I haven´t been very active on DPC this year, with the exception of the "Clowns" challenge I haven´t taken a single shot for a challenge, those I have entered are photos I would have taken anyways.
Well I am going to see if I can get active again, I kind of miss DPC and this image is definately shot for this challenge. The model (who wanted to remain anonymous, so if you recognize her for some bizarre reason, please keep it to yourself) had asked me to take some tasteful nudes of her a while back so I called her up and asked if she was up for it for this challenge.
A year ago or so I was browsing photo.net and saw a shot that I really liked that inspired this photo, I don´t remember where I found it though so I can´t link to it, if anybody recognizes it from this shot, by all means post a link to it.
Lighting was 6 lights. Two striplight softboxes from either side of me (you can see them reflected in her eyes), a big octobox with a lower setting to almost fill in all shadows, two lights blowing out the white backround and a big softbox (wich turned out to be unneccesary since I cropped this image so tight) for back/hairlight.
I really like this shot and it came out exactly like I wanted it to, I dig the emotion in the eye and I am totally pleased with it. I do not have high hopes for a good score though since I have noticed that as a rule of thumb, a) high key images usually don´t usually do well here, not dramatic enough and b) nudes in no nude challenges tend to always get knocked down. It´s also vastly different from what I usually do, usually when I shoot b/w I go full throttle on contrast, wich I didn´t do here. Just hope a handful of you like it, that´s all I ask for :)
Oh and Henny did the makeup on this shot and was of course present, I probably feel more way way more uncomfortable than the model in nude shots and there is no way I would ever shoot one without Henný in the room.
Didn´t really expect this to ribbon before I submitted it and I am very happy that it did, thx for those who voted and commented :) Feel a little "guilty" about being called original for this shot as the idea is not mine but I will take what I can get :) Oh and thx guys for providing the link, this is definately the shot I was talking about on photo.net
I actually prefer your shot to the original one that inspired you. I much prefer your composition with just one breast and leg, I find the lines more visually appealing and wow that eye is dramatic.
since you asked, the person who originally did this shot was Sascha Huettenhain, a German photographer specializing in erotic fine art. There are a few differences between hers and yours- she has a higher position of the legs so they touch the chin and i think it's a square crop also. On hers, the way the limbs are positioned makes a weird geometric effect as you can't see any of the joints... it's actually really neat the more you look at it, the cooler it gets.
I think the picture might be called "Lena" but don't quote me on that one... i had a look around and there's a fair few emulations of it doing the rounds.
Congrats on your ribbon btw- this isn't about that, but rather filling you in since you asked for some info. Hope it helps :)
Wow! Welcome back! And kudos for breaking the norm and turning out a photo so spectacular that all the typical trends and biases were kicked out the window. A high key nude submitted in a non-nude challenge -- and blue ribboning! THAT is quite something!
CONGRATULATIONS on all of it! The photo is breathtaking!
sweet goodness gracious a photo I liked best actually won for a change. And I had no idea it was you! I really thought it was some female photographer doing a self-portrait, which I think says something about how beautifully and delicately you captured your subject. Congrats on the well-deserved blue!
Great one. The high key effect is perfect (Thanks for sharing the lighting set-up). The composition is great. I love the contrast of the eye with the softness of the rest. Indeed different from your usual shots, I never thought it was yours. congratulations on yet another blue.
A year ago or so I was browsing photo.net and saw a shot that I really liked that inspired this photo, I don´t remember where I found it though so I can´t link to it, if anybody recognizes it from this shot, by all means post a link to it.
Here was my version of this same image that I did back in November 2006. I used it in my 2007 Calendar and I had it on my Deviantart account since January 2007.
Only one "1" score and I think you were wrong about the high key Larus. Just look a couple of challenges down and you'll see a high key ribbon. So you were wrong and got a blue. It's so tough here now do you really think you can compete?
Didn't vote on this one but really enjoyed looking at this one Larus. So a few prudes vote a 1, 2, or 3 on nudes, who cares. You gonna let them keep you out of the challenges?
wow, only 1 "1". I am surprised you didn't get knocked down on this one but am SUPER happy you didn't. Excellent lighting and emotion conveyed in this. Congrats on the ribbon, & thanks for sharing.
I would consider cropping to just below the breast and having the subject's arm just slightly lower. The current arm placement is cutting the line and shape of the eye, which is what I see first.
At first I didn't see the eye looking at me. When I did, wow. Her eye gives this image so much more power, and perfectly balanced with the high key body.
Winner
10
edit: wow i was just on deviant art and saw this
//saschahuettenhain.deviantart.com/art/eyekey-26557730
either its you or you did a very good job recreating it
anyway my 10 remains
Nice image - Great lighting and great skin tones. I still think a tighter crop from the left to where the arm crease starts does help bring this image together - I can see you wanted to show where the breast starts but feel this composition is a little awkward - Great image still though.
this is a beautiful image- and I think I can guess who the user-name/is who posted it but i'm not going to guess here :) i gave thsi iamge a 10 because the pose is graceful, beautiful, the shapes captured are lovely, and the tonal range is amazing; it is one of my Fave. (the peeking eye catches my attention right away, and the rest of the image falls into place beautifully) i hope this image does well! its amazing
I like the emphasis on the eye. I sense something a little off with the rest like the skin tone desaturation was slightly overdone setting the eye off a little too much.
I really like your use of lines here, it's an interesting way of tackling a familiar subject (the female nude) and you've been brave enough to draw attention to a more usual body part, the eye, rather than the breast, which makes for an interesting image.
Hey, I see I'm not the only one inspired by Sascha Hüttenhain's famous photo. Yours is indeed very well done, and certainly a lot closer to the original than my version was. Would get a 10 from me if it were truly original.
wow. I don't know how I missed this on my first sweep of the thumbnails. Very well done! Lovely shapes and the contrast of the dark eye with the high key image is perfect. I have a small monitor so I can't the whole image at one time and have to scroll and I actually think each half of the image could almost work on its own but is wonderful all together.
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