Watermelon

[GB1]

Comments and critiques?

Gb

[Justan]

Unexpected and an unusual juxtaposition of elements. The colors and fabulous. The nails create the appearance that this wants to be erotica, but the skin textures don’t work to that end, at least for me.

Fwiw, I’ve never seen it, but am sure someone did it - showing lips and a tongue licking the ridge of the watermelon slice could impart something very powerful.

[geraldb]

I think women artificial nails are gross and this shot up close make them even more disgusting. I find nothing appealing about this shot. Sorry, my opinion.

[armando_m]

GB,
the nails are in my opinion the center of attention, light is very even, and it is hard to tell it is a water melon

I think I would have taken this from farther away and explored different angles and light to make it interesting

[GB1]

Justan - thanks for commenting. We sort of mixed things up a bit while shooting, aiming for a lot of different themes, imaginative situations, and so on. I agree on the skin texture: the shot would work better if she were wearing skin lotion or related. I like the idea about poking her tongue through a hole in the watermelon: next time.

geraldb - Well, yeah... I'll make sure to tell her not to go anywhere near you when wearing artificial nails! As they say, art is in the eyes of the beholder, and you certainly can't appeal to everyone when shooting such subjects. Thanks for taking a look though.

Armando. I wish there was a seed or two and/or more of the green skin to better show it's a watermelon. I also wish I had tried several different positions of the main light - farther away would have created more of a defined shadow, perhaps making it a little moodier.

I tried smoothing her skin a bit on this edit, and make them a little warmer. Maybe I may to take it a little farther?

G

[armando_m]

I think the skin smoothing is a move in the right direction

[Justan]

Many years ago Burger King did a pix promotion of a freshly made burger, including a large slice of tomato. The tomato was slightly wrinkled along the outer edge. IMO the wrinkles ruined the appearance of something supposedly “fresh.”

I think that in the same way the model’s hands would benefit by clear, non-checked or wrinkled skin. Probably a fresh nail “do” would help too.

I think this is an example of a good study for an idea that will be made very nice by using the right ingredients.

[LeeIs]

almost looks like flesh... yikes!

[geraldb]

Hahaha, please do. I think your approach to photographing young models who try to look sexy in skimpy outfits is not working for you as a photographer. Do you consider moving up in the age range to older models with wrinkles?, they got a lot more to offer.

[GB1]

Hahaha, please do. I think your approach to photographing young models who try to look sexy in skimpy outfits is not working for you as a photographer. Do you consider moving up in the age range to older models with wrinkles?, they got a lot more to offer.

Hmmm.. I'm now concerned that your comments are moving into 'troll' territory. Alas, I'll stick with younger models.

Gb

[GB1]

Many years ago Burger King did a pix promotion of a freshly made burger, including a large slice of tomato. The tomato was slightly wrinkled along the outer edge. IMO the wrinkles ruined the appearance of something supposedly “fresh.”

I think that in the same way the model’s hands would benefit by clear, non-checked or wrinkled skin. Probably a fresh nail “do” would help too.

I think this is an example of a good study for an idea that will be made very nice by using the right ingredients.

Justan - This was done more for an experiment on recreating the Skyy Vodka ads, but we shot a lot of different things and I'll never complain if things come out great even if I didn't expect it (still waiting for that to happen ). This one is a serious crop of a completely different type of shot, which I'll post when I get back to my pad (don't have it here).

Ha... funny reading your write up on your critique of the tomato ad. I do this all the time: look at an image / ad / whatever, and immediately see how it could have been improved. I can't help it now - I just instinctively look for improvements! I think it's so much easier to be the critic than the creator. I've decided to create for the next __ period of time, see what I can do ..


Liban - Glad it freaks you out.

GB

[AgingEyes]

To me, the biggest problem is the arrangement of the fingers. I wonder if they should be closer to each other. And I'm not sure you need to show the green skin of the water melon. My $0.02.

[GB1]

Thanks AE. Closer together? I thought they might be too close already. Was wondering when someone would comment on the green: I left it in to give a hint that it was a watermelon, but agree that it may need to go.

Here's the full sized image for reference. As stated, it was quite a crop.

GB

[Justan]

> Justan - This was done more for an experiment on recreating the Skyy Vodka ads, but we shot a lot of different things and I'll never complain if things come out great even if I didn't expect it (still waiting for that to happen ). This one is a serious crop of a completely different type of shot, which I'll post when I get back to my pad (don't have it here).

After I made the post I came across another thread where you showed a girl hand on a pineapple and explained it was done as a workup for the Vodka ad. After reading that I caught on to what your broader goal was.

> Ha... funny reading your write up on your critique of the tomato ad. I do this all the time: look at an image / ad / whatever, and immediately see how it could have been improved. I can't help it now - I just instinctively look for improvements!

That is a good thing!

> I think it's so much easier to be the critic than the creator.

Absolutely! Formulating a concept takes only a flash, producing what one sought is so much about minutia. A huge part of the process is eliminating elements that don’t serve the composition. On the other hand (no pun intended), being critical only requires an ability to find fault, useful or not.

FWIW, I don’t think this composition works so well without showing the green tones. These tones, to me, prove it’s a watermelon. Otherwise just a few seeds on the tissue is a more ambiguous. Not that that's a bad thing....

About that wider shot, - was it you that recently did the cherry foto? Anyway, same model and a close shot of her tongue along the upper edge of the melon, and you’d have people squirming in their seats across the globe.

[geraldb]

And I thought I hated the first one, the second shot is worse, the idea doesn't offer room for improvement. I still think the nails are the problem.

[GB1]

> Justan - This was done more for an experiment on recreating the Skyy Vodka ads, but we shot a lot of different things and I'll never complain if things come out great even if I didn't expect it (still waiting for that to happen ). This one is a serious crop of a completely different type of shot, which I'll post when I get back to my pad (don't have it here).

After I made the post I came across another thread where you showed a girl hand on a pineapple and explained it was done as a workup for the Vodka ad. After reading that I caught on to what your broader goal was.

> Ha... funny reading your write up on your critique of the tomato ad. I do this all the time: look at an image / ad / whatever, and immediately see how it could have been improved. I can't help it now - I just instinctively look for improvements!

That is a good thing!

> I think it's so much easier to be the critic than the creator.

Absolutely! Formulating a concept takes only a flash, producing what one sought is so much about minutia. A huge part of the process is eliminating elements that don’t serve the composition. On the other hand (no pun intended), being critical only requires an ability to find fault, useful or not.

FWIW, I don’t think this composition works so well without showing the green tones. These tones, to me, prove it’s a watermelon. Otherwise just a few seeds on the tissue is a more ambiguous. Not that that's a bad thing....

About that wider shot, - was it you that recently did the cherry foto? Anyway, same model and a close shot of her tongue along the upper edge of the melon, and you’d have people squirming in their seats across the globe.

Justan - I agree that it would be so much better with some green in there, mainly to provide context, but also to show some complementary colors. I tried editing it a bit (rotations, etc) to show more of the watermelon skin but it didn't work because it doesn't look good with just a small tip of background showing. Not sure there's anywhere else to go on this one.

Yes, it's the same model as the cherry shot. I haven't replied to that one yet because I'm still editing that shot, trying to pull out it's potential. I'm close.. And thks for the tongue idea: I like it - but when are you going to shoot some of your ideas?? Sounds like you have some pretty decent ones.

G