What’s Your Preference?

bahgheera · #1 (**permalink**) 11-02-2007, 12:20 AM

Hi folks. I found an interesting subject tonight, and I was wondering where I went wrong. This is the best shot I had and its just not working for me, what could I have done to make it perfect?

The only post I've done is auto contrast and auto levels in ps.

ike · #2 (**permalink**) 11-02-2007, 02:47 AM

Nice surreal post.

I think its the angle, i dont know much but from what i do know i think it should have been straight, and maybe you could have taken a step to the right to get a more 2/3 of the faca and mask.

Did you shoot this in colour or B&W, if colour, i would make it B&W like you have, but insert the colour back into the mask, making it the main focus, then selectively highlighting the background, it needs to be blurred a bit as it is busy and distracting for my eyes.

Putting these things out of the picture (so to speak) i think you have done good in capturing something random, and making it into a artistic photo.

If this is your mask (which would be really cool) a self portrait would look great!

ike,

bigdoggold · #3 (**permalink**) 11-02-2007, 03:50 AM

Interseting "snap" I think that eliminating the angle would help. I also think a shallower depth of field would really draw the viewers attention to the mask, and not be distractred by the stuff in the background, other then that I don't really see anything that jumps right out and says "fix me"..lol

hpebley3 · #4 (**permalink**) 11-02-2007, 04:23 AM

If you're going for surreal, maybe some more radical post work. I'd play with negative image, false colors, maybe a combination of both, possibly selectively. Just some ideas.

Murtasma · #5 (**permalink**) 11-02-2007, 12:38 PM

shoot in infrared or try doing some post processing to create the orton effect. The background is a bit distracting perhaps shooting the mask with a less distracting background would work better such as shoot out torwards the window.

peeperita · #6 (**permalink**) 11-02-2007, 01:06 PM

i think that if this was shot in a traditional three quarter portrait you would be more pleased with it.....

peeper

camyam73 · #7 (**permalink**) 11-02-2007, 01:47 PM

If you have PS use the burn tool on the BG to really darken it, and then use the dodge tool on the lighter part of the mannequin to lighten even more. Sharpen the mask and do a selective color on the mask itself and I think you'll be more pleased.

Robin Sarac · #8 (**permalink**) 11-02-2007, 05:36 PM

I don't know that I'd consider this surreal...

If you were going for something on the artistic side, maybe getting much closer? What were you trying to convey? Or was it just soemthing different to shoot?

I feel there's too much in the shot that draws attention from the subject (fake mustaches on the wall).

bahgheera · #9 (**permalink**) 11-02-2007, 07:20 PM

Wow thanks for all the great comments. Camyam, your suggestion sparked some creativity in me, I followed your advice, it works a lot better.

Link to the edited photo: http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...0884798&size=o

Thanks again, I appreciate all the constructive criticism and commentary.

Laters...

Nathan deGargoyle · #10 (**permalink**) 11-02-2007, 10:43 PM

The edited photo is a great improvement. As is the title.

My main critique of the photo ( I leave the technical stuff to those more experienced than me) was the title. The photo wasn't, to my mind, really surreal. In fact it reminded me of the shop window displays of Army Surplus stores that we used to see all the time 30 years ago. Now if it was a full lengt5h shot of the mannequin, beautifully dressed and lit, but wearing the mask........