Portrait of a young girl

[Matt. K]

I just know I'm gonna cop it with this one....but here goes: This image had me thinking about one of my cardinal rules...never allow the head to be cut with a horizontal line. In this case, the top of the black stove. I have taken hundreds of group and pers shots and my first adjustment in the view finder is to make sure that no line cuts through the heads of the subjects.Power lines and rooftops are the main culprits. It is a huge No No with me. In this case I had a few choices....lower the POV and get the head above the stove, or lift the POV and get the entire head within the black of the stove. Both adjustments looked wrong to me for various reasons. I lined up the horizontal line with the eyes because she was gazing through the same direction or line....and it sort of looked OK. I now look at the image and I don't know the hell why...but it seems to suit. I guess that's all that matters. Next...I knocked some of the sharpness out of the image and present it soft. Why? Because soft images have an ethereal or dreamlike quality about them and once again...it suited. So....happy with it even though it breaks a couple of my rules. What do you think?

[photohiker]

I don't know Matt. Big blobs of black in the background are distracting.

Have you tried content aware fill and just remove it?

[sirhc55]

Drop the bollocks Matt, this is just one humdinger of a great shot

[the foto fanatic]

The girl is wonderful - the fireplace is a distraction and the image would be better without it.

[phillipb]

I don't know what you're talking about Matt.



Seriously Matt, In this instance I think you should have stuck with your rule.

[Reschsmooth]

I think the breaking of the rule works in this instance, except for the fact that it is the fireplace - that there is no obvious connection between the fireplace and the girl makes the fireplace more of a distraction to me than an artistic tool.

[Matt. K]

Phillipb
I think I prefer the original version. Your version seems somehow 'heavy' . She is now gazing into the edge of the fireplace. Interesting how small changes can alter the feel of an image. Thanks for the opinion.

[sirhc55]

My thoughts are that the fireplace actually produces a frame that makes the young lady appear dimensional and the table enhances the whole effect even more - I still like

[surenj]

I don't know what you're talking about Matt.

Nice work! Quite like this version.

Another vote for distraction.

[Matt. K]

Hmmm....You've all got me thinking, and looking again. I've never looked so bloody hard at an image. I still think the top of the stove frame somehow diminishes the subject. My original seems somehow lighter...has space to breathe. The revised version locks her into a small space. Is anyone else seeing that? The black stove now seems to add a sense of fear to the image. She seems not so certain of herself. Of course...I couldn't produce the revised image at the time of shooting without changing the POV which in itself would have altered the stature of the girl and reduced her height whilst enlarging her head. Guess I'm stuck with it.

[phillipb]

Ok then Matt, let's continue with this exercise, here we have the complete opposite without the fireplace, do you feel that it's now too light?


ps. desregard the pathetic 2 minute photoshop attempts.

[Mr Darcy]

The revised version locks her into a small space. Is anyone else seeing that?

The black stove now seems to add a sense of fear to the image.

No. but I see that you might get that

She seems not so certain of herself

This I see

do you feel that it's now too light?

Absolutely.

I preference by far is for the original image. The horizontal line reinforces her line of sight. On the one hand this takes me out of the image. On the other hand I wonder what she is looking at, and that brings me back to her.

The enlarged fireplace just makes me wonder what is wrong with the other side of her face. a la The Duke of Urbino
The missing fireplace is missing a whole lot more too.

[surenj]

I reckon the fireplace-less image makes the actual subject stand out more = better. Nice timing to get this expression Matt.

[Steffen]

I reckon the fireplace-less image makes the actual subject stand out more

To the point of looking like a cardboard cut-out, if you ask me. I guess of all the variants I prefer the original. Rules-shmules.

Cheers
Steffen.

[Matt. K]

phillipb
You've probably hit the sweet spot with your last post....would have been better if the fireplace wasn't there at all....but then I would have to move in on the subject because she is now looking lost in the vast empty space. I'd probably crop in a fair bit closer. It's amazing how much photography has changed. Once we had to play with the cards we were dealt...now....we call for the cards we want. Gods greatest gifts to man...beer and Photoshop.

[phillipb]

phillipb
You've probably hit the sweet spot with your last post....would have been better if the fireplace wasn't there at all....but then I would have to move in on the subject because she is now looking lost in the vast empty space. I'd probably crop in a fair bit closer. It's amazing how much photography has changed. Once we had to play with the cards we were dealt...now....we call for the cards we want. Gods greatest gifts to man...beer and Photoshop.

Specially now with cs6, have you tried the content aware move yet? or the new tilt-shift blur?

[gstark]

or the new tilt-shift blur?

Please, no.

Spare us from that abomination.

[phillipb]

Used properly it's not too bad.
E.g. if you have a photo of a croud fully in focus and you want to isolate one person, can be quite effective.

[Matt. K]

New PhotoShop filter coming in version CS 7....random image filter. Hit the button and Photoshop will create a random image from a blank canvas. Let us create the art for you. No more need of buying that expensive camera.

[gstark]

New PhotoShop filter coming in version CS 7....random image filter. Hit the button and Photoshop will create a random image from a blank canvas. Let us create the art for you. No more need of buying that expensive camera.

You've just given me an idea.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Don't you feel silly now?

[Matt. K]

Silly? No. Just very afraid.