Diana Magor, MPSA, APSA  

Menace by Diana Magor, MPSA, APSA

January 2025 - Menace

January 2025 - Diana Magor, MPSA, APSA

Original

About the Image(s)

We had a portrait session before Christmas and members from the Society brought props and acted as models. What is frightening is that the short sword was bought off the Internet with no problems at all! Someone provided a dark cloak and we used two flash lights reflected from white umbrellas. We had rather a crumpled backdrop which was not designed as such, so was a bit too see-through which meant light spilled through from the people working on the other side.
It was good fun and we produced some different photos. This came out rather dark so I have increased the exposure overall,and then duplicated the layer so I could reduce the highlights on the face. I cloned out the leather strap under his chin and his hand holding the cloak together, but I'm not sure whether I should have left either or both in.
I darkened the top corners to keep the face , hand and sword as the brightest parts.
Is it good as a mono or is it better left with the warm tone in the colour?

9 comments posted

Somdutt Prasad   Somdutt Prasad
I think cloning out part of the leather strap and the hand holding the cloak, is a good idea.   Posted: 01/05/2025 16:44:35
Stephen Levitas   Stephen Levitas
You get a solid effect with removing the hand and part of the strap, but I prefer the alternative of keeping them in to show more context of the individual person posing. I also prefer the color.   Posted: 01/05/2025 20:29:05
Diana Magor   Diana Magor
I wasn't sure whether taking them out made too big a gap between the hand at the bottom and the face or if they were too distracting. What about removing the strap but leaaving the hand?   Posted: 01/05/2025 20:47:30
Stephen Levitas   Stephen Levitas
Very subjective, I am. I like the strap.   Posted: 01/05/2025 22:47:16
Diana Magor   Diana Magor
In some ways, the strap points towards the sword so maybe better left in.   Posted: 01/06/2025 10:22:40
Stephen Levitas   Stephen Levitas
I like to make sometimes strange connections. Your sword and the echo of it in the chin strap remind me of the three-star belt of the constellation Orion and his smaller three-star sword at his side.   Posted: 01/14/2025 03:37:55
Tom McCreary   Tom McCreary
I like the monochrome, it looks more like the title of Menace. I like the strap, and would leave it in, but like that the part of the lower hand was removed. I don't like that you lost the bottom part of the sword. I lighten that part before conversion to mono.   Posted: 01/07/2025 21:54:47
Comment Image
Diana Magor   Diana Magor
You're right-I should make sure the whole of the sword is visible.   Posted: 01/08/2025 11:28:54
Wes Odell   Wes Odell
I think the hidden hand would be ok to show, as well as the part of the scarf that was hidden originally, but is now in Tom's image. And, I don't see anything wrong with the dim light showing through the backdrop. Apparently Tom left it in as well.

I like the expression and countenance of the main man. Tells a story.   Posted: 01/09/2025 21:52:46

 

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