Manel Puigcerver
July 2024 - Back and collar
Original
About the Image(s)
To begin with, this is the first photo I share with you in this group of discussion, so I beg your pardon if I make some mistakes or if I misinterpret the rules of this group. What I always try to do in my pictures is to persevere in the attempt to recover the pure exaltation of human beauty, and this case is not an exception.
Technically, this pic was taken in studio, with one flash with a strip placed horizontally behind the model and in front of the photographer. For the capture, I used a Fujifilm GFX 100 S camera with a 32-64 mm GF lens (f 10, 1/80 s and 400 ISO) without tripod.
I am passionate about low key, with their characteristic shadows and few light, which confer the pic very interesting volumes and a ⬓chiaroscuro⬠effect. In this case, I tried to play with the shapes of the back of a model and I used a necklace as an accessory placed in a different way as usual, to emphasize the curves of her body.
Regarding my processing flow, I used Capture One for general adjustments; next, I used Photoshop to reframe the capture, to slightly change the shape of the back and to remove the flash window of the background. Then, I selectively applied some Nik Color Efex filters (pro contrast, detail extractor, tonal contrast and paper toner) and used luminosity masks from Tony Kuyper panel to avoid an excess of bright or too dense shadows. Finally, I used dodge and burn technique to enhance lights and shadows where it was needed and used frequency separation to improve the sharpness of the photo. And that is all, I am glad to read your comments.
This round’s discussion is now closed!
20 comments posted
Well, I'm going to start off the comments this month. Welcome to Manel and his very different style of photography! I love this kind of photo but have never managed to do anything like it. I've only ever done one nude workshop, where I wasn't in charge of the lighting and it was high key rather than low key, so I am interested in this effect you have produced. You say you used a flash behind and in front of the model but then you say you had a strip. Does this mean a strip flash or a reflector? The original shows a large bright area which I assumed was a softbox round the flash.
I really like the resulting curves of the body and the tight crop, but I am not so sure about the necklace running the full length. It seems to draw my attention too much , away from the body textures. I love the mottled effect of her skin. I like the symmetry of the body shape.
Would it be improved with a white line round the whole photo to delimit the edges? Your processing techniques sound quite complex although I can't see much difference between the original and the final image. Maybe this would show up more with a larger projection.
All in all, a beautiful image!
Looking at a larger projection after I'd written my comment, I found an odd dark curving line below the middle of her back. It loops down and then back up, circling round a dark area. I'm not sure where it has come from -did you clone out or darken a bright area which then didn't tone in with the rest of the tonal range? Posted: 07/06/2024 11:13:13
I really like the resulting curves of the body and the tight crop, but I am not so sure about the necklace running the full length. It seems to draw my attention too much , away from the body textures. I love the mottled effect of her skin. I like the symmetry of the body shape.
Would it be improved with a white line round the whole photo to delimit the edges? Your processing techniques sound quite complex although I can't see much difference between the original and the final image. Maybe this would show up more with a larger projection.
All in all, a beautiful image!
Looking at a larger projection after I'd written my comment, I found an odd dark curving line below the middle of her back. It loops down and then back up, circling round a dark area. I'm not sure where it has come from -did you clone out or darken a bright area which then didn't tone in with the rest of the tonal range? Posted: 07/06/2024 11:13:13
Thank you very much for your welcome, Diana! I'm glad to see you are open-minded with regard nude photos; my experience shows that not everyone accepts this photographic theme.
Coming to your comments, I used a flash with a softbox of 30x120 cm (strip). So I didn't use a reflector.
I have taken a lot of photos in low key with nothing but the body of the model, and in this case I preferred to use a necklace running the back of the model because, from my point of view, it reinforces the natural body curves; I understand that this issue is a matter of opinion, so I'm curious to know the opinion of the other group members :-)
I agree with you: a white line around the whole photo will be very useful to delimite the edges. This practice is not allowed in most competitions, so I never do it; however, I promise to follow your advice for the next photo.
As regards to processing techniques, I agree with you that low key pictures don't need very sophisticated processing, but I'm very careful and I try to be as much perfectionist as I can, so I prefer to follow my work flow even though no big differences might be observed. Notice, however, that the exist :-)
And last, I suspect the odd dark curving line you refer is a tattoo, which I respected. Certainly, in this kind of photos I prefer to work with bodies without tattoos, but currently it is not easy to find them, especially when you carry out TFP sessions and you can't be too demanding.
Again, thank you very much, Diana, not only for your welcome but also for your comments! Posted: 07/15/2024 16:58:50
Coming to your comments, I used a flash with a softbox of 30x120 cm (strip). So I didn't use a reflector.
I have taken a lot of photos in low key with nothing but the body of the model, and in this case I preferred to use a necklace running the back of the model because, from my point of view, it reinforces the natural body curves; I understand that this issue is a matter of opinion, so I'm curious to know the opinion of the other group members :-)
I agree with you: a white line around the whole photo will be very useful to delimite the edges. This practice is not allowed in most competitions, so I never do it; however, I promise to follow your advice for the next photo.
As regards to processing techniques, I agree with you that low key pictures don't need very sophisticated processing, but I'm very careful and I try to be as much perfectionist as I can, so I prefer to follow my work flow even though no big differences might be observed. Notice, however, that the exist :-)
And last, I suspect the odd dark curving line you refer is a tattoo, which I respected. Certainly, in this kind of photos I prefer to work with bodies without tattoos, but currently it is not easy to find them, especially when you carry out TFP sessions and you can't be too demanding.
Again, thank you very much, Diana, not only for your welcome but also for your comments! Posted: 07/15/2024 16:58:50
I dislike tattoos although I can see that they could be a feature of a nude photo. I always wonder what the body will look like as it ages and starts to wrinkle!
