today, and it's a fact.
Answer to your last question: Yes it is a real cigarette but there wasn't smoke coming out in this particular shot. I had her smoking probably 10 ciggies but I eventually chose that picture. Shame isn't it ;)
But I'm not making a big deal about it at all. I was just expressing my opinion in the tamest of ways and just wondering whether the difference of opinion broke down along international lines according to our respective societies' tolerance and intolerance for smoking and respect for the rights of non-smokers. And what do I care about Nicolas Cage, Brad Pitt or Hollywood in general? But, I definitely disagree with you about the cigarette being an utmost important accessory today. In France, perhaps, which is unfortunate because I love France. But it's certainly NOT universal -- but then, I care nothing for fashion accessories. In much of the U.S. today (including New York City) it's illegal to smoke in bars and restaurants. It started in California and is sweeping the country. Thank God! Luckily, Omanis don't smoke too much (except the occasional sheesha).
Oh, and by the way, most of the major tobacco corporations of the world are American as well -- a fact which shames me. They target children with their advertising, deny the dangers and addiction of smoking, and manipulate the amount of nicotine in the cigarette in order to get new customers. Merchants of death, I say!
Interesting difference of opinion re: the cigarette. I wonder if it breaks down along national lines. Europeans, especially French, still smoke like chimneys; whereas, in the U.S., the rights of non-smokers are defended more vigorously. Personally, I agree that the cigarette in this picture takes a sexy woman and makes her undesirable. (She would smell bad; and kissing her would be like licking an ashtray). Toyan: I think it's odd that you didn't mark the anti-cigarette comments as helpful, since it gives you insight into the range of reactions to your photo. They're not comments against you. Personally, I oppose making cigarettes look sexy. That's how you get young people started on that awful habit. And it feeds the stock prices of the big tobacco corporations who manipulate the amount of nicotine in cigarettes to create the addiction. Anyway, my final comment relates to the first thing I noticed in the pic: how come there's no smoke coming from the cigarette? Is it really lit? Just curious.
OK... "Personally, I oppose making cigarettes look sexy. That's how you get young people started on that awful habit": you are making such a big deal out of it. Seriously mate, there is not a single movie in which Nicolas Cage isn't smoking. He is American and he plays in American movies (Brad Pitt is also having fun with ciggies in many many of his movies).
Here is where I want to get: The comon point between photography and cinema is ART. No matter what you do with it, the cigarette has always been an utmost important accessory until today, and it's a fact.
Answer to your last question: Yes it is a real cigarette but there wasn't smoke coming out in this particular shot. I had her smoking probably 10 ciggies but I eventually chose that picture. Shame isn't it ;)
Interesting difference of opinion re: the cigarette. I wonder if it breaks down along national lines. Europeans, especially French, still smoke like chimneys; whereas, in the U.S., the rights of non-smokers are defended more vigorously. Personally, I agree that the cigarette in this picture takes a sexy woman and makes her undesirable. (She would smell bad; and kissing her would be like licking an ashtray). Toyan: I think it's odd that you didn't mark the anti-cigarette comments as helpful, since it gives you insight into the range of reactions to your photo. They're not comments against you. Personally, I oppose making cigarettes look sexy. That's how you get young people started on that awful habit. And it feeds the stock prices of the big tobacco corporations who manipulate the amount of nicotine in cigarettes to create the addiction. Anyway, my final comment relates to the first thing I noticed in the pic: how come there's no smoke coming from the cigarette? Is it really lit? Just curious.
OK... for your information, she is holding a cigarette for the purpose of the shot. Nothing more. And no, she isn't smoking to stay thin. And yes, I think a cigarette look very sexy on a photograph.
Therefore, if I follow your point, we should blame ALL the films noirs of the 40s and the 50s ? ;)
It's so sad how many folks (espec women) use that nasty habit to stay thin..and end up paying for it later with their health (there's my medical 2cents worth for today! :)
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