Back shots at the beach

[Alison]

Shot at 8pm last night so the sun was giving off a gorgeous orange glow.

The colour image, where she is standing, turned out a little softer than I wanted it to but my daughter was absolutely freezing lol. So I didn't make her stand there any longer while I messed about with my settings. Maybe she will let me do a re-shoot

I think the B&W gives a whole different feel to the image.

It's just all good practise

[yogestee]

Hi Alison,,,,out of your three images I prefer the full length one....I'm sorry but I have a problem with backs (and heads) of people..In the first one I would have turned her head a bit more towards you so atleast one can see the profile of her face..
The lighting is great and the warm glow adds to the image...

BTW,,that is not a beach!!!!Come to Australia and I'll show you more beaches you can poke a pointy stick at...Ummmmmmmmmm,,with REAL sand...

Jurgen
Australia

[Alison]

Well, ya know if I had control of the beach it would be sand. I can only work with what I got

[CLKunst]

Alison!

I am just floored by #2 & #3!! Especially #3!! I think your cockleshell beach is a wonderful texture for this image and the light is warm and lovely too. I assume these were done to show off her little hip tat. They certainly do that! Great work! Tell your daughter she is very brave for going out to do this with you. She does a great job of making you believe it's warm when I'm sure it was not! That's why models get the big bucks.

Cheers,

[Anbesol]

I dont like the first one, she has some unusual posture, probably due to the fact that she was freezing. But #2 and 3 are GREAT! Awesome shots! The one thing that i find a bit distracting is teh rocks on the bottom being DOF'd out. I might even crop that part out (adn a bit of the top to keep the balance). Still, a very minor gripe, I think they are exellent shots, the rocks and the jeans create a very interesting B&W!

[BLS439]

Correct me if I am wrong, but it looks like the two sitting poses are the same exact image. You just turned one, the first one, to Monochrome. I usually like black and white images, but the color one works better for the sitting pose.

While the texture of the shelled beach is nice, you really do need a sandy beach. Not for the pictures but for your own enjoyment!

Great shots!

--Dave

[dmm96452]

#2 definitely. There is something I do not like about her posture in the first shot as well. Not sure exactly what. The way the setting sun lights her skin and hair is lost in the b&w. The second one is beautiful.

I see the world in color and prefer to remember it that way. Black and white can add dramatic effect or emotion to a shot but IMO it is also sometimes overused. Think I'll start a thread about this in Viewfinder.

As far as the cold goes just let her know that sometimes a model has to suffer for her craft. Or her mother's!

Very nice work.

[Alison]

Yes they were taken to show off her tattoo and yes it is exactly the same image. I just wanted some feedback on whether the colour or B&W worked best.
Personally I wasn't sure about any of these. That's why they are in here
Thanks everyone. I really appreciate your feedback.

[dmm96452]

Off the subject but what does the tat say?

[BMWJNKY]

Great shots but one thing I noticed is that her back tattoo looks off-center. Maybe its just the way she it sitting but to me it looks like it is off to the right.

[Alison]

I noticed it was off-centre too. It could be because I didn't centre myself properly. She was freezing bless.
It's supposed to mean "Love" or something lol.

[Anbesol]

How about this for a question. how many kids do you have allison? LOL! I seem to remember like 7 different threads of different kids. How do you have time to take pictures?

*scratch that - just checked out your profile... 8?! wow! ;) glad to hear you enjoy it, im going on two and im kind of terrified lol.

[Alison]

Let's put it this way...I'm absolutley shattered!

[yogestee]

Let's put it this way...I'm absolutley shattered!

Alison,,why are you shattered???And,,,,sorry to offend you about my beach remark....

Jurgen
Australia

[amithi]

2 and 3 are great!!! I love the black and white. The fact that her face isn't showing really doesn't bother me at all. It gives a different perspective.

[Alison]

Jurgen - That's ok. I know we have awful pebbly beaches. However it makes for wonderful texture ;)
And I am shattered because I have 8 children.