I like nude photos but I object when the effect is awkward or angular. Semi-nude can also be a problem when a female model wears bits of clothing which are not sensible, for eg wearing high heels and little else.
I like smooth lines and curves, not uncomfortable looking shapes.
Do you take male nudes as well? Posted: 07/15/2024 18:56:40
I like nude photos but I object when the effect is awkward or angular. Semi-nude can also be a problem when a female model wears bits of clothing which are not sensible, for eg wearing high heels and little else.
I like smooth lines and curves, not uncomfortable looking shapes.
Do you take male nudes as well? Posted: 07/15/2024 18:56:40
Diana, nude photos of nothing else but heels is definitively another style, which is not mine :-)
And yes, I have taken photos to nude males, but I do believe that woman body, with volumes and curves, is more photogenic. Posted: 07/16/2024 07:31:07
And yes, I have taken photos to nude males, but I do believe that woman body, with volumes and curves, is more photogenic. Posted: 07/16/2024 07:31:07
Welcome to our group, Manel. You are making very substantial comments to everyone. Thank you.
I think by choosing a subset of the human body you have made a very interesting composition. I can see the addition of the necklace working in this case. I also think the texture of the skin is a big plus in this image. I completely agree with Diana's remark that partly dressed glamor photographs are generally terrible.
Posted: 07/16/2024 07:03:01
I think by choosing a subset of the human body you have made a very interesting composition. I can see the addition of the necklace working in this case. I also think the texture of the skin is a big plus in this image. I completely agree with Diana's remark that partly dressed glamor photographs are generally terrible.
Posted: 07/16/2024 07:03:01
Thank you very much for your welcome and for your comment, Stephen. I was a bit afraid of being too critical with my comments; my intention was and always will be to give positive comments to, from my humble point of view, help to improve the photo. But this is my first round in this group and I still have to learn the general tone used by the members. So my apologies if I haven't got the right tone and, of course, for all the English mistakes I'm surely making. Posted: 07/16/2024 07:40:29
I think your comments are very helpful, and I am sure the others think so too. Your English is very, very good. Everything is correct and I have not seen any mistakes. I think you write at the university level. Where are you living and what is your native language? Do you speak other languages? Posted: 07/16/2024 12:32:07
Steven, thank you again for your kind comment. I was professor at the University of Barcelona (Spain), but I'm retired since December 2019 and I need to reactivate my rusty English. I'm living in Barcelona and I speak Spanish (my native language), Catalan (my second native language), English (or, more precisely, Globish) and French. Posted: 07/16/2024 14:17:50
My wife is a retired professor of philosophy. We are presently at our summer home in her country of Turkey, near Izmir. She speaks Turkish, French, and English. I only know a little French, and just the names of foods in Turkish. What was your subject? I studied math. Posted: 07/16/2024 19:06:26
Stephen, I'm biologist and I admire mathematicians :-) Posted: 07/17/2024 07:29:01
Welcome to the group, and your use of low key will be an interesting addition to the group. At first glance I did not see that it was a nude image. The addition of the necklace and the texture of the skin really helps the image. I actually like the original image better, because it is showing more curves. Since you have a black background, it would be easy to make the white area black.
I have found your comments very good, and helpful. Posted: 07/16/2024 14:45:46
I have found your comments very good, and helpful. Posted: 07/16/2024 14:45:46
Thank you very much for your welcome and for your comments, Tom!
With regard to curves issue, I obviously prefer B&W version. But, of course, this is a matter of opinion :-). Posted: 07/17/2024 07:32:36
With regard to curves issue, I obviously prefer B&W version. But, of course, this is a matter of opinion :-). Posted: 07/17/2024 07:32:36
The original shown on the webpage looks monochrome. That is what I was discussing, not a color image. Posted: 07/17/2024 11:06:54
Tom, it may look monochrome, but it isn't. That may happen with this kind of lighting. Posted: 07/21/2024 17:09:27
A very nicely created photograph. Posted: 07/16/2024 21:25:46
Thank you very much, Wes! Posted: 07/17/2024 07:33:10
Welcome Manel,
Your rendering is exquisite, I like the detail of the texture and the use of the accessory. To me the tattoo is a distraction from the purity of the curves and texture, but that is a personal taste thing I guess. I can only say Bravo, nice job.
Regards
Som Posted: 07/21/2024 17:03:11
Your rendering is exquisite, I like the detail of the texture and the use of the accessory. To me the tattoo is a distraction from the purity of the curves and texture, but that is a personal taste thing I guess. I can only say Bravo, nice job.
Regards
Som Posted: 07/21/2024 17:03:11
Thank you very much, Sombdutt, for your welcome and for your comment. I agree with you, the tattoo is a distraction, but that was what I got. Posted: 07/21/2024 17:11:25
Hello Manuel. Welcome to Group 32, and thank you for your detailed comments and good suggestions for improvements to our images. I have minimal experience with portrait photography, so I look forward to learning more through your images and your skillful editing. To me, the lighting on your subject here is very pleasing. The skin texture is interesting, but I find so much texture a bit overwhelming. However, that may be because I am used to seeing skin softened in nude portraits most of the time. The texture does provide nice detail in this image that likely would be lost if the skin were smoother, though. I'm wondering if placing the necklace just on the right side would seem too unbalanced? Posted: 07/26/2024 06:10:41
Hi again, Jennifer. Thank you very much for your comment!
Personally, I dislike those extremely softened skins which seem more plastic than real ones. And as regards to necklace position, I don't know which one is better, I'll try next time and we could compare both possibilities! Posted: 07/29/2024 11:22:05
Personally, I dislike those extremely softened skins which seem more plastic than real ones. And as regards to necklace position, I don't know which one is better, I'll try next time and we could compare both possibilities! Posted: 07/29/2024 11:22:05