Day Dreaming and Thinking of You

[Shadowman]

[rpcrowe]

Nice shot of a lovely young lady!

[Shadowman]

Nice shot of a lovely young lady!

Hi Richard,

Thanks for commenting.

[Sergio M.]

Nice shot, John. Do you know the lady in question and is this in a nightclub?

Sergio

[Shadowman]

Nice shot, John. Do you know the lady in question and is this in a nightclub?

Sergio

Hi Sergio,

Model posing at hotel bar. Thanks for commenting.

[IzzieK]

I think a more subtler vignetting is on offer here but it is your shot and I like the composition concentrating solely on your model lady.

[Shadowman]

I think a more subtler vignetting is on offer here but it is your shot and I like the composition concentrating solely on your model lady.

Hi Izzie,

Thanks for comments and suggestion.

[Manfred M]

A couple of thoughts for you, John:

1. Our eyes tend to go to the lightest area on an image, and if this is not the subject, often this pulls the viewer's eyes away from the subject. Negative vignettes have to be used with this in mind and this is the reason that they are used relatively rarely.

2. Usually, if you notice a vignette, it is too strong.

I understand what you are trying to do with the vignette, but sometimes the negative aspects can outweigh the benefits. I think this is happening here.

[Shadowman]

A couple of thoughts for you, John:

1. Our eyes tend to go to the lightest area on an image, and if this is not the subject, often this pulls the viewer's eyes away from the subject. Negative vignettes have to be used with this in mind and this is the reason that they are used relatively rarely.

2. Usually, if you notice a vignette, it is too strong.

I understand what you are trying to do with the vignette, but sometimes the negative aspects can outweigh the benefits. I think this is happening here.

Hi Manfred,
Thanks for comments and critique.

[rpcrowe]

I wonder if a dark vignette might not fit here...

[Shadowman]

I wonder if a dark vignette might not fit here...

Richard,

Here is the dark vignette, I prefer the lighter version but I can still play around with this. I also liked a tighter crop and will post later.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi John,

I don't know what circumstances you shot this under, so I make the following comments as things I would change IF I were in control of the model and shooting situation (which I accept you may not have been, besides being there at the right time and momentarily having her attention).

If my guess is correct, this is another of your series of grab shots of the TV/Movie industry at work, so my comments are mostly not relevant to your shot of a pretty girl at a bar. Forgive me, I'm just exploring options.

I'd crop more from the top, I don't see anything beneficial above the dark beam.
Similarly, I'd lose a little off the left edge of frame.

The light hitting the bright footrest is unfortunate for the composition, particularly from this angle - if possible, I'd try to flag that off or otherwise exclude it from the shot.

Her right leg looks uncomfortably 'too straight'; I'd ask for her toe only make contact with the ground, allowing more of a leg bend.

I think I'd try a dark vignette, this may help diminish the unused reflector pack and ICE light - and those weird 'Stoli' brush things at regular intervals along the bar (I don't visit bars often). Perhaps the number of red items in frame suggest monochrome treatment?

I am puzzled by the thread title, since she's looking at your camera, I'm not sure it fits this shot, but perhaps it did for (another) one shot a fraction earlier?

Cheers, Dave

[Shadowman]

Hi John,

I don't know what circumstances you shot this under, so I make the following comments as things I would change IF I were in control of the model and shooting situation (which I accept you may not have been, besides being there at the right time and momentarily having her attention).

If my guess is correct, this is another of your series of grab shots of the TV/Movie industry at work, so my comments are mostly not relevant to your shot of a pretty girl at a bar. Forgive me, I'm just exploring options.

I'd crop more from the top, I don't see anything beneficial above the dark beam.
Similarly, I'd lose a little off the left edge of frame.

The light hitting the bright footrest is unfortunate for the composition, particularly from this angle - if possible, I'd try to flag that off or otherwise exclude it from the shot.

Her right leg looks uncomfortably 'too straight'; I'd ask for her toe only make contact with the ground, allowing more of a leg bend.

I think I'd try a dark vignette, this may help diminish the unused reflector pack and ICE light - and those weird 'Stoli' brush things at regular intervals along the bar (I don't visit bars often). Perhaps the number of red items in frame suggest monochrome treatment?

I am puzzled by the thread title, since she's looking at your camera, I'm not sure it fits this shot, but perhaps it did for (another) one shot a fraction earlier?

Cheers, Dave

Hi Dave,
Was at a fashion shoot workshop and the. class spilled out into the bar downstairs for more lighting challenges. Agree about the crop options will post later.

[Manfred M]

Richard,

Here is the dark vignette, I prefer the lighter version but I can still play around with this. I also liked a tighter crop and will post later.

I find that the dark vignette is much more effective for this setting. It enhances the mood of a bar scene.

[RBSinTo]

John,
Everything else aside, I'm curious why you didn't "police" the site before shooting just to rid the model's surroundings of extraneous objects that tend to clutter the scene: the menu on the table to our left, the microphone stand, seat cushion (?) "Billy Club" immediately in front of the model on the bar as well as the boxes of straws, and the white Styrofoam cup down the bar behind her. For me, these are all distractions from the subject.
Robert

[bnnrcn]

I prefer the dark vignette John, a beautiful lady

[bje07]

Dark vignette is far better.

[Shadowman]

Dave,

Here is cropped version with dark vignette. Also, the title of the thread was to refer to the viewer's thoughts on the woman; which is why I used the lighter vignette.

[Shadowman]

John,
Everything else aside, I'm curious why you didn't "police" the site before shooting just to rid the model's surroundings of extraneous objects that tend to clutter the scene: the menu on the table to our left, the microphone stand, seat cushion (?) "Billy Club" immediately in front of the model on the bar as well as the boxes of straws, and the white Styrofoam cup down the bar behind her. For me, these are all distractions from the subject.
Robert

Hi Robert,

The setting was part of a 75 minute course and what the instructor called guerilla location shooting, so we quickly set up the lighting, posed the model, and each of us shot as quickly as we could both before the session ended and before hotel staff shut us down.

[Shadowman]

I prefer the dark vignette John, a beautiful lady

Hi Binnur,

Thanks for commenting.