A Different Approach

[Xia_Ke]

So usually I end up doing shots on the dark side with heavier contrast but, been wanting to try a brighter, softer approach. Does this work or is just an overexposed shot?

[jkriminger]

Aaron, if you throw a black border around it , maybe burn a little, ..I think it works.

[Xia_Ke]

Thanks Rod. For a straight shot, I agree it does need a hair more black. I was looking for something a little, I dunno, "dreamy" I guess. Was thinking of printing with a little vignette, something like this...

[Overbeyond]

I think your first shot here Aaron is the better of the two. it is very nice indeed. Your black and white is always excellent but I wonder if this one would benefit from colour. I love cats and have a new kitten arriving next week.

[Xia_Ke]

I think your first shot here Aaron is the better of the two. it is very nice indeed. Your black and white is always excellent but I wonder if this one would benefit from colour. I love cats and have a new kitten arriving next week.

I shot some slide film in the Nikkormat along with this roll :thubsup:

[AgingEyes]

How about soft focus everywhere except the cat, like some glow all over the place...when you photograph your ladies?

[Xia_Ke]

That was originally what I wanted to do but, I don't have the filters to do it I really need to start photographing my ladies mores instead of my boys (cats)...LOL

[gahspidy]

I think the image looks good, Aaron. I agree with Tom that the first one you posted is the stronger of the two. The second is too light. It does not look over exposed to me.

[Xia_Ke]

Thanks Gary I can't get it to what I want to convey. I'm trying not to PS it too much as my goal in the end is being able to do this stuff in the dark room. Alison has 2 photos that show pretty much which direction I was trying to taking this:

http://gallery.photographyreview.com...&ppuser=246535
http://gallery.photographyreview.com...&ppuser=246535

Am I on the right track? I'm thinking if I were to print this on 0 or 1 grade paper with a dodged vignette it will get me there :-/

[gahspidy]

Aaron, I do understand where you are looking to take this. However, in this particuliar image I do not think the dodged vignette will work well simply because the big pillow or comforter that the cat is sleeping on (the lower right corner) becomes blown out white and creates an effect as if the image is being diced into a diagonal frame. All the other corners are darker with detail and then this one corner in the lower right becomes lost and appears as if the entire corner was cut out. . .make sense? I think if you really wanted the lighter vignette approach, I had a good result in PS with this image using the dodge brush set to shadows. By only dodging out the shadows and contrast without actually brightening the whites around the edges creates that dreamy like atmosphere around the cat. Perhaps in the DarkRoom if you cut out a piece of frosted or diffused plexiglass or some other material to frame around the cat as you made the print would give a similiar dreamy vignette
For the image you have here now I think AE suggestion of soft focus around the outside would be the best approach.
hope I made sense at all.

[Xia_Ke]

Makes perfect sense. Basically this is just the wrong shot for the technique I'm trying, correct? Oh well, was a good exercise in trying a little different of approach than my norm. Thanks again guys

Aaron

[AgingEyes]

Makes perfect sense. Basically this is just the wrong shot for the technique I'm trying, correct? Oh well, was a good exercise in trying a little different of approach than my norm. Thanks again guys

Aaron

Since you're shooting film, perhaps you should give some old technique a try. Previously, when people want to produce a soft focus effect, they smear vaseline on a filter (or the front element of the lens if you wish ) These days, there is Photoshop.

[Xia_Ke]

Hmmm, now there's an idea. Thanks AE I've been keeping an eye out for a soft filter for my Rollei but, they don't come around very often