[Leica] Such are the dreams: IMG

[kididdoc at cox.net (Steve Barbour)]

On Sep 16, 2008, at 1:45 AM, Alastair Firkin wrote:

>
> Thanks to all who commented.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/5f39uj
>
> Let me ?defend? the shot, and by that I don?t mean to be defensive  
> to to imply that I am offended. I just love getting critical  
> comments: makes me think and re-think what I?m doing and why.
>
> First the back pack: Helen did not like it either, but for me it  
> ?came? with the wires heading under the head scarf. She is so calm  
> so serene that the wire and pack are a little out of place -- part  
> of the story I was trying to tell: modern girl, ageless emotions.
>
> Background: yes, its a confusion of scratches - lead graffiti, with  
> everyone trying to have there say. Its a famous monument, its chaos  
> up there, narrow stairs and passage ways, yet in this chaos she  
> ?escapes? for these few moments: again for me (for me remember) they  
> are part of the story and I ?love? the background -- does anyone  
> agree?

I'm with you on your image, as is...no changes, no cropping...nada...

Having done this hike to the top, having been there...  I feel its  
veracity, a moments rest and respite from the tiring climb, the chaos  
of the place, all of its graffitti and tourists...

it's a moment away...much as the French often do it, be it metro,  
Notre Dame... Luxembourg, wherever...a sensual peaceful

moment that you captured...


Steve


>
>
> Verticals: well of course nothing is vertical up there and the roof  
> she is leaning against is not vertical either. In fact, I like the  
> curve of the girl and find the slight slope of the roof fits it: I  
> hadn?t noticed that before.
>
> Muddy blacks: I?m not sure, I kept the contrast lower here, as I  
> would have in the darkroom. The subject seemed to ask for a softer  
> feel. Despite your explanation of the under-exposure, I don?t have  
> time on the street to shoot/check and adjust, so I would much rather  
> tame the highlights: when the image loses highlights that really  
> bugs me, so I don?t know how to avoid it without a slight under  
> exposure.
>
> And for Geoff: the serial number is too low for the Dior :-) its the  
> older M8, the newer one is for wide angles and the older on focuses  
> the longer lenes slightly better.
>
> Others wrote:
>
> WOW!
>
> A great shot of a beautiful girl.
>
> Jim
>
> devastating
>
> ric
>
> Alastair, wonderful light, expression and composition. I think that  
> you
> may
> need to consider reducing the background here. The forest of graffiti
> scratchings is distracting. Maybe sufficient to just blur it down a
> little??
>
> Cheers
> Geoff
>
> Excellent.  I might have burned the left side a little, maybe not.   
> Fine
> image IMHO.
>
> Ken
>
> I agree with Geoff in all respects.
>
> Doug Herr
>
> striking shot
> beautiful face framed
> in fine light
>
> [homage to George's eloquence]
>
> I would like to see a version with all of the pack cropped off=
> even greater simplicity.
>
> Alan
>
> Looking closely at Alastair's file, I see that this is from his
> Christian
> Dior Leica! No wonder it sees poetry in Paris.
> Since I know Alastair well, I thought he might endorse a further
> dissection
> on this pic. As mentioned, like George I really like the light and
> striking
> face.
> I like what the (nearly ;-)) vertical gaps do for the composition and
> the
> placement of the woman in the frame. All of the scratched surfaces
> behind
> definitely distract me. On exposure, I think that underexposing the
> capture
> was a mistake here. The darks (at least as shown) are just flat and a
> little
> muddy to my eye. It is diffuse light of course. OK, have at me, if you
> want.
>
> Cheers
> Geoff
>
>
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