Kid/angel portrait
- Thread starter wud
- Start date
Nice image of a lovely subject. Since it is however by its nature a high key image, I would have lightened it up a bit more to give it more of an ethereal quality. Below is my version. Also I think the color balance is too far in the flesh tones. Since she is looking down, lighting helps to bring out the color in the eyes, and the eyes in general. Composition is good although I trimmed the left off a bit. The pose is very thoughtful but the way that she has her hands around her chin and neck seems a bit tight (almost like a choke) and without the smile it implies a mood less than light-hearted as a child's should be. So I can see where the comment came from about something disturbing in the photo. Generally I would instruct a model not to cover their chin. One hand lower down holding the chin and the girl looking up just a bit with a bit more of a smile would be nice, but I appreciate this particular interpretation and mood so that's a simple style preference. The hair is perfect.
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Bob Blaylock
Senior Member
I suppose, in a sense, then, it is “good art”. It did evoke a very strong reaction in me, albeit not the one that I think WUD intended.
I'm not sure why I should have this reaction, and others not. Alas, my wife and I have no children of our own, and to my knowledge I've never been close to a situation in which a child was being abused. But that was my reaction , immediately on seeing this image, was that I was looking at a severely-abused child, and it literally made me feel sick to think that anyone would abuse this child to the degree that I imagined. I don't even have any specifics as to what kind of abuse I was imagining; just that somehow, someone had done something very, very bad to this child.
My wife was rather badly abused as a child, and I asked her to look at this image and tell me what she thought of my impression. She agreed with my impression, but didn't have nearly the strong reaction that I did.
Nice shot, Wud! I can imagine folks wanting pics like that, sort of cherubic shots of their kids, so I'd definitely say it's worth putting in a portfolio! The second one is... creepy. I'm assuming that's the the feel that you were going for. 
It still feels like more could be done there, though.
It still feels like more could be done there, though.
wud
Senior Member
Okay i got pretty sad about this image should let someone to think, this girl have been abused. She have not. She is a very happy and lively kid, she laughed a lot and just wanted the makeup because that's what's kids like sometimes - dress up. I did that too when I was a kid. She brought ballerina outfit and some dresses she liked.
I asked her to look a little sour, i wanted to create a thoughtful looking angel.
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I asked her to look a little sour, i wanted to create a thoughtful looking angel.
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Ijustwant1
Senior Member
Scott Murray
Senior Member
Exactly what Ijustwant1 said.
And as Ansel once said.
“With all art expression, when something is seen, it is a vivid experience, sudden, compelling, and inevitable.”
― Ansel Adams
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Flugelbinder
Senior Member
wud your work has a beautiful dark quality about it , thought provoking , deep and makes people look into it for a deeper meaning ! As with all art it's in the eye of the beholder ! Don't be sad , be happy your photos make people think ! I am a fan
Absolutely, and when I mentioned the makeup, I was referring to the pink on her cheek bones... The eyes look great with the mascara...
Crycocyon, your version looks great!
BackdoorArts
Senior Member
We will all be subject to misinterpretation at some point, @wud, it's part of putting yourself out there in your art. From painters to poets to photographers to songwriters (couldn't come up with a 'P' word for that one), you invest a bit of your soul in everything you set free to the public, and it hurts a bit when it's rejected, misinterpreted or otherwise twisted - unless, of course the purpose of the piece was to provoke that kind of reaction, which was obviously not your intent. At least you've had the opportunity to address it and put any speculation to bed - not every artist gets that opportunity.
As I said before, we as viewers all project bits of ourselves into the art we view, and I suspect Bob's knowledge of his wife's past plays a part in the way views subject matter like this, consciously or subconsciously - as it should. The question we as "artists" need to answer, for ourselves, is just how much we let the potential reactions of others dictate where we go with our own work? It's OK to be sensitive to others, but this is art and you'll never get the world to agree on something even when it has nothing to say at all, in which case someone will argue that it should.
No worries. Keep shooting. I love your work.
wud
Senior Member
Absolutely, and when I mentioned the makeup, I was referring to the pink on her cheek bones... The eyes look great with the mascara...
That's photoshop
on her cheeks. She had on mascara and lipgloss and I gave a little white eyeshadow on her lips. Mascara of course looks more on the image, due to contrast in pp. Sent from Tapatalk
Flugelbinder
Senior Member
wud
Senior Member
You are right, Backdoor Hippie. Hard to explain but it wasn't me/my image I got a little weird about, it was that I didn't liked that "label" on the girl.
My intention was not to remind anyone about abuse - but I see the image in another way than others, because I made it and know the "behind the scenes"... We played music and I showed her my horrible dance moves and so on.
I don't mind pictures which push boundaries but if I should work with that, I would have to think seriously about who to use. Kids looks so extremely innocent by nature.. this makes the image even more powerful when it's not a happy/laughing picture.
And this is not my kid so I have a different responsibility, I think!
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My intention was not to remind anyone about abuse - but I see the image in another way than others, because I made it and know the "behind the scenes"... We played music and I showed her my horrible dance moves and so on.
I don't mind pictures which push boundaries but if I should work with that, I would have to think seriously about who to use. Kids looks so extremely innocent by nature.. this makes the image even more powerful when it's not a happy/laughing picture.
And this is not my kid so I have a different responsibility, I think!
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RockyNH_RIP
Senior Member
Mai,
Great job.... Keep up the good work because I enjoy your artistic view... and I totally agree with Jakes complete and clear response to "interpretation.."
Pat in NH
Great job.... Keep up the good work because I enjoy your artistic view... and I totally agree with Jakes complete and clear response to "interpretation.."
Pat in NH
wud
Senior Member
It is the same here, but yeah well.. I think its sweet when the kids wanna dress out in whatever - if anyone wanted to be a shark at a shoot I would say YES. I love costumes.
Funny thing, its completely normal when kids dress up as a princess with tiara and all.
I love the first shot, do not like the "Zombied up" shot.
The first shot makes me think the girl is deep in a daydream.
And- absolutely no thoughts of abuse or "hurt" on this girl with the first shot. The second shot, without the Post-Processing, maybe she didn't get what she wanted at Christmas. With the PP- I expect LASER beams to come out of her eyes.
The first shot makes me think the girl is deep in a daydream.
And- absolutely no thoughts of abuse or "hurt" on this girl with the first shot. The second shot, without the Post-Processing, maybe she didn't get what she wanted at Christmas. With the PP- I expect LASER beams to come out of her eyes.
WhiteLight
Senior Member
I want to say that i love these shots..
i think kids are a mystery & they have emotions just as much as we do.. in fact more..
this was the first framed work i got... i made my dad buy this for me when i was 13..
i have no idea why, just the emotion in this was so strong, i can't explain it even today
Do forgive the quality of the pic.. the photo is very old & dirty..
you can see the tear rolling down her eyes as well as suggested by [MENTION=11881]Moab Man[/MENTION]
i think kids are a mystery & they have emotions just as much as we do.. in fact more..
this was the first framed work i got... i made my dad buy this for me when i was 13..
i have no idea why, just the emotion in this was so strong, i can't explain it even today
Do forgive the quality of the pic.. the photo is very old & dirty..
you can see the tear rolling down her eyes as well as suggested by [MENTION=11881]Moab Man[/MENTION]
dramtastic
Senior Member
Awesome work WUD, end of story!