Richard Siersma  


Laura by Richard Siersma

October 2021 - Laura

About the Image(s)

This was a fun shoot intended to capture the Silver Screen era. The Civic Theatre is a restored late 1920s in Moorish Revivial style architecture.

I have wanted to shoot there for a very long time and we were lucky to be given access while the venue was being set up for a new show. I knew that I needed to be able to light the model well and capture the background well too. Also that the theatre lighting would cause issues (and get marked down if this was in a club competition). I used a Tiffen black mist filter to soften (haze) the lights but otherwise have not tried to reduce their intensit


This round’s discussion is now closed!
6 comments posted




 
Richard, A very pretty model and a nice pose and composition. She looks a little soft on my monitor. I would have added a thin border using her skin color.   Posted: 10/07/2021 11:55:47



Oliver Morton   Oliver Morton
Richard, if you posed the model, you did a fantastic job! I love the position of her arms... with the lower part of her closest arm being parallel with her extended leg. Also, her far arm helps bring my attention to her beautiful face. Additionally, I can't conceive of better cropping. You included enough space around her so that there is excellent context and so that she seems very comfortable and uncramped. Well done!

I couldn't resist playing with your photograph a bit. I wanted to darken the areas around the woman (using the ACR radial filter) and add a bit of additional contrast to enhance the 3D appearance. Then, on a whim, I added a small catchlight to her eyes. Your thoughts?

  Posted: 10/08/2021 11:01:08
Comment Image



 
I always like a portrait where the sitter is not directly engaged with the camera and I think you've achieved this beautifully. I'm much more taken with her head and shoulders with that lovely dreamy expression and the head leaning on the hand. I'm less keen on the rest of the body. Her right leg appears anatomically removed from the rest of her body and the rather clunkily shod foot is bent at an angle that looks uncomfortable. Her clothes do her no justice (or provide any interest) so I'd have been inclined to a much tighter crop.   Posted: 10/08/2021 11:37:29



Barbara E Miller   Barbara E Miller
A lovely casual-type portrait, one would not think that this was a workshop. I am bothered by only one thing and this is the awkward position of her foot. I actually sat on the floor in this position and found it to be very unnatural and uncomfortable. But I have to compliment you the presentation the BG is nicely blurred and and overall it is very pleasant to look at.

I think Pete's darkening of the BG somewhat is a good addition.   Posted: 10/10/2021 06:44:27



Mark Burgess   Mark Burgess
HI Richard, Laura is beautiful. Well framed by the natural vignette provided by the background foliage. Posing provides leading lines back to her face. Bit distracted by the prominent weed behind her on the left hand side.   Posted: 10/10/2021 16:49:19



David Price   David Price
This image shows how we can have a conflicting view of a picture. Some people like the pose with her foot, leg and the lines they produce. Others not so. I find the foot and leg a distraction and they draw my eye away from her face. This is not helped by the skin tone on her leg being lighter than her face.   Posted: 10/11/2021 05:35:08