Deep Rhumba

[draymorton]

E-Knock, from So You Think You Can Dance.

Still working on it.

[hminx]

Just a little too dark on my screen, maybe a few highlights to give a hint of form or shape

[Frog]

Just a little too dark on my screen, maybe a few highlights to give a hint of form or shape

Ditto!

So you think you can Dance...can't wait...best reality show on tv because its actually REAL.
They cancelled the results show this year...sob!

[draymorton]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I wanted it to be sort of a silhouette, but with just a very few highlights to define the figure.

Is this any better?

[hminx]

Much. Thats the sort of thing I had in mind. Cool shot Dray.

[llewpics]

What I really like is the odd crop with the top of the head missing. I think it creates a very dramatic / mysterious feel to it. I am a little torn about part of the photo being a full silhouette and some parts being visible - but I think it works. Not sure about the red background being just red - Your first post had an interesting texture around the edges ...I would perhaps think about creating a full layer with that texture and blending it in with red ...but very subtly - I think it would add to the mystery. Finally, if you had a shot of some smoke as a top layer ....I can see it now! :-)

[julestx]

I am just such an amateur that my thoughts don't mean much, but I just wanted to say this is beautiful! My first thought was that my mind craves to see more - like a bit more light cascading down his arms just slightly! So mysterious and I love it when a photo makes me wonder, think, and imagine! Thank you for sharing!!!

[draymorton]

Thanks guys.

Pete - if it were somewhere in-between, would that be too dark? I'm thinking that ex. a is showing too little and ex. b is showing too much, thereby removing some of the mystery.

Ilewpics - actually, I originally had the texture over the whole image. I could definitely add some back in. But you have to be subtle with texture layers, so as to avoid the "oh, he just added a texture over everything" reaction. A smoke layer would be really cool! I wish I knew of a good way to do that in ps. Clouds and Difference clouds doesn't seem to cut it. (They are prone to banding, among other things.)... but, I s'pose I could try it, anyway.

Jules - thanks! That's what I was going for.

[Frog]

I prefer the second, also.
I like the silhouette but in the first, the highlights were more distracting than defining.

[armando_m]

yup, second shot is better,
would have preferred if the red remained as dark as in the 1st shot

You always share interesting shots !

[gahspidy]

Nicely done, Seth. The second edit with a bit more highlight detail is better. I like the deep red with the dark silhouette, works perfect. As a nitpik, there looks to be a tight halo around the edges more noticeable in the second edit...I'm thinking its most likely from compression or just an illusion from the contrast.

Nice mood to this overall.

[Adamo]

Not to sound like a broken record, but the second one is great! I like the silhouette idea and think it works well with both images. I think for me, in this shot, I would like to see his entire head. But, its great none the less.

[draymorton]

Thanks all. I still feel the highlights in the edit look cheap. They're too light to me. Maybe somewhere in the middle?

I can definitely keep the darker bg from the original. And I do agree that it looks better.

I don't know what's up with that halo. Compression? Sharpening?

The head - I debated for awhile between keeping the entire head in or cropping. Don't know why I chose the latter.

[LeeIs]

Love the look of this. Red and slight silhouette work together real well. Also the cut off head creates two separate red areas (left and right) which gives the photo a nice look. I don't think it would be as nice if the head was complete and the red area was only one extending the entirety of the photo. Good stuff!

[draymorton]

Thanks, Liban. I still think this needs remedial action, but I don't know what kind.

[wfooshee]

On the background, I like the loss of texture in the second one. I was going to post that the texture at the edges seemed distracting, then there's the second pic where it's gone.

As for the highlights in the second, maybe if the beads didn't stand out so much. Maybe the beads from the first placed into the second, leaving the skin highlights only.

[LeeIs]

Thanks, Liban. I still think this needs remedial action, but I don't know what kind.

I think it might be the hair beed on the left side. The ones on the right extend pretty well and are visible. The one on the left (his right) seems to pop in to existence. I think maybe that one has to go? i'm being very nit picky though.

[draymorton]

On the background, I like the loss of texture in the second one. I was going to post that the texture at the edges seemed distracting, then there's the second pic where it's gone.

As for the highlights in the second, maybe if the beads didn't stand out so much. Maybe the beads from the first placed into the second, leaving the skin highlights only.

Okay, I'll give that a try and post. I think I also might leave the darker bg from the first (sans texture).

[draymorton]

I think it might be the hair beed on the left side. The ones on the right extend pretty well and are visible. The one on the left (his right) seems to pop in to existence. I think maybe that one has to go? i'm being very nit picky though.

Yeah, I think you may be right. I'll try removing the other bead.