The Mask

[Manfred M]

My first "real" shot in almost three months (not counting the pictures I took of some smoke a couple of days ago). I convinced my daughter to help me set up the seamless and the lights and she agreed to model a mask we bought in Florence, Italy while we were there earlier this year.

I wanted to go for a low key look here. My foot is going to be rather unhappy in the morning, but it really felt good to do some serious shooting again...

[Colin Southern]

Hi Manfred,

It's a cracker of a mask, but personally, I'm finding that your daughters hair is distracting considering it's a low-key image.

Just wondering how you feel an ultra-aggressive crop looks?



Would be interesting to see how it looked with just the mask - same low-key background - with perhaps a red glow shining through?

[Manfred M]

Colin - you and my daughter are on the same page. That was exactly the suggestion she made. I'm planning to rig something up when I'm more mobile.

[Colin Southern]

Colin - you and my daughter are on the same page. That was exactly the suggestion she made. I'm planning to rig something up when I'm more mobile.

Or perhaps as a duotone?

http://i50.tinypic.com/oaojt4.jpg (I won't insert it as an image in case you don't like it!)

[pnodrog]

I think the hair makes it more dramatic and mysterious. The cropped version is mainly a photo of the mask, it not lost any mystery but I think loses some of the drama.

[Colin Southern]

Out of interest, what do you know about the mask Manfred? Is it just some "abstract art" or was it built for some protective purpose?

[Mark von Kanel]

Great to see your finger back on the button Manfred, i Think both crops have their merits and like both i can find no critism at all, nice work.

[Manfred M]

The mask is a piece by the well known Florentine mask maker Professor Agostino Dessi, who taught sculpture at the Univeristy of Florence. We went to his shop (technically his daughter's shop) and bought a couple of masks. Thess are just beautiful pieces of art.

http://www.alicemasks.com/home.htm

The workshop is one of those little narrow places.




And of course, my daughter picked up this wolf mask which is beautifully decorated with scenes from Pinocchio.

The duotone is quite a nice approach too, Colin.

[Mike Buckley]

I also prefer the original image. The mask is a major contrast with your daughter's smooth complexion and gorgeous hair. In other words, the mask is doing what it can to mask the beauty, but the beauty is sneaking through. It tells a very nice story.

[Colin Southern]

Thanks Manfred,

How would it look in the same key, but with her hair tied back? To my eye the hair still just directs my eye to "shortcut" through the photo (because it's the brightest mass in it).

[arith]

You must have gone past 10,000 Manfred.

[Manfred M]

You must have gone past 10,000 Manfred.

By my count. well over 100,000. I think Cartier-Bresson was right.

[Manfred M]

Thanks Manfred,

How would it look in the same key, but with her hair tied back? To my eye the hair still just directs my eye to "shortcut" through the photo (because it's the brightest mass in it).

I understand where you are coming from. As a piece of photography, I agree 100%, but as a "portrait" that my daughter wanted, perhaps not. She loves her long blond hair, so showing it is very important to her.

[djg05478]

Wow...what interesting subjects your have to work with..thats great. Love the photos and both of the masks. In regards to the wolf one, I wonder if you can still catch the dramatic effect of the human eyeball at a wee bit less of an angle so not to include the band around the back of her head. I would guess it must a trade-off because you need her head turned to get the full effect of the snout.

And this is going to sound crazy but I can't help myself (its a long hair thing)...if she put the top half of her hair in a bun, then put the mask on and then took the bun out, her hair would hide the black band.

[Manfred M]

Wow...what interesting subjects your have to work with..thats great. Love the photos and both of the masks. In regards to the wolf one, I wonder if you can still catch the dramatic effect of the human eyeball at a wee bit less of an angle so not to include the band around the back of her head. I would guess it must a trade-off because you need her head turned to get the full effect of the snout.

And this is going to sound crazy but I can't help myself (its a long hair thing)...if she put the top half of her hair in a bun, then put the mask on and then took the bun out, her hair would hide the black band.

Frankly I felt lucky to have had about 10 minutes of her time to pose. My daughter is not one to want anything to do with makeup or having her hair up, etc. I worked with what I had and am happy with the results. I am trying to talk her into another session, but don't know if she will cooperate.