I actually only shot these for a photo challenge. I would never have thought about taking images like this otherwise.

Thank you for your critique everyone

[yogestee]

Alison,,all in all a good job....There is nothing wrong with meeting a challenge..

Jurgen
Australia

[Ronnoco]

First, the colour sitting one is better than the black and white, because you have the browns and blues coming together quite nicely.

Your camera angle is problematic, because you photo is being cut by the beach and the water/skyline, which in turn cut the model. A lower camera angle or an off-axis angle creating diagonals might have been better. The tatoo, you really can't do much about, but unfortunately it is still a distraction.

As to the sitting shot, it would be great if there had been something in the distance such as an island, sunset, sailboat etc., then with a wider angle shot it would have been extremely effective.

Ronnoco

[yogestee]

First, the colour sitting one is better than the black and white, because you have the browns and blues coming together quite nicely.

Your camera angle is problematic, because you photo is being cut by the beach and the water/skyline, which in turn cut the model. A lower camera angle or an off-axis angle creating diagonals might have been better. The tatoo, you really can't do much about, but unfortunately it is still a distraction.

As to the sitting shot, it would be great if there had been something in the distance such as an island, sunset, sailboat etc., then with a wider angle shot it would have been extremely effective.

Ronnoco

Ronnoco,,,you do with the resourses available to you..

Jurgen
Australia

[Ronnoco]

Ronnoco,,,you do with the resourses available to you..

Jurgen
Australia

Sure! Location is a changeable resource and when doing serious shooting of models, makeup is a useful resource to have on hand, too. Women photographers are often aware of that. Photoshop will also solve a tatoo distraction as well.

Ronnoco

[Alison]

I wanted the tattoo as part of the image.

My nearest Island is France which you can't see from our Beach
I had the choice of a boat, a cliff or even a castle, being in the bg but I didn't want to get that in shot. I wanted to keep it simple.
Like I said it was for a photo challenge of a back shot so I didn't want a boat, cliff or castle to disract you from looking at her back.


My camera angle is probelmatic, I agree. But more so because I should have moved more to the right making her legs more uniform.
Her right shoulder is also lower than her left.

Camera angles, Islands, Cliffs, Boats, Castles and shoulders being level are all things I will concentrate on if I take more shots like this.

Thanks Yogestee. Where I live in the UK isn't one of the most picturesque places. So, yes, I do try to do my best with what I have :thumbsup:

Thanks for the honest CC everyone

[dmm96452]

.... I know we have awful pebbly beaches......

I think it's kinda cool. You could actually spend a day without getting sand in your....everything.

[natatbeach]

I've been looking at this for a few days and finally can give my two cents---I think the second shot is awesome(sitting on the ground in color)...there is a great symmetry to the image created by the pose and the hair and the colors and just bright enough while still maintaining a certain softness to them taht I love about the beach...very fresh, young pic to use in a print ad for a denim company...I like that her face is not showing because it helps you to identify with the image as a whole rather than with the subject directly...nice work.... the full body either ya need to commit to no face or full profile---BW ---doesn't have enough impact for me to be worthwhile in BW...just my 2 pennies....

[molaselake]

I'm going to have to disagree with the majority here. I actually think the black and white has more impact than the color version. If you had the same colors as you did in the first photo, I might be a little more reluctant to say that because they seem warmer and just nicer overall. I really like the black and white as it is. I think the fact it DOESN'T have anything except the girl, the pebbles, and a skyline gives it a more enigmatic feeling, which kind of coincides with the tattoo.

[ltilley]

I love the black and white one... the only thing that seems to distract me is the the loop in her jeas is off-center from the tattoo.... but besides that I find this photo quite catching.

Okay, so here I am trying to get better at portraiture... but can't seem to find anyone to pose for me. So is the secret to have a bunch of kids? I guess I'll try one first, it's a start. 8 kids!!!!!!!! I'm impressed!