The Human Form

[laura.wilkerson1333]

EXIF
D40
f/3.5
1/60 sec.
ISO-400
18 mm

I love this shot. Collarbones are the most beautiful part of a woman's body, in my own opinion. I sure love mine. Anyways, my main question is about the placement of the hand. Should it even be there in the first place? Thoughts, opinions? Overall critique?

[djase1]

I like the hand in the shot, though the light hitting it, makes it really stand out to me. Otherwise, beautiful shot. I love the composition.

[elkidogz]

Originally Posted by djase1

I like the hand in the shot, though the light hitting it, makes it really stand out to me. Otherwise, beautiful shot. I love the composition.

I agree with djase1 I like the hand in the shot, I think maybe slightly further down on the chest and/or more focused would help it.

It really depends on what your going for. If your trying to show off the hand and the collar bone, then it needs to be more in focus... but if your not, maybe it shouldn't be in it. What are you trying to show in the picture? focus on that. BW's to me are more about emphasis on a single aspect or target in an image, not the over all. tha'ts my 2 cents anyways.

[edbayani]

there is balance in this photograph and good B&W treatment. the S curve line and use of space is effective.
since you say that you find the collarbone one of the most beautiful part of the body, the lighting on the hand gives it more emphasis. a little diffuser to lessen the light on the hand would make it look better. maybe the way the hand is holding the end of the shoulder makes it look that it is painful? just a thought, should have lowered the hand and just the fingers touching lightly to look softer since your subject is female. the ears could be covered by the hair to show more hair to add to the lines and lastly, the necklace could go.
i know this is just my observation of the piece.
overall i'd give it an 8.

[laura.wilkerson1333]

She is an opera singer with an audition coming up, and so she complained that she's been very...weary...specifically in her upper body, from singing and practicing so hard. I was trying to communicate pain through the placement of her hand. Effective? Each to his own, I suppose. And my goal was to use the delicate curl by her ear as an accent, but it got lost against her hair.

I'm good with an 8, though.

[edbayani]

i'm glad you were not offended by my observation. i hope she passes the auditions and would love to hear her arias in the near future with her recordings.

[Benji]

When we view an image our eye is drawn first to the brightest area or object in a photograph. If that area or object is the title of or the reason for the photograph the image was successful. If not, the impact of the image is lost and it is just another photograph. The brightest object in this image is the hand, and it is substantially larger than the collar bone, the "subject" of the image. IMHO the hand has damaged the impact of this image.

Women's hands seldom look good photographed flat. Flat things are boring things (ever drive through Kansas?) Women's hands usually look best when photographed from the little finger side. A general rule about hands is hide them when possible, or if they need to show (like in an engagement ring shot) make sure they flow and are graceful.

Benji

[Jack Fussell]

Great photo....good processing. I would like to see the same pose without the hand to see what it felt like. To me....I first notice the hand...and I think the shoulder is the thing I would like to focus on. Besides that...I love the photo.

[AlphaBjerke]

Personally, I don't like the hand there. It looks clunky to me from that angle. Too flat and clunky. Not a very technical explaination, I know.

[milosh]

In my opinion, the hand should be a part of the image (if I imagine it without the hand it looks rather empty). The hand is too big compared to the shoulder, maybe because of the subject-lens distance or focal lenght, and it is the brightest object, drawing the attention too much. It would look better if the hand was smaller and positioned lower on the arm (below the shoulder). Maybe you could make her squeeze her arm with the hand a bit so that tension in the hand is visible, further indicating the pain. The position of her head relative to her neck also suggests pain. I think the hand should also be in focus, and the necklace could go. I like the square crop and the fact that the empty right part of the image is dark, it doesn't draw away my attention.