Final 3 - Help Me Decide (DSS 27)

anonymouscuban · June 10, 2009

OK... I have to stop shooting... driving myself nuts. I'm down to three possibilities. I am please with all three and I think each one fits the theme fairly well. I would really appreciate your votes to help me decide on a final entry.

#1 - Through a Fighter's Eyes

#2 - The Boxer

Original

Revision

#3 - Tools of the Trade

Katmitchell · June 10, 2009

I rest my vote on #2.... Love it............. I am standing on that no matter how many
more you shoot... I think you nailed it.. you added the sweat? it looks like it..

Now a little more bronzing or "steeling" as you might say for a black and white..
and a slight more shadowing on that front hand so it is not sooo bright
and I think you have a placer... in my opinion..

See what you can so with that hand in the front.. it is a little blown out. I am not sure if the blowout is from your processing or your shoot..

The reason I did not pick the hands, is because after giving it thought and looking at your post on them again, well.... they are great, but they could pass for
"medical type hands too", in other words,,,,,,, >> you say tools of the trade, but that could be interpreted in many ways as a man's hands are his tools for many trades, and here it is implied that the tools "hands" are so overworked due to the "passion of his trade" that they need medical bandages or are broken in some way. They look like they have been wrapped because they are hurt..

Am I making any sense.. ??? Man....... I am so tired I am not sure.. been up processing the new shoot..

All the same,, I hope you see my point..

The hands are playing a great supporting role in #2 and on that one, tools of the trade are implied because you are capturing them in action; and they play a supporting role and "tie" the whole composition together..

Anyways.. that is my best take on it.. others may disagree... I am only one perspective....

You did an awesome job.... already on my fav list.... it is "powerful"

Kuddos to you for the guts to get up and in front of that camera
to deliver such an impressive human element to your work... I aspire to do so well..

Love it..

thumb

Kat

Aspecto5 · June 10, 2009

#3 is awesome except the one spot on your left hand is a little blown out. but that one is the one in my opinion.

richtersl · June 10, 2009

Well now you went and did it!

I'm torn between #2 and #3. The expression on your face is #2 is great and the way the photo is composed/cropped, it leads you directly to the eyes. The textures in #3 are really eye-catching and it's spot-on for the theme.

Hmmm....decisions....decisions....

MarkR · June 10, 2009

I'm groovin' on #2.

Halite · June 10, 2009

Love the detail in #3, but #2 is far stronger compositionally. The expression and lighting really bring it home.

So, how many of us could pull off this pose?

I know I couldn't!

bf2015 · June 10, 2009

I think there's a consensus. #2 is a strong photo! I agree though that your hands are a little blown out. But don't touch the rest. You really nailed the conversion of your face and body. Powerful image.

anonymouscuban · June 10, 2009

I fell in love with #3 the minute I shot it. But I have to agree with you guys that there is much more drama in #2. Kat... you really helped me out with this one. I think the sweat really added that finishing touch.

My right hand is a bit bright. I think I got it too close to the strobe when I took the shot. The one difficult thing of SP's is that you can see what your shooting so it's trial and error. Luckily I shoot in RAW so I should be able to cut the exposure down a bit on my hand without the image quality suffering. I will create a layer mask so I only touch up the right hand.

I do plan on reshooting #3 just for practice. I want to try some different lighting positions to see if I can improve the shot. This has actually turned out to be a pretty good series of self-portraits. That's the beauty of these challenges... they make you shoot with a purpose and push the limits of your comfort zone. I can honestly say that my skills improve every challenge I participate in. Those of you just lurking, I really encourage you to participate.

Katmitchell · June 10, 2009

Hey Cuban.. Your welcome.. I am having such a blast with this one, thanks for including all of us and letting us learn with you..:D:D:D

Can't wait to see the rework on that hand...

I agree... these challenges are pushing us; making us learn and it is awesome..
Not to mention giving us some good stuff for our folios egh?

Kat

anonymouscuban · June 10, 2009

OK... here is my rework of #2. I toned down my right hand quite a bit and pulled out as much detail as possible without introducing artifacts.

What do you think?

Katmitchell · June 10, 2009

that is better. now it is not such a distraction... looks good..

If I had just one more single piece of advice to give,,, it would be to very "very" carefully go in on a super low opacity and tolerance, we are talking 3% exposure on the brush here... and artistically "burn in" the creases and the folds of skin and shadows... >> and additionally, the valleys and dips around the muscles, this will give them a "harsher more pumped for the fight look" by intensifying the shadows on the muscles... and I only suggest this as a mild polishing. other than that..
You have turned out a nice piece here Cuban...

thumb

If you do reshoot those hands, and it sounded like that was your plan with the #3 version... then I wanted to say that I liked the first ones you posted.. for some reason your processing killed them on the second post.. and I think it was all the black you integrated into them..

Kat

anonymouscuban · June 10, 2009

I get what your saying Kat on get just a bit more definition. I'll see what I can pull out.

Here is the original shot of the hands and a new reprocessed one. I toned down the highlights on the second:

Original:

New Version:

Katmitchell · June 10, 2009

they look smaller in the darker one.. not sure if that helps the whole macho boxer look of it.. had for me to say on the hands... also, the darker the composition, the more they look like they are floating in space per say with detail loss on the arms..

Kat

anonymouscuban · June 10, 2009

OK... forget the hands.

How is this. Did a little detail work on it:

Katmitchell · June 10, 2009

Hey.. not to be a pain.:D but can you post the two side by side? this will make it much easier to see where it is going.. I have to keep scrolling up and by then I keep forgetting how it looked.. not too bad when it is big changes, but kind of difficult when the changes are subtle polish work.. please?

Kat

anonymouscuban · June 10, 2009

OK... side by side in orginal post.

Thanks Kat.

ALex

Katmitchell · June 10, 2009

Hi Cuban... does this mean I have to call you Alex now? huh? Cuban....

I did not know your name, thanks for sharing that..

Will go check out the original post now..

Kat

Katmitchell · June 10, 2009

ok.. the chest is looking good.. alot more "pumped up" and defined...

question though: did you lighten the skin on the face of the revision ?

Just curious, it kind of looks like that.. not sure.. I do however suggest keeping the face toned down and bronze looking because to much light on the face is going to compete with the depth factor created by the already light hands.. ya want the face darker than the hands, perhaps some mild and selective toning and burning on the face too? try it and see maybe..??

wow, I am having more fun watching yours come to life than my own project.. ha ha... I am having a horrible processing time with mine because of all the blowout on my metal backgrounds..ugh,.............. gives my eyes a break to come look at your work of art..

lookin awesome..

Kat

Final 3 - Help Me Decide (DSS 27)

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