Rachel

Posted by Tony Scheuhammer on Sat, 08/03/13 09:47
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Comments by Jeff Dye on Sat, 08/03/13 10:44

Nicely done. Don't always have to see the face to have a good portrait. Maybe a little
more room at the bottom to avoid clipping the dress or crop deep enough to remove
what I guess are knots in the wood.


Comments by Jan Bjorklund on Sat, 08/03/13 11:32

I like the high contrast nature of your portraiture of Rachel with her gazing out the window working to bring a contemplative thoughtful feel to the image. I particularly like this picture when set against a black background.


Comments by Michael Meek on Sat, 08/03/13 11:42

Gorgeous. I like how the window frame supports her back and seat while the absence of a frame where she is gazing supports her meditation. Her feet crossed like that conveys youth and innocence for some reason and adds a good deal to the poignancy of the scene. The missing tip of her dress does mysterious things to my head. I remember one of Bradley's pictures of a flying seagull in which the tip of one wing just touched the frame. I thought that was a touch of genius in that picture and I think that now for this picture, but I can't explain it.


Comments by Ernest Cadegan on Sat, 08/03/13 12:24

RE: the dress touching the frame. I think as photographers we need to
pay more attention to painters. They regularly do things like this,often
much more pronounced.

Nice photo Tony. I like Michael's analysis. Great to see your work.


Comments by Sandi MacDonald on Sat, 08/03/13 13:55

Great portrait. Love the soft lighting. My only nit is the knots on the wood.;-)


Comments by John Long on Sun, 08/04/13 04:21

I love the lighting and pose, but Racharl's hands do not appear to be relaxed. The clipping at the base worries me.


Comments by Tony Scheuhammer on Sun, 08/04/13 06:13

Thanks folks.

The initial inspiration for this photo was Wyeth’s painting “Christina’s World”, where a woman is lying in a field looking away at a farmhouse in the distance. You don’t see her face, yet the image is compelling. In other respects the painting is very different from my photo, but it inspired me to experiment with portraits that don’t show the subject’s face. The OP is the best result of my efforts so far.

I cut the dress on purpose. I think it’s just part of my contrary nature to do such things.

The window frames are all knotty pine, so there are lots of knots. I considered cloning them out, but in the end decided I liked them alright. To some, they will be a distraction; to others, they will add character.

The hands seem pretty relaxed to me, but it doesn’t bother me if they aren’t completely relaxed. Maybe something worrying has happened, like her favourite pet has run off.


Comments by Linda Frey on Sun, 08/04/13 14:30

Nicely done, Tony.


Comments by Maria Salvador on Sun, 08/04/13 15:16

Beautiful dreamy mood. Everything looks perfect on my monitor.


Comments by Jacky on Sun, 08/11/13 00:52

Love this. Evocative. Excellent.